The thing is, we all know the default strap is kind of crap unless you have a head that somehow works perfectly for it, but as somebody who came to Quest by way of PSVR, I found that the halo-strap design of the PSVR was far more comfortable. Halo straps don’t press hard against your face, instead, their grip is between your forehead and the lower back of your skull, and they suspend the headset in front of your eyes.

NOT QUITE ELITE

So, like any dutiful Quest player, I went ahead and about an Elite Strap straight away. I wanted the extra comfort, and of course, I wanted the extra battery time.

Then Elite-Straps started breaking apart worldwide. It was the great Elite-Strap catastrophe of 2020, thousands of users had cracked elite straps, and Meta had to save face, and re-issue some of them with supposedly better materials. Mine lasted longer than most, and it’s still usable despite showing a fracture and getting lopsided. So it goes, as Vonnegut used to say.

ENTER THE BOBO

With a functional, although not perfect elite-strap, I held off on going the Way of the Bobo, until they upped their game, released magnetic hot-swappable batteries that worked with their new M2 Plus half-strap model, and the package just became too attractive to resist. I sent them a request for a review unit, and lo and behold – they sent the Bobo VR M2 Plus with the Twin-Battery Combo and Magnetic Charging Dock. They all came together in a surprisingly compact box, and I’ll tell you right away; I was impressed with this combo pack right away.

Now, the Bobo VR isn’t the only beast in the halo-strap battle! At around the same time I got this review unit, the kind folks at Geek VR also sent Pete a review unit of their own halo strap, the GeekVR Q2 Pro, which also features the ability to hot-swap batteries, so I’m reviewing the Bobo VR, Pete’s reviewing the Geek VR, and we’ll both have a Zoom session later (which we’ll post on our 6DOF Reviews YouTube Channel) to compare notes and see if we can decide who the winner is! For now, he’s the skinny on the Bobo VR M2 Plus.

BOBO BLISS

The Bobo M2 Plus Twin-Battery Combo and Magnetic Charging Dock came, as you can surely tell from the self-explanatory name with the M2 Plus halo-strap, two magnetically attachable batteries, and a slick low-profile charger that’s capable of charging both batteries simultaneously. It even came with some double-sided adhesive so that you can stick the charger to whatever surface you choose, so that you don’t have to hold it down with your other hand while you detach batteries from it.

The packaging was clean and simple. It won’t win any design awards, but it doesn’t really need to. Inside, it’s packaged well, with cardboard inserts and boxes keeping everything neatly tucked away. All the items are light gray colored and perfectly match the Quest 2’s color scheme. You have a nicely padded front forehead foam, and for the back strap that goes to the back of your skull, you have two options, a padded foam covering that’s possibly more comfortable but a little slippery, or a flatter honeycomb padding that’s much less slippery and a little more breathable because of the honey-comb pattern. Both use Velcro to attach and are super easy to replace.

Installation was simple, you take off your Quest 2’s strap, you slide the side arms into the M2 Plus side arms, and you’re good to go. Now, I must admit that because this is a tight fit, I was initially reluctant to push the arms as far in as they needed to go, so my first attempt at a fitting was terrible. The headset was too far from my eyes, the back didn’t balance and kept slipping upwards, and I was getting frustrated. I then went online, watched a couple of videos that showed the installation process, and realized I just hadn’t pushed the Quest’s side arms far enough into the M2 Plus sockets, so I went ahead, pushed it a little harder than I was initially comfortable with, and it then fit perfectly.

BUILD THE BOBO

Once I had things set up properly, I started a proper play session. Although my headset was already well-charged, I attached one of the hot-swappable batteries just to see how its added weight to the back helped balance the headset, and, sure enough, it did.

The M2 Plus is comfortable, easily adjustable, and the build quality feels excellent. The strap feels solid, the adjustment knob feels much better than the one on the Meta Elite Strap, and, as an added bonus, because of how the halo strap is designed without a top front-to-back strap, no more VR reverse mohawk. The charging dock is slick, and its low-profile design looks great on any surface you put it on.

The only manufacturing issue I had with my unit was that one of the Velcro-attachable padded backs had a bit of a tear in its seam. I fixed that with some Scotch Super Glue, and it’s not been an issue since.

CLICKETY BLISS

Now I must comment on just how satisfying it is to attach the batteries both to the headset and to the docking charger. The magnets are strong enough that, once you bring the batteries close enough to where they should reside, they just pull themselves into position with a ridiculously satisfying CLICK. It sounds good, it feels good, and it makes you 100% confident that the battery is well-locked into place. It’s a small, almost stupid thing to get giddy about, but giddy I got, and I remember messaging Pete about the clickity satisfaction I got from the batteries immediately after I finished my first session.

This also means that it’s remarkably easy to swap batteries in the middle of a play session. I can, without taking the headset off, remove a now-depleted battery, place it in the charging dock (satisfying click), take a fully charged one, place it onto the back of the M2 Plus (another satisfying click) and keep on gaming, with zero interruption.

BANANAS FOR BOBOS

In the three weeks that I’ve been using it since then, the M2 Plus has not disappointed me in any way. It’s comfortable and well-built, and unless you’re running a game that’s using up the battery faster than it can charge your Q2 (I have yet to see such a beast), it really does seem that, with two batteries, you really can just keep playing as long as you want.

If I’m being difficult, I have ONE issue with the actual design of the unit. I wish they had included a pass-through USB-C input at the bottom of the back of the strap so that I could charge the headset’s battery without having to first remove the USB-C cable that goes from the strap to the regular Q2 charging port. It’s a slight bit of friction that an extra USB-C port at the bottom of the strap could’ve eliminated. It’s not a big deal, but that would’ve made the design impeccable.

BOBO PRICING

Bobo VR offer a lot of entry options for customers. If you want, you can buy the base M2 Plus strap without even the battery option for around $40 on their site or $36 on Amazon. You can then upgrade it (or even the M1 strap if you already have that) to be battery-compatible with the Battery Dock upgrade which costs $40 from their site and comes with one B2 battery included. The Magnetic Charger Station costs $44 and comes with another B2 battery.

So you can start small and keep adding to your setup, or if you choose, you can go ahead and buy the whole M2 Plus Twin Battery Combo + Magnetic Charger Dock for $80 on Amazon, which will save you money in the long run, and is $20 cheaper than getting it from Bobo VR’s own site.

FINAL BOBO

The Bobo VR M2 Plus strap is a great accessory for the Quest 2. It’s far superior to Meta’s own Elite Strap. It’s well-built, well-designed, and the hot-swappable batteries allow for almost infinite VR playtime. If you’re looking for a good comfort option with extended battery life for your Quest 2, this is a very easy choice to recommend.

But, as anyone who has spent even a small amount of time in the headset will tell you, the off-the-shelf version is ostensibly incomplete and there is at least one accessory that is an absolute necessity. By this, of course, I mean the strap that comes with the base Quest 2 unit, which is quite frankly an abomination. A cheap, flimsy stop-gap solution, no doubt designed to keep product costs down and encourage add-on sales.

Well, that tactic has certainly worked, and it is broadly understood that all but the most casual players will need to invest in a new strap quickly, or risk giving up on VR due to significant comfort issues.

With a range of third-party options available, the choice in style and brand can be daunting. To that end, the team at GeekVR have sent us a review unit of their new halo-design Q2 Pro Battery Head Strap and as the first installment in head-strap accessory reviews, we take it for a spin to see if this could be the answer to your comfort-related concerns.

FALLEN ONE (I HAVE NO HALO)

It’s worth noting that as soon as I bought my Quest 2 I invested in the Meta-branded Elite Battery strap. Although there were a great many concerns around durability for this product, it has served me flawlessly for the past 2 years. So much so that I have never felt the need to try a different style until now. As such, I don’t have a basis for comparison in the world of halo straps, so this review will be conducted primarily in isolation.

That said, Omar is currently reviewing the Bobo VR M2 Plus, so after giving my opinions on this strap, we thought it might be a good idea to get together (virtually) and compare the products. That video will show up soon on your 6DOF Reviews YouTube Channel. Until we get to that, let’s just talk about the GeekVR Q2 Pro Battery Head Strap on its own merits, shall we?

FEELING SAINTLY

The head strap comes neatly packaged, including the strap itself and a single external battery. The packaging and presentation of the product are sleek and modern and feel reminiscent of the actual Quest2 packaging.

Installation is quick and easy, with the side pieces of the headset sliding easily onto the mounting on the headset without needing to be forced or overly manipulated. If you’re new to these types of head straps, it’s worth having a quick look at the easy-to-understand instructions to see where the final position of the strap should be.

I rather foolishly rushed into the experience and tried to force the strap into a position it was clearly not designed to go, and as such nearly bent the side arms before even getting started. It’s worth noting that this is a criticism of my own ineptitude, not the product, as the instructions clearly show how to install it.

IS THIS HOW ANGELS PLAY VR?

Once set up, the experience of using a halo design is incredibly easy to get used to. The halo design itself is constructed to more evenly distribute the weight of the headset and remove pressure from the face, giving greater balance and a longer-lasting comfort option.

The Q2 Pro strap has a good quality adjustment knob at the back to allow players to get the right fit, and I had no problems finding a position in the headset that gave me a good visual sweet spot and a comfortable wearing experience. There will of course a good deal of subjectivity here, as strap style and comfort options are quite personal and there are definitely some people who just don’t gel with the halo-style strap.

It was also MUCH easier to adjust the fit than the Elite strap while entertaining and trialing VR to people. I used the strap to show VR to about 6 people (including children) at a party, and this head strap was so much easier to transition from one person to the next and easily find the optimum position.

I will say though that the halo design did see the headset move around a little during my more vigorous play sessions. I would probably switch back over to my Elite strap for a workout or a particularly active game, but for 95% of titles out there the design was comfortable and more than adequate.

The padding at the front and rear of the strap is both firm and yielding. It gives decent support to stop the headset from moving at the same time as providing ample cushioning so that the weight of the headset is barely noticeable. The PU leather material that surrounds the padding is again of good quality, making the entire experience comfortable and easy to clean.

Compared to the Elite strap though, the support arms did feel a little thin and flimsy, but that is possibly just a cosmetic observation. After about 20 hours of use, I haven’t had any issues that indicate this will form the basis of an ongoing problem.

UNLIMITED POWER!!!!

The review unit that I was sent includes a single additional, rear-mounted battery that significantly increases playtime by allowing new batteries to be “hot swapped” while still in-game. The battery is a sleek design that clips magnetically into place in between the rear padding and the adjustment knob and once in place will begin to charge the headset’s internal battery. The concept as a whole is, without falling into the prerequisite hyperbole of the industry, game-changing.

While the concept is exceptional, the actual delivery was just short of the same mark. The magnetic interface between the battery and strap is actually one of my only real complaints with the Q2 Pro Head Strap, as attaching it while in the headset was an unfortunately finicky process.

There was no tactile guidance at the back to help you find the right spot while “flying blind”, nor were there any satisfying audio cues of the magnets clicking into place to indicate that you had succeeded. In fact, the only assurance that you get that the battery has actually been connected is an obnoxiously loud BEEP that seems almost deliberately intent on rampaging through your in-game immersion.

Because it is difficult to reach behind your head and sightlessly get that perfect connection, I found on a number of occasions the battery would just disconnect and then reconnect while I was moving about. This of course ushered in that horrific BEEP again until I was forced to take the headset off and made sure I had it fitted correctly.

Keep in mind that if I had just taken my headset off in the first place, this never would have happened, but I would think that the ability to easily switch batteries while in-game would be one of the core features of the product.

As I was only sent one battery (SAD FACE EMOJI) I can’t confirm that having two batteries would give the “unlimited battery life” that the GeekVR website claims. What I can say is that with the aid of a single hot-swappable battery I was able to significantly increase my play time to a level that was around the same as my elite strap. I can imagine that with multiple batteries that can be swapped without taking the headset off, a player might be able to stay in-game for a near-unlimited time. While the head strap as a whole is definitely comfortable, this functionality is the real selling.  

THE PRICE OF DIVINITY

At $60 for the strap and $40 for an additional battery, there is some decent value to be had here if you compare the unit to the Meta Elite strap.  The unit is comfortable over longer play sessions, easy to clean, and has the ability to provide a significant increase in playtime. As an alternative to the standard head strap and the Elite head strap, it is fairly easy to recommend the Q2 Pro halo strap with an additional battery.

That said, there are other products out there that offer a similar experience, and it is worth looking at your options (for more information about the Bobo VR M2 Plus halo strap check out Omar’s review or our virtual comparison video).

Although this is the only halo design strap that I’ve personally used, my experience with the GeekVR Q2 Pro has been good enough, that on the basis of this product, I have completely switched to the halo as my daily driver.

I’ve been playing video games for a long time. Name a genre, and I can quickly tell you a game I’ve played that falls into that category and that I have loved. I love gaming because it’s an adventure and an escape, but also because it keeps getting better. The graphics are better, the gameplay, the immersion, it all just keeps getting better.

But despite all that, I was never stirred by VR. 

VR just seemed like the next gimmick of consumerism, seeming progress that was more a step sideways than a step forward. Does anybody remember the Power Glove? Of course, you don’t. I put VR in the same category. VR didn’t look better or next level to me. It just looked different.

So, was I excited when I heard the news that there would be a Meta Quest 2? Not in the least. Yet, through a strange turn of events, here I am in possession of one. I felt, to some extent, as if I’d just been handed Excalibur. But, instead of the requisite awe that should accompany such a fabulous item, I’d simply shrugged and said, “oh, cool, a sword…”. Now, that’s not to say I wasn’t grateful and mildly intrigued. But, I wasn’t wowed by the prospect. I wasn’t beside myself with anticipation, and maybe that will lend my review more credence. I’m not a VR fan girl.

Instead, here writes a long-time gamer who was prepared to be underwhelmed with the Meta Quest 2. I’ve none of the hang-ups with the shortcomings of the original Quest because, well, I obviously never played it. I’m not here to tell you whether the Meta Quest 2 improved upon its predecessor or by how much [for that, you can check out Doc Neale’s Review – Ed.]. I’m not here to gush over the improved frame rates or how the graphics look cleaner. I am here to tell you what I discovered and how I felt within the first 24 hours of having a Meta Quest 2. Spoiler Alert: wowed, excited, and foolish (in more ways than one). In fact, from the moment I slipped on the headset and looked around my virtual “home base,” I could practically hear the deep, sonorous voice of Morpheus from The Matrix say, “She’s beginning to believe.”.  

Set Up Ain’t No Thang

With this being my first foray into the world of VR sets, I wasn’t sure how laborious the process would be to set up the Meta Quest 2. Turns out, it is actually a breeze, and the headset will prompt you along the way to keep you on task. There’s a handy little instruction booklet inside the packaging, as well. Something to note here is that you need a smartphone and a Facebook account to complete your setup. The phone also has to be relatively recent, so if you’re packing an old Nokia, you’re gonna need to finally upgrade.

Anyhow, my Meta Quest 2 arrived with a little over 50% battery charge. While you might be excited to put it on and go to town, download the phone app first. You’ll have to input some information, create a profile, and yes, you’ll have to link that profile to your Facebook account. 

Once you’re all set up on your phone, it’s time to take care of the headset side of things. Again, each step is crystal clear. Set up is pretty much as close to foolproof as it can get. The system will walk you through trying out your new controllers, adjusting your headset for vision and comfort, and there’s a safety video to watch. 

Boxing Yourself In

Once everything was set up and properly linked, I was ready to take my first test drive. This I embarked upon with a small amount of trepidation. I’ve got a kid, a very active, very inquisitive, very high-energy kid. The prospect of having my vision obscured by the headset wasn’t wholly appealing. At least when I’m gaming with more traditional platforms, I can look up from the screen and stop my child from finding new things to leap off and my dog from tearing up the carpet. So, it was with no small amount of relief that I discovered you actually could see your real surroundings while wearing the Meta Quest 2. All it takes to switch out of the VR world into the real world again, albeit a gray and grainy real world, is a double tap to the left side of the headset. A second double-tap and you’re right back in the virtual one.

Some of my fellow VR newbies might also wonder, what’s to keep you from crashing into your furniture while you’re playing? Nothing can quite stop all the fun like bashing your knees into a coffee table or knocking the wind out of yourself walking into the side of your couch. Not to worry, the Meta Quest 2 shall protect you! For starters, it has built-in sensors to help you avoid the perils of your living room.

When you’re ready to start gaming, you’ll be walked through setting up your Guardian. The Guardian takes in the space that you’re going to be playing in and essentially sets boundaries for you. You’ll be asked to mark your floor, so the sensors can adjust the set’s spatial awareness. Then, you’ll be asked to use the controllers to mark your perimeters along the floor. While you’re in a game, if you’re about to step out of the boundaries you set up, you’ll see a virtual grid wall come up. This means “slow your roll cowboy, you’re about to step out of bounds!”

While setting up my own Guardian, here’s what I discovered: bigger is better. I initially tried to set up a smaller space than the Meta Quest 2’s suggested space of 6.5″ by 6.5″. Because..kid and dog and space and toys and stuff! So, I found the biggest clear space I could in my bedroom. For many of the games and apps I would end up trying in these first 24 hours, the smaller area wasn’t necessarily a huge deal. Some of the content can even be enjoyed sitting down. But, when it came to other games like Beat Saber and the Darth Vader series, I definitely could have used that extra space for slashing. Friends on the taller side who enjoy a broad reach, take heed of my warning if you prefer your walls sans holes. Overall, make the space if you can! If you find your Guardian setup is too small, you can always reset it.

By the way, you’re also gonna feel like a drunken gibbon trying to roller-skate down an oil-slicked ice patch when you are first learning the ins and outs of your movement while gaming in VR. Both in-game and in the real world. There is a definite learning curve. Just accept the fact that you’re going to look and feel a bit ridiculous for a while. You’re going to reach out to touch things that aren’t there. You’re going to forget how to walk and move naturally. You’re going to find your hands, brain, and eyes don’t always want to coordinate and present a united front. Accept it. Anyone looking on is guaranteed to enjoy your new-found ineptitude at coordination, even if you don’t.

 The Library

I was pleased to find there was more content available than I had anticipated. Even cooler was the fact that it wasn’t entirely games. There was plenty of other interesting fodder. Ever want to see a Cirque du Soleil show but have somehow never quite managed to? Well, there was an app for that. Want to travel the world without leaving the couch? There are apps for that, too. You can blast off and float around the International Space Station. You can even dive into the ocean and interact with sea creatures, learning some fun facts along the way.

When it comes to the Meta Quest 2, all sorts of nerdery can be engaged in through the games and apps. You can try floating like a butterfly and stinging like a bee with Creed: Rise to Glory. Or try your hand at a spot of free climbing in some genuinely breathtaking surroundings in The Climb. You can finally get that elusive turkey in Premium Bowling or chase them birdies in Walkabout Mini Golf. More of an armchair sports fan? Both MLB and ESPN have apps.

Zombie groupies and horror aficionados will find their genre of choice well-represented. After a brief dance with The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners, I was left feeling both impressed and rather badass. The graphics are good, and the game’s ambiance has a way of blurring the line between the real and the imaginary. I could actually feel my adrenaline pumping as I stalked virtual zombies through a cemetery with a rusted shiv in hand. Zombies aren’t your bag? There are also tons of other horror genre games, including The Exorcist, Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted, and an upcoming Blair Witch game.   

Fantasy and adventure geeks are also going to be happy campers. In Death: Unchained stole my heart with its lushly medieval-themed trip through Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory. You may have never gotten your official letter from Hogwarts, but you can try your hand at casting spells in Waltz of the Wizard. Also not to be missed is Moss, which I haven’t gotten to play nearly enough of, but is both gorgeous and adorable.

There are first-person shooters and samurai simulators. You can do magic with Penn and Teller. You may not be Picasso, but you can still create art. You can paint with Tilt Brush. You can de-stress with a spot of coloring in Color Space. You can even put on some “Unchained Melody” and have your very own Ghost moment with Let’s Create! Pottery VR (sadly, no Patrick Swayze included).

There’s also no longer a need to pick your side: Star Wars and Star Trek coexist peacefully in the realm of the Meta Quest 2. You can step aboard the bridge and hope you’re not a redshirt in Star Trek: Bridge Crew. You can meet Darth Vader and wield a lightsaber in any of the three Vader Immortal games. I’ve only had the pleasure of playing the first game in the series, but some part of me transcended to a higher plane for a moment when I stood in front of VR Darth Vader for the first time.

Are you sad that you can’t get to the gym because it’s still too COVID-y out? You can still get your swell on in VR; there are plenty of exercise-related offerings. Dance off dessert with Dance Central. Nobody can see your two left feet in VR! Have your moment of zen with Guided Tai Chi. If you like your workout with a healthy dose of competition, join a workout for any and all fitness levels and claw your way up the calorie-burning leaderboards in FitXR. We know you might miss wiping down the machines and that weird guy who grunts with every rep in your real gym, but you’ll manage.

What I’m trying to say is, there is literally something for everyone. You will find something you want to try. In fact, you’ll probably find several somethings. I browsed the entire library and discovered some real gems lurking beyond the headliners, so take your time and look around.

Games also don’t take eons to download, as they are generally smaller in size than most on PC and traditional consoles. This is nice since the one game nobody likes playing is the waiting game.

General Set Comfort

Overall, the Meta Quest 2 is reasonably comfortable to wear for short periods. I consider this both a pro and a con. Pro because it could definitely be worse, and it ensures I won’t play for hours at a time. Con, because who likes discomfort?

The Meta Quest 2 decidedly takes some getting used to. Beyond just the general feeling of disorientation you get when you first put it on, there’s finding the right “fit.” The straps adjust, but this can take some serious fiddling around to find the least obtrusive feel. Even when it seems like you’ve finally achieved optimal comfort, there’s still your view quality to be considered. You have to make the visuals clear and ensure the darn headset doesn’t go tumbling from your noggin mid-game.

All in all, you learn to acclimate to the feel. Though, you might be tempted to reach up and readjust the fit somewhat frequently throughout your play. There’s always this lingering feeling like the headset could fit better. There are optional and more comfortable head straps available, but they do cost extra. Also, do be aware that you might notice some redness along your forehead (and where the set rests on the tops of your cheeks..) immediately after taking it off. Just be warned in case you have to directly go out in public after.

How I Physically Responded To VR

There is another reason I’d previously steered clear of VR. My body does not seem to like it. Any simulation ride I’ve ever been on has been immediately followed by a severe case of lingering nausea. I also tend to get dizzy. Decidedly not fun. The prospect of experiencing the same unpleasant sensations with a VR system definitely was a concern for me.

When it came to feeling queasy, I experienced some of that, especially at the very start. Same with dizziness. Certain games were more prone to induce tummy twinges, and minor head swims, but on the whole, it wasn’t really an issue. Where I did have a problem was headaches. And I wasn’t the only one. After I’d done a fair share of scoping things out and headed to bed for the night, my husband got to check out the system. I asked him how it went this morning, and he too mentioned the headaches. My advice is, when you first feel it coming on, stop, and walk away for a bit. If you do, the headache will stay mild and go away pretty quickly. If you try to push through it, cuz “mama didn’t raise no quitter!” it will be a lot more intense and last much longer when you finally do take a break.

It will be interesting to see if this is an issue that improves over time. Our being new to VR might be, in large part, responsible for the headaches. Perhaps it’s just our eyes, bodies, and brains trying to adjust and make sense of this new “environment.” Maybe it’s your eyes working overtime to focus and shift with changing light and surrounding patterns. With a battery life of about 2 hours, it isn’t as if we could point to excessively long gaming sessions as the reason.

[Editor’s Note: To be fair, most of our VR-Veteran reviewers don’t really experience headaches, and some users have found that headaches can be a result of the straps being too tight, their necks not being used to the weight of a headset, the lenses set at the wrong distance for your eyes, etc..]

One thing is certain: when you’re done using it, you’re done. Either the battery or your body will let you know precisely when that is.

She Sure Is Pretty Though

There is no denying that the Meta Quest 2 delivers eye candy when it comes to its content. Most of my first hour with the set was accompanied by enough swear words and “oohs” and “ahhs” to concern any decent bystander. Sometimes I would try to explain what I was seeing to my kiddo or my husband, and words would inevitably fail me. I tried to cast my play to the TV, so they might get a general idea of what I was seeing. But, this was imperfect, and I usually just ended up handing over the set for a moment so that they could put it on and see for themselves. There’s no getting around it; what you see through that headset is impressive. No video or stream is ever going to come remotely close to giving you a decent idea of what it is really like to put on that set and play.

The colors, the images, and the crispness of certain content are just unreal. It’s easy to get swept away in the details. I watched some Cirque du Soleil, and I couldn’t get over how I could see every nuance of a performer’s costume, every muscle tense of the acrobats. I even reached out to touch things a few times. It was so intense, the illusion so complete, that I swore I could almost feel the heat coming from a fire handler’s apparatus.

I sampled games from different genres. I tested games with different artistic feels. While there were some definite standouts in terms of quality, I didn’t really find a dud in the 15 or so apps and games I managed to test in my first 24 hours. That’s not to say they’re not out there; I just haven’t managed to find them yet. Everything I tried offered something unique. Each game and app I explored was incredibly easy to navigate and quite fluid. I did a lot of mouth-breathing.

Mastering the controls is pretty easy as well. Sometimes maneuvering about in-game, while still standing within your preset boundaries, can be difficult. I discovered I really suck at picking objects up in VR, for instance. Most games do an excellent job of walking you through precisely which buttons do what and how to fix your view should it get skewed during gameplay. The controllers themselves are remarkably lightweight, which I found to be a boon in some games, and somewhat of a drawback for others. In some cases, you can even ditch your controllers altogether and use your hands to navigate. I mean, who hasn’t wanted to channel their inner Tony Stark since the first Ironman movie? Voice commands are also an option, allowing you to launch games, control the volume, and a few other things just by speaking.

So, Have I Been Lured To The Dark Side?

Why yes, yes, I have. The Meta Quest 2 is a gorgeous system. This really is some next-level stuff unless you compare it to far more expensive (and complicated) options like the Valve Index. If this is as close as we can come to being in a video game so far, it’s an excellent step. It will impress you, even against your will. I wasn’t determined to nay-say, but I wasn’t going to be surprised if I discovered it really wasn’t for me in the end.

Also, you really can’t beat the price. The 64-gig system is retailing for just under $300. That may not be a drop in the bucket, but consider that price against other gaming consoles. Games and apps are typically markedly cheaper as well. It is true, there are fewer titles available than other gaming consoles. It’s also true that some of the games and apps are a little short on playable time and/or have little to no replayability. Yet, you still somehow don’t feel cheated in the least. The experience is that unique, that good. It’s difficult to really express the “fullness” of it until you actually see it for yourself.

Even with all that being said, I feel I’ve got to be completely honest here. While I am wowed, and my mind is officially blown, I don’t see the Meta Quest 2 becoming my go-to choice when it comes to gaming. It is incredibly fun in spurts. It’s brilliant, in moderation. This is not the system you go to when you want to settle in for a hardcore gaming session. This is the system you go to when you genuinely want to escape for a bit. When you really want to be “in” the game. This is not going to replace your PlayStation, your Xbox, or your gaming computer. But, it’s not meant to. And it would be unfair to judge the Meta Quest 2 on its ability, or inability, to be a replacement for those. It’s something unto itself.

Not gonna lie; I’ve been pretty tired of looking at the same walls for the majority of these past months since the pandemic hit. And maybe that’s part of the charm; the escapism. The VR surroundings are both familiar and brand new, synthetic, yet somehow real. With the Meta Quest 2, you really can feel like you’re in a different world. No matter which game or app you step into, the change of scenery is more than welcome right now.

Maybe it’s good that the Meta Quest 2 is best in small spurts. Fantasy is meant to be fleeting, lest we lose the ability to tell the difference between it and reality. Yet, I can guarantee that you’ll be finding your way back to Narnia again not long after you close that wardrobe door for the first time. It’s that fun to go down this rabbit hole. Try it. If you haven’t yet experienced VR, you’ve got to see this for yourself.

[If you’re new to Virtual Reality and looking for a review from somebody for whom the Oculus Quest 2 was an introduction to VR, check out Jessica’s Oculus Quest 2: My First 24 Hours With VR – Ed.]

It was fairly evident that the Oculus Quest 2 would be a no-brainer first-day purchase for me. However, I was aware of some of the negatives pointed out by some of the lucky enough people to get early access to the new headset. I was still a little gobsmacked that Oculus had been so quick to drop the original Quest from production only 18 months after release. Still, it’s obvious to anyone who’s used one over an extended period that it was well due for an incremental upgrade as a standalone headset. The pricing of the new, incredibly superior Quest 2 is pretty hard to argue with. 

BIG BOTHER IS WATCHING YOU

Let’s address the elephant in the room first. Look it straight in its leathery, huge, sad eyes and emote, in clarion voice – we know what you’re up to, Facebook. If you’re the sort of person who worries about your data privacy being infringed on by Facebook, then you have to consider whether the Oculus ‘ecosystem’ is right for you. Oculus/Facebook is aggressively trying to corner the VR market and make sure you buy into the whole social thing. So you need a Facebook account to use the Quest 2, no way around it. Yes, you can create a dummy account, but then you run the risk of FB shutting it down or suspending it and of losing all of your game purchases, as your FB account is bound to your Oculus Store account. This debate is raging on several fronts, but my personal feeling is that whilst I do have concerns about my personal freedoms and data being violated, I’m already a pretty big user of FB. Everything I post seems to confound the algorithms, so I’m not really bothered about my Quest knowing that I like hitting zombies with frying pans or that my living room floor is usually compromised by Lego and dogs. It hasn’t been visibly intrusive; it doesn’t post to FB every time I earn a pedestrian achievement in a game or make my aunt feel left out that I’m having a great time in VR. That’s my job. Just be aware – of FB and cookies and how your digital data is being used and monetised generally. 

With that issue out of the way, or at least acknowledged as an undercurrent, let’s move on to the hardware. As usual, I’ll get the whinging out the way first.

UPSIDE YOUR HEAD

The Oculus Quest 2 is smaller and lighter than the original; still a matter of some amazement to me. I’m one of the few people who simply never had a problem with the weight or form factor of the first Quest. Quest 2 feels almost comically light now, and it is, no doubt, a technical marvel. In a few short years, we’ll have VR headsets with the form factor of a pair of Bono’s sunglasses. Still, for now, the Quest is as light and sleek as standalone VR gets. For me, the biggest weakness of the out-of-the-box Quest 2 is the new head strap, for a couple of reasons. In a disappointing retrograde move, reminiscent of the Oculus Go but even more basic, the strap is an elasticated cotton strap with adjustable side clips at the back. The familiar Quest velcro strip is still on top. Personally, I find that when it’s appropriately adjusted, it’s comfortable and supports the headset just fine. Getting it adjusted properly, however, is a fiddly nightmare involving an annoying level of inconvenience. Putting the headset on, or keeping it on the forehead while attending to something in real life, feels like a faff. It’s very easy to get smears and marks and sweat on the lenses. 

The other point which I need to make about the strap is that it has the same slightly greyish white colour as the new plastic body, but it’s fabric and picks up dirt incredibly quickly. After only a couple of days use, it looks like a soiled bandage. It’s always disappointing to see this kind of ill-thought-through garbage on an otherwise classy piece of consumer electronics. It’s become pretty standard that the first thing you do with any VR headset is to replace the foam cover that comes with it with an aftermarket solution. This is bad enough, but now as expected as buying a case and a screen protector for a new phone. It would be a shame if Oculus brought this sordid state of affairs to head straps too. When you buy a car, you don’t expect to have to replace the seats or the steering wheel – the two most basic ways of interacting with the straight away to make it driveable. Sadly, it’s a similar case here. The strap is crap, and if you’re sharing a headset with other family members, it’s an exercise in frustration. The overpriced but comfortable ‘elite’ head strap really is essential if you’re planning on using the Quest 2, basically – so factor it into the price.

The same is true of the face foam; initially, it’s not exactly uncomfortable, but any amount of activity or sweat renders it a strange mixture of dripping wet and coarse. It creates the worst (temporary) VR face marks I’ve seen from any headset. The go-to VR face cover company, VR Cover, have officially partnered with Oculus to produce leather, PU and cotton replacement versions, but these aren’t available yet and tend towards the pricey. Sadly, the VR cover replacements for the original will not fit the Quest 2. Don’t fool yourself – if you see yourself spending more than a few minutes a day using the Quest 2, you’re going to have to factor in a replacement strap and faceplate, so add another £80 at least to the RRP when you’re budgeting, whichever of the two models you go for. 

THE QUEST IS THE QUEST

So, you’ve fannied about with head strap and got it comfortable. You’ve had to do it all again when you’ve been messing with the three-stage IPD selector to get the display looking clear. Then you’ve had to use your microfibre cloth to clean the lenses off because in all this they’ve picked up fingerprints, hair grease and sweat. You’re in there, in the menus, finally. What is it like to use? Well, basically, it’s like the Quest. But a lot slicker. 

You aren’t going to see any changes to the menus or general look of the system. It’s a beefed-up Quest. The display is sharper. The system is noticeably faster at booting, loading apps, recognising your room guardian, and generally feels that bit more powerful. Onscreen text is a lot more legible and sharp. It’s lovely. The new controllers are larger, more substantial in hand. I love the form factor of the Quest 1 controllers – I think they’re the most pleasing VR controllers ever made; I know that some people found them a bit small and had problems playing the likes of Beat Saber with them. The Quest 2 controllers have longer, wider handles and a flatter control face, including a capacitive thumb ‘rest’; they feel great. Definitely better for pretending you’re holding swords, fishing rods, guns and, yes, sabers.

Games that don’t directly support the enhanced power of the Quest 2 (yet) load faster and seem to run more smoothly. Games that do support it at launch are noticeably more impressive. Arizona Sunshine has better zombie models, textures and lighting, and now looks like a game from 2003 rather than 1999. Red Matter, already quite a beautiful game, is simply astonishing. Best of all, the sublime Real VR Fishing – in my opinion, one of the very best reasons to own a Quest – has received a significant boost to its visuals, which are now crisper and more detailed and even more immersive. In the next few months, we’re going to see some really impressive stuff here. No, it’s still not going to run Half-Life: Alyx natively, but it’s already clear that the Quest 2 is a massive step up in terms of power. 

OLED, WHERE ART THOU?

If there’s one thing I will miss about the original Quest, and which I think will really make it worth holding onto particularly as a PCVR headset, is the beautiful deep black of the OLED display. The Quest 2 may be faster, sharper and more powerful, but the LCD panel display is noticeably lacking depth when it comes to the contrast of the display. Blacks are more grey now, and there’s no way around it. Go from the Q1 to its snazzier younger brother, and this becomes hugely noticeable. In all the time I’ve been using the Quest 2 there really hasn’t been a session I’ve had where I’ve not missed the OLED display. On games which have lots of darkness, it’s a definite loss. I’m currently enjoying the hell out of The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners (review coming soon), and that is set largely in the half-light. The Quest 2 display looks washed out in comparison, and it definitely offsets the higher resolution and better framerates of the new headset. I’d happily pay a premium to have an ‘Elite’ version of the Quest 2 with an OLED display. I think that would be the perfect VR headset. 

HEAR ME NOW

The onboard sound is equivalent to the original Quest. I continue to be bemused by those who don’t think it’s fairly incredible on either headset. It’s immersive for those using the Quest and non-intrusive for other people in a shared space. The spatial audio is pretty impressive, considering it’s just coming from two little holes in the headset. Of course, there’s also the option of using whatever wired headphones you like. It must be noted that for Quest 2, there’s only one headphone socket on the headset, as opposed to the choice of left/right sockets on the original Quest.

BATTERY LIFE, LINK, VIRTUAL DESKTOP

Headset battery life still isn’t amazing, but it is better than the original Quest. A good run will be about an hour and a half to two hours, depending on your usage. Yet another reason to invest in an Oculus Elite Battery Strap. Oculus sure know what they’re doing. The battery life on the controllers is pretty incredible though – in the four days of pretty constant use, the single AA batteries that were supplied with the Quest 2 are still showing as fully charged. 

Oculus Link for PCVR works the same as it did on the original Quest; it might be my imagination, but it seems to boot faster and be a bit less prone to glitches. When Oculus patch in the 90Hz support as a standard it will be a truly amazing VR headset. (It can be enabled via a simple hack with ADB in the meantime). Virtual Desktop and its patch via Sidequest means that, with a decent 5GHz router, you can play PCVR wirelessly with excellent response times and fidelity, and it’s truly astounding. Guy Godin, the sole developer of Virtual Desktop, is a true hero. I prefer using VD for PCVR, and I completed Half-Life: Alyx using it on the original Quest while the HTC Vive was gathering dust. I’d say if you’re looking for a decent VR headset purely for PC VR gaming, even just the 64GB Oculus Quest 2 is something of a steal. But then the original Quest will be cheap as chips soon, and that also works a dream – albeit without the tantalising option of the imminent faster 90Hz refresh rate of the Q2. 

Fantastic VR Headset

There are a few considerable provisos to heed, but the Oculus Quest 2 is a fantastic VR headset which throws down the gauntlet to other hardware manufacturers and will be hugely important to the future of VR. Even with the necessary upgrades to head straps, face cover and battery factored in, it represents remarkable value for money and is a worthy next step in the evolution of the Quest. It doesn’t quite render the original headset obsolete, thanks to the slightly greyish LCD display, but no one who upgrades will be otherwise disappointed.

It’s a total no-frills hard case, with barely enough room for your headset, controllers, and a small bag for cables or batteries.

This case feels sturdy, with a gray fabric covering nondescript enough that it probably won’t arouse a thief’s attention at the airport. When closed, it looks like a chunky makeup case or perhaps a case for a tiny french horn. There’s no additional padding inside, but the snug fit means your gear won’t move around much during ordinary travel.

It’s such a tight fit that you have to pull the straps all the way in on your Quest headset for it to fit the confines of the case. This means it’s not a great choice for regular storage around the house, and you’ll have to readjust the straps every time you take it out. The controllers stand up vertically and are secured by an attached strap inside, which is a pretty compact design that will save you a few inches when you load this into your plane’s overhead compartment.

Other carrying cases available online come with foam padding and zippered pouches, so don’t expect any of those fancy bells and whistles with this model. But the price is right— the Joyhub case is $22.99 on Amazon. By comparison, the official carrying case from Oculus is equally barebones, with a much flimsier wrist strap instead of a nice luggage strap, at a higher cost of $40.

Feel free to think of the Joyhub case as the cheaper, less deluxe option. It does the job of helping you get your Quest from point A to point B without much likelihood of eyepiece scratches. It’s not as slick and professional-looking as other options out there, but the few bucks you spare will let you grab an extra game or two instead.

Get A Grip

Third-party grips exist for three reasons; you want to have a better grip, you want it to keep the battery cover in place, and you want to feel just a little bit bigger. Another advantage to such grips is that you can play with open hands since they have bands that keep the controllers bound to your hands. I find this particularly useful for something like Guided Tai Chi, which I refused to play before because I found it incredibly unnatural to do any Tai Chi with my hands held tight. Most Tai Chi is practiced with relaxed, open palms, and gripping controllers stuck me as anathema to the relaxation I would usually enjoy when practicing Tai Chi.

Anatomy of a Grip

Most of these kinds of grips are somewhat similar in structure and function. The main section fits around the bottom of your controllers, and they have a lip on the outer side that goes up near the edge of the tracking rings. You slide your controller into them, pull out the native strap from the bottom of the grips, push the grip up and against the controller until it’s firmly in place, and then tie the grip to the ring and extend the straps to the bottom of the grip. This creates an arc stretching from near the ring to the bottom of the grip. It is in this arc that you slide your fingers/hand. You tighten this arc of material by pulling more of it through the bottom of the grips where it’s held by a locking mechanism that can be loosened to tighten or loosen the straps.

What About the Mamut, Dammit?

I’ve tried the Mamut Touch Grips that Tim Wilson reviewed here on 6DOF Reviews a while back, and although they worked well for him, I had a less than stellar experience. My main problem with the Mamut grips was that I couldn’t comfortably reach the trigger button with my index fingers when I had them on. Perhaps the angle on the upper lip was too close to the front and constrained my finger, or maybe they were simply made for smaller hands. All I know is that I stopped using them because, to reach the trigger button, I had to have the hand band wrapped around my fingers rather than around the back of my hand. I found this less than ideal and gave up on them.

Enter AMVR

I recently had the opportunity to try out the AMVR Touch Grips, and, even though both grips look more or less the same when you see photos of them, there are some differences. To me, those differences were critical, and the end result is that I now only take them off when I have to replace my controller batteries.

It’s tough to explain in writing what the main differences are when the experience is so tactile, but here it goes:

Big Hands / Small Hands

The AMVR Touch Grips have three different slots that the accompanying bands can be attached to rather than the Mamut’s single twin slot. This allows you to move the bands to accommodate the size of your hands. Given my experience with the Mamut Grips, I didn’t even bother with the two lower slots, and immediately attached the bands to the highest slot, as hoped, this meant that my index finger had no trouble reaching the trigger button on the Touch controllers. The higher placement of the band slots also means that the bands rest comfortably on the back of my hands, and not against the backs of my fingers.

Here’s a photo I took that might help explain what I just wrote –

Laces / Bands

Whereas the Mamut grips used laces to attach to your hand, the AMVR touch grips use bands. The laces weren’t solid enough to be irritating, but having flat bands rather than soft cylindrical laces against my hand just feels better to me. The bands also have silicone attached to their insides, so they adhere to the back of your hands when you’re using the grips. How long will the silicone last? I’m not sure, but I’ve noticed no deterioration and I’ve been using them for several weeks.

Velcro

Unlike the Mamuts, which use the same laced to attach the lip to the ring and then loops it through itself to go to the grip’s locking mechanism at the bottom, the AMVR touch grips use a short velcro loop to attach the lip to the ring, and this goes through a smaller slot that’s above the three hand-size slots. I’m not sure which is a more secure solution, but to me, the AMVR method seemed to ensure a neater fit around the ring and felt less clunky.

Texture Schmetzure

The texture of the protective shells on both grips feel very similar, and I can’t say there’s much of a difference there. They both felt solid, and both provided good friction. The AMVR’s surface is made up of small triangles, and the Mamut’s is made up of small diamonds.

The Value Proposition

Whereas the Mamut grips cost $37.95, the AMVR touch grips are sold for $24.99. The difference in value is compounded when you realize that the AMVR touch grips come with a VR Lens Cover, and Anti-Light-Leakage Nose Pad, four velcro strips, and four bands.

Throwing in the Kitchen Sink

I’ve never used a VR lens cover because I just don’t put my Quest somewhere where I’d need to worry about the lenses getting scratched. I also know that at least one user who had scuffed lenses thought that it might’ve been caused by his lens covers. So the utility of the lens cover is something that you have to decide for yourselves.

The Anti-Light-Leakage nose pad was confusing for me. I wasn’t quite sure how to attach it, and, to my understanding, Doc Neale had the same problem. I finally asked the folks at AMVR how to attach it, attached it, found it did nothing for me, and promptly took it off, never to see it again. Now maybe my nose isn’t the right shape, and perhaps I just didn’t spend the time adjusting it because, honestly, I’ve never let a little light leakage take me out of a game, but again – as with the lens covers, your mileage may vary.

The inclusion of four bands is, admittedly, a cool move. They all have AMVR branding on them, but two of them are just black and white, and the other two are colored Red and Blue! Clearly, these were made with Beat Saber players in mind, not surprising considering AMVR is also the company that gave us the Beat Saber Handles. I’d have appreciated a plain black band option, without any branding whatsoever, but I’m also a brand-averse person who won’t wear any clothing that prominently displays any logo.

You Know Where I’m Going With This, Don’t You?

Whereas I had some issues with their Beat Saber Handles, the AMVR Touch Grips impressed me a great deal. They’re well thought out, nicely designed, and feel robust. I had an easier time putting the AMVRs on than the Mamut grips (especially when it came to getting the native straps out of the bottom) and loved the fact that I could finally, comfortably use my index finger for the trigger button. They’ve been attached to my Touch controllers since I received them, and I only wish that somehow AMVR had managed to work out a way for us to replace batteries without having to loosen the velcro strip and pull the grips halfway off.

At $24.99, and until I run into an even better solution, I can’t recommend these enough. If you’ve had any of the controller issues that I mentioned earlier in this review, or just want a more comfortable grip on your controllers, go ahead and buy these.

Give me a minute…

I was eyeing the Quest when it was first released, mostly on account of Beat Saber. I loved the game on PSVR but hated the fact that I couldn’t add custom levels to it as PC gamers had been able to. Then, along came the news that the Quest version would support custom levels. Bam. Sold.

Now, other than a smaller selection of tracks, the PSVR has other problems, inherent not to Beat Saber, but to the platform; poorer tracking, the lack of custom levels, and the wire that often got in my way. Having said all that, it has an advantage that I only noticed when I started playing the game on the Quest; the PS Move Controllers made for awesome lightsaber hilts.

The beams came out of them at just the right angle, and the grip was fantastic.

What’s Wrong With the Quest Controllers?

On the Quest, almost from the start, I could tell I would have issues with the Touch Controllers. They’re great for regular games, where you don’t have to swing your arms around at speeds that make hardware developers go back to their code. With Beat Saber, especially if, like me, you have relatively big hands, the Touch controllers are less than perfect. They’re too small and they’re slippery. The light beams also come out at a slightly odd angle, but that’s okay, you get used to that. It’s true small, slippery grips that could put you off their game.

Can You Light My Saber?

The AMVR Dual Handles (otherwise known to the community as ‘the AMVR Beat Saber handles’ promise to solve that problem. They look the part too, looking for all intents and purposes like you welded a pair of PS Move controllers to your Oculus Touch Controllers.

I hated them when I first got them.

Putting them on was a tedious process that could have been explained better. You have to take off your battery cover, remove the native Touch controller straps, unscrew the AMVR controller until you find their replacement straps (there are two, one at the bottom for your wrist, replacing the regular strap, and another at the top to secure the AMVR handle to the Touch Controller), attack the top AMVR strap where the native strap was attached, firmly secure the grip around the Touch Controller, and then screw it from the bottom until it’s held tight. I hope these instructions help you out because honestly, it took me longer than it should (and a couple of YouTube videos), to figure this out.

Okay, so once they’re on, how are they?

Functionality

They’re great for Beat Saber, even if they feel a little funny at first. The hilts are a little farther from your grip than they normally would be, but that’s okay. You get used to the extra length. The grip is also very good. It feels robust, it’s totally non-slip, and the light beam comes out perfectly.

So why did I hate them?

As mentioned, putting them on was a tedious, clunky process. Screwing the handles on tight cannot be done very quickly. The worse problem is that although they work wonderfully for Beat Saber, they are absolutely, ridiculously awkward to use for anything else. Maybe they’d also be good for a sword fighting game where you didn’t need to reach the thumbsticks, the trigger buttons, or anything else. Maybe. To my knowledge, only Beat Saber, of all the games I’ve got, forgoes the use of almost all controls, requiring buttons only to pause, quite, or start a level. This is not the norm, and because of this, the AMVR handles are terrible for ‘normal’ not-Beat Saber usage.

Wax On, Wax Off

What this means is that you’ll have to constantly put them on and take them off. The very notion of doing this every single time I wanted to play Beat Saber put me off. So, without further consideration, I put them back in the box and forgot about them for a month. To my knowledge, only Beat Saber, of all the games I’ve got, forgoes the use of almost all controls, requiring buttons only to pause, quite, or start a level.

Most games do make use of some of the controls, and because of this, the AMVR Beat Saber handles are terrible for ‘normal’ (read – anything other than Beat Saber) usage. What this means is that you’ll have to constantly put them on and take them off. The very notion of doing this every single time I wanted to play Beat Saber put me off. So, without further consideration, I put them back in the box and forgot about them for a month.

Let’s Try That Again

Two days ago, the Quest ScoreSaber beta was released for Beat Saber. In case you don’t know, ScoreSaber allows you to access global and country leaderboards for custom levels. So whereas before you could play ‘Moves Like Jagger’ for fun, now you could actually see how you measure up against tens of thousands of other players online.

I’m a guy who once spent a full day making it to the global top fifty on one of the original Beat Saber tracks, ‘Commercial Pumping’. I am at my best when I’m trying to beat the rest of the world. I’m not crazy, I won’t go nuts over not being in the top ten, but if I like the tracks, I want to at least squeeze into the top fifty. Fine, let’s say the top one hundred, at least. I may be getting old, but I’m not dead. Not yet.

So I figured I’d have a long Beat Saber sessions, rather than bounce around between games as I usually would. Given that, that I was willing to spend most of the day playing nothing but Beat Saber, I pulled the AMVR handles out of their box, put them on, and went for it.

Usability Revisited

Admittedly, they were easier to put on this time, practice, as they say, makes monkeys out of all of us. It helped that I knew what I needed to do this time.

The grips do help a lot with Beat Saber, and I found myself blissfully unconcerned with losing my grip, and quite happy with how they felt. The extra reach that you have with the handles could arguably be considered unfair since you can reach cubes that would otherwise be just a little bit out of reach. Is it unfair enough that it’s cheating? Not really, but if you’re playing for fractions of a percent, hoping you inch your way up the leaderboards, then it could well give you a slight advantage.

AMVR Handles from Amazon

Last Words

All in all, I have mixed opinions on these things. If you think you’re going to keep them on all the time, then forget it. If you’re buying them knowing full well that you’ll have to put them on every time you want to use them for Beat Saber and then take them off every time you want to do anything, absolutely anything, else, then fair enough. They’re only $25.90.

I’m going to be using them occasionally, and only when I’ve decided beforehand that I’m going to spend the day (or at least a full morning or evening) playing nothing but Beat Saber. I can also see them being useful if I have people over and we’re all just interested in competing at Beat Saber. Most of the time, however, I’ll probably leave them off, or maybe use the Mamut Touch Grips instead if I just want a little more grip without the full PS Move experience that the AMVR handles provide.

I’m rating these for casual users who would consider them an extra peripheral. If you’re a dedicated Beat Saber player who swears by them, don’t get angry – just add one or two points to the overall score! You’re getting them anyway, aren’t you?

THE BASICS

What problem are these headphones solving? Despite the convenience of the built-in speakers on the Oculus Quest, there are some games and experiences where you want more. Let me start by saying I am a HI-FI nerd, so I take audio very seriously, and I must say, these earbuds don’t disappoint! They have powerful bass and are very well balanced. I was afraid these would be muddy, bassy or harsh, but that’s simply not the case.

When I first received my Quest, I tried every manner of headphones I could: Over-Ear, in-ear, Bluetooth, everything. Bluetooth has its own issues, and the problem with most other headphones is cable management. I tried 100 ways to wrap, strap, and secure my headphone cables with my other headphones, and I wasn’t satisfied with the outcome. I was left with either too much wire, and it would brush up against me, or I secured it too well, and it became a stressful chore to remove the headset without yanking on the cables. For a reasonable price, these entirely solve that issue. Two individual earbuds, each with a short cable (one for each side of the Quest), is the perfect solution.

SETUP

There’s not much to say here. One thing I will mention is when I first took these headphones out of the box, I plugged them straight in and was off to the races. However, I noticed that I was receiving the left audio channel in my right ear and the right in my left. Odd. After taking them out and analyzing them closer, I discovered that each 1/8th-inch jack has a small R or L on it. I’m not sure how these buds tell the Quest which ear is which, but if you switch them over, you will get spatially-reversed audio. Once I had this fixed, they worked flawlessly.

PLAYABILITY

Once I started using these, I found it very hard to go back to the built-in speakers. Aside from the increase in audio quality and isolation, you have the added benefit of a better multiplayer experience. At least for your friends. I’ve convinced most of my friends to get these for one primary reason. I’m sure most of you have noticed that if you are playing an online game with your friends, especially one with a lot of action, you will hear a substantial amount of “feedback” on your end. This comes from the fact that both the mic and the speakers are sharing the same space. What I mean by this is, whatever you hear from the game, your mic is picking up as well.

The Quest does a reasonably good job at masking game audio and only sending your mic audio to your friends, but as I stated earlier, there are some games that more action than the system can handle. That is where you get the annoying feedback coming through to your end. By using these earbuds, you separate the signals. The ONLY thing your friends here is your voice audio. The game audio is neatly tucked away inside of your earbuds.

USABILITY

Ergonomically, the Quest In-Ear Headphones are some of the most comfortable earbuds that I own. They are small enough to fit solidly in most ears and are very light. Once I have them in, I barely notice them.

LONGEVITY

This is the part that worries me a little. Although I’ve had no issue yet, I was surprised at how light these tiny buds are. Though convenient for usage, I feel they may have sacrificed longevity for weight. Only time will confirm or deny this, but I have found myself being particularly delicate with my handling of these earbuds. I’m not taking any chances.

LAST WORDS

The Oculus Quest In-Ear Headphones earbuds are a quality upgrade to your VR experience in more than one way. If you are frustrated with trying to make other headphones work, want better sound quality, better mic quality, or want a more immersive experience, these are a smart buy. If you can afford them, we highly recommend them. You can get them from Amazon (which helps us out a little) or from Oculus.

BASICS

What was the problem? Well, for some people, the Oculus Touch controllers either had the tendency to slip out of people’s hands when grip was lost or due to the loss of grip buttons and triggers would get accidentally pressed. That is where Mamut comes in. The rubberized grips not only help you feel, but the included straps can be used as knuckle straps and increase your confidence in the grip.

SETUP

The Mamut Grips require minimal setup out of the box. You simply slip them over your Oculus Quest controllers, tighten up the straps. There’s not much more to say. This is a testament to the user-friendly design that Mamut has created.

PLAYABILITY

I used to get frustrated at certain games as some of the tactile actions were not very intuitive. Interestingly, I’ve found that when I use these grips with the knuckle straps, many games feel more natural. Now I feel more confident in my grip. One such game is Beat Saber. As silly as it sounds, when my knuckles are tightly strapped to the grips, I feel so much more confident in my ability to swing wildly without the worry of the grips slipping from my hands. This is true for other games as well, especially shooters. Crisis VRigade is one of my favorite shooters, and with these grips, I find myself much more confident. Also, my movements feel more natural. With the ability to completely let go of the grips (thanks to the knuckle straps), these grab and drop movements feel much more intuitive, almost natural.

USABILITY

I have to say that these may not be for everyone. Everyone has different palm sizes, finger sizes, grip styles, etc. Mamut did a great job designing these to be ergonomic and functional, but that doesn’t mean that it is the perfect option for everyone. I have a couple of friends who have tried them and think they are uncomfortable. What I’ve found is they fit best for people with larger hands. You’ll need to decide for yourself if they are right for you.

LONGEVITY

When I ordered these, I assumed they would be a cool add-on that I would use from time to time and might work better for certain games and not so well for others. I was so wrong. Now that I have these, I could not imagine taking them off! I mean that. They make my experience many times more enjoyable in almost every game. What I didn’t expect is that I find myself playing for longer. After many games and many hours spent with these grips, I can say that the quality is wonderful. I don’t see them getting worn out for a VERY long time.

LAST WORDS

Although perfection is not possible because no two hands are alike, I find that these are a fantastic, functional product that everyone should try if their budget allows.

The Rendered Reality channel on YouTube have also covered the Mamut Touch Grips, watch Shawn & Tyler’s video here!

Highlights

Here’s what you need to know; it works. You can take the Oculus Quest with you anywhere, set it up in about 30 seconds (once you’re used to the ‘guardian’ set-up process, more on that later), and you’re good to go. You can play VR games in stationary mode, or in full room-scale virtual reality with a full six degrees of freedom. There’s no shiny fruit logo on this thing, but it just works.

Setup

Setting up the Oculus Quest is a simple process consisting mainly of synchronizing with the Oculus phone app, creating your profile, which you’ll have to do once, and setting up the ‘guardian’ system, which you’ll do (in theory) only once per space. Using its camera’s, the Quest shows you the room or space you’re in, asks you to confirm where the floor is, and then asks you to draw a ‘safety’ perimeter on the floor, meant to keep you from bumping into things while you’re in full VR.

And…that’s it.

Library

The Quest comes with a few choice game demos installed, and they’re the right ones; games like Beat Saber and Racket Fury: Table Tennis, that really show off how immersive the system can be, and it’s good that such games exist because they’ll have to hold you over for a while. At launch, there are only about fifty titles, but it’s also known that parent Facebook is carefully curating the store during its current infancy, so at least you know that there aren’t any real lemons. You can also use SideQuest to side-load apps, but that’s for another article.

Download sizes are fairly small compared to PC or console titles, with game sizes more suited to the mobile nature of the platform. This means that whereas it’s nice to have the larger 128 GB version for some degree of future-proofing, you can still get by with the 64 GB version if you don’t plan to keep too many titles installed at any one time.

Usability

The high hopes that the VR enthusiasts have for the Oculus Quest is that it can potentially serve to bring more people into VR and help expand the community. This is based on just how easy it is to use the Quest, and it’s very, very easy to use the Quest.

In The Box

The Quest comes in a beautiful high-end box. Open that and you’ll get the main unit (with the attached head-strap), two controllers, a charger and its cable, and a pair of batteries. If you look carefully, you’ll also find a tiny instruction manual which you never actually need.

Last Words

The Quest does a lot of things right and makes just the right compromises to make it a great deal and a significant, if not huge, step forward. The compromises are fairly straightforward:

The battery life isn’t fantastic, but it’s good enough. On a decent charge, the Quest will give you around 2.5 to 3.5 hours of use, depending on what you’re doing. If the battery were any bigger, the device would be heavier.

The Quest isn’t light. Having it be an all-inclusive device means you’re carrying the lens system, the processor, the battery, and the cameras all on your head. It’s not horrible, but you’ll notice it if you play long sessions or if you play games which make you move a lot. It’s front-heavy, and already there’s a market for accessories that try to distribute the weight a little better.

The graphics are decent, but they’re not going to blow you away if you’re a console gamer, and certainly not if you’re a PC gamer. If you’re here for high-end graphics, you’ll be sorely disappointed. What the Quest does right is give you immersion. Try out Racket Fury: Table Tennis, for instance, and you’ll swear you’ve just been playing real, legit, table tennis. More so, you can play it online, chatting with strangers while you fight it out over a virtual table tennis table and a gaming experience that’s an absolute blast.

We really want to see a lighter headset, better graphics, and a better strap system, but for now, this is the VR system that could. Oculus did a good job here.