How To Eliminate Quest 2 Blur Completely
Contrary to popular belief, the Quest 2 is not meant to be blurry!
I get zero blur when playing the Quest 2. If you’re experiencing blur, you’re doing it wrong. Here’s how to fix it:
10 Ways to Make the Quest 2 Less Blurry
1. Get Quest 2 Prescription Lenses
Studies have shown that over 40% of adults are short-sighted.
Even if you are slightly short-sighted, you are going to experience blur.
This is the main reason why people think it’s normal for the Quest 2 to be blurry when it’s not.
The best way to fix this is to get a prescription lenses inserted into your Quest 2.
My friend Jeff experienced the same problem a few weeks ago and was amazed to find out that by using VR Wave’s prescription lenses, all the blur he had been experiencing had completely gone away. And no we’re not exaggerating.
So in short: If you have any kind of vision impairments, even minor ones, it will cause blurriness and this could be fixed easily with a lens inserted into your headset.
Alternatively:
2. Wear Glasses or Contact Lenses
There is a big misconception that using glasses with a VR headset is not healthy or is counterproductive, but that is incorrect. You can easily wear your prescribed glasses while using the Quest 2, given that the frame of your glasses allows you to wear the headset correctly.
If your glasses are too big, contact lenses are also an option.
Of course, in terms of convenience and comfort, having a custom prescription lens inserted into the Quest 2 is the best way to go.
3. Clean the Lenses
One time, I went 2 months without cleaning the lenses. I was mostly playing Beat Saber, so didn’t think it was going to matter.
Then I finally wiped it using a microfiber cloth and wow… it made a day and night difference! The clarity of the blocks were so clear and I could see them coming from the corner of my eyes, unlike before.
So if you’ve gone a long time without cleaning the lenses, try cleaning it now.
Any microfiber cloth for lenses should be fine, but these are the ones I used. Do NOT get a microfiber cleaning cloth for cleaning counters – they are much rougher. Also do NOT put any cleaning chemicals (soap, detergent etc.) on the lenses. You will ruin them if you do.
Just like the lenses on glasses, the ones in the Quest 2 can easily get smudged, whether it is from your fingers, the vapor generated as you play some intense games, or because they get into contact with your hair that is naturally greasy.
If you do not have a microfiber cloth, you can also use the one-time-use glass wipes. If you decide to use the glass wipes, make sure to let the lenses dry for a minute or two, as the alcohol evaporating from the surface of the lenses can sting your eyes.
4. Find the “Sweet Spot”
When you put on your headset, it is important to find the “sweet spot.” Adjust the headset horizontally, then vertically until you find it.
The top strap is the one that should be carrying all the weight, and the strap in the back should be the one that tightens things up a bit (not too much, as you might end up with markings known as the “VR Face”).
Our suggested method of mounting the headset is first to adjust the headset up and down, then left and right. If you are having trouble keeping the headset in position while you are tightening the straps, you can use the “Ostrich Method,” which is to put the headset on a flat surface, then put your head into it (like an ostrich would put his head into the ground), and then tighten the straps.
From my experience, because the original strap is not very durable and does not offer too much flexibility, especially for those who have long hair, you should get a different head strap. The Elite Strap for the Quest 2 is a good choice, but there are many cheaper and better options on the market.
5. Calibrate the IPD
One of the most common cause of blurriness on the Quest 2 is an IPD mismatch. This can not only cause blurriness, but also VR motion sickness, headaches and discomfort.
Make sure you are using the correct IPD (Interpupillary distance) settings on your Quest 2.
While the official Quest 2 IPD only has three different settings (1, 2, and 3), it is actually possible to put it on 1.5 and 2.5 as well. You just have to move the lenses a bit and stop them as the IPD indicator is set between the two numbers. One might think that the lenses will move as soon as you proceed with the headset, but they should stay fixed.
6. Change the Texture Size and FFR in SideQuest
Suppose you are in the mood to fiddle around with settings in SideQuest to boost the performance of your Quest 2 (which will also reduce blurriness). In that case, you can now easily do that by clicking around a few buttons in the app instead of having to type full commands like people previously had to in the past.
Here is how to find the settings to increase the texture size and change the FFR (Fixed Foveated Rendering):
- Connect your Quest 2 to the SideQuest app on your PC via cable.
- In the top right of the app, click on the wrench icon.
- Scroll down until you find Set FFR, and then try settings until you find the ones best for you (higher is usually better)
- Scroll down until you find Default Texture Size, and then try settings until you find the ones best for you (higher is usually better)
- Optional: You can also change other settings here, such as the CPU/GPU usage levels, the refresh rate, chromatic aberration, and more.
If you mess something up, all you have to do is restart your Quest 2, and it will turn back to the default settings; do keep in mind that you will also have to do this every time if you want to use specific settings because of the same reason.
7. Modify Settings Through Oculus Link
As you are connected to your PC via Oculus Link (by using a cable), you can fiddle around with the Bitrate settings a bit if you do the following:
- Open the Oculus Debug Tool (you can find it under C:\Program Files\Oculus\Support\oculus-diagnostics if you chose the default installation path)
- As you open it, you can test different Bitrate settings. You can test between the 100-500 range and see which fits you best.
- You can also change the Distortion Curvature value to “High,” as this can help reduce blurriness too.
8. Change Streaming Settings While Using Air Link
If you are using Air Link to play things from your PC on your Quest 2, things might be a bit blurry because the settings are not optimized enough. Remember that you should have good internet and a 5G router if you want a good experience over the Air Link (or Virtual Desktop that we will mention later), so changing the settings will not always be enough.
To change the settings, do the following:
- Open your Oculus app and navigate to Devices while your Quest 2 is already connected. Then, click on your Quest 2 to open the additional menu.
- In the menu that just popped up, click on the “Graphics Preferences” to unlock more options.
- Here, you will be able to change the Refresh Rate, which is not that important for the blurriness, but you will also be able to change the Rendering Resolution which can improve clarity.
9. Use Virtual Desktop for Better Setting Optimization for PCVR gaming
If you happen to be experiencing blurriness while using Air Link, you can try an alternative method of connecting to your PC without a cable, and that is by using the app called “Virtual Desktop.” Keep in mind that this is not a free app, as it costs $19.99 on the official store.
To connect to Virtual Desktop, you will have to install the software on your PC, and you can find it – here.
Connecting to Virtual Desktop is very easy, as you will only have to enter the same username you are using on your Quest 2 on your PC.
Then as you connect through the app on your quest, you can fiddle with the settings and graphics based on how powerful your internet and your PC are.
One part of the settings is located under” Streaming.” This is where you can adjust the power of your PC’s graphic card, the frame rate, sharpness, and a few other things.
The second set of options is under “Settings.” Here you will be able to change the quality of the environment you can see in the app, the frame rate, the brightness, lighting, and a few other useful options.
While the settings in our screenshots are the recommended option, if you happen to have a weaker or stronger PC/Internet connection, you might want to decrease or increase certain settings to have a better experience.
Virtual Desktop tends to be a bit more responsive than Air Link as, in our experience, it crashes less, it feels more responsive, and it offers more settings to play around with to make things less blurry.
Still having blur issues?
10. Get a Replacement
While damaging the lenses is quite tricky, as they are not only durable but are also tucked away, it does not mean that damaging them is impossible. If you just bought the Quest 2, it’s also possible you may have a defective product.
Unfortunately, there is no way to fix this at home. The only way to fix physically damaged lenses is to pack up your quest and ship it to the nearest Oculus customer support center.
Getting a VR lens cover is a pro-tip to keep the lenses from being damaged. This will not only reduce the risk of damage from physical objects and chemicals, but it will also reduce the risk of sun damage, which is one of the most common ways for the lenses (along with the rest of your headset) to get damaged.
Anyways, those are the ways you can fix Quest 2 blurriness, I hope you found it useful!
