Meta Quest 2 is a robust VR headset for an immersive virtual reality experience. Whether you use it for gaming or entertainment, you will have a new experience. However, the VR headset requires a hand controller to pick up all your movements. You can’t take full advantage of Meta Quest 2 without the controller. While Meta Quest 2 hand controllers are one of the best VR controllers in the market, they are still a piece of tech that can run into various problems. If your Meta Quest 2 controllers are not working, look no further. This troubleshooting guide has a curated list of effective solutions that will help you fix the issue.
There can be a big list of reasons why your Meta Quest 2 controllers are not working. Before hopping on to the troubleshooting steps, let me take you through the possible reasons which could be causing issues with your controllers. You will have a better understanding of the problem, which might help you further in troubleshooting.
- Drained batteries: Your Meta Quest 2 controllers may have drained batteries which is why they are not functioning well. You might need to replace the batteries to get the controllers up and running again.
- Software issues: The controllers may stop working if the device has software issues or system glitches. You need to ensure the software is up to date and the device has no software bugs.
- Connectivity problems: If your Meta Quest 2 controllers are not working, probably they are not paired to the headset. Or there might be some connectivity issues.
- Damaged controllers: If you or someone accidentally dropped the controllers, they will likely have hardware problems. In such a case, you need to get your controllers checked by a technician. You might need to replace them.
So, these are some common reasons why Meta Quest 2 hand controllers may not work. Now, it’s time to troubleshoot it.
If your Meta Quest 2 hand controllers are not working, try these solutions and immerse yourself in a virtual world.
We shall begin with a classic method to get any gadget up and running again: restarting the device. Although this solution may sound pretty basic, it does the trick often. When the VR headset turns off, all the processes stop and upon booting again, it will try to establish a fresh connection with the controllers. This could also fix minor software issues on the device.
Here’s how to restart your Meta Quest 2 headset:
- Press and hold the power button on the right side of your Quest 2 headset until the device turns off. All the indicators should turn off, meaning the device is shut down.
- Wait a few seconds for the headset to kill all the processes and shut down completely.
- Now, hold the power button again to turn on the VR headset. Hold the power button until you see the Meta logo on the screen.
After restarting your Meta Quest 2 headset, put on your headset and use the controllers to check if the problem is sorted out.
Fix 2: Remove and Reinsert Controller Batteries
Removing and reinserting the controller batteries can fix many issues. It could also fix the controller not working issues you are currently dealing with. In case you are finding it hard to remove the battery cover, follow these steps:
- Look for a tiny arrow on the top edge of the controller’s battery cover.
- Now, push the battery cover in the direction of the arrow. The battery compartment should pop up.
- Remove the old AA batteries and reinsert them properly.
- Slide the cover back into its place until you hear a clicky sound.
Fix 3: Replace the Controller Batteries
The batteries of your Meta Quest 2 controllers could be drained, and that’s why they are not working. Another thing to note is that the battery performance degrades with time resulting in shorter battery life.
You need to replace the batteries of your Quest 2 controllers. You will need AA batteries. The controllers require a lot of power to run. Therefore, we suggest using high-capacity batteries. In the last solution, we have detailed the steps to remove the batteries. Follow the steps if you need help with battery replacement. Once done, put on your headset and try using the controllers to check if the problem is fixed.
If you still can’t use the controllers, remove the batteries and clean the battery connectors using a soft cloth. You can use a toothbrush with baking soda to rub the connectors to remove any corrosion. After that, clean the connectors using a dry cloth and then put the batteries back into their place.
Fix 4: Unpair and Pair the Controllers Again
Although the Quest 2 headset and the controllers are easily paired, connectivity issues can occur anytime. To fix the connectivity issues with the headset and the controllers, you can unpair and pair the Quest 2 controllers again. It should quickly fix all the connectivity issues and allow you to use the controllers again.
You can quickly unpair the controllers using the Oculus app on your smartphone. Follow these simple steps:
- Within the Oculus app, tap on “Devices”.
- Select your Oculus/Meta headset.
- Click “Controllers”.
- Select the left controller and tap on “Unpair Controller”. Repeat this step for the right controller.
After you have unpaired both Meta Quest 2 controllers, follow these steps to pair them again:
- Open the “Oculus” app on your phone.
- Click “Devices”.
- Select your Oculus/Meta headset and then click “Controllers”.
- Tap the controller you are working with.
- If you try pairing the “Right Controller,” press and hold “Oculus Button + B”. To pair the “Left Controller”, press and hold “Oculus Button + Y”.
- Keep holding the buttons until the controller LED to blink and light up.
If you still can’t use the controllers, try factory resetting the Meta Quest 2. This should fix all sorts of software issues on your device. Before you perform a factory reset, please note that this process will delete all the data, including downloaded games.
Here’s how to factory reset Quest 2 (using the Oculus app):
- Launch the “Oculus” app on your phone.
- Click “Devices”.
- Select the headset you want to reset.
- Tap on “Advanced Settings”.
- Click “Factory Reset”.
- Finally, tap on “Reset”.
Here’s how to factory reset Quest 2 (using the headset buttons):
- Press and hold the power button on the right side of your Quest 2 headset until the device turns off. All the indicators should turn off, meaning the device is shut down.
Hold the power and volume down buttons until you see the USB Update Mode window.
- Use the volume-down button to navigate to the “Factory Reset” option.
- Now, press the power button to select this option.
- Press the power button again to begin the factory reset.
Once the factory reset is done, set up your Meta Quest 2, pair both controllers and get yourself into a virtual world.
If none of the above solutions worked out for you, contact Meta support as the last resort to fix the controller not working issue. You can contact Meta support, visit the official website and submit your ticket.
Final Thoughts
Virtual reality is a different world and is super exciting. But when you can’t enjoy it just because the controllers are not working could be frustrating. In this guide, we discussed the reasons that could be causing the problem. Plus, various ways to fix the Meta Quest 2 hand controllers not working problem. We hope one of the solutions worked out for you.
