Common Oculus (Meta) Rift Problems and Solutions

If you’ve ever experienced gaming on an Oculus, you know it’s in a class all its own. All the necessary technology has finally matured to the point that an at-home, immersive VR gaming experience is both possible and affordable.
Oculus, now renamed to Meta, has pioneered a brand-new form factor for video gaming. Some of the components are similar to elements from other consoles, but Oculus has refined them into a cohesive whole.
Of course, whenever a company pioneers something new, they encounter new problems. That’s been the case for Oculus. Below, we’ll catalog some of the most common problems Oculus Rift owners experience, plus solutions where possible.
Investing in an expensive gaming experience is a little risky, especially one that requires physical movement like the Rift. Protect your Oculus Rift from problems with an extended console warranty from Upsie. (More on that later.)

VR Sickness

The Oculus is a whole different experience than staring at your TV. Because you’re interacting with a virtual environment, there’s a much greater risk of motion sickness. If you’re a person who easily gets motion sick in cars, on planes, or on amusement park rides, you might want to test out an Oculus before you buy one.
Part of the problem here is the newness of the technology. There are plenty of things developers can do wrong that make this worse. As the technology matures and mainstreams, expect developers to get better at this.
There are some steps you can take, though. Start with less intense games and with shorter playing sessions. Also, most people build up a tolerance over time. Keep gaming, and after a month or two, you might not notice these effects at all.

Tracking Problems and Blackouts

Some Rift users experience problems where the game doesn’t seem to be tracking their movements correctly. Blackouts – where the screen momentarily goes blank before returning a few seconds later – are also a problem. These two problems seem very different, but they actually have the same source according to Upload VR.
The Rift is primarily powered by your PC over a USB 3.0 connection. Most of the time, tracking problems and blackout problems result from this USB connection. Essentially, your computer isn’t processing signal over the connection fast enough.
Solutions to these problems are a little complicated. Start with a reboot, then look for firmware updates for your USB controller or motherboard. Upload VR has some further strategies to try, too.

Blurry Screen

Blurry screen issues can be commonplace, but they are very easy to fix with a little time. Look, we get it. You just got your shiny new Rift (or you’re strapping on your friend’s), and you don’t want to mess with boring configuration. But in just about every case, a blurry screen can be easily resolved by going through that process. Tighten up your Rift so it doesn’t wobble, then work through the calibration process. Use the lens slider until vertical lines look the way they should, and that should fix the blur.

Headset Keeps Disconnecting

Some Rift users are gaming away with no issues, and then the headset seems to disconnect from the console. It’s not quite the same as a blackout, but it is similar. If this is happening to you, first check your connections. Is the headset cable attached firmly both to the headset and to your computer? Next, unplug and inspect the ports. Make sure there’s no debris messing up the contacts.
Lastly, try a different USB 3.0 port on your computer. We wish this weren’t so complicated, but PC makers don’t use the same hardware, voltage, and so forth on every USB port. Another port may have better throughput.

Driver Issues

PC gamers know the headaches here. Sometimes, drivers just don’t work, or they don’t work well together. If you’re getting error messages about this, start with updating any and all drivers related to graphics and video. In some cases, you might need to replace a component if your graphics card or CPU isn’t powerful enough to power the Rift.

Protect Your Oculus (Meta) Rift with Upsie

Any electronic device runs a risk of experiencing problems. And certainly a device that you wear on your head and swing around a room carries a higher degree of risk. Whether the controller slips out of your hands or the console just goes kaput, you don’t want to be on the hook for high replacement costs.
An extended video game warranty from Upsie is the perfect solution. For a surprisingly low one-time cost, you get two or even three years of warranty protection – including accident protection! If something goes wrong with your Oculus Rift, you just cover a small $25 deductible, and Upsie takes care of the rest.
Don’t wait any longer to protect your Oculus Rift. Get an extended warranty from Upsie today!

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* This article is over 6 months old and may or may not be updated.