We ship worldwide. Free shipping for order more than USD150

Oculus Quest 2 - How to Increase Performance, Resolution & Refresh Rate

If you have been a casual onlooker or unconvinced yet about virtual reality, the year 2020 is the best time to decide and dive right into it. The difficulty of picking which headset to go for based on prices and other offerings has been taken care of by the Oculus Quest 2.

Since the Oculus Quest 2 hit the market, it has won over existing and new VR gamers as the best stand-alone virtual reality headset. Recent updates have been released to increase performance and improve how you used the headset.

Increasing Performance for Oculus Quest 2

It is possible to have a better experience while using your Oculus Quest 2. You can see details more clearly, enjoy better graphics. All you have to do is to tweak some of the default settings.

For better performance, improved resolutions, and a higher refresh rate on the Oculus Quest 2, there are cool and simple adjustments you can try to make your headset more enjoyable. You would get to enjoy clearer graphics, increased resolution, frame-rate and improved performance. However, there is a solution. If something goes wrong or you want to get your Quest 2 back to its default setting, all you need to do is reboot the headset. Once you reboot, it will automatically go back to its default setting.

Getting Your Oculus Quest 2 and PC Ready

There are few tweaks you need to do on your Oculus account and PC to use the SideQuest. It is a one-time Setup process. No need to repeat this any time you want to sideload something

There is a charging USB charging cord that came with your Quest 2. It is a small reversible USB - C connector. You can also use a USB-C if the port is available on your PC. If it is not available, you will need a C to A cord or adapter. You need these for the headset to connect to your computer.

Install SideQuest on your PC

Go to the SideQuest downloads page and download the install file for your PC. Install the program like you would do with some other program for your OS. This will install SideQuest and other vital drivers you require for sideloading.

SideQuest is an application that allows you to install modifications on Quest 2. Aside from adjusting your Quest 2 settings, SideQuest can be used for other functions. You might need the application later.

Sidequest -Side Quest - Oculus Quest 2 -

Allow USB Debugging

This is also another one-time setup if you get it right.

  1. Open the installed SideQuest on your PC
  2. Set up a guardian after powering on your Quest 2
  3. Connect the Quest 2 to your PC using the USB cord
  4. Inside the headset, you will see "Allow USB debugging."
  5. Check "Always allow from this computer." That way, you do not have to repeat the process all the time
  6. Press OK

Sidequest -Side Quest - Oculus Quest 2

Wait until you get this nice green icon at the top left in SideQuest because that means that your Quest is connected successfully.

Congratulations! Your Oculus Quest 2 and PC are now set up for some cool tweaks that will improve your experience and the performance of your Quest 2.

Enabling 90Hz on Oculus Quest 2 Games and Virtual Desktop

One of the noticeable features of the Oculus Quest 2 is its increased refresh rate with the ability to function at 90Hz better than the Quest 1 at 72Hz.

To make this feature available, you can enable it through the ADB command, allowing Quest 2 headset owners to increase from 72Hz to 90Hz refresh rates.

A second method you can use to activate this feature is through the SideQuest. It is a lot easier because all you need to do is click and accept the settings, but ADB allows you more options.

Play Games at 90Hz on Oculus Quest 2

  1. Open SideQuest
  2. Using the USB cord, connect the Quest 2 to your PC and ensure the headset is connected to SideQuest.
  3. Look out for a spanner shaped button on the top right of the SideQuest. That is the "Device Setting & Tools, click it.
  4. Click the 90Hz button under "Refresh Rate."
  5. Press the Power button to turn off the headset and turn it back on after a few seconds.

Sidequest -Side Quest - Oculus Quest 2 -

Your games should now run at a higher 90Hz refresh rate.

All these settings are dependent on if the App is 90Hz ready or not. Some games are 90Hz ready. Raising to 90Hz had little impact on Solaris: Offworld Combat.

A higher refresh rate makes your controller tracking less rough and smoother. It reduces eye strain, makes your virtual environment look more substantial, and reduces latency.

If you experience any form of variability in performance, turn off the headset and turn it back on after 10 seconds to revert to the default setting. Alternatively, you can disable the 90Hz by pressing the 72Hz or default button.

Manual ADB Command Method

Before integrating the 90Hz setting in SideQuest, manual ADB command was the method used by gamers to improve the performance of their Oculus Quest 2.

SideQuest interface allows you to run Android Debug Bridge Commands (ADB), a tool used by developers to Debug codes on android devices. Oculus runs on android devices.

  1. Open the SideQuest
  2. Confirm there is a connection between your headset and the PC via USB cord
  3. Press the 'Run ADB Commands' button in the top right of the SideQuest toolbar, then select the 'Custom Command' option
  4. Copy and paste "adb shell setprop debug.oculus.refreshRate 90"
  5. Press the power button to turn off the Quest 2 briefly and turn it back on.

Sidequest -Side Quest - Oculus Quest 2 -

You can tweak between 72Hz and 90Hz.

However, a refresh rate of 120Hz cannot work. It would seem Oculus blocked that refresh rate. So, if you input 120Hz, it will set it back to the default refresh rate of 72Hz.

Improving Game Resolution

To increase resolution, you will use this command: "adb shell setprop debug.oculus.textureWidth 2560 && adb shell setprop debug.oculus.textureHeight 2560"

This setting overrides the default texture width and height. If you set this number to one that is higher than the default, then some in-game textures will render higher quality, so you'll get better graphics in a game.

In the code above, the setting is high. However, you can set it to lower too. If you are curious to know what it looks like. Well, it does not look great. The numbers can be customized a bit.

Increasing the resolution and refresh rate alone may lead to frame drops in the headset. Not totally, but some games may not be playable at all. What you need to do is increase the CPU and GPU level.

Increasing CPU and GPU Levels

To achieve increased CPU and GPU levels, copy and paste, and in ADB. You can set this command between 0 to 4. Please note that many games already have this set, with many games already running at levels 3 and 4.

Beat Saber and The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners on default setting are already running on CPU level 4 and GPU level 3. So, the command will not make much difference in games that the levels are already high. However, for games with low levels, copy and paste the code and run it. The experience of playing games at a higher resolution is impressive.

Sidequest -Side Quest - Oculus Quest 2 -

Your Headset is Ready

After all these settings, you can mount your headset and have fun with it. However, if you do that, you can increase that texture setting even further to make it look better or preferably lower because some games run better at that level.

To do this, go to SideQuest, click on the Icon for "Device Settings and Tool."

The developers have also made the same settings available, and all you need to do is click buttons.

The manual method provides you with much freedom but using the buttons on the SideQuest; you can only select from the variables provided. These settings were originally for the Quest 1, so it restricts you from trying out different Textures sizes or CPU levels.

You can try out like 3072, which is the highest setting using the SideQuest methods. Although this looks a little too high, which is we lower settings are recommended. It works well with Beat Saber, but you might see frame drops in other heavy games.

Remember, any time you reboot the headset, it will reset to default settings. This can be a little frustrating, but it is worth the effort due to the impressive changes and experiences you get to enjoy.

The Oculus Quest 2 keeps getting better and winning with gamers and lovers of virtual reality games worldwide. Get one today, go one step further and make some tweaks to enjoy the maximum capacity.

Leave a comment

Please note, comments must be approved before they are published