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Quest 2 controllers not working? Here’s how to fix it

Quest 2 controllers not working? How to fix it

If you have an Oculus Quest or Meta Quest 2, you might have trouble connecting one controller or both controllers, even after changing the battery with a brand new, fully charged battery. Here’s what you should do.

If you turn on your Quest but your Quest can’t find your controllers, here are 3 things you can try.

Option 1: Wake up controllers.  After a period of inactivity, the controllers will turn themselves off.  Your Quest might not find the controllers if the controllers went to sleep mode.  Try pressing the buttons on the controllers first to wake them up.

Option 2: Low battery.  Check if your controller battery has enough of a charge.  If you replace the battery, make sure to insert them with the correct polarity (the positive side should point toward the bottom of the handle).

If you insert a fully charged battery, you should feel your controller vibrate, and the Quest 2 controller should blink 3 times below the embossed Oculus logo on the ring around the controller.

Option 3:  Check for corrosion.  If you insert a fully charged battery and don’t get any vibration or LED blinking, check the battery contacts for corrosion. Put alcohol on a cotton swab and wipe off the corrosion then try again.  I recommend isopropyl alcohol.  For very stubborn corrosion, try concentrated 99% alcohol.  Caution: DO NOT pour alcohol into the controller.  Allow the alcohol to evaporate before reinserting the battery.  You might also check for corrosion on the battery itself.

How to avoid this problem

This problem can occur if you leave the batteries in the Quest controller for an extended period without using it.  To avoid this problem in the future, either use the Quest more regularly, or make sure to remove the batteries from your controllers if you won’t be able to use them for a while.