This is what happens if you tighten the Oculus Quest 2 Elite Strap too much

Oculus Quest 2 Elite Strap Attached
Oculus Quest 2 Elite Strap Attached (Image credit: Oculus)

What you need to know

  • The Oculus Quest 2 Elite Strap is a $50 head strap replacement that improves comfort over the one included with the Quest 2.
  • Some users are reporting that it can be tightened too much, resulting in a screw falling out.
  • It's possible that these issues are being caused by a loose screw that wasn't fully tightened at the factory.
  • Tightening this screw could prevent the issue from happening.

The Elite Strap is one of the best accessories you can get for the Oculus Quest 2, but it seems like it might be a little more fragile than one would hope. Several users on Reddit are reporting that the Elite Strap's head cradle is popping off of the strap when tightened too much. The result is a screw that pops out of the black cranial cradle, which disconnects the cradle from the head strap.

Based on user comments, it seems that some Elite Straps are shipping with screws that are not tightened all the way. It's possible that this is the cause of the issue rather than a design or manufacturing defect, per se. That being said, you may want to take a closer look at your Oculus Quest 2 Elite Strap before tightening it onto your head, as loose screws could definitely cause a few issues (and snag hair more easily). Ensuring all the screws that attach the black cranial cradle to the strap are tight could be the key to preventing this issue. It's not yet apparent if these headsets can be repaired after the cradle pops off or not, but some users have RMA'd their straps.

While this doesn't yet appear to be a manufacturing defect, it could call Oculus' quality assurance into question. Thus far, we've seen sales that appear to be significantly higher than the original Oculus Quest, based on developer input and general availability of the product. Facebook, up until this point, has not been as successful as a hardware company as it has been on the software front, so a larger order of products could let possible QA issues like this slip through the cracks.

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
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