Anyone who has used Oculus Link for a longer period knows that you are eventually going to bump into some unexpected problems that need troubleshooting.
Whether it is USB 3 connection issues, the microphone not working, Oculus Link lagging, or the headset throwing in some black screens.
If you are currently dealing with sound problems on your Oculus Quest 2 using Oculus Link then you have arrived at the right place.
In this article, I am going to guide you through various troubleshooting steps and solutions that will hopefully get your Quest 2 audio back in no time! Let’s get started!
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1) Check For Disabled Devices
One of the most common causes for Oculus Quest 2 headset audio issues is that Windows seems to unexpectedly disable the Oculus Virtual Audio Device.
- Go to your Windows “Sound settings” by clicking “Start” on taskbar and searching for “Sound settings”
- In the sound settings, look for “Manage sound devices” under the “Output” section and click on it.
- Scroll down the list to the “Disabled” section and see if you can find your Quest 2 entry here
- If yes, then click on the list item and “Enable”
If your Oculus audio device was previously disabled, there’s a high probability that your sound issues are now resolved. If that’s not the case for you, continue with the next steps in the article.
2) Check Windows Audio Output Device
Navigate back to Windows “Sound Settings”. In the Audio output section, make sure that you have selected “Headphones (Oculus Virtual Audio Device)”
If Oculus was not selected as the audio device, change and apply the modifications and test if your audio problems are now gone.
3) Check Audio Device in Oculus Software
- Open Oculus Software
- Click on “Devices”
- Click on “Quest 2 and Touch” to open device settings
- Make sure that “Quest 2 Headphones” is selected as the output audio device and also turn up the volume if needed.
If you made any changes, test whether the sound issues are resolved. If not, move on the next items in the article.
4) Use Windows “Troubleshoot Sound Problems”
Although the Windows built-in troubleshooters have a bad reputation for never being able to actually solve any problems, my personal experience is different.
Since you have nothing to lose either, then go ahead and right click on the speaker icon in the bottom-right of your screen. Click on “Troubleshoot sound problems”
When prompted which audio device to troubleshoot, select “Oculus Virtual Audio Device” and see if Windows can come up with any solutions to your problem.
5) Reinstall Oculus Drivers
Whenever there are problems with your Oculus Link in general, reinstalling Oculus drivers has helped many people solve their problem.
- Disconnect your Quest 2 headset and restart your PC
- Open File Explorer and navigate to “C:\Program Files\Oculus\Support\oculus-drivers\”
- Modify the path if you have chosen an alternative installation directory
- Click and run “oculus-driver.exe” and let the process complete
- Reconnect your headset and start Oculus software
See if after updating/reinstalling drivers whether anything has changed regarding the audio issues you were experiencing.
6) Launch Oculus Setup “Repair” Functionality
Download the latest Oculus Software and run the setup. When prompted, select “Repair” from the action list.
In case Oculus detects any problems / misconfigurations with your installation, it will try to repair them automatically. I personally haven’t had much luck with this method when solving various Oculus Link related problems, but it’s quick and doesn’t hurt to try
7) Disable Audio Enhancements
Although various audio enhancements are built in to improve the overall experience, sometimes they act in undesired ways and may cause problems.
To disable all audio enhancements for your Oculus Quest 2:
- Go to Windows “Sound Settings”
- Click on “Sound Control Panel” from the “Related Settings” submenu
- Right-click on “Oculus Virtual Audio Device” and select “Properties”
- Move to the “Enhancements” tab and tick the “Disable all enhancements” option
- Apply the configuration changes
Test again to see if it made any difference regarding the sound problems you were having.
BONUS TIPS
- Disable / Enable Oculus Virtual Audio Device – Go to Windows “Sound Settings” and click on “Sound Control Panel”. In the Playback devices tab right-click on “Oculus Virtual Audio Device” and disable it and then re-enable. Do a restart aftewards.
- Try Different USB Ports – In general, if there are problems with the USB connection, you will not have isolated audio problems alone but rather issues with the Link connection in general. Still, it is worth testing alternative USB ports on your PC to see if it makes any difference in terms of the problems you are having.
- Do Full Restart Cycles When Troubleshooting – When testing the solutions listed in this article (and any other tips you might find), it is always a good idea to do proper full restart cycles from time to time. You don’t have to do this after every single change, put please do throw in occasional restarts. Some modifications actually require a restart to take effect and it is always a good idea to start from a “blank sheet”.
- Update EVERYTHING – Make sure that your Oculus Quest is running on the latest firmware version. Update your Oculus Software as well as Steam. Go ahead and also apply any pending Windows updates you have been delaying. You can never know how outdated software and the associated drivers interact with each other.
- Disable “Hear Computer Audio in VR” and “Hear VR Audio in Desktop” in Oculus Software – Open your Oculus Software and click on “Devices” and “Quest 2 and Touch” to open your Quest 2 settings. Disable both the “Hear Computer Audio in VR” and “Hear VR Audio in Desktop” options. Do a full restart cycle afterward.
I do hope that the troubleshooting steps listed in this article helped you closer to solving the audio issues you were having.
If not, it is always a good idea to also contact Oculus Support and create a support ticket. Be precise when describing your problem and list all of the different steps you have already taken when trying to solve the problem.
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)
