Getting a VR Headset is exciting! But what important accessories do you need?
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So you just got your Oculus Quest headset. AWESOME!!
Now you’re wondering… all of these ACCESSORIES!! Where do I even start? What’s really important to have and what’s just for fun? Well, I’ll try to help you out a bit here (note: this article will be updated over time).
Lense Care – So one of the first things EVERYONE is going to need, is a safe way to take care of those precious lenses!
First of all, I strongly recommend that you grab a pair of lense covers. Put them in place ANY TIME you are not wearing your headset. I cannot stress this enough.
Headset Lense Protectors
Not only do they protect your lenses from stuff like dust, accidental scratches and smears, but they protect your lenses from accidental SUNBURN. Yup, you heard that right. The lenses inside the headset, the ones right in front of your eyeballs, can easily become sunburnt, and it’s permanent. It has been found that direct exposure to sunlight can permanently damage the lenses in less than a minute, so be careful!
This set is cheap, but they will work just fine!
Do you wear prescription lenses?
If so, these Anti-Scratch Rings will help prevent your glasses from scratching up the VR lenses
Alternately, you can get prescription lenses to fit into your headset! Super convenient. Even if you don’t wear prescription lenses, you can get a set of protective lenses to go over your headset lenses!
Check out this website to order them – VR Optician
Lense Cleaning Pen
Finally, the lenses WILL get dirty. No matter how careful you are, they will get smears, smudges, dust particles, sweat… (yes, sweat) on them and you will need a safe way to clean them. This lense cleaning pen works nicely, with a brush to clean away the dust and a lense cleaner to polish up that lense.
Next up – Charging! – Your headset will only last a couple of hours per charge, so charging your headset is something you will become intimately familiar with. One of the first things you may realize is that the charging cable shipped with the headset is rather… short. Unless you have a special area set up to charge your headset, you might find the included cable to be inadequate. Here are a few suggestions!
10′ Charging Cable
I’ve found that a 6-10′ charging cable is usually about the right length. If you plan to use the original charging brick, you just need a USB C to USB C cable. I prefer Anker as the most reliable brand of charging cable.
What about your controllers? The stock batteries that come with them do seem to last an unusually long time for most folks, but eventually you’re going to have to replace them and the most cost effective plan is to get yourself a GOOD set of rechargeable batteries.
Li-Ion Rechargeables
Be aware that normal AA batteries will work, but they won’t last long and you’ll start experiencing more “tracking loss”, because the batteries just don’t pump that juice out the way higher quality rechargeables will. So, what you need is a set of 4 Li-Ion 1.5v batteries (2 to use, 2 to charge). They usually need a specific type of charger that isn’t for use with other rechargeables. We’re using this set and it’s working great.
External Battery Pack
Need MORE POWER? Of course you do. Extend your playing time dramatically with an external battery pack! To be of practical use, you will need a battery pack that is at least 10,000 mAh and no less than 4-Amps. This one works nicely:
To actually connect your battery to your headset, some folks simply wrap a velcro strap around the battery and attach it to the back of the headset that way. There are also battery holders you can purchase, depending on which headset strap you are using.
And, you will need an appropriate cable to connect that external battery to the charging port of your headset. We like this one. It’s 3′ long with a right-angle USB-C connector, so you can tuck it into your shirt pocket, or coil it a couple of times and use a velcro strap to connect it to your headset.
USB C – USB A External Battery Cable
Well, those are the most basic essentials.
Probably the next thing you will start caring about is a whole other topic: Comfort! Several accessories fall under this category, including grip covers, silicon face cover and/or faceplate replacement sets and of course, those fancy head straps which range in price from $30 to over $100. We’ll talk about those later. Hope this was helpful!
And remember, ALWAYS WEAR YOUR GRIP STRAPS!
