Time to Vive in Style – Upgrading Your VR Experience

Final Thoughts

Price

As I said, there’s a lot of cool things you can do with the Vive, not just games, but also add-on hardware. The VR Cover add-on is great for hygiene and comfort and affordable too. The fabric ones are just £13.99 a pair from Overclockers UK, and PU Leather ones that can be wiped clean are just £24.95.

A set of Vive Foam Pads is just £20.99 for the narrow, and £22.99 for the wide (the same that come pre-installed). Again, you can opt for PU Leather models for around £23.99.

The biggest and most expensive upgrade we covered today is the Vive Deluxe Audio Strap. It’s also the most vital in my opinion, and it completely transforms the headsets ergonomics and practicality. It’s priced at £99.95, which is a lot, but you really do get what you pay for.

Overview

VR gaming is a lot of fun. However, every headset such as the Oculus Rift and the Vive have their drawbacks. For me, I find wearing the stock Vive quite uncomfortable, as it digs into my face, the strap slips on the back of my head, the top cables dig into my head, and the headphones wires get caught up around my neck. These are not uncommon problems but easily fixed by throwing money at the issues.

I’m sure those who invested so much in the headset aren’t keen to spend over £140 on some foam covers, a bit of fabric, and replacing a huge portion of the original headset with a new one. However, it’s money well spent, and I can’t imagine ever going back to the stock hardware at all.

Comfort

You’re going to want a headset that can quickly and easily be adjusted to fit you, and the Deluxe strap offers that functionality. Being able to turn a dial so it’ll change size to fit my kids, my partner, or my friends, is fantastic. Not having the headset slip down while I’m playing frantic shooting games is a huge benefit too.

Sound Quality

The powerful headphones are a welcome addition. Those who already use their own headphones may be happy with what they have. However, removing the extra step of putting on the headset, the headphones, and dealing with trailing cables, is no bad thing. Just put it on, pop the headphones down into place, and you’re ready for action.

The Little Details

The devil is always in the details. Spending a little more money to get foam inserts that better fit your head is obviously a good investment. The VR Covers mean you can pull them off, throw them in the wash, and have a sweat and grime free headset within a few hours. Moving the VR cables to the side of the headset, and not having to fiddle with Velcro is great too.

Should I Buy One

None of this hardware is mandatory, which is great for those that don’t want to spend more money. However, if you’re tired of some of the fitment and maintenance issues that arise from VR usage, the covers, a new set of pads and a new strap can really help take your experience to the next level. Of course, you can do it without breaking the bank too.

Time to Vive in Style – Upgrading Your VR Experience