As worrisome as it looks, the Oculus Quest 2 black screen may be the result of a minor glitch which requires a little tweak to resolve. We have found that most of the time, in order to resolve the black screen problem, you simply need to trace back to the last actions you performed before the error occurred. This will also help you to avoid making matters worse or wasting time on random fixes you may have got from others. Before we proceed, it is important to note that the Quest 2 black screen is different from your Quest 2 not turning on. Luckily your Oculus isn’t blurry as that’s a worse position to be in. Even though some fixes work for both, it is important use an approach that is designed specifically for the Oculus Quest 2 black screen. In this article, we will provide a step-by-step approach where look at the possible causes of the black screen on Quest 2, and how to resolve them.
Why Is My Oculus Screen Black
The first step to detecting what may have caused the black screen on your Oculus Quest is to note what action you were performing when it happened, and what happened before that.
For example, were you playing a game when it happened? If yes, were you already well into the game or did you just launch it? Did you just power your Quest 2 on? If yes, did you previously turn it off yourself, and how long ago was that? Did you just wake your Quest 2 from sleep? If yes, for how long was it on sleep before you tried to wake it? Were you trying a new game you had never played before when the black screen error occurred?
If you can provide answers to these, you are already well on your way to understanding what may have caused the black screen on your Oculus Quest 2. Below is a breakdown:
1. App Compatibility Issues
If you were using Quest without problems and started experiencing the black screen right after opening app, it is possible that the app is not compatible with your Quest 2 headset. If it’s an old app, it is possible that the app owners made recent changes to the game which are not compatible with your Quest 2. If it’s a game that you’ve never tried before, it is all the more likely that the app is not compatible with your Quest 2. In this case, it is either the app owner makes changes to the game or your Quest 2 needs to be updated.
2. The OS Device Drivers are Out-of-date
If you are using Oculus on your phone or PC, it is possible that your device OS drivers are out of date. This is usually characterized by the fact that the black screen occurs only when you use the phone or PC but not when you use the Quest 2 headset. In order to support your Quest experience, your phone or PC uses audio input and outputs; display adapters; USB controllers; sound, video and game controllers; and several other drivers to give you the perfect Oculus experience on the device. Therefore, if one or more of these drivers are out of date, it may result in the black screen when you try to use your Oculus on your PC or phone.
3. PC Graphics Card Settings are Misconfigured
Related to the point above is the configurations needed to play Oculus titles on your PC. Quest 2, Quest or indeed any virtual reality console requires much heavier or sophisticated graphics than your PC requires for routine tasks. In order to enjoy a seamless VR experience, therefore, your PC graphics card has to be configured for the task. We will provide you with steps to do that later in this article.
4. Oculus 2 Headset Software is Malfunctioning
This is a bit harder to trace because it can happen at any time;
In the middle of a game or when you have just lunched one For a game you have been playing or for a new game you want to try.
When the issue is with the headset software, you can only tell when you launch the same game using the Oculus app on PC or phone. The bottom line is that your Quest 2 headset can experience a temporary glitch or even a more severe bug which causes it to stop functioning properly. And, there’s no telling the effect the bug or glitch may have because it can manifest in different ways on the Quest 2 display such as:
Black screen on your Quest 2 headset Blurry screen Your Quest 2 not turning on Your Quest 2 turning off on its own
The only way to trace a software issue on the headset is to use an elimination method.
5. Oculus Quest 2 Headset Has no Charge
If your Oculus Quest 2 headset battery is very low, it could also result in the black screen error on your headset. If the battery is very low, dead or damaged, it is unable to power the heavy graphics used by Oculus and hence the black screen. Please consider the following:
If you left your Quest 2 on sleep for a long time, then the battery may be too low when you wake it If you have played games for about 1.8 hours since the last charge, then the battery may be low, even though you had successfully powered your Quest 2 off the last time If you notice that your Quest 2 battery lasts way shorter than it used to, then the battery may be damaged If you have not used your Quest 2 for a long time, then the battery may be too low
Any one of these scenarios can cause the black screen your Quest 2 headset. Please note that when you leave your headset on sleep, it Is still consuming charge. Also, when you leave it powered off, it is also consuming charge but at a very much lower rate.
6. Proximity Sensor Is Dirty or Faulty
If you take a look at your headset, you will find a tiny sensor between the two lenses, towards the top. This is called the proximity sensor. The role of the sensor is to detect when you put on the Quest 2 headset so that the headset can power on. So, when your face is close enough to the sensors, it permits the headset to come on. This vital role means that when there is an issue with the sensor, even if it’s as minor as being covered by dirt, it will cause the sensor to not send the signal to your headset to power on. And this in turn results in the black screen error on your Quest 2. An important point to note is that your Quest 2 headset is not designed to detect only human proximity. If you place an object close enough to it, it would also send the wake signal to the headset. And having this steady over a long period may also cause the sensor to malfunction.
7. Interrupted Firmware Updates
Your Quest 2 headset is set to update automatically as long as it’s connected to WIFI and there are updates available. Unlike your PC and phone, Quest 2 updates do not bring up any prompts or notify you of the installation of the updates if it’s set to update automatically. Some updates install while the headset is on, while the rest completes while the headset is off. As a result, users may inadvertently interrupt the update process by:
Powering off the headset while updates are installing in the On phase Powering on the headset while updates are installing in the Off phase
Neither of the above should be a problem normally, but occasional glitches do occur making them to result in the black screen on your Quest 2. If you successfully powered off your headset the last time and the black screen occurs at the next booting, it is possible that an interrupted firmware update is responsible for the black screen. That is, provided that all the other scenarios are accounted for.
8. Firmware is Corrupt
Quite similar to the last point above is the case where your Quest 2 firmware becomes corrupt, resulting in the dreaded black screen. There are two main scenarios to this:
- Issues with newly-installed updates: having your Quest 2 updated all the time is a necessity. But there are times where update versions from Oculus come with bugs that affect the performance of the Quest 2. Or, the update codes may not be compatible with your particular headset for some reason. This black screen issue happened recently with the v39 update. Such issues are usually fixed by hotfixes and patches released subsequently by Oculus.
- Corruption in software code: As your Quest 2 software interacts with the internet, VR games, SideQuest, and so on, it may acquire bugs that corrupt the software. Such bugs may cause your Quest 2 to malfunction and result in the black screen.
How to Fix Oculus Black Screen
- Charge Headset The first thing to do when you encounter the black screen on your Quest 2 is to ensure that your headset is fully charged, especially if your situation falls into any of the scenarios described in the Battery section earlier. Charge your headset until the indicator turns green. Also, make sure that the batteries on your controllers are charged. We have found that they also affect headset display.
2. Try: Leave Headset On and Plugged In
If charging does not resolve the issue, then try leaving the headset on while plugged in. If the screen comes on, then it’s likely that the headset battery is dead. All you need to do in such a case is to replace the cells in the battery.
3. Perform a Hard Reboot
Performing a hard reboot on any device allows it to flush out glitches and load programmes properly into memory. This has solved the black screen problem for many Quest 2 users. To perform a hard reboot:
Press and hold the Power button for at least 30 seconds Wait until the LED lights turn bright, then release the power button
If the black screen is caused by glitches or memory overload, this should resolve the problem.
4. Boot Using the Bootloader Menu
The black screen may be caused by some booting data not being loaded into Oculus memory. Or, the booting data are not loaded in the right sequence. This will cause your Quest 2 to not boot properly or to enter into a booting loop. When this happens, all you will see is a black screen on your Quest 2. Now, a Bootloader is a software programme that ensures that devices boot properly by loading all the booting data, and in the right sequence. So, using the Bootloader Menu may resolve the black screen problem for you as it has for other users. To boot:
- Press and hold both the Power and Volume Down buttons at the same time for at least 10 seconds
- On the Menu that appears, use the volume up and down buttons to navigate
- Select Exit and Boot Device
- Press the Power button to complete the process
- Oculus will then boot from the Bootloader using Bootloader Menu: Check and see if this fixes the black screen problem for you.
5. Update OS Device Drivers
If you are using Quest 2 on your phone or more especially your PC, please ensure that all the relevant drivers are up to date. To check for Updates:
- Select the Start button on your screen or click the start button on your PC
- Select Settings (the gear icon)
- Select Update and Security
- Select Windows Update
- If there are updates available, please click to download and install them. If there are none displayed, you may check manually for updates by clicking Check for Updates. The updates may take a while to download and install, after which you should be prompted for a system restart. Please restart and try using your Quest again. If you do not have your drivers set to updates automatically with OS updates, you would need to update the drivers individually. To do this:
- Select the Start button on your screen or click the start button on your PC
- In the search button, type Device Manager
- Select Device Manager from the results
- When the Drivers windows open, expand each of the sections below, right click on the drivers under them, select Update Driver, then Select Automatically for Drivers:
- Display Adapters
- USB Connector Managers
- Sound, video and game controllers For good measure, follow the steps below to ensure that any graphics-related updates are installed:
- Select the Start button on your screen or click the start button on your PC
- Select Settings (the gear icon)
- Select Update and Security
- Select Windows Update
- Select Advanced Options
- Select Optional Updates
- Install any updates related to graphics
6. Change PC Power Settings
Sometimes, the power management settings on your PC may be too aggressive and turn off the display of your Quest 2 games, hence the black screen. To fix this:
- Select the Start button on your screen or click the start button on your PC
- In the search button, type Device Manager
- Select Device Manager from the results
- Expand or double-click Universal Serial Bus Controllers
- Right-Click the Intel USB 3.0 Extensible Host Controller (or whatever version yours is)
- Click Properties.
- On the window that opens, click the Power Management Tab (last tab at the top right)
- Uncheck Allow the Computer to Turn Off This Device to Save Power
- Click OK and exit
7. Check Proximity Sensor
The proximity sensor is delicate and should be handled with care. If the proximity sensor is covered, dirty, cracked, or faulty, it can cause the black screen on Quest 2.
Make sure that there is nothing covering the proximity sensor Clean the sensor with a clean, dry microfibre cloth
After making sure that your sensor is clean and unobstructed, please check if the black screen error clears. NOTE: Ensure that the silicone cover…or any other object…never covers the sensor when your headset is not in use
8. Open the Oculus Menu
The black screen may be caused by a delay in the action of the proximity sensor or by some other glitch with makes the headset unable to wake in time. To resolve this, you need to try forcing the headset to wake:
- With your headset strapped on, press the menu button on the left controller and the Oculus button on the right controller
- If you are able to see the menu, try again to open an app to see if the black screen error has cleared
9. Launch the Game from the Oculus App
The black screen error may be as a result of your headset continuously booting halfway and turning back off. To resolve such issue
- Open the Oculus app on your phone
- Confirm that the app sees your Quest 2 headset
- Open the same game using the phone app If the game launches successfully, put your headset back on and see if the black screen problem is resolved.
10. Update Firmware
Earlier, we explained the importance of keeping your Quest 2 updated, and this cannot be overstated. Your Quest 2 needs to be up to date in order to support the constantly evolving VR titles that you enjoy. The updates also fix bugs that may result in issues such as the black screen. To updates your Quest:
- Put on your Oculus headset
- Press the Oculus button on the right controller
- On the Menu that appears, click the Clock icon
- Select Settings
- Select System
- Select Software Update
- At the top right corner, select to Update is there is any available. Or
- Put on your Oculus headset
- Press the Oculus button on the right controller
- Select Settings
- Select About
- Select Download or Install Updates If you cannot access the Universal menu at all because of the black screen, please follow the steps below carefully:
- Power on your headset and plug it in to charge. Leave it on charge throughout this process.
- Make sure your WIFI is close and accessible to the headset
- Do not press any buttons so that your Quest 2 enters standby mode
- Open Oculus app on your phone
- Select your Quest 2 headset
- Select More Settings
- Select Advanced Settings
- Select Update Software Automatically
- Leave it for an hour or two. Your Quest 2 should update automatically
11. Perform a Factory Reset of Your Quest 2
We hope it doesn’t come to this, but sometimes, it is the only option to resolve the black screen problem on your Quest 2. Performing a factory reset will wipe all the personal settings, games, progress, and account information from your Oculus headset. But it will preserve every item you downloaded or purchased from your account. More importantly, it will clear all the bugs and settings that may have caused the black screen problem. To reset using headset:
- Turn off your headset.
- Hold the power and volume down button on your headset down simultaneously
- Hold until the start-up screen loads on your headset
- Use the volume buttons on your control to highlight Factory Reset and press the power button to select it
- Use the volume buttons to highlight Yes, Erase and Factory Reset
- Press the power button to select it To reset using phone app:
- Open the Oculus app on your phone
- Select Devices
- Select your Oculus Quest 2 headset
- Select Advanced Settings
- Select Factory Reset
- Confirm Reset Note
Please ensure that your headset is fully charged before resetting Please do not press any buttons when the reset is in progress
12. Replace Oculus
13. Contact Oculus
If the issue persists even after a factory reset, it is likely that there’s a serious fault in the hardware or software of your headset which requires the attention of the manufacturers. Also, your Quest 2 comes with a 2-year warranty so you may get a replacement or free repair if you qualify. Before you contact Oculus, please note the 14-digit serial number inside the battery compartment. You will provide this information for them to assist you better. You can also get help from Oculus official online community.
