Your Oculus Quest 2 Keeps Restarting? (Fix in Minutes!)
Oculus Quest 2 keeps restarting? Well, this may appear frightening, but it’s easy to resolve!
Whenever Oculus Quest 2 keeps restarting, you must perform a thorough inspection of all the equipment pieces and verify that everything works.
Hence, this guide will provide the necessary troubleshooting information and all the reasons for the constant rebooting at your disposal…
Whenever the Oculus Quest 2 is constantly rebooting, first, charge the headset and the controllers individually through an electrical outlet. Next, update the firmware version of the headset, update (if any) PC drivers, and reset your Oculus Quest!
Let’s investigate the restarting issue with the Oculus Quest 2 further!
Why Does My Oculus Quest 2 Keeps Restarting?
To identify the reason behind the unusual power behavior of the Oculus Quest 2 equipment, it is advised to review all possible influencing causes.
The VR Quest 2 equipment could periodically power off due to issues with the power supply, firmware, or misconfigured system settings.
Let’s identify all of the possible causes for the power issues with the Oculus Quest:
Those were the potential causes for the unexplained power behavior of the Oculus Quest.
To identify the best-working solutions, advance into our troubleshooting guide, so let’s jump in!
Oculus Quest 2 Keeps Restarting – Proven Solutions!
Tip: Follow the steps and instructions in a consecutive order!
1. Reboot the Oculus Quest 2 System
To address non-lasting issues with the Meta Quest equipment, it is advised to reboot the Oculus system by holding the built-in power button.
The Meta Quest headset has three buttons–two volume buttons and a power button, that control the power state of the Oculus Quest headset.
Warning: Holding the power button with a volume button typically triggers a software action that could put the headset in USB mode or cause a factory reset!
Here’s how to reboot the system of the Oculus Quest 2 system:
- Locate the power button on the side of the headset.
- Press and hold the power button for 10-15 seconds.
- Wait for 60 seconds while the Oculus is shut down.
- Hold the power button again to re-launch the system.
- Once Oculus starts up, test the system’s functionality.
Note: Test the headset for at least 60 seconds to determine if it is still shutting down!
2. Charge the Oculus Headset/Controllers
The Oculus equipment could be powered off due to issues with the power supply, so the next step is to recharge all of the equipment and test the headset’s functionality.
Remember that the headset and the controllers must be charged separately unless you have a Quest 2 Station.
The Oculus charging station provides charging slots for both Meta controllers and a sizable middle socket for the headset, allowing wireless charging.
How to Charge Oculus Meta Quest Headset?
- Find the USB type-C port on the back of the headset.
- Next, connect the type-C cable to a power adapter.
- Plug the USB type-C cable into the port on the headset.
- Wait for 30-40 minutes until the headset has charged.
How to Charge Oculus Meta Quest Controllers?
- Locate the USB type-C port on either of your controllers.
- Connect the Meta Quest controllers with a charging cable.
- Wait 30 minutes until the controller has charged optimally.
- Test the controllers after equipping the Meta Quest headset.
Note: The optimal charging time for the Oculus equipment should be about 1 hour!
3. Update the Firmware of Oculus Quest!
Typically, updating the Oculus Quest 2 equipment is possible in two ways, either of which is equally reliable for uploading the latest firmware version.
You can activate the update through the settings if the headset is securely connected to Wi-Fi or using a computer and USB cable.
Let’s review the standard way of updating the Oculus equipment!
How to Update Oculus Quest Via Headset?
- Press the “Oculus” button on the right-hand controller.
- Hover over to the “Settings” icon at the top and select it.
- Navigate downwards using the controller’s thumbstick.
- Then, enter “About” and go to the “Install Update” tab.
- Finally, wait until the Oculus Quest 2 finishes the update.
How to Update Oculus Quest Via USB (Externally)?
- Press the “power” and “volume UP” buttons on the headset.
- After Oculus is in USB mode, connect it to your PC or laptop.
- Download the Oculus Quest application on your computer.
- Sign into your user account and go to “Settings” > “Devices”.
- Finally, select “Quest 2” in the menu and choose “Update”.
Alert: Unplugging the Oculus Quest from the USB will fail the firmware update process!
4. Disconnect the Headset’s USB Cable!
The reason why the Oculus Meta Quest 2 keeps restarting could be due to a problem with the external USB cable connection.
If your computer or laptop is experiencing issues with the power supply or you’re not charging the headset’s battery externally, the Oculus Quest could power off.
To determine if the Oculus headset will power off when not paired with a viewing device, unplug the USB cable from the back of the headset and your PC or laptop.
If you haven’t charged your headset externally, connect the headset and the controllers to power and check for the restarts.
Charging Oculus Quest Correctly?
As mentioned, all Oculus equipment uses a USB type-C charging cable supplied with the Meta package.
Install the type-C cable into a reliable 12V A/C adapter and charge each piece of the equipment individually to verify that the Oculus won’t power down.
Can I Charge Quest via PC/Laptop?
As long as the power supply of your computer or laptop allows it, the Meta Quest 2 headset can be charged as an external device while connected to the system.
If you’re on Windows, you will be prompted whether you want to view the Quest’s data only and whether to allow the charging.
Tip: If you’re connected to a computer, ensure the charting is allowed!
5. Download the Latest Drivers for Oculus
If the headset is only powering off while connected to your computer or laptop, there could be an issue with the software drivers.
Thus, keeping the compatibility drivers for Oculus updated is the key to maintaining the proper functionality of the VR headset when connected to your computer.
The drivers of Oculus Quest 2 can either be updated manually, through the provider’s website, or automatically with the assistance of a third-party app.
Let’s start with the manual method!
How to Update Oculus Quest Drivers Manually?
- Open a web browser on your computer or laptop device.
- Navigate to the Oculus Quest website to view the drivers.
- Select “Download Software” at the top section of the page.
- Select the first option to download the latest driver available.
- Wait for the installation and run the “.exe” prompt to update.
How to Update Oculus Quest Drivers Automatically?
Typically, Oculus doesn’t have an in-built feature that allows the computer compatibility drivers to be updated automatically.
With the assistance of third-party apps, you can set the drivers of the Oculus Quest 2 to be updated automatically upon the release of a newer firmware version.
- A prime example of a third-party application you can install on your computer is the “Driver Easy” platform.
Create a registration within the platform and add “Quest 2” as a preferred device.
After that, the program will scan the current drivers and schedule automatic updates.
Note: The headset drivers will be updated automatically if your PC is connected to a stable internet network.
6. Factory Reset the Oculus Quest 2
To address all issues with the Oculus Quest 2, the factory reset process is recommended, but only as a last resort.
All content and data will be erased from the Oculus equipment, and the results of the factory reset process are irreversible, thus, none of the content can be restored.
Follow these steps to perform a factory reset on the Oculus Quest 2:
- Verify that the Oculus Quest 2 headset is turned on and working.
- Find the “Volume DOWN” and “Power” buttons on the headset.
- Press and hold both the buttons simultaneously for 10 seconds.
- After the Oculus headset powers off, release both of the buttons.
- Wait until the VR headset finalizes the factory reset and reboots.
Once the Oculus Quest 2 has finalized the factory reset, you will be prompted to complete the initial setup of the headset again.
However, you should only interact with the Oculus headset after the factory reset and the device’s system is restored.
Tip: For additional help, contact Meta Customer Service!
Quick Recap:
Hence, Oculus Quest 2 keeps restarting because of a problem with the electrical supply or power equipment of the headset.
To resolve the restarting issue, update your Quest 2 operating system, unplug the USB cable from a computer, and factory reset the headset.
Follow our blog for more helpful tips and solutions for Oculus Quest 2!
Finn Wheatley, a Master’s graduate in Computer Science from UCL, London, honed his skills at small data science consultancies. There, he helped large corporations enhance their data capabilities by deploying cutting-edge machine learning analytics and resolving technical hurdles.