If you are having trouble connecting your controllers to your Quest 2 headset (controller(s) not appearing when in VR) or you are having issues with the controller pairing process, then you have arrived at the right place!
In this article, I am going over the most common troubleshooting steps and potential solutions to get your controllers successfully connected in no time! So without further ado, let’s get started!
Check That Controllers Are Turned On
So the first thing you want to do when you are unable to pair or connect your controllers to the headset is to verify that the controllers are actually turned on.
To clarify here, there is no on/off button for the controllers. If the controllers are getting electricity from the battery then they are always on (in standby mode when node used).
In order to check that controllers are getting power and are indeed turned on, go ahead and grab your controllers and press different buttons (while the headset is turned off), You should see the lights on the controllers start blinking.
If you don’t see the lights on the controller blinking, then this is the root cause of your pairing and/or connection issues. You can find different troubleshooting steps and potential fixes in an article I have previously written.
Once you have resolved the power issues of your Quest 2 controller(s), test again to see if they now connect to your headset.
Press Buttons Repeatedly to Wake the Controllers
The next step to take if you are unable to connect your Quest 2 controllers is to turn on the headset, grab your controllers and hold them in direct sight of the headset (cameras). Press different buttons on the controllers repeatedly to wake the controllers up.
Press and Hold Oculus Button
Another thing to try (which is also mentioned in the Meta support documentation) is to press the Oculus (Meta) button on the right controller. This causes the controllers to be reoriented and can help with establishing the connection properly in some cases.
Reset Quest 2 Controller Connections
The next step you can take to solve controller connectivity issues (often recommended by Oculus support representatives) is to reset the Quest 2 controllers (connection to the headset):
- Turn on your headset
- Remove the batteries from both controllers
- Wait approximately 2 minutes
- Put the batteries back in
- Press controller buttons repeatedly
Removing the batteries from the controllers and waiting for a minute or two resets the connection link with the headset. After reinserting the batteries, a “new” connection is established which may very well help your controller get connected.
Unpair & Re-Pair Controllers Again
Another way to overcome Quest 2 controller connectivity issues is to simply unpair and then re-pair the controllers. You can find my detailed step-by-step instructions (with illustrating images) by clicking on the links.
Reinforce the Controller Battery Connection
There are cases where the Quest 2 controllers are seemingly turned on (lights on the controller ring turn on), but the electrical circuit is not strong enough for the controllers to function properly. This can cause unexpected controller disconnects, pairing issues, and tracking glitches.
The most common reason for this is that the spring on the Quest 2 controller contact pin can become weak over time and it isn’t able to properly push the battery against the contact pin on the other side.
To overcome the issue, you can place a piece of folded aluminum foil between the battery and the contact pin in the battery compartment to enforce the electrical circuit. You can see my instructions for this by clicking on the link or watching the Youtube video below:
After you have carefully inserted the battery back into the controller (with the aluminum foil in place), try to reconnect or pair your controllers again to see if there is any difference.
Reinstall Oculus Phone App
My final recommendation for overcoming Quest 2 controller pairing issues is to reinstall the Oculus mobile app on your phone and try pairing the controller again.
For whatever reason, my personal headset was not successfully paired in the mobile app (stuck at the “Finish Setup” step, which could not be completed) and I was able to overcome the issue by uninstalling and then reinstalling the mobile phone app.
There’s a good likelihood that reinstalling the phone app can also help to overcome controller pairing issues in certain cases. So try it out!
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)
