Samsung Gear VR with Controller Troubleshooting

The display is fuzzy or unreadable when you use the headset.

There is a wheel located at the top of the headset used to adjust the focus. Spin the wheel while wearing the headset until the screen is clear. If the focus wheel is not functioning, refer to our guide here on how to replace the focus wheel.

The lenses on the headset may have fingerprints or dust on them. Clean both lenses with cotton or microfiber cloth. If uncleanable, refer to our replacement guide here.

If a lens within the device is scratched or damaged, it can cause blurry display. If your lenses need to be replaced, refer to our guide here on how to do so.

Brand new headsets have a protective film on both lenses. Remove these if they are still on the front side of the lenses.

Your phone physically won’t connect to the Samsung Gear via the phone’s USB port.

The Samsung Gear VR headset is only compatible with the following phones: Galaxy Note9, S9, S9+, Note8, S8, S8+, S7, S7 edge, Note5, S6 edge+, S6, S6 edge, A8 Star, A8, and A8+. The phone's USB port should be pressed onto the USB connector until you feel a gentle click.

The USB connector on the headset is broken and may need to be replaced, refer to our guide here on how to do so.

Alternatively, the port on the phone is broken and may need replacing. Check a guide for your Samsung device for more information on how to replace.

When putting on the headset, the display is blank and shows no sign of being on.

Ensure that the phone is powered on and the brightness is adjusted to the proper level.

The phone may go into “sleep mode” and turn itself off if it is not properly plugged into the Samsung Gear VR headset. Unplug the phone, then plug it back in again.

Make sure you have the most recent versions of the Oculus and Gear VR service apps. If you have verified that both are fully updated, uninstall then reinstall both apps.

Sometimes, power management apps and the Facebook app have caused problems with the Oculus app. Uninstall these apps, then restart the Oculus app.

While attempting to use the controller, it provides no input.

Ensure the controller is connected via Bluetooth to your device.

Ensure the batteries in the controller is fully or partially full before using it. The controller uses AAA batteries. Refer to our guide here on how to replace the controller batteries.

The buttons may be severely damaged or worn down. Refer to our guide here on how to replace them.

There is a noticeable rise in temperature while you are using the headset.

Remember to not use the device for long periods of time.

Be sure to charge your phone prior to connecting to the headset. You should not be charging your phone and using the headset at the same time.

Close down all unnecessary background apps. These use up the phone's processing power and heat up your phone.

Your phone's brightness could be contributing to the overheating. Dim the brightness on your phone to less than half of maximum brightness.

Nothing is happening when you press/touch the trackpad on headset.

In order to avoid software issues, make sure to operate through the Oculus VR app. Sometimes the apps lag and will not work if they are not run through the proper device, so run all apps through the Oculus VR app and try again.

Applying too much pressure to the trackpad can cause it to not register the touch. Lightly touch the trackpad and try again.

If nothing else works, you may need to replace the trackpad on the side of the headset. Refer go our guide here for steps on how to do so.

When looking through the headset, the orientation is off-axis or doesn’t look right.

Go into settings and reset your view in the display tab, this will re-orientate the headset in the right direction.

The gyroscope located inside the headset may be broken or uncalibrated.