Forum Discussion

LaughingParakeet1512's avatar
LaughingParakeet1512
Honored Guest
5 months ago

Charging dock with battery strap?

Hi Folks,

I just got a PowerA charging dock for my Quest 3 (the only dock I could find  in-stock that charges the headset using the 3 pads at the bottom of the headset instead of the USB-C port).  It's a luxury, but I really prefer docking to plugging/unplugging all the time.  I imagine my question applies generally to any dock that uses that connector since it seems to me like that must be a "dumb" connection (just power, ground, and a charging status wire), not USB or anything that can do much in the way of negotiation.

Does anyone know what the Quest 3 is "supposed" to do when charging is happening through those pads?

  1. If an external power source (battery or charger) is connected to the headset USB-C port, does that get prioritized over the front pads?  Or do the pads take precedence?  Or do things catch on fire?  Or does the universe divide by zero?
  2. If a battery strap is connected to the USB-C port, can the headset charge it using power from the front charging pads?  I highly doubt that's the case for non-Meta straps, but I know the Elite Battery strap is "smart" at some level.  I don't have one (yet), but I read that the Quest 3 can independently show the strap battery level in addition to the headset battery level.  I imagine it might achieve that by seeing the strap as a USB device and communicating with it (not just as dumb voltage on the USB power lines).  That is not the case for the non-Meta straps I've tried (Kiwi K4, Bobo S3 Pro).  It's a stretch, but one might imagine that it's able to switch the strap to a power sink instead of a power source and charge it using power from the bottom pads.  If that's true, it might push me over the edge into buying the Meta Elite Battery Strap.

Thanks!

1 Reply

  • LaughingParakeet1512's avatar
    LaughingParakeet1512
    Honored Guest
    4 months ago

    Just an update in case anyone else is interested:

    The PowerA charging dock does indeed charge the Meta Quest 3 Elite Battery Strap "wirelessly" via the pogo pin pads on the bottom of the headset (no USB-C connection to the headset or strap).  It charges the headset first and then the headset switches charging over to the strap battery.  It pulls about 13.6 Watts at 12 Volts if the USB power supply supports it and 9 Volts otherwise.  It charges the strap to 100%, and it doesn't draw more than 13.6 Watts even with a more capable power supply.  Obviously, the strap has to be connected to the headset USB-C port for this to work.

    As expected, the dock does not charge a non-Meta battery strap.  I assume this is because the headset doesn't see it as a USB device proper (just a power source).  That means it can't re-configure a non-Meta strap as a power sink and start charging it (backwards from the normal flow of power).  Just a guess; I haven't tried to eavesdrop on the USB-C connection between the headset and the strap.

    I haven't tested the charging priority between the pogo pin pads and the headset USB-C port (for example when using an external USB-C supply or non-Meta battery strap).

    I know this solution isn't for everyone, but I like not having to constantly plug/unplug cables the USB-C port on the headset or strap.  Charging is much slower than, for example, the 45W DualFast charging of the Kiwi K4 Boost strap (charging the strap battery and headset battery in parallel).  I think this is because of the limitations of the 3-pin "wireless" headset charging connector; it's limited in power and not able to do any USB-C voltage/power negotiations.  Getting the headset "just right" in the dock can also take a couple tries, but the dock has a clear indicator light to let you know if things are working (amber charging, green charged, white disconnected).  I haven't had the pogo pin connection stop working once the headset is seated properly.