{"id":7506,"date":"2019-10-11T12:34:57","date_gmt":"2019-10-11T16:34:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/benies-blogs.com\/general\/?p=7506"},"modified":"2019-10-13T14:59:02","modified_gmt":"2019-10-13T18:59:02","slug":"started-with-an-annoyance-ended-with-my-right-controller-dead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/benies-blogs.com\/general\/2019\/10\/11\/started-with-an-annoyance-ended-with-my-right-controller-dead\/","title":{"rendered":"Started with an annoyance, ended with my right controller ‘dead’"},"content":{"rendered":"

VR-less for the second time this year, because of a malfunctioning headset. You would think this should be a sign that myself and WMR, do not mix<\/strong>!! \ud83d\ude23
\nBut this time, it’s not<\/span> the headset– it’s the controllers. So, how am I VR-less if it’s just the controllers? Good question, and it’ll be explained in due time. First off, I must explain the nature of how one single controller, ended up with both<\/em><\/strong> malfunctioning.
\nSo, started with the left controller. This issue’s been happening for a few weeks, and I’ve been blaming the latest MR Portal update for it. Going forward as normal by pressing my thumb down on the top of the thumbpad, is fine. The issue is triggered by sliding my thumb to the right, and the issue is the controller turning itself off and back on again.
\nFor some time, it’s assumed to be simply an issue with low batteries.
\nOn the 4th, I was talking to Zagro on how to clean my old Lenovo Explorer’s foam pads and send it and the controllers to Blue (where if he can get it working, he’ll finally have VR).
\nWe talked out the Samsung Odyssey+, and then I mentioned about the left controller. He recommended I buy some Lithium rechargeable batteries (known to hold a constant 1.5V until they need to be recharged). Yet I had doubts this would solve the issue. That and he couldn’t really give me a solid recommendation of three<\/a> battery<\/a> brands<\/a> (telling me to do my own research). I was thinking of asking Melancholy (as he’s the one that originally suggested to get these Duracell batteries that I have now), but since he has a Vive, I really doubt he’d be able to help. So I just dealt with the problem (thinking that trying to make sure the batteries are fully charged before putting them in, the issue shouldn’t
\nhappen).
\nBut yesterday, the fucking thing wouldn’t STOP turning itself off, and forced me to abandon my friends in a desperate attempt to seek answers via \/r\/WindowsMR. Made a post<\/a> there explaining how I’m even able to replicate it without MR Portal
\nrunning (showing it’s not an issue with SteamVR). I then tried to swap the Duracell batteries with two brand new Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries.. still the same problem, proving to myself it’s NOT the batteries but an issue with the controller itself.<\/p>\n

Time for troubleshooting then. So I looked up how to reset the controllers. Samsung’s own website told me to press and hold the Bluetooth pairing button and the Windows button for five seconds, and then after 15 seconds the lights should turn on. Did so and it seemed it was working.. until 10.5 seconds it comes on and strangely acts like it’s fully connected. Not sure if that means it worked or not, so I removed it from Bluetooth and turned it on as normal. After it turned itself on, immediately it’s showing it’s still fully connected.. the hell?! HOW?! I removed it from Bluetooth!! It should NOT still be connected!
\nTried reinstalling MR Portal and that.. “fixed” the issue in a sense (by using Samsung’s pairing method), but.. in Bluetooth, it no longer shows the controllers
\nunder ‘Mouse, keyboard, & pen’, but as ‘Other devices’ with both named ‘Motion controller’.
\nWhat’s worse, it still didn’t fix the issue with the thumbpad! I guess I have to buy a brand new controller! THANKS, Micro$oft!! Now, I could had been smart and just lived with the issue. But no, as I was confused why there were so many\u00a0 “my right controller’s not being detected!” posts, yet no left controller issues (other than batterylife).
\nSaw a post explaining how to reset the right controller, and how someone’s having an almost similar issue than I am<\/a>. Little did I know, that issue, would be my issue when I decided to do a reset on the right, feeling “it works, so it should reset just fine with no problems”.
\n–
\nTried the reset. 3.5 seconds after I held the buttons down, the controller turned on (but stayed at a low steady glow even when it was time to let the buttons go, and beyond 15 seconds). Holding the buttons for 6 seconds, causes the controller to attempt to pair itself. Already it’s not resetting itself right, quite similar to what the person said. Unfortunately there’s been no continuation to fix the issue listed in that thread.
\nSo I just went with it, and tried pairing it with Bluetooth. But instead of going to a high steady glow, it started doing a very strange on\/off thing. Turning it off and back on, it acted like it tried to connect, then the lights go out and it dimly blinks every 4 seconds.
\nOy.. it was working FINE and now it’s fucked! \ud83d\ude1e<\/p>\n

Next day I got a response saying how there’s a known fix to the left controller (and showing me how they did it, something about a ribbon causing it to malfunction), but it would void my warranty. And all that did was make me feel “…Really?! I NEVER had this issue with my Lenovo Explorer’s controllers! I paid $300 for this, I expected better quality!!” At least, you would think<\/span> so for how much I’ve wasted on getting into VR. But the person feels with how new VR still is, it’s expected to have issues that slip past a company’s quality control.
\nThe person also suggested I try to contact Samsung’s support, claiming their warranty support “is remarkably painless” …After what I went through with Lenovo, consider me skeptical. But I gave it a shot and first used their live chat, who redirected me to a phone number.
\nI called. Automated support assumes an Odyssey+ is a Galaxy, asking me “so what’s wrong with your phone?” …”NO!! It’s NOT a PHONE, it’s a VR HEADSET!!” I scram at my phone’s speaker. Eventually I spoke to a human speaking perfect American English, who I had to explain an Odyssey+ isn’t a Galaxy and got redirected… to, what do you know, the opposite of that (someone that can barely speak English)!! \ud83e\udd26\u200d\u2642\ufe0f Plus this woman assumed I was having an issue with a laptop that I don’t own. Was about to be redirected again, but it seemed I was in the right section with the woman asking “is it an HMD?” Yes. Typically I don’t call a VR Headset by that name, but yes it is.
\nExplained the issue with the left controller as good as I could, then explained the ‘user-created’ issue with the right one. But what sparked her to start the repair process was how both controllers aren’t properly resetting.
\nUsed my phone’s camera to take pictures of the model # and stuff (per her request). And instead of sending it via email, they do it through text messages. Didn’t even have to send them the picture I took of my monitor to show proof of purchase, as they show the warranty (covers parts and labor) is good ’till July 31st, 2020 (exactly a year since I ordered the headset from Amazon). Sweet.
\nAnd the best thing of all– they use UPS instead of FedEx!! Now while I was on my phone during one of their hold times, I read that any WMR controller will work with any
\nheadset.
\nWas thinking “I can use my Lenovo Explorer controllers until I get these repaired!”.. until the person told me “we also want you to put your headset in the box”. Well fuck<\/strong>, so much for that nice idea. The reason is they’re also going to be testing it for defects (even through there’s nothing wrong with it). But.. hell, they might as well from the time I accidentally dropped it. There’s also a small visual kink in the cord of when I didn’t know how to get it out (finally learned to spin the headset the other direction until the cable gets
\nunwound).
\nPlus they’ll be able to test if all of those times my chair met the cable (by running over it…).
\n—
\nThough the woman warned me to make sure everything’s packed tight, that any damage during shipping will not be covered by the warranty (or something like that). With the call done, I took pictures of the headset and controllers, then packed everything up in the same wrapping and box that came with it. The only problem is I couldn’t get the headset to properly rest with the controllers, but I got it closed and put in its Amazon box. As for getting up to the UPS Store, father took me up there.
\nGot there and tried to use my phone as a way to get the label to show up, where the person scanned it and printed the label. Then she took the package and was all “thank you!” ..WOW! Hey Lenovo, LEARN FROM THIS!! I didn’t even have to pay a stupid $15 fee for the shipping label! This repair will be completely free<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

So I’m VR-less for possibly a week & a half as it takes 5\/7 business days for repairs (once it arrives in Carlstadt, NJ by Monday morning), then once done it’ll be shipped back to me ASAP.
\nAt least.. I hope. Reading very troubling articles of customers claiming the company isn’t receiving the item, or isn’t sending it. Others claiming they send back cheap knock-offs of Samsung products.
\nZagro also tells me that it’s normal for them to want the headset. That and they won’t even do anything with it, except send back a refurbished (one that’s been fully tested and cleaned) or a brand new one off the factory floor. Says “it’s how most places work. Keeps turn around time short”.
\nYet again, there’s NOTHING wrong with that headset!! Why do they have to replace a perfectly functioning headset?! But, you know, whatever. A brand new (or
\nrefurbished) one, hopefully it’ll last me a few years. The controllers are more important to have them repaired or replaced with ones that will reset properly.
\nAll I have to do is wait and let them do the work for me.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

VR-less for the second time this year, because of a malfunctioning headset. You would think this should be a sign that myself and WMR, do not mix!! \ud83d\ude23 But this time, it’s not the headset– it’s the controllers. So, how … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22,25,2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7506","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-computing","category-drama","category-personal"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/benies-blogs.com\/general\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7506","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/benies-blogs.com\/general\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/benies-blogs.com\/general\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/benies-blogs.com\/general\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/benies-blogs.com\/general\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7506"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"http:\/\/benies-blogs.com\/general\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7506\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7511,"href":"http:\/\/benies-blogs.com\/general\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7506\/revisions\/7511"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/benies-blogs.com\/general\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7506"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/benies-blogs.com\/general\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7506"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/benies-blogs.com\/general\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7506"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}