The Finest Oculus Quest 2 Equipment of 2021
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What to Look for in Oculus Quest 2 Accessories
The Oculus Quest 2 (newly renamed to the Meta Quest 2 as part of Facebook’s rebranding efforts) is a fantastic VR headset that makes for a perfect first step into virtual reality. But to make the experience near-perfect, some accessories will be needed to make the Quest 2 more comfortable.
Since Quest 2 accessories are diverse, it’s hard to provide blanket advice when shopping for one. However, accessories mostly fall into one of the below categories.
First, there are accessories that make the Quest 2 more comfortable. These are generally replacement head straps, but other accessories such as a battery pack can incidentally improve comfort as well.
Speaking of battery packs, the Quest 2’s battery life should be longer than most people want to be in VR, but if you need more from the device there are battery banks that can be attached to the headset. Belt-clip packs are also a possibility if you don’t want the extra weight, but they aren’t that common.
Link cables are an important type of Quest 2 accessory since this is how you can use your Quest 2 as a PC VR headset. They’re not created equal, however, and if you get the wrong one your experience may suffer.
Finally, there are accessories that make the Quest 2 more convenient to use. Custom carry cases, charging docks and wall mounts are good examples of this.
Of course, some accessories do several of these things at once, but the point is that whenever you consider buying an accessory, it should improve your Quest 2 experience tangibly. When picking out accessories in each category below, we considered whether the product makes owning a Quest 2 a better experience and whether that improvement is worth the money. Purely cosmetic accessories don’t make the cut!
Oculus
Pros
- ✓ The most important Quest 2 accessories in one bundle
- ✓ Great price
Cons
- ✗ Individual third-party accessories may be better than the in-house ones
Considering that the official accessories that make up this Oculus Quest 2 accessory bundle were available so early in the Quest 2’s life, it’s almost as if Oculus knew what the main complaints of the VR headset would be.
Nonetheless, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better deal than this. For about half the price of the Quest 2 itself, you get a quality carrying case, a more comfortable head strap, and an extended battery.
Each of these individual products is well-regarded, and you’re saving about $30 if you buy the bundle, so it’s an easy recommendation. The only real downside is that individual third-party accessories are better than the ones in this bundle.
However, if you try to piecemeal your accessory kit, you’re going to end up paying a lot more, and this bundle is great in its own right. It neatly addresses the worst shortcomings of the base Quest 2 package, you only have to buy one bundle, and you don’t have to spend time sifting through dozens of third-party items.
Best Oculus Accessory Bundle
Oculus
Pros
- ✓ Slim, form-fitting with no extra frills. Perfect for travel
- ✓ Accommodates the standard and elite strap
Cons
- ✗ Lacks additional storage pockets, not suitable for heavy-duty protection
The Oculus Quest 2 Carrying Case is featured in the bundle recommendation above, and if you are only looking for a good carrying case, we think this official option is the best of the bunch. Third-party cases tend to add pockets and spaces for items, but the official case is laser-focused on offering a compact case that holds just the Quest 2 and its controllers.
After all, add any more features and you begin to erode the “travel” credentials on offer. If you need a heavy-duty case or one that holds many accessories, you might want to opt for a hard case with a foam interior. It won’t be very backpack friendly anymore, but it will justify the added bulk thanks to higher levels of protection.
But this minimalist official case is almost certainly the right choice for everyone who wants to take their Quest 2 out of the house.
Best Oculus Quest 2 Carrying Case
Oculus Quest 2 Carrying Case
The official travel case for the Quest 2 offers no-frills but also doesn’t take up more space than it needs to. Perfect to throw in a backpack and get your VR session going anywhere you like.
Logitech
Pros
- ✓ Precise cable length for Oculus Quest 2
- ✓ Tuned for VR audio output
- ✓ Aluminum body
- ✓ Highly portable
Cons
- ✗ Audio quality can’t match over-ear headphone solutions
Headphones are always a contentious topic, and people have strong opinions on which types are the best. However, most headphones have to be fit for a specific purpose. An excellent over-ear set of noise-canceling headphones like the Logitech G PRO Gaming Headset will give you a comfortable and immersive VR experience.
That being said, the Quest 2 is all about freedom of movement and easy, comfortable access to VR whenever you want and wherever you are. A bulky set of headphones aren’t the best choice to help with that goal.
Luckily Logitech has a solution for this use case, as well. The G333 earbuds are specifically designed for the VR headset. The drivers have been tuned for VR applications, it has a durable yet light aluminum body, and the cord is precisely the right length. You don’t have to deal with dangling wires with these buds.
They are also available at a great price, and unless you want to invest in a high-end set of wired buds for general use, these are the best choice.
Best Headphones for Oculus Quest 2
BOBOVR
Pros
- ✓ Provides a desperately-needed halo-strap solution for Quest 2
- ✓ Solves the major comfort issues with Quest 2
Cons
- ✗ Halo straps take longer to put on or remove
For the Oculus Quest 2, it’s no secret that many users have comfort issues. This is party due to how front-heavy the Quest 2 is and a bias towards portability. Thankfully, it’s easy to replace the standard head strap the headset comes with.
This means it’s easy to install a replacement such as the BOBOVR M2, a head strap design option the Quest 2 desperately needs. The M2 uses the “halo” strap design on headsets like the PlayStation VR and various Windows Mixed Reality Models.
Halo-strap designs are by far the most comfortable way to use a VR headset since they more evenly distribute the device’s weight across two large anchor points. The M2 goes further than even this by adding additional support points at the top of the head.
It offers multiple positions and easy adjustment to get the fit just right. The only problem with the M2 and, by extension, halo straps is that it’s not as portable as the standard strap and take longer to put on or take off. However, if you’re going to spend extended amounts of time in VR, you’re going to want something like the M2.
Best Oculus Quest 2 Replacement/Additional Head Strap
VR Wave
Pros
- ✓ Offers custom-made-to-order lenses with optional filters
- ✓ Easy attachment and removal for different users who share a Quest
Cons
- ✗ You’ll need to visit an optometrist for the exact technical details of your prescription
The Quest 2 includes a glasses spacer and can accommodate most average-size spectacles. However, it’s not always comfortable to wear glasses inside your Quest 2, and getting the focal length just right can be a pain.
If you’re sick of constantly fiddling with your glasses and the Quest 2, it may be time to consider buying a custom set of prescription lenses, and VR Wave offers the best service. You can specify your lens needs, add optional coatings, and they’ll send you a pair of lens inserts that attach using a clever magnetic system.
These lenses are also easy to remove, so someone who doesn’t need them can still use your Quest 2 comfortably. It’s a great product, but you need a lot of information about your prescription to order the correct lenses. This means you’ll have to visit your optometrist to get all the various measurements VR Wave needs to make them.
Still, if you’re looking to upgrade your Oculus Quest 2 experience, it’ll be worth the small hassle.
Anker
Pros
- ✓ Perfectly molded and styled to fit the Quest 2
- ✓ Includes custom controller covers and batteries to allow controller charging
- ✓ Elegant magnetic USB-C charging connection
Cons
- ✗ Perhaps a little too expensive
You don’t need a charging dock for your Quest 2. You can plug it into the nearest USB-C charger and call it a day, but it’s always nice to have a place to neatly put your headset away and display it. A charging dock can do that while actually having a use.
What makes this Anker Quest 2 charging dock special among Oculus Quest 2 charging docks is that it offers a way to also recharge your controllers while you aren’t playing. The included AA rechargeables and replacement cover plates make this possible. The unit is molded so that it matches the Quest 2 perfectly and makes it all look great
It also solves the problem of repeated USB-C insertions by using a dongle that’s left in the Quest’s charging port. This connector mates magnetically with a connector on the dock, making it a simple solution. Just pop your controllers and headset into this dock and forget about it until the next time you want to play.
The only negative thing we can say here is that the price is pretty high, but then again, there isn’t another solution as elegant as Anker’s, either.
Nirvana
Pros
- ✓ Simple design with easily replaceable pack
- ✓ Pack reduces face pressure by acting as a counterweight
- ✓ Works with the standard and elite strap
The Quest 2 Elite Strap with an integrated battery is a fine choice for Quest players who want more battery life before recharging. Still, we like the simplicity of the NIVRANA VR power bank.
NIVRANA uses an open pouch design that attaches to the existing standard strap or the Elite strap. The included cable is the exact length needed to reach the Quest 2’s charging port, and it’s as simple to use as any standard power bank.
You can charge both devices at once using pass-through charging, and, best of all, when the included power bank does eventually wear out, you can replace it with a model of your choice, assuming it physically fits in the pouch.
The product does look a little hacked together, but does it matter? After all, you don’t spend any of your VR time looking at the outside of your headset.
Oculus
Pros
- ✓ The only link cable with guaranteed performance
- ✓ Explicitly built to withstand the physical stress of VR
Cons
- ✗ Expensive
- ✗ Cheaper (yet more fragile) options can perform the same in practice
- ✗ USB C-to-C, requiring an adapter for USB A ports
The official Oculus Quest Link cable that allows you to access PC VR software through USB-C is not cheap. This is a long, fiber-optic cable designed to get every byte out of a USB 3.1 connection and withstand years of twisting and turning that would wear out typical cables in much less time.
We’ve used the Oculus Quest 2 with various cables and have never encountered issues that make games unplayable, but this is the only cable guaranteed to give you perfect compatibility and it will last at least as long as your Quest does.
If you buy a cheaper third-party cable, you always run the risk of getting something that’s incompatible with the headset. As such, the official link cable is the only USB-C cord we can recommend with confidence.
Best Oculus Link Cable
Anker
Pros
- ✓ Much cheaper than the official link cable
- ✓ Available in different lengths
- ✓ Tested and working with Quest 1 and 2
Cons
- ✗ Does not have the peak bandwidth of USB 3.1
While the Oculus Link Cable is objectively the best cable to play PC VR games using a Quest 2, it’s not the best choice for everyone. If your computer doesn’t have a native USB-C port, particularly the VR-specific port found on some graphics cards, the true potential of the expensive link cable is wasted.
If you need to use a USB-A connection, you might as well go for this Anker Quest Link Cable, which is specifically designed for the Quest. Anker has also reinforced it for VR use in various ways so that it will last quite a long time as you twist and turn through virtual worlds.
The only downside here is that you don’t get those USB 3.1 speeds, but we have never run into any problems after more than 100 hours using USB 3.0 on a Quest 2. Even the Oculus Quest 1’s USB 2.0 cable is serviceable, albeit with lower visual quality thanks to compression.
At the price Anker is asking for this charging cable, it’s a no-brainer, and it has plenty of uses beyond VR too.
Best USB-A to USB-C Cable for Oculus Quest 2
VR Cover
Pros
- ✓ Adds textured grips, making it less likely your controller will slip
- ✓ Adds knuckle straps alongside wrist straps for added safety
Cons
- ✗ Some users experience comfort issues
If you use the wrist straps that come with the Quest 2, you should never get into a situation where your Quest controllers fly off and damage something. However, there are instances where intense gaming sessions cause grip problems that interrupt play.
The VR Cover Controller Grips need to be used in tandem with your wrist straps, but they make it much less likely that you’ll lose grip. The included knuckle straps will also help protect your hands.
The white Quest controllers are also a notoriously lousy match with sweaty hands, and the VR Cover grips help deal with that problem as well back being black. Also, unlike your controllers, the grips are washable, so it’s easy to keep things germ and sweat-free.
It all looks and sounds good on paper, but a small number of users find that these grips aren’t as comfortable as they could be. Since hands vary in shape and size, it’s always hard for a product to fit everyone, but if they don’t fit your hands properly, a refund on Amazon is a simple task.
Best Oculus Quest 2 Controller Grips
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