Oculus Quest is an impressive VR headset. Yet, it doesn’t have native support for Bluetooth headphones. Although there are ways to connect your Bluetooth devices on Quest, the hassle is not worth it.
The Oculus Quest is a tetherless device, but its wireless nature does not extend to Bluetooth headphones. If you’re pushing into wireless headphones, you need to undergo complicated phases to connect them into your Quest. Be mindful that the compatibility doesn’t always work.
Oculus Quest CTO, John Carmack, provided a reason why Quest doesn’t support Bluetooth headphones as one of its features. This article also focuses on the two-fold process: using a wireless and wired headphones for your Oculus Quest. Lastly, we have provided wired headphones recommendations at the end of this article to boost your gaming experience.
The Latency Issue Between Oculus Quest and Bluetooth Headphones
The Oculus Quest encompasses built-in audio to create a better sound for gameplay. Using a good pair of headphones allows you to listen to your gameplay without disturbing the people around you. This makes sense when you want to play your favorite game titles at night. Using a wired headphone on your Quest only requires physical plugging on the device’s jack for headphones.
But, it might be a struggle to play your game that requires lots of movements. Rapid movements or actions can result in stumbling from your headphone’s wires. This can be the main reason why several users want Quest to support Bluetooth-enabled headphone devices. Unfortunately, Quest doesn’t and will not implement one in the future due to several issues.
On a Twitter post, Carmack responded to a twitter user questioning Quest’s support for Bluetooth headphones. Carmack stated that the added latency is still a problem, which means it can make some frustrations while playing your games. Though you can add an external Bluetooth adapter, the latency is bad and will only cause delaying the illusion of your VR game.
You need to undergo complicated processes if you’re eager to connect your Bluetooth headphones and Quest headset. But, be mindful that not all Bluetooth headphones are compatible with your Quest device.
To set up your wireless headphones with your Oculus Quest, you need to enable the developer mode, sideload apps, and use the command prompt on your PC. These processes are not only perplexed but also doesn’t guarantee a good and compatible connection. Some users are successful in connecting their wireless headphones, but most of them found additional issues with playing their games on Quest –the added latency.
How to Use Wireless Headphones
Connecting it to your Quest is a different world compared to the traditional idea of connecting your wireless headphones to PCs or laptops. The Oculus Quest is a complete, unrestrained headset device that does not require any external hardware, like PCs or phones. Unfortunately, its wireless nature does not support Bluetooth headphones, making it less ideal for gamers who are tied to wireless gameplay. Although it is still technically possible to connect wireless headphones to your Quest, you’ll need to experience lots of hoops –and these steps don’t guarantee all types of Bluetooth headphones will work.
To connect your Bluetooth headphones, you need to go through four phases: unlocking Quest’s developer mode, sideloading APKs, sideloading specific applications, and enabling Bluetooth on Oculus Quest.
Here is the detailed process you need to take on each different phase.
Unlock Developer Mode
To start, you need to unlock your Oculus Quest’s developer mode. This process can be done through the following process:
- Open your Oculus app.
- Tap on “Settings.”
- Tap on the arrow to the right side of your device’s name.
- Choose “Select more settings.”
- Choose “Developer mode.”
- Put the developer mode setting to on.
- It will launch a website. Scroll down and click the link.
- Create an organization.
- Log in with your Oculus credentials.
- Enter the name of your “organization,” which can be anything.
- Tap on “Submit.” Agree to the terms of the agreement.
- Open your Oculus ap again. Then tap on “Settings.”
- Select your Oculus Quest headset. Go to “Settings” and select “Developer mode.”
- Toggle the developer mode setting to on.
Sideloading APKs
After unlocking the developer mode, you need to connect a cable to connect your PC and Oculus Quest. First, you need to download ADB.
- Go to https://developer.android.com/studio/releases/platform-tools.
- Select “Download SDK Platform-Tools for Windows.
- Open “File Explorer.”
- Locate “platform tools_r28.0.3-windows.
- Right-click on the file and extract them.
- Plug your Oculus Quest on your PC. Let the drive download start automatically.
- On your computer, open the Command Prompt by pressing “Windows + R.”
- Go to “File Explorer” and copy the address of where you extracted the ADB files.
- After your username in Command Prompt, type “CD” and paste the folder text address.
- Hit Enter.
- Locate the “>” symbol and insert “ADB devices.” Hit Enter.
- Authorize your PC to connect to Quest headset by checking “Always allow from this computer” inside the Oculus Quest.
- Click, “OK.”
Sideload Specific App
After connecting your Oculus Quest and PC, you need to sideload apps onto your headset.
- Locate “Settings_1.0.apk” from your downloads and copy it.
- Paste in the same folder as where you installed the ADB file.
- In the Command Prompt, after the “>” symbol, type “ADB install Settings_1.0.apk.”
- Hit Enter.
Enable Bluetooth on Oculus Quest
Enabling the Developer Mode and sideloading the Settings App allows you to enable your Quest’s Bluetooth setting.
- On your Oculus Quest app, tap on “Oculus TV.”
- Select the black box under “Unknown Sources.”
- Choose Bluetooth.
- Select your headphones. By this time, they should pair.
If you’re able to pair your wireless headphone with Quest, you’ve done a great job. If not, there might be compatibility issues with your chosen headphones. Oculus does not support this type of pairing because it adds latency issues, which can affect your gameplay. But if you’re not experiencing this, then you’re good to go. Enjoy your game with wireless headphones.
How to Use Wired Headphones
Unlike Bluetooth headphones, Oculus Quest fully supports wired headphones. All you need to do is to literally plug them into either side of the device, and you’re good.
Just plug in your headphones, similar to how it works when you plug them on your laptop, PCs, or smartphones. It’s that simple.
Nevertheless, you can enjoy your game on a much higher level by incorporating headphones that have high quality. You can have an additional accessory to enhance your experience during the gameplay. Examples of this are the SteelSeries Arctis 5 RGB Illuminated Gaming Headset and AfterShokz Sportz Titanium with Mic, which will be defined further.
SteelSeries Arctis 5 RGB Illuminated Gaming Headset
SteelSeries Arctis 5 RGB Illuminated Gaming Headset is specifically designed to cater to PC gaming. It has a cutting-edge DTS surround sound, and dual-zone RGB illuminated earcups that create perfectly, synchronized audio for your favorite game titles on VR. This device promises a stunning, detailed Arctis sound that allows you to hear even the slightest movement of your opponent in the gameplay.
In terms of comfort, SteelSeries has lots to offer. Arctis 5 has an over-ear headphone cushioned with Airweave, which makes it comfy and cozy enough to wear, most notably during extended gameplay sessions. It also has built-in 360-degree audio that prevents sound distortion. Don’t worry about its length as this headphone fit over Oculus Quest perfectly.
For only $79.99, you’ll get the best gaming experience from the best-wired headphone paired to your Oculus Quest.
AfterShokz Sportz Titanium with Mic
AfterShokz Sports Titanium features an open-ear listening device that leaves your ears open to ambient sounds. Unlike other headphones that are movable, AfterShokz has a unique component that stays on your ears regardless of your movements. It also creates miniature vibrations on your cheekbones that increases the quality of sound before it gets to your ears.
What makes AfterShokz different from other headphones is its bone conduction structure that bypasses your eardrum and ships sound on your cochlea. This product benefits individuals who have hearing issues since it produces high-quality sound effects. Other specifications of AfterShockz Sports Titanium includes a four-feet wire, over-ear style, and 1.44 ounces weight.
Similar to SteelSeries Arctis 5, AfterShockz Sports Titanium is comfortable to wear as it is lightweight. This implies that the headphones are not as restrictive as other headphones. Additionally, it repels sweat and dust from your ear area easily, making it more cozy to wear around your ears no matter how long you’re playing for.
Get this comfortable headphone on the AfterShokz website for only $79.95. You can also choose from a wide variety of colors, including gray, pink, blue, yellow, and red.
Final Verdict
To sum up, Oculus Quest has versatile elements, but these features don’t extend to using wireless headphones. Oculus doesn’t have native support for Quest. Yet, we provided the detailed phases of how you can connect your Bluetooth headphones with Quest, from unlocking Quest’s developer mode, sideloading APKs, sideloading specific applications, and enabling Bluetooth on Oculus Quest.
If you have connected your Quest and Bluetooth device successfully, good for you, but make sure that it does not affect your whole gaming experience. If there’s an added latency on your VR gaming, then you might want to go back into using wired headphones to your Quest. As mentioned earlier, being able to connect your Quest with Bluetooth-enabled headset doesn’t promise a good outcome. To get the best VR gaming experience from Oculus Quest, we suggest you use a wired headphone instead.
