How to Fix General Device Problem on Meta Quest 2

As the owner of the Quest 2 headset, you surely enjoy the numerous apps and games that you can play in virtual reality either with your friends or simply as a single player. So many games to choose from and so many hours of fun. However, there has been one issue that keeps bugging out a lot of Meta Quest 2 owners. This unfortunate issue is when your Meta Quest 2 headset displays the General Device Problem.

This message is usually displayed on the Oculus PC software. People have gotten fed up with the error message and what makes it worse is that there is no official solution or workaround to permanently get rid of the message. Anyways, if you are someone that seems to be facing this issue regularly, here are a good number of workarounds and troubleshooting methods that you can follow to fix the General Device Problem on Meta Quest 2.

Fix Oculus Quest 2 General Device Problem Issue

There are a lot of reasons why this issue might occur. However, most of the time, it can be traced to bugs and glitches in the software of the Quest 2 headset as well as the desktop version of the Oculus software. Since the issue cannot be traced, it’s difficult to come up with a permanent solution fix for the issue. Hence we have listed down the various troubleshooting methods for you to try out.

Restart The Devices

The oldest and surprisingly most working trick in the book is to restart the devices. Restarting the Quest as well as your PC can help solve and remove the temporary software glitch that prevents both devices from connecting to each other via the Oculus desktop software.

How to Fix General Device Problem on Meta Quest 2

Restart Quest 2 Headset

  • Keep the Quest 2 headset powered on.
  • Now, press and hold the power button present on the right side of the headset.
  • You should see a power-off option displayed on the screen.
  • Simply choose the Restart option. Your Quest 2 headset will now restart right away.

Restart your Windows PC

  • Click on the Windows icon present on the Taskbar.
  • Click on the Power icon and choose the restart option.

Restart macOS PC

  • Click on the Apple Menu.
  • Choose the Restart option.

Disconnect the USB Cable from Quest 2 and your PC

Sometimes, there could be issues with the connectivity between the Quest 2 and your PC. In this case, it’s best to unplug the cable from both devices, wait for a few seconds and then plug the cable back into the Quest 2 and your PC. This should help solve the issue. This solution has in fact worked for a lot of people. So, do give this method a try.

Turn Off AirLink Feature on Quest 2

Now, AirLink is a great way to connect your PC to your Quest 2 wirelessly. However, the feature is still experimental so you can expect a few issues and some things not working properly. This could also be one of the reasons why the General Device Problem message appears on the Oculus PC software. Here are the steps you can follow to turn off AirLink on your Quest 2 headset.

how to play steam games on oculus quest 2
  • Launch the Settings page on your Quest 2 headset.
  • The Settings app will be present on the App Library screen.
  • On the left side of the Settings page, scroll and select the Experimental Features option.
  • Look for the AirLink feature and turn it off.
  • Restart your Quest 2 and now the general Device Problem message should not be displayed.

Plug the Cable in Different Ports

Now there can be times when the USB port on your PC might be the culprit. If the port is indeed the culprit, you can try plugging the cable into another port and see if the issue persists. If it doesn’t, then it was a port issue, or else, you might have to get yourself a new cable.

Replace The Cable

There can be a high possibility that the cable might be the real cause of the General Device Problem message. If your cable has got frayed, has cuts, is damaged, or is bent way too much, the cable is damaged. Hence it’s ideal to get yourself a new cable and then see if the issue vanishes. If the issue vanishes it was just a matter of replacing the cable.

Check For Software Updates

Now, there can also be times when software bugs could be causing the software to display such messages. This can be because of some bugs or glitches that might be preventing your Quest 2 to work with your PC. In this case, it’s best to check for software updates and even install them because they can help solve the issue.

How to Fix General Device Problem on Meta Quest 2
  • Grab the right controller and press the Oculus button on it.
  • The universal menu should show up on the screen.
  • Hover over the clock on the left. the Quick Settings screen should appear.
  • Select Settings followed by System and finally Software Updates.
  • The Quest 2 will now check for updates. If there are updates available, it will download and install them to your headset.

Update USB Drivers on your PC

Sometimes the USB drivers on your PC could be causing problems with your Quest 2 headset. It would sometimes require you to either check for updates for the driver or maybe even roll back an update to the USB driver. Thankfully this can be easily done on your Windows PC. Here are the steps.

  • Open the Start menu and search for the Device manager.
  • When you see the Device Manager from the search results click on it.
  • At the bottom, you should see the Universal Serial Bus Controller option.
  • Click on the arrow and then choose the USB port that your Quest 2 is plugged into.
  • Right-click on the USB port and choose Properties.
  • Click on the Driver tab. You should see an option to Update Driver. Click on it to check for updates.
  • If the Roll Back Driver option is available, you can click on it and install the previous driver version for the USB port.

Unplug The Devices

Sometimes, it is best to disconnect both devices and leave them on their own. Keep the devices like this for a few minutes and plug them back into each other. This has worked for a lot of people, so do give this a try. You don’t even have to restart the devices for this.

Reinstall Oculus Desktop Software

Before going ahead to reset your Qyest 2 headset, try to uninstall the Oculus PC app and reinstall it. Again, there could be some glitches or bugs causing the General Device Problem message. Sometimes the software version that you have on your PC might be an older one. So, download the Oculus PC app from the official website and install it again. This should help fix the issues. If not, performing a reset is your last option.

Reset Meta Quest 2

If all fails, the last and final solution is to perform a factory reset. Yes, factory resetting your Meta Quest 2 headset will delete all apps, games, and accounts stored on your device. Well, you can easily perform a factory reset on your Meta Quest 2. There are two ways that you can follow. We have a dedicated guide that will show you how to factory reset your Quest 2.

Conclusion

This concludes the guide on how you can solve the General Device Problem message being displayed on yon the Oculus PC app. If the guide has helped you fix the issue, do share what method worked for you.

If you’re someone that was able to fix the issue by using some other method, you can also share that in the comments section so that it can help other Quest 2 owners to solve the issue.

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Joshua D'souza

Enjoy games, 90's hip-hop, and tech. Loves exploring the infinite world of laptops and food. Every ready to provide assistance in anything that rocks his boat. Will gladly enjoy capturing memories through various lenses. Worked previously at PiunikaWeb as an author and researcher.

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