Last Updated on
The Quest 2 is an important bit of technology, it allows you to have the full virtual reality experience completely untethered from any other devices, fully maximizing immersion. While this wireless functionality is something that most VR owners have wanted for some time, what it does mean is akin to phones, tablets, and any other portable device, you’ll be running off battery power.
This unfortunately means that you will have limited playtime with the Quest 2 before having to plug in that charging cable and give it more juice. On a full charge, you can expect to receive around 2-3 hours of usage which is a little on the low side, especially if you’re using it for gaming. This will also run down quite quickly if you don’t use some power-saving tricks thus extending the longevity of a single charge.
Luckily for you, we’ll be listing all the best Quest 2 battery-extending tips and tricks, allowing you to maximize the time period you can strap on your VR headset at any given time.
How to extend Oculus Quest 2 battery life
So, how do you extend your Oculus Quest 2 VR headset’s battery life? Well, there are a few methods you can use to do so and we’re going to be taking you through the best ones. Let’s get into it.
Completely power off headset after use
The first method of extending your Quest 2’s battery life is something that you simply might have missed – completely shutting off the headset.
If you’ve been using your Quest 2 and just clicking that power button, or just leaving it aside after use, it is only going to go into a sleep mode, similar to that of various other devices out there. This means your headset is still technically on and will be draining that all-important battery life slowly but surely.
To shut your Quest 2 down completely, you will need to press and hold the power button. This will bring up a menu asking you to proceed to next steps. Choose the ‘Power Off’ option to fully turn off your headset.
Utilize an Oculus Link Cable
Using an Oculus Link Cable is something you might not have considered.
While the Quest 2 is tether-free in the main, to play PC games not stored on your headset, you’re going to have to hook it up to an external machine. While this isn’t ideal, it’s a necessary evil to allow you to boot up some of the best VR experiences around. What using the Link Cable does do, however, is send some juice to your internal battery while using the headset thus extending battery life dramatically.
Using the official Oculus Link Cable is obviously advised but this comes in at a pretty hefty price that some may not want to spend after the initial cost of the Quest 2 headset. There are some perfectly acceptable alternatives though such as the Kuject Link Cable or the KRX Link Cable which come in at equal or increased lengths and a fraction of the price.
Use different settings to enhance power saving
With the Quest 2, there is no ‘power saving’ mode that you can quickly enable to improve the headset’s battery life. You can, however, tweak some settings to almost create your very own power-saving functionality thus extending battery life at least by a few minutes.
Head to the Quest 2’s main menu by hitting the Oculus button and go into ‘Settings’. Open up the ‘Device’ sub-menu and find ‘Power Settings’.
Once in the Power Settings menu, you’re going to want to adjust two settings to extend battery life. The first is Auto-Wake Headset option and while this is a convenient feature to have, it does drain battery. Ensure this is off by using the option toggle. The second is the Auto Sleep Headset function. Set this to the lowest possible option to ensure your headset goes to sleep mode as soon as possible after use. This will turn off the displays and almost power down the device completely, saving your battery in the process.
Purchase a battery pack
One way of extending the Quest 2’s battery life is to leave all those software-related tweaks behind and opt for an external battery pack to charge the built-in power source while using the headset.
The best external battery pack for the Quest 2 that we’ve found is actually the official Oculus Quest 2 Elite Strap with Battery. This bit of kit not only allows you to extend the battery life of the headset by double, potentially reaching 6 hours of run time, it also enhances comfort dramatically, making your VR experience that bit more enjoyable.
If the Elite Strap doesn’t take your fancy, there are third-party options available. The AUBIKA Head Strap With Battery, for example, offers similar advantages as the Elite Strap but at a lower cost which may be perfect for more budget-conscious individuals.
No matter what external battery pack you choose for extending the Quest 2’s battery life, you’ll get more playtime, whether you pick up a first or third-party option.
Don’t leave headset on charge after reaching 100% battery
As advised by many tech manufacturers out there, if you leave your devices charging when already at a full 100%, it will, in fact, degrade your battery over time. This is similarly the case with the Quest 2 so if you’re looking to use your VR headset for many years to come, don’t just leave it charging overnight. Instead, charge it up after your session and when the light on the headset turns from orange to green, this means the battery is at 100% indicating it’s time to remove the charging cable.