The Oculus Quest 2 is an astonishing breakthrough in the various realms of wireless virtual reality. Of course, wired or not, the headset has to get its power from somewhere.
This leads us to the pesky problem of having to interrupt our immersion to charge it, but do we really have to stop using the headset while it charges?
The short answer is that you can use the Oculus Quest 2 while charging. To extend the continuous play time of the headset, you can use an external battery pack, connect a USB cable to a power source or use the official Elite Strap with battery.
In this article, I’ll be guiding you on how you can stay immersed in the Quest 2 while keeping it plugged in and charging.
Note! Even though the majority of users haven’t reported any issues using the Quest 2 while charging, there is still a possibility of running into some performance conundrums such as reduced battery life and slower charging.
1) Using USB Cable to Charge The Quest 2 While Playing
You can start by getting out the original charging cable that came with your Oculus Quest 2. Connect this cable to a socket or power source and to your Quest 2. The light for the charging indication should turn on and you may return to your virtual adventures.
While using this method, do keep in mind that the included charging cable is only 1 meter long – or approximately 3.3 feet.
For those of you who would like more freedom to move around while using the charging Quest 2, here are a few alternative cables you could use to charge the headset:
Note: The longer the cable, the more the danger of tripping or having it wrap around you as you move and rotate your body in VR. Be sure to excercise caution and awareness regarding your surroundings to avoid injury or harm – to yourself and to your beloved headset.
2) External Battery Packs are Convenient For Charging Your Quest 2 While Playing
Understandably, you may want to avoid the hassle of having a wired VR experience at a time when wireless is not only possible, but so much better!
If you’re thinking along those lines, then allow me to point you to using a power bank or an external battery pack!
Rather than having a cable sprawled along the floor, you can have a battery pack in your pocket or somewhere close nearby, and connect it directly to your headset to ensure your VR experience stays as wireless as possible!
The Anker PowerCore 10,000 is an excellent and well-priced product for this purpose and you can get one ordered quickly from Amazon.
3) Oculus Quest 2 Elite Strap With Battery
Another similar option, although more on the pricey side of things, is to use the official Oculus Quest 2 Elite Strap with Battery.
This handy device allows you to effortlessly extend your VR playing time by having your Quest 2 connect to the built-in rechargeable battery. You also get a little extra bang for your buck in the comfort strap and brace that comes with it!
Looking into this option might really be worth it if you’re intending to go for those longer VR sessions. Your head and neck might just thank you for it, as the strap offers additional support and enhanced comfort!
The included battery can be recharged using the same original charging cable for your Quest 2.
4) Charging Your Quest 2 using the Oculus Link Cable
As you probably already know, Oculus Link is the feature in your Quest 2 that allows it to turn into a PCVR headset.
If you have bought the official Oculus Link Cable to enjoy some PCVR gaming, then you are all set. Just plug it into a power adaptor or a USB Type C port in your PC or laptop and it will give some extra juice to your headset.
Note: Although the Oculus Link cable from Oculus is the official product, I would personally recommend that you buy a third-party USB cable (see recommendations earlier in the article). They get the job done similarly well, just with a cheaper price tag.
Oculus Quest 2 Charging Issues While Being Used
If you’re trying to charge your VR headset and it decides to rebel for some reason and not charge, then don’t worry. There’s likely nothing to worry about.
The first thing to keep in mind that oftentimes your Quest 2 will be using more power than the charger/battery back can provide for the headset (especially for resource-intensive games). A slow drop in the battery level while playing is mostly considered normal.
If you get no charge at all, double-check the cable you’re using to make sure it works. If you’re using an external power source such as a battery pack, then check to make sure the pack is charged and can supply power in the first place.
I have also written an extensive guide to troubleshooting and solving various Oculus Quest 2 charging issues.
If all your equipment is good to go, then you might be a “victim” of Facebook’s ambiguous Quest 2 charging optimization programming.
Basically, your headset will only charge while being used when the battery level drops below 80%. If your headset falls below 80%, it will automatically start to accept the electrical juice to feed itself.
With that being said, let there be no batteries to hold you back from diving deep into the realms of VR – may your endurance be the only limit!
HARDWARE USED FOR TESTING AND WRITING THE ARTICLES:
* Meta Quest 2 (My “daily driver” headset, which I absolutely love & recommend)
* Lenovo Legion 5 Pro (AMD Ryzen 5 5600H, Nvidia Geforce RTX 3060, 16GB RAM)
* TP-Link Archer C6 (budget dedicated router for Air Link, see my full setup tutorial)
ESSENTIAL QUEST 2 COMFORT ACCESSORIES:
* VR Cover Foam Replacement (one of the easiest & cheapest ways to improve headset comfort)
* BoboVR M2 Head Strap (reduce pressure on your head and improve the overall fit of the headset)
