10 Tips on How to Fix Oculus Quest 2 Black Screen

The Oculus Quest and Quest 2 are considered to be the most popular VR devices in the market, and these headsets are incredibly simple to put up and use right away. However, like with other technological devices, every user might encounter some technical problems.

“Why won't my Oculus Quest 2 turn on?” If you keep asking yourself this question, you should understand that the black screen of death, or as some refer to it, BSoD, is a common issue. This appears to prevent the Oculus Quest 2 from turning on or being utilized.

The Oculus logo may display before the blank screen appears in some circumstances. The black screen of death can be caused by various difficulties, including dead batteries, blocked updates, or hardware problems.

You've come to the right spot if your Oculus Quest 2 keeps going black and/or it refuses to turn on. We'll walk you through several troubleshooting solutions in this article to help you solve your Oculus blank screen error.

Most common reasons for the Oculus Quest 2 Black Screen of Death

This problem may be caused by various difficulties. Maybe your headset has dead batteries or corrupted temporary files. Maybe you get a glitchy update that has stopped in the middle of the process.

For example, if you change the Meta password during the update, it becomes stuck. As a result, it might lead to the Oculus Quest's black screen on startup. A similar problem might occur in case of corrupted firmware or if the hardware is broken.

The VR headset was sent to you in a well-equipped package that includes the application. But what if you can't open or download any of them? You also would like to monitor the design card of the Oculus application regularly since the design card is broken, causing you some trouble. Let’s examine the most common reasons why your Oculus is not turning on.

The Oculus software is out of date

Oculus sometimes “forgets” to update its software. And it results in various glitches like a black screen on Oculus Quest 2. Check the free space on your disk individually in this situation since if it fills up, you won't be able to conduct any work at that moment. You may have an Oculus app upgrade mishap as a result of the necessity for an appropriate web network.

So you should check your current network and create a stable connection for all devices.

The sensor is not operating properly

Another cause for the Oculus Quest 2 black screen on startup. USB and sensor update issues may be the reasons why your headset won’t turn on. In Oculus, you'll find a variety of USB drivers and connectors. If you connect the wrong ports, your gadget will cease working. In this situation, check you're using the proper USB port.

Overheated battery

Because Oculus VR cameras require a lot of resources, they create additional heat. And overheating may be the reason for the black screen of Oculus Quest 2. The more the device overheats, the faster its battery declines. So, the overheating gets worse over time.

The USB cable is broken

You should be careful with the charging cord that comes with the Oculus Quest. In certain circumstances, the wire might be physically damaged. Because of that, the Oculus charging cord might not operate correctly, and you'll need to purchase a new charging cord to make your VR device turn on.

How to fix Oculus Quest 2 black screen

To see how to prevent Oculus from not turning on, remember that this might happen for a variety of causes, and then attempt the following:

1. Check the charge of the headset

You'll also see only a black screen if the headset isn't charged. It is critical for the battery to be not entirely exhausted. Connect the Oculus to a USB charger and leave it for 2.5 hours. If it is not charging, try to switch chargers or check one more time that you are using a proper charger. It is known that the Oculus charger usually generates 2A. If you are using a weaker charger, it will take longer.

2. Check the Oculus app

If you see a blank screen on the Oculus PC app, restart it, log off, and sign in again. Check whether the app recognizes the headset. Later, try to play any game using the PC application.

3. Open the Oculus menu

To enter the Oculus menu, click the Menu on your left switch and push the Oculus button to the right. If this indeed allows you to access the main menu, try launching an app to see if the black screen issue has gone.

4. Try switching location

Another solution is in case your Oculus Quest 2 is stuck on a black screen. If you usually play in a dedicated room and this is a place where your problem occurs, try a headset in a different area. Take off your headphones and go to another room. Restart the headset to check if it will go through the dark screen and prompt you to create a new guardian.

5. Keep the headset plugged in

You might be wondering “Why is my Oculus screen black and what should I do?”. Sometimes the easiest action is the correct one. Just leave the headset alone for some time.

If you've tried charging the headset and are still facing the same issue but are confident you're using a suitable charger, and wait approximately 40 minutes. Leaving it plugged in for some time may allow your device to complete the update and resume normal performance.

6. Perform a hard reboot (restart)

This action removes all your settings and brings the headset to its basic state. Hold the power button to launch the hard reboot. During the first launch, the system may run more slowly than usual because it doesn’t have any temporary files which are often used to speed up the working process.

7. Use the bootloader menu

If the hard restart in the preceding step did not work and you are still wondering questions like ”Why my Oculus Quest won't turn on?”, try the next trick.

• Hold the Power and Volume Down until you see the headset menu. It contains the boot options for the headset.
• Go to Boot Device and tap the Power button to confirm. Next, check whether your Quest now starts up correctly or if the black screen issue still exists.

8. Check the proximity sensor

Cover it with your finger to test whether it solves the glitch. If this is the case, your proximity sensor may be broken and unable to accurately recognize the worn headset. To test whether it makes a difference, try cleaning the sensor region.

Another option for solving the problem is to use dark tape to cover the sensor area. This allows you to keep using the headset. However, if your headset is still under warranty, we recommend you return it and replace it with a new one.

9. Get crash logs with logcat

This step implies that your headset is working in development mode. Connect it to your PC or Mac. It can extract your headset (crash) logs with Android Debug Bridge (ADB) commands.

Open the Oculus user guide to find a detailed tutorial for your Android version. Once you get the logs, you may figure out what exactly caused the software issue. Send this info to Oculus Support. They will tell you what to do in your case. If it's a rare but not a single-case problem, they even solve this bug in the next update for all users with a similar issue.

10. Perform a factory reset

This is a drastic procedure since. So we recommend you do it if you have questions like “Why won't my oculus turn on?” and are ready to wipe a headset's data to its factory settings:

• Hold the Volume Down and Power for approximately 20 sec.
• Choose Factory Reset with the volume buttons to browse the menu.
• Press the Power to launch the restart process.

What if the black screen of death persists?

If none of those actions have helped you, it’s mostly a hardware malfunction. Contact the Meta team if your device is still under the warranty. They will send you a new device, while they repair yours for free.

In other cases, you can try to fix it on your own with spare details and fine guidelines from Howly experts. Tell us details of your case and we give you tailored guidelines that are made just for you!

But if you are not 100% sure about your repair skills, contact the nearest repair station. Look for those who work with game equipment, they are more likely to solve your VR issue.