How to measure IPD for the Oculus Quest 2

Meta Quest 2 lens spacing presets
(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)

If you need to know how to set the IPD on Oculus Quest 2, you've come to the right place. Setting the correct inter-pupillary distance, or IPD, is one of the key pillars of having a good VR experience. When your IPD is set incorrectly, it can cause nausea, headaches, and dizziness. It can also make it difficult to accurately slice blocks in Beat Saber because your brain can't accurately deduce the proper distance between objects as in the real world.

The Oculus Quest 2's IPD adjustment method is quite different from other VR headsets on the market, so we've put together this guide to help you find your ideal IPD preset as well as some hidden tricks to enable additional IPD settings.

How to measure your IPD

In order to measure your IPD, you'll need two things: a ruler with millimeter markings, and a mirror. We suggested one above, but any old ruler you might have lying around will work just fine, so long as it has millimeter markings.

  1. While looking in the mirror, close your left eye.
  2. Look straight into the mirror at your right eye with your right eye.
  3. Hold the ruler just below your eye and center the zero marker on your right pupil.
  4. Close your right eye and open your left eye, making sure to not move the ruler.
  5. Look into the mirror at your left eye with your left eye.
  6. Look straight and note the millimeter distance that matches up to the center of your left pupil.

How to measure your IPD by using a ruler

(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)

For example, my IPD is 66mm. The average IPD sits around 63mm, but can range between 55mm and 72mm (or higher) depending on the person.

How to adjust the IPD on Oculus Quest 2

The lenses and their spacing presets on a Meta Quest 2

Source: Nick Sutrich / Android Central (Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)

Now that you have your IPD measured, you can accurately set the IPD on your Oculus Quest 2. You'll do this by physically sliding the lenses closer or further apart from one another. The Oculus Quest 2 features three presets for IPD adjustment: preset 1 is 58mm, preset 2 is 63mm, and preset 3 is 68mm. By default, the Oculus Quest 2 ships at IPD preset 2, which covers the average IPD.

  1. Determine which preset works best for you using the measurements you wrote down earlier.
  2. Preset 1 is 58mm, preset 2 is 63mm, and preset 3 is 68mm.
  3. Preset 1 is the position where the lenses are closest to each other, while preset 3 is when they are farthest apart.
  4. While holding the Oculus Quest 2, grab ahold of the gray plastic on the outside of one lens.
  5. Gently push the lens in toward the other to lower IPD, or push them apart to raise IPD.

What if my IPD doesn't match the presets on Oculus Quest 2?

Tricking the Meta Quest 2 lens spacing presets by setting them in-between preset notches

Source: Nick Sutrich / Android Central (Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)

If your IPD isn't exactly 58mm, 63mm, or 68mm, don't worry. Facebook has designed the lenses on the Oculus Quest 2 to help fit a range of IPD, so one of these presets should be comfortable for most people. If you're like me and your IPD is awkwardly between the presets, you're in luck! While it's not an officially supported way to adjust IPD, the lenses on Oculus Quest 2 can be used between the presets. If you gently move between presets, you can actually set the lenses to more specific IPD between presets.

  1. While holding the Oculus Quest 2, grab ahold of the gray plastic on the outside of one lens.
  2. Gently push the lens in toward the other to lower IPD or push them apart to raise IPD.
  3. Try to push just past preset 1 or preset 2 to get a more accurate IPD.
  4. If you're having trouble pushing past, try pushing the lenses inward from a higher IPD preset instead.

The Oculus Quest 2 still only supports a maximum IPD range of 58-68mm, but using the spaces between presets can help folks who have IPD between the numbers. For instance, someone with an IPD of 60 or 61 might try the space between preset 1 and preset 2. Someone like me who has an IPD of 66 can try the space between preset 2 and preset 3 for a more comfortable experience.

Nicholas Sutrich
Senior Content Producer — Smartphones & VR
Nick started with DOS and NES and uses those fond memories of floppy disks and cartridges to fuel his opinions on modern tech. Whether it's VR, smart home gadgets, or something else that beeps and boops, he's been writing about it since 2011. Reach him on Twitter or Instagram @Gwanatu