Oculus Quest 2 Accessories You Need (and Some You Definitely Don’t Need)
If you deploy your Oculus VR gear this holiday season, I have no doubt that you will become just like me: fully committed to a virtual lifestyle. You are also probably wondering what else you need to buy. Sure, you can play Quest 2 naked (so to speak) – it’s complete and ready to use right out of the box – but the device is designed to be customizable.
You can change the head strap, add a battery, put on new controller covers, and so on. Whether this is a great opportunity to make your virtual reality equipment unique to itself – or the chance to sell many non-original items – depends on your point of view. That being said, some third-party accessories can dramatically improve your virtual reality. Therefore, we bring you our guide to the essential, minor, and just plain silly accessories for the Oculus Quest 2.
Essential accessories for your Oculus Quest 2
Cleaning set
As with all your electronics, you need to keep your Oculus clean. But it’s especially important that your Oculus lenses are flawless. According to the Oculus support page, you should “use a dry microfiber optical lens cloth to clean your headset lenses. Do not use liquid or chemical cleaners. ” So, at a minimum, get microfiber wipes to keep your lenses from shaking . At a minimum, they make cleaning kits for Oculus , or you can opt for a camera cleaning kit .
Sweat proof
VR games often require a lot of movement and sweat, so if you’re going to transfer your gear from person to person, be sure to find something that makes the game less sweaty.
The Quest 2 comes with a silicone case that prevents the soft face protection from turning into a sweat sponge, but if you want to be more hygienic, you can buy a second or third and swap them out. (Check out VR covers for a good selection .) Honestly, all you really need is a sweat-wicking skullcap or sweat bandage. I recommend this red, white and blue because I love America.
Prescription lenses (for eyeglass wearers)
VR for glasses-eyed people is not the best option. Even though the Oculus Quest 2 comes with a goggle spacer, my short black glasses were too big for a headset. I used old glasses, but they often fogged up and I kept hitting the thin VR lenses with my glasses. Sucks. Solution: Prescription VR lenses.
Frames Direct will grind lenses for your eyes (just like other retailers) if you send them $ 80 and your prescription. Then you simply slip them onto your Oculus lenses and your glasses will no longer bother you.
Essential (but not vital) accessories for your Oculus Quest 2
Connection cable
Quest 2 has everything you need to get a virtual environment right out of the box, but if you want to go even further and connect your Oculus to your computer, you’ll need a patch cable. According to Oculus, you need a “high quality USB cable that can handle data and power.” They sell one for $ 80, but it’s too expensive for a cable. There are cheaper third-party USB-C cables that will work with the Quest 2, from that $ 12 job to one for $ 26 and everything in between.
Accumulator battery
The Oculus has a battery life of around two hours, which is pretty small, but there are a number of battery extenders available. They range from the $ 80 VR Power 2 , a massive battery that plugs into the headband and extends battery life to 8-10 hours (and provides counterweight to make the headset more comfortable), to this adorable little tablet that charges instantly. port like R2-D2 snaps into the X-Wing. This increases the playing time from 3.5 to 6 hours.
Best headband
Personally, I had no problem with the Oculus head strap – it holds the thing securely attached to my face – but it’s pretty primitive and there are better alternatives. I love the design of this Kiwi strap ; Instead of the uncomfortable little “stripes” of the headgear, it defaults to a tightening adjuster like a good bike helmet, plus it’s articulated so you can just flip your gear quickly and place it on your head. Also has an Eyglo strap ; it has a dial and hinge too, but it’s clearly meant for big skulls, so if you’re a pumpkin-headed bastard you might need this one.
Quest 2 Non-Essential Accessories
Carrying bag
I think if you’re going to take Quest 2 on a global walking tour, you might want to take a travel suitcase with you . Or you can just hold the box it was in – a free alternative where each component is protected in its own little evacuated container.
Controller straps
The straps that come with the Quest 2 controllers are great for keeping them from flying around the room. They really do the best , but it seems like a lot of money can be spent on something so insignificant.
Headphones / earbuds
The sound of the Oculus Quest 2 is low, so they do a lot of different headphone and inserts specifically to work with him. But since the headset is compatible with any 3.5mm or USB-C headphones, Oculus custom-made in-ear glasses asks the question “are you serious?” territory.
Counterweights
Maybe I just have an unusually strong neck, but it wouldn’t have occurred to me that Oculus needed a counterweight if they weren’t selling them, although using the battery to balance VR loads is great.
Just silly Oculus accessories
Protective shell
Why would anyone need a cover on the outer part of the headset ? Are people dropping their VR gear or something? Go to the walls? (Wait, maybe it makes sense.)
Oculus Controller Stock
This addition to the barrel of the pistol offers your controller an “improved center of gravity balance to weight ratio.” I take their word for it. There is also a rifle .
Impact saber hilt
You know, light weighs nothing, so adding those foam blades to your controller to play Beat Saber actually makes the game less realistic (in reality, where swords are still made of light) and extends your reach by a couple of feet could lead to breakage of the lamp.