There has been some confusion and controversy in about the Quest Pro’s battery life, which isn’t shown on Meta’s product page. If you search for this information online, you’ll find conflicting answers that swing wildly between one hour and five hours. Some variation is normal with any battery-operated device, because it depends on how it’s used.
However, the difference shouldn’t be that large when stating average battery life, so why is there so much variance? Some journalists who got an early look at the Meta Quest Pro reported that its battery lasts about 2 hours. On the other hand, two Meta executives, Andrew Bosworth and John Carmack, have stated publicly on Twitter that, in their experience, the Quest Pro lasts for 4 to 5 hours.
I’ve literally never had them run out and I’ve used the headset for pretty long periods over the last few months. I would wager 4-5 hours without charge.
— Boz (@boztank) October 12, 2022
We wanted a more precise estimate, so we reached out to Meta to get an official statement. Here’s the answer: “You can expect up to 2 hours of battery life based on the kind of content you’re using on Meta Quest Pro.”
So, the Quest Pro really does have a surprisingly short battery life estimate. This begs the question of whether that is acceptable or not. Ideally, you might want to wear the more comfortable, work-centric Quest Pro VR headset for longer, and you still can if you plug it in. Meta went on to say, “You can also use the 2-meter charging cable included in-box to charge your headset while you’re using it for stationary experiences, for example, if you’re sitting at a desk or table while working.”
In truth, that doesn’t sound so bad. Not many people walk around while working, so being tethered to a charger every couple of hours, or popping in and out of VR to drop your headset on the included dock between VR sessions might not be an imposition.
As Meta consultant Carmack said in his unscripted portion of the Meta Connect event, you can switch off some of the power-hungry features like eye- and face-tracking if you need to extend battery life. Those are currently only used to enhance your avatar during VR meetings and chat, so if you’re working alone, they aren’t needed.
This is a clear opportunity for third-party battery packs that you can tuck in a pocket. There’s little doubt that those products are already in progress and will eliminate any potential problem with mobility for anyone who needs to move freely while wearing their Meta Quest Pro for several hours without taking a break.