Are you looking for solid solutions for your Oculus Rift S mic not working issue? If yes, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve put together a full list of fixes that have helped other users solve the problem. Read and check it out!
Try these fixes:
You don’t have to try them all; simply work your way down the list until you find the one that does the trick.
- Do some basic troubleshooting
- Update your device drivers
- Allow access to your microphone
- Check the sound settings
- Change the power management settings
Fix 1 – Do some basic troubleshooting
To troubleshoot the temporary device glitches, you could try a few common workarounds:
- Unplug your Oculus Rift S headset and plug it back to the computer. This should make the headset work, but according to some users, this is only a temporary fix and you need to do the reconnection every time your computer restarts.
- Try a different USB port just in case the previous port you use is somehow broken or it can not provide enough power to your headset.
If you go through the steps above but the problem persists, move on to the more complicated fixes below.
Fix 2 – Update your device drivers
The Oculus Rift S mic not working issue is likely to be driver-related. To keep your VR headset running in tip-top condition, you should update your device drivers on a regular basis.
You can search for the most recent driver from the website of your device manufacturer. But if you don’t have the time, patience or skills to update the driver manually, you can do it automatically with Driver Easy.
Driver Easy will automatically recognize your system and find the correct drivers for it. You don’t need to know exactly what system your computer is running, you don’t need to be troubled by the wrong driver you would be downloading, and you don’t need to worry about making a mistake when installing.
You can update your drivers automatically with either the FREE or the Pro version of Driver Easy. But with the Pro version it takes just 2 steps:
- Download and install Driver Easy.
- Run Driver Easy and click the Scan Now button. Driver Easy will then scan your computer and detect any problem drivers.
- Click the Update button next to the flagged Rift S driver and USB adapter driver to automatically download the correct version of that driver, then you can manually install it (you can do this with the FREE version).
Or click Update All to automatically download and install the correct version of all the drivers that are missing or out of date on your system. (This requires the Pro version which comes with full support and a 30-day money back guarantee. You’ll be prompted to upgrade when you click Update All.)
If you need assistance, please contact Driver Easy’s support team at support@drivereasy.com.
Now check how your headset microphone works. If the driver update doesn’t help, continue to the third fix below.
Fix 3 – Allow access to your microphone
If you’re on Windows 10, one of the reasons for mic not working is that your microphone access has been disabled by accident. And you should allow the system and applications to use your Oculus Rift S microphone.
- On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key and I at the same time.
- On the Windows Settings menu, select Privacy.
- Select Microphone on the left pane. Then, click the Change button and toggle on Microphone access for this device.
Scroll down and make sure the switch is on under Allow apps to access your microphone.
- Scroll to the Allow desktop apps to access your microphone section and toggle on the button below.
Test your Oculus Rift S mic with a game or program. Still no luck? Check out the next method then.
Fix 4 – Check the sound settings
In most cases, your Oculus Rift S headset mic will be set as the default input device once it’s correctly connected. But if it’s not, the mic won’t transmit your voice at all, and you should check the sound settings and make things right.
- Press the Windows logo key and R on your keyboard at the same time to invoke the Run command. Then, type control in the text field and click OK.
- Select Small icons next to View by, and then click Sound.
- On the Recording tab, make sure your Oculus Rift S Microphone is enabled. Then right-click it and select Set as Default Device. If you don’t see your microphone listed, tick Show Disabled Devices first.
- Click your Oculus Rift S microphone and click Properties.
- Navigate to the Levels tab. Make sure the microphone is not muted and turn up the volume to the max. Then click OK to save the changes.
Are you able to use the Oculus Rift S mic now? If not, there is the last fix to try.
Fix 5 – Change the power management settings
Sometimes the computer will turn off your USB root hub to save power, but the bad thing is that the connection will become unstable and even worse your Oculus Rift S mic will stop working. To adjust the settings, follow the steps here:
- Type device manager in the search box and click Device Manager.
- Double-click Universal Serial Bus controllers. Then right-click USB Root Hub from the list and select Properties.
- Navigate to the Power Management tab and untick the box next to Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power. Then click OK.
- If you have more than one USB root hubs, repeat the steps above to disable the power management for them all.
- Go back to the Device Manager window, double-click Oculus VR Devices to expand the category.
- Righ-click Rift Sensor and select Properties.
- Select the Power Management tab and untick Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power. Then, click OK to apply the changes.
- Repeat the steps to disable the power-saving option of all the Rift sensors.
When it’s all set, you should see the Oculus Rift S mic return to normal and it will give you the VR experience as expected.
Hopefully one of the fixes above resolves the Oculus Rift S mic not working problem. If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to leave a comment below.