VR Cover Brings Comfort to Virtual Reality

VR Cover makes those long virtual reality sessions far more comfortable with their line of products, especially those for the Oculus Quest 2

Over the last year and during the course of the COVID 19 crisis, virtual reality has had a massive boom, possibly owing to the fact that it gives people an outlet to leave their homes without having to actually leave their homes. Along with a jump in popularity, there has also been a considerable jump in the technology, quality of the games, and, most importantly, affordability.

During the last holiday season, Facebook released a new version of their massively popular Oculus Quest, a virtual reality headset that can be used in a stand-alone style or tethered to a PC. Even though my Oculus Quest one was a newborn at only six months old, I could not pass up the opportunity for a little more processing power and a sharper screen with an improved frame-rate. (Your equilibrium will thank you for this.)

My goal was to be able to play the long-awaited sequel (sort of?) Half-Life Alyx. Thankfully, the combo worked great with my new Acer Predator laptop. The only issue that is the most persistent for VR users is comfort.

Over the last year, we have seen many people complaining about wearing a soft cloth over their faces, so you can imagine the hostility when you tell someone to wear a heavy hunk of technology over their eyes.

That is where the VR Cover company comes in. VR Cover has been making great accessories for headsets and controllers over the last few years, so I was excited to see what they could do to make the use of my brand new Quest 2 more comfortable as I look to spend more time in virtual worlds. 

Controller Grips for Oculus Quest 2

Let us begin with the controllers! YouTube is packed with videos of people annihilating HDTV screens by being too invested in the VR experience, so making sure that your controllers are snug and feel like a part of your hands is essential. Coming in at a very affordable $29, these grips fit the bill. I love the way they feel snug in my hands and alleviate my fears of launching controllers around the living room. They are made of hard plastic and do not add to any softening of the grips, so if that is what you are looking for this is not the product for you. The grips are molded perfectly for the Quest 2 controllers, but keep in mind that if you have to replace the batteries you will have to take the grips off to get to the battery door. 

Facial Interface & Foam Replacement Set for Oculus Quest 2

The facial interface plays an integral role in the comfort of your VR experience, and VR Cover offers a great way to make that interface more comfortable and more hygienic by giving you several padded replacements that are easy to use and easy to clean. Covid 19 has made all of us more conscious of our bacterial footprints, and when you consider that VR headsets are pressed tightly against your face and generate what can be best explained as a voluminous amount of perspiration, that may not be the best thing to share with a group. 

The facial interface and foam replacement set comes with two face covers that you can swap out quickly, which is great in that you can disinfect one with some spray or a wipe if you want to have some family or friends sharing it. I keep a can of antibacterial wipes around so that I can clean mine after every session just to keep it fresh. One major caveat (and my only gripe with this set) is that it is not compatible with the glasses spacer I use, so I need the larger pad to fit into. Keep that in mind if you are optically challenged.

Final Thoughts and Recommendations

The line of VR Cover products is great and affordable, and if you are looking to have longer VR sessions they are almost a must. As previously stated, my only gripe is the incompatibility with the glasses spacer. I may just get some prescription inserts to cover that issue. Having all of the products under $30 makes them great gifts, even if they are just for oneself, so give VR Cover a try!

Samples of VR Cover accessories were made available by VR Cover. Opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and not that of the manufacturer or editorial staff. To read my previous articles, click here.