VRChat Mic Not Working Oculus Quest 2? – (07 Easy Fixes)
The VRChat mic not working Oculus Quest 2 and wondering why? This guide covers everything!
VRChat is a unique virtual reality world that allows you to socialize by communicating with other players while looking at their avatars.
So, the entire fun is gone if you can’t speak and the other players can’t hear you, and this is why here we’ll help you fix Oculus Quest microphone issues.
When the microphone of your Quest headset is not working in VRChat, you must inspect if your mic is not muted or the volume is not too low.
Let’s continue to unwrap!
Why is The Oculus Quest 2 VRChat Mic Not Working?
There are many potential reasons why players in the VRChat world can’t hear you, so it’s best to take a quick look at all possibilities.
So, we’ve designed a short list containing all suspects:
Those are the possibilities, so let’s continue with the troubleshooting!
How to Fix When VRChat Mic Not Working Oculus Quest 2?
Tip: Follow the steps chronologically!
1. Unmute the Quest’s Microphone!
The first step is to verify that the Oculus Quest 2 microphone is not muted through the settings, which may be preventing you from speaking in VRChat.
So, you must first exit the VRChat app and navigate to the Oculus Quest 2 settings to check whether the microphone has been muted.
Here’s how to unmute your microphone on Oculus Quest 2:
- First, power on and equip your Quest VR headset.
- Then, press the Oculus button to access the menu.
- Next, hover over the clock to enter the Quick Panel.
- There, you can Mute and Unmute the microphone.
- Ensued that the Quest 2 microphone was unmuted.
So, when you’re sure your microphone is unmuted, go ahead and jump into the VRChat and try speaking to other people.
If they hear you, the problem is gone, and if they don’t, keep reading!
Note: The mic icon will turn red when the microphone is muted!
2. Move to a Different VRChat World
The next thing to attempt is to verify that your microphone is working by switching to another VRChat world and testing there.
You may be muted in the current VRChat world, so it’s best to check whether the microphone works in other worlds or even in other Oculus applications!
Here’s how to change worlds in VRChat using Oculus Quest 2:
- First, equip your headset and enter VRChat.
- Then, press the Menu button on the controller.
- This will bring up the Words Menu in VRChat.
- Press on “Worlds” from the top panel to enter.
When you enter a new world in VRChat, test whether your Oculus Quest 2 microphone is now working.
If you still have no success, it’s time to test whether the mic works in different apps!
Test on a Different Oculus Quest App!
It’s imperative to justify whether the microphone is not working only in VRChat or in other apps on your Oculus Quest 2.
Hence, we recommend finding a VR app that also uses a mic and tests whether the microphone of your VR headset will work.
If your microphone is not working on all apps, the following solutions will help!
3. Switch Your VRChat Microphone!
To play VRChat with your Oculus Quest VR headset, you need the Meta Quest app and Steam VR on your computer.
So, Oculus Quest 2 has a built-in microphone, and when your computer has a plugged microphone, there could be existing conflicts that you must sort out.
Luckily, VRChat allows switching from one microphone to another, so you must ensure that your Oculus Quest 2 microphone has been selected.
Otherwise, you may still be using the computer microphone, where many possibilities can prevent the mic from working.
Here’s how to switch from one microphone to another in VRChat:
- Equip your Oculus headset and turn on VRChat.
- Then, press the Menu button on your controller.
- Then, select “Settings” from the VRChat menu.
- On the right, you’ll see a “Microphone” section.
- Use the arrows to switch from one mic to another.
Note: If you’re using the “Realtek USB” microphone, this is the computer’s mic, not your Oculus Quest 2 built-in microphone.
4. Increase Your Microphone’s Level
Another very important aspect is the volume of your microphone while playing VRChat with your Oculus Quest 2.
The volume of your microphone determines how loud you will be heard by the other players, and when the microphone level is too low, your voice may not be loud enough.
Here’s how to increase the microphone volume level in VRChat:
- Turn on your Oculus headset and enter VRChat.
- Then, press the “Menu” button on your controller.
- Go to the “Settings” and look under “Microphone.”
- Use the slider to increase the volume of your mic.
- Set your mic to a volume level from 80% to 95%.
When your microphone volume within VRChat is increased to a substantial level, test whether you can now communicate with other players.
If they hear you, the problem is solved, but if your microphone problem continues, you must perform more troubleshooting.
Info: Underneath the “Microphone” section, you can also control how loud you hear others!
5. Uninstall & Reinstall Your VRChat
The Oculus Quest 2 mic not working in VRChat may not be due to your Oculus Quest 2 or its microphone rather than the application itself.
Hence, the next step, by importance, would be to remove the VRChat completely from your computer and reinstall the software again cleanly.
Reinstall VRChat on Quest VR:
If you’re playing VRChat straight from your Oculus Quest headset, follow these steps:
- Press the “Oculus” button on the controller.
- This should pull up the VR Universal Menu.
- Go to your “Library” and hover over VRChat.
- Press the icon with the three dots on the left.
- Finally, choose “Uninstall” and then confirm.
- Open the Oculus Store to download VRChat.
Reinstall VRChat on Steam App:
If you’re using SteamVR to play VRChat on the Oculus Quest headset, follow the steps:
- First, find and right-click on VRChat on Steam.
- Select “Properties” and click on “Local Files.”
- A new window will open, so go back to Steam.
- Click VRChat again, and hover over “Manage.”
- Select “Uninstall” to erase the app from Steam.
- Return to the window that opened in step #3.
- Select all files from within and delete everything.
- Go to the Steam Store and download VRChat.
Reinstall VRChat on Oculus PC:
If you play VRChat through your computer via the Oculus PC app, follow the steps below:
- Open the Oculus computer app on your machine.
- Then, click the three dots menu next to VRChat.
- Select “Details” and copy the link to the clipboard.
- Open “This PC” and go to the copied destination.
- Return to the app, click the menu, and “Uninstall.”
- Go back to the already opened window destination.
- Select everything in the folder and delete all files.
Reminder: After the reinstallation, you must check the VRChat default microphone and the volume level, as discussed previously.
6. Boost Your PC Microphone Volume!
If you’re using the Oculus PC app to play VRChat, then you must also check whether the PC microphone is not lowered to the minimum.
In addition, you must also check which mic your computer uses for the streamed games, so let’s learn how this is done on a Windows OS:
- From the Taskbar, click on the Start Menu.
- Then, type “Settings” and click on the tab.
- Select the “System” tile from the right menu.
- Scroll down to the “Inputs” section of the tab.
- Check which microphone your PC is using.
- Then, increase the volume up to 85%-90%.
When you’re ready, open VRChat and test whether you can now communicate with other players in your world.
If your microphone problem is continuous, you may need to test with a different mic to determine whether the problem is on your side.
So, let’s keep reading…
7. Test the VRChat With a Different Mic!
So, if you’ve tried everything, but your microphone is not working in the VRChat, we have a few suggestions for bypassing your problem.
If your Oculus Quest 2 headset mic is not working, you can use your computer to play VRChat by implementing SteamVR or the Oculus desktop app.
This way, you can use your computer’s microphone to communicate with other players in the VR world without using the headset’s built-in mic.
Hence, you can connect an AUX or a USB microphone to your computer/laptop, increase the volume level from the settings, and enjoy!
Reminder: Don’t forget that you must switch the selected microphone in the VRChat settings!
More Oculus Quest 2 Errors:
Q: Why is the tracking on my Quest 2 jumping?
A: Ensure proper lighting, clear any obstructions, and check if your tracking settings are correctly configured.
Q: What causes stuttering on my Oculus Quest 2?
A: Stuttering may be due to a performance issue. Lower the graphics settings, close background apps, or check your connection.
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.