Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

How to charge Meta Quest 3 controllers

A hand holding a controller for the Meta Quest 3.
Fionna Agomuoh / Digital Trends

VR has come a long way, and the Meta Quest 3 continues to move the needle in the right direction for the platform. But while using the Meta Quest 3 is a wireless affair, you’ll still need wires to keep the headset charged up.

As such, you may be wondering why you don’t have an option to plug in your controllers. Here’s what you need to know about keeping your Meta Quest 3 controllers powered up.

How to charge Meta Quest 3 controllers

Meta Quest 3 Charging Dock
Meta / Meta

The Meta Quest 3 controllers come out of the box using AA batteries for power, which means that you won’t be able to charge them in their original state. If they run out of power, you’ll simply need to swap out the old AA batteries for some new ones to continue playing games. Of course, you can opt for rechargeable batteries, which is the most sustainable and affordable method.

But if you’re absolutely positive you’d like to charge your Meta Quest 3 controllers rather than swap out AA batteries, you can invest in a charging station from Meta. This official Meta Quest 3 Charging Dock provides a tidy place to dock the headset itself, as well as the controllers.

The charging dock doesn’t get you around batteries themselves, of course — it simply provides a way to swap the original AA batteries with the rechargeable batteries included with the Charging Dock. These batteries are “genuine Meta batteries” that the company claims will last “hundreds of charging cycles” and even allow you to view the battery level of the controller.

If you don’t want to shell out the $130 required to purchase the official Meta Quest 3 Charging Dock, you can find off-brand charging docks for much less money.

So, while there’s no way to directly charge the controllers, there are a few different options for keeping your Quest 3 controllers powered up when you need them.

Editors' Recommendations

Billy Givens
Billy Givens is a freelance writer with over a decade of experience writing gaming, film, and tech content. His work can be…
8K VR comes to the Quest 3
A Meta Quest 3 sits on a wooden floor in moody backlighting.

The best place to watch 360-degree videos is in VR, and the Meta Quest 3 just got a big upgrade in quality that makes the experience even better after Google updated its YouTube VR app to support 8K resolution.

8K might sound excessive since even the best VR headsets, like the Apple Vision Pro and the recently announced Pimax Crystal Super, have resolutions closer to 4K-per-eye. However, you can only see a third or less of a 360-degree video at once.

Read more
Meta Quest 4: Here’s what we want from the next big VR headset
The Quest Pro has great hand-tracking capabilities.

Ready for the Meta Quest 4? Considering how big of an upgrade the Quest 3 was when it launched in 2023, Meta’s next release could have amazing new features that end up making it one of the best VR headsets yet.

Meta is still probably a couple of years out from releasing the successor to the Quest 3, but with all the new competition, it's worth considering what to expect. There haven't been many rumors yet, but here's what hope to see in the Meta Quest 4.
Quest 4 launch date
The Meta Quest 3 (left) and Quest Pro Alan Truly / Digital Trends

Read more
Your Quest 3 just got so much better — for free
First Encounter is the perfect introduction to mixed reality on Quest 3.

First Encounter is the perfect introduction to mixed reality on the Quest 3. Meta

The Quest 3 already boasted the best mixed reality experience of any VR headset other than the Apple Vision Pro. Now, as part of the v64 update, the Quest 3's passthrough quality is about to get even better, with less graininess in lower light, more detail, and better handling of phone screens.

Read more