Oculus being the all in one headset made for entertainment brings experiences to life in vibrancy with crystal clear optics in great detail. With all necessary processing components, sensors and display systems already built in, it doesn’t require to be connected with a pc or a gaming console, which means it is completely wireless.
So does that mean its portable? Does that mean it offers better features then Oculus Rift? Is Oculus go battery life long lasting? These are some of the questions that pop in the minds of users when they hear the word “standalone” devices . As standalone headsets means it doesn’t require a cable or a cord to be attached to a pc device, which makes it easier to use. However, some users hesitate towards purchasing it because they aren’t sure it it’s really better than its competitors or really worth spending $199 which is it’s market price.
Facebook the parent company of Oculus has done a great job in trying to entice its users into perceiving it as an affordable and an easy VR option. Of the major VR manufacturers, Oculus more than any understands the power of retail design. When you unbox the Rift it feels like you are unboxing a new iPhone.
With its heavy body made with solid material, cables and adapters all nestled brilliantly in its surroundings, the Rift offered an ingenious design. By offering comfort to its users, it was made to enhance user gaming experience. It was a product which people used to call from the future as it not only looked good but it felt good too and it was worth investing your hard earned dollars.
The go has kept the minimalistic aesthetic look of the Rift alive. But it terms of look it offer a simple grey featureless outlook which gives a feeling of it being made out of plastic. Even though it quickly sets up on your face with its straps as compared to Oculus rift, users recognized some failures in its early stages.
The Oculus Go possess more electronic than its variants. With having four cameras attached on its headset , a processor, storage and a cooling fan it is quite heavy when worn. There is strap which wraps around the users head and causes some strain, especially when you have to tighten the side straps to hold the weight of the headset.
Oculus Go Battery Pack
Much of the weight on the headset is due to the battery pack that it comes with. As it does not need to be connected with a PC to power it, it comes with its own rechargeable power supply or battery pack. The Oculus Go battery life is of standard two hours or slightly more, running more for videos and slightly less for games. You will be required to charge it for 3 hours to get a full charge. You might also need to charge it for 2.5 hours if you are planning on watching videos, according to Oculus’s claimed battery capacity.
Users have claimed not to be too satisfied with the Oculus Go battery life. This accounts to one of the major flaws in the VR headset. People want to be hooked on their VR for a long time so they can entertain themselves fully in their leisure time. Two hours aren’t enough and not only this the VR battery dies even when not in use. For instance, if you need to take a break to grab a snack or you need to make a run to the toilet, your VR headset will be losing power all this time. Not very impressive now is it? nobody would prefer a headset whose battery drains when not in use.
Users are hopeful Facebook revamps the Oculus Go headset with better battery life and a long lasting gaming experience by making relevant modifications. But until this doesn’t happened, we are going to wait and work around it. Despite its horrid battery life, there are a few things which you can do to improve its battery life or make things easier with it.
- Leaving the Go plugged in While Using
If your headset is losing power quick while in use, its mainly because you are watching or playing with something that is taking a lot of processing power. There is no magical solution of this purpose, but this problem can be avoided by plugging the headset with a really long USB charging cable. Avoid using thick sturdy ones and plug them in while you play. Make sure the cable is long enough to give you little slack to move freely.
Make use of 10 foot long USB charging cables which you can easily get from Amazon to do the trick. These cables are perfect for this purpose, as they are long enough not to keep you restricted to the charging source and durable too. They are as follows:
- Native Union NIGHT Cable
- Anker Power Line
- Volutz Cable
- iSeeker Cable
- Duracell Cable
Copy Videos Directly on the Headset
If you mainly use the headset for watching videos, instead of streaming them from a private browsing window or from your pc you can directly copy the movies on your headset. This will help in saving battery life not a ton but still its beneficial. If this doesn’t work then plugging it is while on use is the best option.
Don’t Leave it on Standby Mode
If you observe that your Oculus dies too fast while being on standby mode, you need to make sure you take care of the battery as much as possible. You can start off by ensuring you shut the device completely shut down every single time you are done using it. This method has been tested. It won’t drain if you take good care of it.
Just simply hold down the power button for a few seconds and when the screen shows up select power off. You can also opt for a forced shutdown by holding on to the shutdown button for 10 seconds. You can turn it on by holding the button once again for a few seconds until the light comes back on. The system will boot up quickly and you can head on to playing your favorite game.
Avoid Accidently Turning On the Go
There are times when the Go turns on by accident due to proximity sensor when it’s suppose to be in stand by mode. This happens when go head strap activates the proximity sensor when its put down further draining the battery. This can be prevented by making sure the head strap is not in the way of the proximity sensor.
Always place the head strap completely out of the way of the sensor as, the sensor tends to get activated whenever an object about 1/2” comes into comes into contact with it. However, this only applies when Go is on stand by mode not completely turned off.
Using an External Power Supply
Fortunately, you can make use of an external battery supply by connecting it via the micro USB port. The best options would be to make use of Top mate Power Bank which offers a 10,000mah battery supply. It has two USB type A outputs (2.4A and 1A) and a USB Type C output which can provide output of up to 3A, powerful enough to charge a MacBook and yes, powerful enough to charge the power-hungry Oculus Quest (which requires at least 2.5A to charge while using it).
The great news is with additional power supply, when attached to the headset it also balances the weight of it relieving strain on the neck after prolonged use. Putting one of these external batteries in your pocket or using a waist clip is the best way to minimize restriction and maximize usage time. Other than this power bank, some option also include
- KMASHI Portable Power Bank
- RAV Power Portable Power Bank
- Anker Power Core Portable Power Bank
- Xiaomi Slim Power Bank Pro
- ROMOSS Power Bank
Close All Apps Before Putting it on Stand By Mode
If you are running a game which you think might drain all your battery, quit it or close all the apps before putting it on standby mode. This will help in preventing the battery from wearing off adding to a better and longer battery life. you can do this, by simply clicking the Oculus button while running an app and option to quit or resume will be efficient.
Conclusion
When you consider to buy this VR headset, a hour usage isn’t sufficient for everyone to use in the entire household. No matter in what activity you engage yourself in, let it be gaming or simple just streaming videos you only have 60 minutes to yourself before the battery starts to drain quickly.
The above article helps to ponder upon various tricks which can help to extend the Oculus Go battery life or save it from useless drainage, until Facebook comes with an updated software or a newer version of the Oculus go.
