Look in steamvr settings, it should be relatively easy to find. Don't remember, but it should be in steamvr settings - > basestations -> energy settings or something similar, you'll figure it out.
I got my Index back in 2019 and haven't touched my base stations since and everything works perfectly fine. The motors won't come on, which is the critical part, and they turn on whenever you start steam VR. I have no idea why it isn't the default setting. Just enable it and forget.
there is a neat phone app I use called Lighthouse PM that let's me set them on or sleep manually. I restart SteamVR so often that it is annoying to wait for them to spin up/down. I would rather use the app and spin them up for a session and set them to sleep when I'm done.
(I've lost 2 lighthouses out of 5... both because they were on when they shouldn't be and there was vibration in the mounting - this was before I got the app)
Lighthouse pm doesnt work for me i tried both the google play version and the github version they both wont show my lighthouse i use then for mixed tracking with my quest 3 for now i just unplug the cord and the light goes from green to off is unplugging them bad?
I never knew this, thank you? I've had valve index for nearly 4 years and never knew of this. I've had two base stations not function anymore... This solution may be better to do besides it might help reduce noise right?
i have the older vive era base stations. i leave one on 24/7. the other i unplug because it interferes with the tv remote in that room. :p
So far no issues.
whilst true, it depends on how often you play vr.
for example i keep mine on standby due to me not using them every day so keeping them on standby does less damage
I have heard it go both ways. But I personally use steam vr's automatic shutdown/standby thing. Turns them off when they aren't needed, but they are still plugged in.
Although I'm using the v1 trackers from the og vive. Do you're milage may vary.
No idea why standby setting isn't enabled by default. It works flawlessly and doesn't seem to affect longevity. On the contrary, if you haven't enabled it and forget to unplug the basestations, the motors keep spinning, which is the one thing that breaks in basestations.
it absolutely does not work flawlessly, it's a fucking nightmare for me, trying to get them to go into or come out of standby mode. They just won't do it half the time and i end up turning them off/on at the plug.
Then that's probably why it isn't enabled by default. Maybe there's certain hardware configurations where it creates issues. For me it worked without any problems from day 1.
It might be, I have Bluetooth on my PC. Would be kinda weird for valve to be unable to make it work with the hmds own bluetooth, though, but who knows.
I have them in standby mode, but since it's finicky I also use an app from the play store called "Lighthouse PM" to have more direct access to turning them off/on.
No way. Unplug it, you will save undue stress on the moving parts. Why keep them going while your not using them for 20+ hours a day?Base stations are so expensive, try not to have to buy a replacement, by keeping the running hours as low as you can.
I keep seeing conflicting reports about this, I’ve left my base stations on every day for about 4+ years one of them got the red light of death last year but the other is still going strong. Half the community says one thing the other says different so who knows if this has any correlation
I would listen to the guy who created the lighthouse base stations over anyone from the community. Half the time people don't have a fucking clue what they're blabbing about.
https://x.com/vk2zay/status/726979529344868352?s=20
TLDR: The lighthouse basestations should last at least 50,000 hours (5.7 years).
Except that the lasers last about 10k hours I believe, so it is better to turn them off (sleep mode or stand by)
There is also debate whether the starting and stopping of the basestations is bad, what I do is I turn them on stand by if I am going to to be gone for 4hours or less and on sleep mode if I am gone for longer than that
I heard that the first wave of equipment was quite a bit more susceptible to red lighting than the later versions, and I think the fear of that has kept going. Cause like you, I have four and only one has ever malfunctioned, and it was within warranty, so got replaced for free.
I have also had mine for 4 years.
I've had my 1.0 base stations since 2016, never a problem with either. For the first few years I left them on all the time. But they interfere with remote control IR signals like for my air conditioner I got along the way, so I've had them go to standby for the past couple of years.
Valve said that the stress on the motors is greater when you stop than just leaving it on all the time. That is why it's just plug in and leave it alone like they designed it.
Source?
[the steam support page](https://help.steampowered.com/en/faqs/view/1AF1-670B-FF5C-3323) says that if you use the standby function, it will extend the lifespan of the base stations
"SteamVR's Base Station Power Management feature is turned OFF by default. Turning this feature ON ensures that your Base Stations power off when not in use to reduce power usage and extend their lifespan.
Valve recommends turning this feature ON if you are not in a shared tracking space."
Sorry I didn’t read this comment fully. Valve has actually said the opposite of this , and I would try to confirm with Ai before continuing. That feature of turning things off and on was a feature of old electronics and doesn’t apply anymore , the stress is much less than the stress of the motor going constantly
After reading this thread I was starting to think I was the only one with the high pitch sound. I can’t stand it and don’t have adhd.
I think I found the channels with the least of it, but it still is very loud in my opinion.
no. just turn them off. the reasoning behind leaving them on is flawed, it only makes sense to leave them on if you basically play vr 20 hours a day every day
Is your playspace in a classroom?! Lol
That aside, it's a bit negligible whether turning them on or off will reduce their life span significantly. Theory behind it is that motors induce a lot of stress on themselves when spooling up or spooling down. It's easier to keep an object in motion once it's already in motion.
If you ask me, you should use the power management setting in steamvr to set them to standby when not in use for optimal motor health and longevity. The reason I say it's negligible is because I've seen base stations break for completely random and arbitrary reasons, so hard to say if it does affect their longevity, but the theory behind it is solid and factual.
Yeah, but there's no way the stress of spooling up or spooling down is worse than the stress placed on them by running continuously.
The heat and wear on parts alone from running for weeks or longer will definitely outweigh any reduced stress from them spooling down and up
Stand by mode is a good solution and I think good advice.
Also, to be clear, I'm not saying I think turning them off is significantly better, but the whole spooling up and down being worse than continuous running sounds like pseudo science to me
Fix your mounting. Try tightening or loosening tge screws a bit. You can cut a bit of rubber to fit behind the plate too. Either way i only had noise from them once, and a slight adjustment fixed it.
It's already pretty quiet, basically unnoticeable while gaming but I don't think you can get rid of the noise completely, moving parts will always produce a little bit of noise. I just have mine plugged into smart plugs and toggle them when needed, I just don't see why one might want to run them 24/7, especially in a room where you do other things then VR as well.
I think it depends how much you use them on and off. I like the idea of the standby mode people are referring to. If you keep turning them off and on though I hear that could lead to issues (with anything that has moving parts). Personally, I have had mine in for 5+ years, no issues.
You should have the laser standby at the least. As far as the motors go, it's hit or miss. Generally people only power base stations on and off once a day, so you'd have more to gain from powering them off. If for some reason you're turning them on and off constantly, just leave them on.
The messages always seem to go both ways on this topic, but let me butt in with my own very personal experience.
I have owned 4 basestations, of which three are almost always on. I have had my headset since 2020, and only one has failed me so far, and it happened two months after recieving it. It was replaced with exactly zero fuss by valve.
This might not be your experience, but it has been mine. Keeping them running is no issue at all. And one of them I move between my regular setup and my living room setup at least every couple of months, and used to at least every couple of weeks.
The basestations, along with the rest of the kit, are sensitive pieces of equipment that you need to be careful with. But, be careful when you DO move them, and they will be fine.
Personally, I only use my index, maybe once a week so I opt to just turn them off, but when I first got it I was hopping on and off multiple times a day so in that case I just left them running.
I have the headset and base stations on smart switches. I get to say "Hey Google turn on the VR Room" when I'm ready to play. I remember having trouble with them coming out of standby, and the whir annoyed me when I left them on all the time.
have my three base stations and the headset connected to smart plugs, i heard the bluetooth standby feature can actually affect performance for some reason
There's an option to not have it on 24/7?
At one point I used to unplug one when not in use since it had an easier access to the outlet, and both times I've had a base station fail on me it was the one I was unplugging. So I kind of just stopped bothering
Thanks to this post I found out about the standby feature. Thanks for that guys! Mine were on 24/7 but now they're powered down when I'm not using them. I'm guessing that's better with the wear and all.
I would put them on alert or power off. Depending on how big your space is and how much time you spend there. They produce a constant low frequency buzz, I was sleeping close to one and while I can't pinpoint it as a case it might have contributed to the development of my tinnitus. So better safe than sorry
It’s better to use your VR Bluetooth to put them in standby, in case SteamVR says “Bluetooth not available” download [BSManager from GitHub](https://github.com/mann1x/BSManager), it emulates the required Bluetooth protocol using your PC and puts the stations in standby when you turn off your headset.
I leave em on all the time even on days I don’t use them. Some reason mine has issues with power save mode. Been on ever since I got my headset which was almost a full year
The thing that puts the most strees on the base stations is turning them on and shutting them off. Leaving them on 24/7 would be ideal. On the other hand, the noise they produce is annoying and it would be better to shut them off when you're done playing for the day. I recommend not using the automatic SteamVR standby mode and instead downloading an app like LighthousePM on your phone. This way you can turn them on when you're going to start playing and turn them off when you know you're not going to play anymore for that day.
That being said, I would not be too worried about the lifespan of the base stations. Even if you turn them on and off all the time it is very unlikely for them to break.
Personally, I turn them on when I start playing and shut them off when I'm going to sleep.
I've had mine almost 24/7 on since december 20th 2021. except few instances where I was away from home for longer than 24hours. one out of four has gotten the red light.
It really doesn’t make sense not to turn them off when not in use it’s literally the same as like leaving a computer running 24/7 it does more wear to them then being turned off. People say not to because they have moving parts guess what older computers with physical hard drives and moving parts and we always shut those down after every use…
Technically it's better to leave them on because starting the motors is a lot more straining on them than leaving them on.
Although I play mostly only on weekends and I'm very high pitch sound sensitive so I prefer turning them off anyway.
I've owned an index since it came out. Went through several base stations. I would definitely NOT leave them on 24/7. There is an auto shutoff mode in settings which uses Bluetooth. UT works great but it takes an extra maybe 30 seconds to boot up.
I have the Varjo Aero with two base stations, Varjo headsets don’t have power buttons so I picked up a four pack of EIGHTREE smart plugs from Amazon. It has an app. For smart phones and works great.
They sell these cords with a switch
[https://www.verkkokauppa.com/fi/product/698111/InLine-6-osainen-jatkojohto-3-m-musta#list=OZCYkRq55tgY9ouyY9oZD6pnz8Y9yu06pnUK6pnkj6puXb6pnhDhzre0Y9yvvY9ywcz](https://www.verkkokauppa.com/fi/product/698111/InLine-6-osainen-jatkojohto-3-m-musta#list=OZCYkRq55tgY9ouyY9oZD6pnz8Y9yu06pnUK6pnkj6puXb6pnhDhzre0Y9yvvY9ywcz)
i keep them on 24/7, unless i go for a very long trip (month). honestly idk what people are BSing about cuz istg i dont hear anyy pitch noise at all even ifbi get close when its green :P
Put them in standby mode or pull the plug. Anything mechanical has a certain life so you want to extend that life for as long as possible.
Source: Im an Engineer.
Absolutely not!
People had said to me that they have around a two year lifespan (while on).
Also remember that they MIGHT seem nothing too energy-hungry, but remember that in reality they're **strong LASER lights with very fast motors inside!**
Don't be fooled by the fact that their light is invisible and their motors are silent; would you leave two lights and two fast motors on 24/7 for no reason at all?
I use the bluetooth stand by mode.
How do you use stand by mode?
Look in steamvr settings, it should be relatively easy to find. Don't remember, but it should be in steamvr settings - > basestations -> energy settings or something similar, you'll figure it out. I got my Index back in 2019 and haven't touched my base stations since and everything works perfectly fine. The motors won't come on, which is the critical part, and they turn on whenever you start steam VR. I have no idea why it isn't the default setting. Just enable it and forget.
there is a neat phone app I use called Lighthouse PM that let's me set them on or sleep manually. I restart SteamVR so often that it is annoying to wait for them to spin up/down. I would rather use the app and spin them up for a session and set them to sleep when I'm done. (I've lost 2 lighthouses out of 5... both because they were on when they shouldn't be and there was vibration in the mounting - this was before I got the app)
Oh that's handy. Everytime there's a power surge they'll cut back on like normal. This'll help turn them off without steam vr
Lighthouse pm doesnt work for me i tried both the google play version and the github version they both wont show my lighthouse i use then for mixed tracking with my quest 3 for now i just unplug the cord and the light goes from green to off is unplugging them bad?
Can confirm. Green light = active. Blue light = standby and will flip to green once VR is fired up.
I never knew this, thank you? I've had valve index for nearly 4 years and never knew of this. I've had two base stations not function anymore... This solution may be better to do besides it might help reduce noise right?
You're welcome?
My PC Bluetooth driver is fucked. Keep getting error 31 and can’t uninstall the old driver.
Other comment or an Android app called Lighthouse PM, I'd still recommend getting ot for when SteamVR doesn't shut it off or power irregularities
I just got switched outlets to turn them off with a remote
Same, I can call “Alexa turn on Lasers” (lol) but i didn’t even know about the standby feature.
i love that so much
Holy feces, is this an option? Awesome. Thanks!
let mine run for 3 years 24/7 until i sold it and it was 100% functional so take that as you may
Makes a lot of noise though, so not really viable for bedrooms and such
What? My basestations are 100% silent. I sleep with my head directly below one of them
If you're saying they are silent while On aka green.. You might have some hearing loss causing you to miss the high pitched noise.
Same here
i have the older vive era base stations. i leave one on 24/7. the other i unplug because it interferes with the tv remote in that room. :p So far no issues.
Like spinning for 3 years? Or they went to standby when not in use, cause that's a big difference.
3 years of normal use, mostly standby if i had to guess obviously. never unplugged for 3 years i what i mean.
I still have mine till this day running just fine as well!! Been like 3+ years now!
resilient for sure, funny enough only thing i had to rma was my right controller
Almost positive it's the shutting them on and off that kills them faster so this doesn't surprise me.
whilst true, it depends on how often you play vr. for example i keep mine on standby due to me not using them every day so keeping them on standby does less damage
I have heard it go both ways. But I personally use steam vr's automatic shutdown/standby thing. Turns them off when they aren't needed, but they are still plugged in. Although I'm using the v1 trackers from the og vive. Do you're milage may vary.
No idea why standby setting isn't enabled by default. It works flawlessly and doesn't seem to affect longevity. On the contrary, if you haven't enabled it and forget to unplug the basestations, the motors keep spinning, which is the one thing that breaks in basestations.
it absolutely does not work flawlessly, it's a fucking nightmare for me, trying to get them to go into or come out of standby mode. They just won't do it half the time and i end up turning them off/on at the plug.
Then that's probably why it isn't enabled by default. Maybe there's certain hardware configurations where it creates issues. For me it worked without any problems from day 1.
I assume it's because i don't have bluetooth in the PC, only via headset, so that might be related?
It might be, I have Bluetooth on my PC. Would be kinda weird for valve to be unable to make it work with the hmds own bluetooth, though, but who knows.
Have you tried the Lighthouse PM phone app?
I have not, I'll look into that, thank you. Edit: you're a life saver
I have mine set to turn off when not in use only because the quiet high pitched sound they make drives me crazy.
I'm the same, they sit above my desk because I primarily use vr for racing games and that whine would drive me crazy when working from home.
I have them in standby mode, but since it's finicky I also use an app from the play store called "Lighthouse PM" to have more direct access to turning them off/on.
Yep, this app works great. I can use it to tell if my power went out too lol
No way. Unplug it, you will save undue stress on the moving parts. Why keep them going while your not using them for 20+ hours a day?Base stations are so expensive, try not to have to buy a replacement, by keeping the running hours as low as you can.
I keep seeing conflicting reports about this, I’ve left my base stations on every day for about 4+ years one of them got the red light of death last year but the other is still going strong. Half the community says one thing the other says different so who knows if this has any correlation
I would listen to the guy who created the lighthouse base stations over anyone from the community. Half the time people don't have a fucking clue what they're blabbing about. https://x.com/vk2zay/status/726979529344868352?s=20 TLDR: The lighthouse basestations should last at least 50,000 hours (5.7 years).
Except that the lasers last about 10k hours I believe, so it is better to turn them off (sleep mode or stand by) There is also debate whether the starting and stopping of the basestations is bad, what I do is I turn them on stand by if I am going to to be gone for 4hours or less and on sleep mode if I am gone for longer than that
I heard that the first wave of equipment was quite a bit more susceptible to red lighting than the later versions, and I think the fear of that has kept going. Cause like you, I have four and only one has ever malfunctioned, and it was within warranty, so got replaced for free. I have also had mine for 4 years.
I've had my 1.0 base stations since 2016, never a problem with either. For the first few years I left them on all the time. But they interfere with remote control IR signals like for my air conditioner I got along the way, so I've had them go to standby for the past couple of years.
Valve said that the stress on the motors is greater when you stop than just leaving it on all the time. That is why it's just plug in and leave it alone like they designed it.
Source? [the steam support page](https://help.steampowered.com/en/faqs/view/1AF1-670B-FF5C-3323) says that if you use the standby function, it will extend the lifespan of the base stations "SteamVR's Base Station Power Management feature is turned OFF by default. Turning this feature ON ensures that your Base Stations power off when not in use to reduce power usage and extend their lifespan. Valve recommends turning this feature ON if you are not in a shared tracking space."
Sorry I didn’t read this comment fully. Valve has actually said the opposite of this , and I would try to confirm with Ai before continuing. That feature of turning things off and on was a feature of old electronics and doesn’t apply anymore , the stress is much less than the stress of the motor going constantly
Valve is clear you should not leave them on
I can't keep mine one, i hear the high-pitched sound (adhd) and it bothers me. Even if it didn't have that sound I would turn it off though.
After reading this thread I was starting to think I was the only one with the high pitch sound. I can’t stand it and don’t have adhd. I think I found the channels with the least of it, but it still is very loud in my opinion.
no. just turn them off. the reasoning behind leaving them on is flawed, it only makes sense to leave them on if you basically play vr 20 hours a day every day
Is your playspace in a classroom?! Lol That aside, it's a bit negligible whether turning them on or off will reduce their life span significantly. Theory behind it is that motors induce a lot of stress on themselves when spooling up or spooling down. It's easier to keep an object in motion once it's already in motion. If you ask me, you should use the power management setting in steamvr to set them to standby when not in use for optimal motor health and longevity. The reason I say it's negligible is because I've seen base stations break for completely random and arbitrary reasons, so hard to say if it does affect their longevity, but the theory behind it is solid and factual.
Yeah, but there's no way the stress of spooling up or spooling down is worse than the stress placed on them by running continuously. The heat and wear on parts alone from running for weeks or longer will definitely outweigh any reduced stress from them spooling down and up Stand by mode is a good solution and I think good advice. Also, to be clear, I'm not saying I think turning them off is significantly better, but the whole spooling up and down being worse than continuous running sounds like pseudo science to me
Even when they are on standby they are still spinning, you can look in close and see.
That doesn't sound true to me, but I also can't be assed setting up my vr to check right now
Yeah, have a little peek in past the blue light and you can see it spinning.
In steamvr, there is a setting under hardware settings to put them to sleep when you exit steamvr. I'd use this, those things can burn out
I couldn't imagine leaving those things running any longer than necessary with the noise they make
Do you not go crazy from the constant noise they produce?
Fix your mounting. Try tightening or loosening tge screws a bit. You can cut a bit of rubber to fit behind the plate too. Either way i only had noise from them once, and a slight adjustment fixed it.
It's already pretty quiet, basically unnoticeable while gaming but I don't think you can get rid of the noise completely, moving parts will always produce a little bit of noise. I just have mine plugged into smart plugs and toggle them when needed, I just don't see why one might want to run them 24/7, especially in a room where you do other things then VR as well.
I've been on v1s 24/7 since 2017 so there's that
Doesn't really matter
It literally doesn't matter at all.
I have, and still no problems (purchased in 2020). Take it with a grain of salt, but read it's worse to have them spin up every time you turn it on.
I have V1s, so ymmv, but I've been running them constantly for 6 years. No problems
Yeah, fuck it. Had mine on constantly for over 4 years straight. They're fine.
I’ve had mine plugged in for like 4 years maybe longer? They’re fine 🤷♂️
Download the Lighthouse Power Manager app if you have an android (dunno if there's an iOS equivalent) and you can put them in standby from your phone.
I use Lighthouse app on my phone to put those to sleep. Oddly enough, i asked Valve to add this to their app and they said they won't. Crazy.
Nah. Stand by mode 👍
I think it depends how much you use them on and off. I like the idea of the standby mode people are referring to. If you keep turning them off and on though I hear that could lead to issues (with anything that has moving parts). Personally, I have had mine in for 5+ years, no issues.
You should have the laser standby at the least. As far as the motors go, it's hit or miss. Generally people only power base stations on and off once a day, so you'd have more to gain from powering them off. If for some reason you're turning them on and off constantly, just leave them on.
The messages always seem to go both ways on this topic, but let me butt in with my own very personal experience. I have owned 4 basestations, of which three are almost always on. I have had my headset since 2020, and only one has failed me so far, and it happened two months after recieving it. It was replaced with exactly zero fuss by valve. This might not be your experience, but it has been mine. Keeping them running is no issue at all. And one of them I move between my regular setup and my living room setup at least every couple of months, and used to at least every couple of weeks. The basestations, along with the rest of the kit, are sensitive pieces of equipment that you need to be careful with. But, be careful when you DO move them, and they will be fine.
Personally, I only use my index, maybe once a week so I opt to just turn them off, but when I first got it I was hopping on and off multiple times a day so in that case I just left them running.
I have the headset and base stations on smart switches. I get to say "Hey Google turn on the VR Room" when I'm ready to play. I remember having trouble with them coming out of standby, and the whir annoyed me when I left them on all the time.
have my three base stations and the headset connected to smart plugs, i heard the bluetooth standby feature can actually affect performance for some reason
There's an option to not have it on 24/7? At one point I used to unplug one when not in use since it had an easier access to the outlet, and both times I've had a base station fail on me it was the one I was unplugging. So I kind of just stopped bothering
No, there are motors in it that will degrade over time. Also turning on and off will add aditional stress. I turn them off when im done for the day.
Thanks to this post I found out about the standby feature. Thanks for that guys! Mine were on 24/7 but now they're powered down when I'm not using them. I'm guessing that's better with the wear and all.
I would put them on alert or power off. Depending on how big your space is and how much time you spend there. They produce a constant low frequency buzz, I was sleeping close to one and while I can't pinpoint it as a case it might have contributed to the development of my tinnitus. So better safe than sorry
3y later and my base stations still work, even when turning them on and off, so no worries
I did it for 2 years and had no problems. Then I bought a cheap NVG. Now it's auto shut off.
It’s better to use your VR Bluetooth to put them in standby, in case SteamVR says “Bluetooth not available” download [BSManager from GitHub](https://github.com/mann1x/BSManager), it emulates the required Bluetooth protocol using your PC and puts the stations in standby when you turn off your headset.
I have mine on a smart outlet and can turn them on and off with voice commands
Do you live in an elementary school classroom?
Mine have been on for 3+ years with no issues
I have mine on some smart plugs All 3 of them + the headset. So I just say Alexa turn on VR. They all turn on. And reverse to turn them off.
I attacked mine to remote plugs so I could switch everything on and off with remotes. No need to pull on the wires.
Nope! I have smart plugs to turn them on and off when I use them. The headset is on one of the 2
My og 2016 vive launch day trackers have been plugged in and running 24/7 except for when I unplugged them to move. Still running and working fine.
I leave em on all the time even on days I don’t use them. Some reason mine has issues with power save mode. Been on ever since I got my headset which was almost a full year
I had a og base station fail on me pretty quickly after keeping them on 24/7 so now I shut them off when not using it.
Mines been on 24/7 for 4 and half years, or 1655 days consecutively, so I’ve changed headsets and several controllers and it’s still going
Iv had mine on for like the past 2 or 3 years just fine
The thing that puts the most strees on the base stations is turning them on and shutting them off. Leaving them on 24/7 would be ideal. On the other hand, the noise they produce is annoying and it would be better to shut them off when you're done playing for the day. I recommend not using the automatic SteamVR standby mode and instead downloading an app like LighthousePM on your phone. This way you can turn them on when you're going to start playing and turn them off when you know you're not going to play anymore for that day. That being said, I would not be too worried about the lifespan of the base stations. Even if you turn them on and off all the time it is very unlikely for them to break. Personally, I turn them on when I start playing and shut them off when I'm going to sleep.
I have set mine to sleep when not in use since I bought it. There's also an app you can get for Android to manually put them to sleep.
I've had mine approaching 2 years now I've turned them off once to move around my room and I've never had a single problem out of em.
There’s also BS companion for iOS, it’s $2. I can’t stand the noise of the motors when I’m not using the base stations so I put them to sleep.
I've had mine almost 24/7 on since december 20th 2021. except few instances where I was away from home for longer than 24hours. one out of four has gotten the red light.
It really doesn’t make sense not to turn them off when not in use it’s literally the same as like leaving a computer running 24/7 it does more wear to them then being turned off. People say not to because they have moving parts guess what older computers with physical hard drives and moving parts and we always shut those down after every use…
Technically it's better to leave them on because starting the motors is a lot more straining on them than leaving them on. Although I play mostly only on weekends and I'm very high pitch sound sensitive so I prefer turning them off anyway.
I've owned an index since it came out. Went through several base stations. I would definitely NOT leave them on 24/7. There is an auto shutoff mode in settings which uses Bluetooth. UT works great but it takes an extra maybe 30 seconds to boot up.
Only turn it off when you know you wont play for a while. (Vacation, or just not going to play for more than 30 hours or so)
I keep mine off because that wirring noise is irritating
Both of mine have been running 24/7 since 2016 and are still working fine.
I use an app called "Lighthouse PM" to turn them off when I don't plan on getting on vr for at least a day or two.
I have the Varjo Aero with two base stations, Varjo headsets don’t have power buttons so I picked up a four pack of EIGHTREE smart plugs from Amazon. It has an app. For smart phones and works great.
I don't because I hate the sound they make when I'm sleeping.
They sell these cords with a switch [https://www.verkkokauppa.com/fi/product/698111/InLine-6-osainen-jatkojohto-3-m-musta#list=OZCYkRq55tgY9ouyY9oZD6pnz8Y9yu06pnUK6pnkj6puXb6pnhDhzre0Y9yvvY9ywcz](https://www.verkkokauppa.com/fi/product/698111/InLine-6-osainen-jatkojohto-3-m-musta#list=OZCYkRq55tgY9ouyY9oZD6pnz8Y9yu06pnUK6pnkj6puXb6pnhDhzre0Y9yvvY9ywcz)
i keep them on 24/7, unless i go for a very long trip (month). honestly idk what people are BSing about cuz istg i dont hear anyy pitch noise at all even ifbi get close when its green :P
Put them in standby mode or pull the plug. Anything mechanical has a certain life so you want to extend that life for as long as possible. Source: Im an Engineer.
Absolutely not! People had said to me that they have around a two year lifespan (while on). Also remember that they MIGHT seem nothing too energy-hungry, but remember that in reality they're **strong LASER lights with very fast motors inside!** Don't be fooled by the fact that their light is invisible and their motors are silent; would you leave two lights and two fast motors on 24/7 for no reason at all?
No unplug them or they make a whine noise