VR technology is captivating.
What’s more spectacular than having a screen right in front of your face that makes you feel like you’re in another world?
How about having some sound to match?
Some VR headsets come with built-in headphones or sound systems, but the Oculus Quest 2 is not one of them. You can utilize a wired USB-C or 3.5mm connection for sound, but the Oculus Quest 2 does not natively support a Bluetooth connection. However, the Oculus Quest 2 boasts an experimental feature that can bypass this limitation- though it may have risks.
What risks could come with connecting your AirPods to an Oculus Quest 2?
What is the process to connect your favorite Apple earbuds to your new VR headset?
We’ve tried it, and we find that the Oculus Quest 2 is finicky when it comes to Bluetooth technology.
If you can use a wired headset, it might be a better idea to do so.
However, with a bit of luck, your AirPods will work just fine! Read on to learn more.
Can You Connect AirPods To An Oculus Quest 2?
Ultimately, yes, you can connect your AirPods to an Oculus Quest 2.
AirPods utilize Bluetooth technology, much like other wireless headphones, to connect to a variety of devices.
The catch here is that the Oculus Quest 2 does not natively support Bluetooth connectivity.
These virtual reality headsets come with a set of secret settings, including Bluetooth capability, that you may choose to enable if you want to personalize your VR experience.
However, connecting AirPods to an Oculus Quest 2 is an involved process that is far more complex than the plug-and-play aspect of wired headphones.
Consider plugging wired earbuds into your Oculus Quest 2 before pairing your AirPods to see if you find them acceptable for use, as it may save you some time, effort, and latency issues.
How To Connect AirPods To Oculus Quest 2
If you’ve ever navigated your Oculus Quest 2’s settings or connected a Bluetooth headset to another device, you’ve already learned everything that you might need to know to connect your AirPods to your Oculus Quest 2!
First, activate your Oculus Quest 2 and open your settings menu.
Locate the ‘Experimental Features’ section, which has an option labeled ‘Bluetooth Pairing.’
Press the ‘Pair’ button to open your Oculus Quest 2 to Bluetooth connectivity.
Activate your AirPods and set them into pairing mode.
Allow your Oculus Quest to scan for new devices- this may take up to a minute- and select your AirPods when they appear.
Congratulations! You’ve successfully connected your AirPods to your Oculus Quest 2.
Potential Issues With Oculus Quest 2 Bluetooth
Unfortunately, Bluetooth compatibility is an experimental feature for a reason.
Meta, the parent company of Oculus, did not manufacture the Oculus Quest 2 with Bluetooth in mind, so you may note several issues with your earbuds.
The most striking issue to note is the latency issue.
Some users have noted that Bluetooth connectivity can result in their sound activating up to half a second after its associated onscreen trigger, which can be a serious detriment to people playing video games.
Additionally, the Bluetooth connection itself may face several issues and audio glitches that render AirPod usage unviable.
Lost AirPod Functionality
Unfortunately, significant features of AirPods are only active when the earbuds are connected to an Apple device, such as an iPhone or an iPad.
Many of the most beloved features of the AirPods will become inert when paired with any other device via Bluetooth, including the Oculus Quest 2.
Features you may lose include, but are not limited to, the following:
- In-ear detection
- Playback controls
- Live Listen
- Customizable controls
- Battery saving measures
- Siri functionality
Functionally speaking, your AirPods will behave identically to generic-brand Bluetooth earbuds, though the sound quality might be higher if you are lucky and your Oculus does not experience any sputtering.
However, if you are willing to make these sacrifices, there is a very simple way to reduce the associated performance issues of Bluetooth on your Oculus Quest 2.
How To Bypass Bluetooth Latency Issues With Your Oculus Quest 2
Thankfully, there is a way to fix many of the associated issues with a Bluetooth connection- or, at the very least, minimize them.
Remember that your Oculus Quest 2 features USB-C and 3.5mm audio jack connectivity.
If you purchase an external Bluetooth transmitter, you can enable Bluetooth functionality in your Oculus Quest 2 that is far superior to its native and experimental features.
In Summary
Ultimately, connecting AirPods to your Oculus Quest 2 is not a challenge.
The question is, is it worth it?
We greatly prefer the results of an external Bluetooth transmitter to the default solution.
A Bluetooth transmitter does not fix all of the issues with your Oculus Quest 2’s Bluetooth connectivity, but it definitely minimizes any that you may experience!
Frequently Asked Questions
Does The Oculus Quest 2 Support Any Bluetooth Headphones?
Ultimately, no.
The Oculus Quest 2 does not just lack native support for AirPods, but it lacks native support for any Bluetooth devices.
The Oculus Quest 2 only gained USB-C headphone compatibility on July 20th, 2021, putting it significantly behind comparable models- including others from Meta and Oculus- in terms of compatibility technology.
However, this lack of native support does come with an advantage.
The process to pair any Bluetooth earbuds is identical, even if you’re not using AirPods! We’ve tried it with Sony and Bose wireless earbuds to great success.
Will There Be An Oculus Quest 3?
In November 2022, Mark Zuckerberg- the CEO of Meta, manufacturer of the Oculus Quest- confirmed that the Oculus Quest 3 would hit the markets sometime in 2023.
However, neither Meta nor Mark Zuckerberg has confirmed an exact release date.
Additionally, neither Meta nor Mark Zuckerberg confirmed proper Bluetooth capabilities with the Oculus Quest 3.
However, leading sources in the electronics industry theorize that the Oculus Quest 3 may feature full Bluetooth technology, as they believe that it is a natural progression for the Oculus Quest headsets- especially since the Oculus Quest 2 already offers Bluetooth connectivity as an experimental feature.
Regardless of what happens, we can only sit and wait until Meta and Mark Zuckerberg announce more details regarding the Oculus Quest 3.
Hopefully, pairing your Bluetooth AirPods is a little easier with the next Oculus Quest model!
