Is Your Quest 2 Tracking Jumping (Don’t Panic, Easy Fix!)

We understand that encountering Quest 2 tracking jumping issues can be a headache when your headset tracking unexpectedly starts moving to different positions in the VR environment.

This bug happens even if you are holding the controller still in the real world, so if you have no idea what’s going on, this guide will come in handy.

If your Quest 2 VR tracking is jumping, it could be due to different factors, including low light conditions, area obstructions, low battery levels, and incorrect Guardian boundary.

So, without any further delay, let’s dig deeper into the guide!

How to Fix the Quest 2 Tracking Jumping Issue?

It can be pretty frustrating when your Oculus Quest 2 VR headset experiences issues like erratic movement or imprecise controllers.

However, these problems can be easily fixable. Below is a detailed guide with the different solutions to help you restore your Oculus Quest VR experience.

1. Restart Your Oculus Quest 2

Sometimes, a simple power cycle to a device works wonders to resolve the VR tracking issues.

This simple step will remove all temporary glitches and bugs from the VR headset and refresh the system to enhance your immersive experience.

• Hold the Power button on your Quest 2 until it turns OFF!

Once your headset boots up, hold your controllers in sight of the headset and then check for the tracking movements.

Also, ensure that the headset cameras are entirely exposed and are not covered or obstructed with your hands.

If restarting your Quest 2 doesn’t help resolve the tracking issues, continue reading!

2. Clean Your Headset’s Sensors!

Over time, the four sensors on your Quest 2 headset become smudged, dusty, or dirty, often resulting in poor room mapping and tracking.

So, when your VR headset tracking is jumping, it is a good idea to clean your Quest 2 cameras.

Here’s how to clean the sensors of your Oculus Quest headset:

1. First, power off your Oculus Quest 2 headset.
2. Locate the front cameras and sensor lenses.
3. Blow out towards the dust particles on the lens.
4. Dampen a soft cloth with a cleaning solution.
5. Gently wipe the sensor lenses with a damp cloth.
6. Then, completely dry the lenses using a dry cloth.

Once you’ve cleaned and dried your headset sensors, double-check the lens for dust and turn your headset back on.

When you’re ready, check whether the tracking jumping issue is gone! 

Reminder: Always check the headset’s sensors for obstructions when the tracking jumps!

3. Improve Your Room’s Lighting!

The Oculus Quest 2 headset entirely relies on its built-in cameras to track your position and the position of your controllers.

However, it is susceptible that even inconsistent lighting or cast shadows can confuse the Oculus headset sensors, which leads to improper tracking.

Here is a list of a few things to avoid Quest 2 tracking issues:

• Avoid direct sunlight exposure to the surface of the play area.
• Prevent playing the Oculus headset in a dim or overly dark room.
• Minimize the chances of reflective surfaces like mirrors or furniture.
• Ensure no LED light is directly pointed towards your VR headset.

In short, make sure your playing room is not dim or too bright, instead, it is evenly lit.

Once you are done making changes in the room’s lightning, restart your headset and again check whether the tracking jumping issues are gone.

Pro Tip: If the tracking issue persists, try playing in another room!

4. Replace the Controller’s Batteries

Sometimes, the low voltage or poor batteries in your Quest 2 controllers can also lead to erratic movements and tracking issues.

So, the next step is replacing the batteries in both controllers with high-quality AA batteries.

Doing this simple step will provide stable and consistent power.

Follow these steps to replace the Oculus equipment batteries:

1. Power OFF your Oculus Quest 2.
2. Disconnect all connected cables.
3. Grab your headset’s controllers.
4. Uncover the battery compartment.
5. Then, take out the old batteries.
6. Install a fresh set in the controllers.
7. Lastly, follow the correct polarity.
8. Reinstall the battery compartment.

After that, simply reconnect all cables and turn your headset back on.

Set up a VR environment and hold your controllers in direct sight of the headset. Then, check for the tracking movements!

Tip: You can check the battery level of your controllers in the Meta Quest app!

5. Reset the Oculus Guardian History!

Remember that your Quest 2 relies on your Guardian System, a visual map of your play area, to track your movements and interactions with your surroundings accurately. 

Over time, the Guardian system becomes inaccurate, especially when you make any changes in your play area or lighting conditions, which may result in tracking problems. 

Solution? – Reset your Guardian history to clear out all stored information about your play area, and create a new Guardian to set up a fresh and precise boundary.

How to Reset the Quest 2 Guardian History?

1. Power on your Oculus Quest 2 and controllers.
2. Navigate to the “Settings” menu on your Quest 2.
3. Scroll down and choose “Device” and “Guardian.”
4. Select the “Reset/Clear Guardian History” option.

When you’re done resetting, you’ll be prompted to set up a new Guardian and redraw your play area’s boundaries.

So, verify to draw the boundaries according to the available room space.

Note: If this solves the tracking jumping, follow the Guardian setup recommendations!

6. Check and Install the Software Updates!

If your Quest 2 jumping around even after creating a new Guardian, the issue may be due to the outdated Oculus software.

So, it’s crucial to check for any available updates for the Quest 2 and be sure to update your device, which should resolve the problem immediately.

Here’s how to check and install updates on Oculus Quest 2:

1. Open “Quick Settings.”
2. Navigate to the “Setting.”
3. Enter the “System” tab.
4. Select “Software Update.”

From here, check to see if a new software update is available.

If so, click on the Update button and install the software update on your Oculus Quest 2.

If your VR headset doesn’t update the software, make sure your headset is fully charged, and connected to the WiFi, before testing!

Important: Always keep your Oculus Quest 2 up to date!

7. Unpair and Re-Pair Your Controllers

When your Quest 2 headset is causing tracking issues even after replacing the batteries in the controllers, it’s an excellent idea to unpair the controllers and repair them.

This is a simple approach that will resolve all connectivity problems and help you establish a stable connection.

Follow these steps to repair your Quest 2 controllers easily:

1. First, open the Meta Quest app.
2. Tap on the three horizontal lines.
3. Go to the “Devices” section tab.
4. Choose the “Controllers” option.
5. Select one of your controllers.
6. Press on “Unpair Controller.”
7. Then, press on “Pair Controller.”

Alternatively, you can take out the batteries from both controllers for about 5 minutes. After that, install the batteries and start pressing buttons on your controllers.

So, doing this will reset the connection between your headset and controller and provide you with a fresh service startup!

When ready, check if the tracking movements and interactions are improved!

8. Factory Reset Your Oculus Quest 2

As a last resort, you should perform a factory reset on your Quest 2 headset.

This reset will permanently delete your saved data, account details, and downloaded games and return your VR headset to the default state to start everything fresh.

Here’s how to factory reset your Oculus Quest 2 in easy steps:

1. First, hold the Power button until your headset powers off.
2. Press the Power + Volume Down buttons simultaneously.
3. Release both buttons when the unit’s Boot Menu appears.
4. Then, scroll down and highlight the “Factory Reset” option.
5. Select the “Factory Reset” option using the Power button.
6. Finally, choose “Yes, erase and factory reset” to confirm.

After resetting your headset, reboot your device and set up your headset by following on-screen instructions.

If you’ve tried all the troubleshooting steps in the guide, but the Quest tracking fault doesn’t go away, we recommend creating a support ticket and getting help at Oculus Support.

More Oculus Quest 2 Errors:

Q: What should I do if my Oculus Quest 2 profile is not loading?
A: Restart the headset, check your internet connection, and ensure the Oculus app is updated.

Q: Why won’t my Oculus Quest 2 update?
A: Ensure a stable Wi-Fi connection, sufficient battery life, and try restarting the device or manually checking for updates.