Virtual reality is about to have a bit of a moment – well, technically, mixed reality will too. The in-between technology that combines headsets with screens and high-quality passthrough cameras made a big splash earlier this year with the announcement of Apple’s Vision Pro “spatial computer,” but it’s existed for a lot longer. Meta made its big pitch for the power of mixed reality with the Quest Pro, and it just recently followed up that headset with the more consumer-friendly Quest 3. When it comes down to it though, even if these headsets can seamlessly blend virtual experiences with footage of the world around you, they’re still VR headsets, and VR headsets aren’t always the most comfortable out of the box.
Not to discount the impressiveness of fitting a powerful computer, camera, and lenses into something that can fit on the front of your face, but costs are frequently cut on every other part of the experience. Buying new head straps could make your headset more comfortable to wear, earbuds could make the audio more immersive, and trackers could elevate your experience even further by bringing your whole body into a virtual space. With that in mind we’ve collected this list of accessories for anyone who’s trying to improve their VR headset, if that’s you, keep reading below.
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Anker
Anker Soundcore VR P10 Wireless Earbuds
Best overall VR headset accessory
$75 $80 Save $5
One thing that can improve every VR headset is better audio quality. The Soundcore VR P10 Wireless Earbuds work over Bluetooth or a low-latency 2.4Ghz connection via dongle. With 11mm drivers you’ll get clearer and bassier audio and since the dongle connects over USB-C, the earbuds work just as well with Quest 2 and Quest 3 as they do PC VR headsets.
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Meta
Meta Quest 3 Elite Strap with Battery
Best premium accessory
The Meta Quest 3 Elite Strap with Battery makes the Quest 3 even easier to wear by balancing out the weight of the headset, relieving pressure from your face, and extending the headset’s battery by an extra two hours. The strap can be adjusted with a quick-release knob just like the Elite Strap for the Quest 2, its only real disadvantage is it doesn’t work with other headsets without modifications.
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Jsaux / Pocket-lint
Jsaux 2-in-1 Link Cable
Best budget accessory
$12 $20 Save $8
Jsaux’s 2-in-1 Link Cable can charge headsets with support for up to 100W fast charging (provided you have the right charging brick), and you can also connect it to a PC to play PC VR games. The cable is braided, 10ft long, and can pass along data at 10GBps speeds which works great if you want to play more resource intensive games on the Quest 2 or Quest 3.
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Meta
Meta Quest 3 Charging Dock
Best accessory for charging
The Meta Quest 3 Charging Dock is an elegant way to keep your controllers from getting tangled while wirelessly charging the whole Quest 3 system. The charging dock ships with rechargeable batteries for the Touch Plus controllers and makes it simple to set your headset down, with LED indicators to let you know once they’re fully-charged.
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Meta
Meta Quest 3 Facial Interface and Head Strap
Best comfortable accessory
Meta’s Quest 3 Facial Interface and Head Strap isn’t different from what you’d get with a Quest 3 out of the box. The flexible straps help keep your headset over your eyes and fit around your hair, and the interface is breathable and blocks out light. The real advantage is the new orange (Blood Orange) and blue (Elemental Blue) colours, which add a playful touch.
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HTC / Pocket-lint
HTC Vive Tracker 3.0
Best for full-body tracking
HTC’s Vive Tracker 3.0 are designed for PC VR headsets, specifically ones that work with SteamVR. Strap one to your foot, knees, or wrist (HTC recommends three for full-body tracking) and you can get VR movement tracking that’s more accurate and natural than what you’d get with a controller. Plus, they have 7.5-hours battery life each.
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Tomtoc / Pocket-lint
Tomtoc Carrying Case for Quest 3
Best accessory for travel
For a simple way to take your VR headset on the go, Tomtoc’s Carrying Bag for the Quest 3 is water-resistant and has an adjustable interior organiser. It’s big enough to fit the Quest 2, Quest 3, or a small PC VR headset, and includes pouches for controllers. The best thing, though, is it’s stylish enough to work as a regular day bag when you’re not lugging your VR headset around.
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Meta / Pocket-lint
Meta Quest Active Straps for Touch Plus Controllers
Best accessory for VR workouts
The Meta Quest Active Straps for the Touch Plus Controllers are breathable and adjustable nylon straps that can wrap around your hands while you’re using VR controllers. They can help keep the controllers secure during a VR workout, and offer a way to use them without having to physically grip them the entire time.
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Final Audio / Pocket-lint
Final VR2000
Best for wired VR audio immersion
For wired audio for your VR headset, Final Audio’s VR2000 headphones provide great positional sound that can create spatial audio experiences, and ideally improve your immersion in apps in games. Not plugged into your headset, they’ll also work fine for playing music from your phone and have a microphone for chatting with friends.
What are the best VR headset accessories?
With the right accessory, you can radically improve the experience of using your VR headset. The Soundcore VR P10 Wireless Earbuds are the best option for most people, improving the audio quality of your VR headset without sacrificing latency, and they work with Quest headsets, PCs, PS5s, Steam Decks, and Nintendo Switch consoles.
If you’re investing in Meta’s new Quest 3 and willing to pay more, the Meta Quest 3 Elite Strap with Battery makes the headset more comfortable to wear and usable for longer. If you’re looking to spend less, the Jsaux’s 2-in-1 Link Cable works great as a charging cable, and can help you play PC VR games on standalone headsets.
Can you use headphones with VR headsets?
Yes, either wired or wireless. Most VR headsets include some kind of built-in audio output. On Sony’s PlayStation VR2, it’s the specially designed in-ear headphones that plug in and wrap around the exterior of the headset. On Meta’s Quest headsets, it’s their directional speakers that send sound directly to your ears.
Having a headphone jack makes things simple, but plenty of standalone headsets just have USB-C ports. In those cases you’re forced to use USB-C headphones, Bluetooth, or wireless dongles for low-latency connections to earbuds. What works best for you will depend on your headset and how much you care about your audience experience.
How can I extend my VR headset’s battery life?
The simplest way is also the most annoying: keep it plugged into your computer or a wall charger. For PC VR headsets, that’s not much of an issue, you have to be plugged into your PC anyway. And with a long USB-C cable you can simplify things for standalone headsets too. There are better ways if you don’t want to hurt portability, though.
Add-on straps that mount batteries to the back of your head exist from first-party VR headset makers like Meta, and third-party accessory makers alike. You just have to find one that fits your specific headset (the Elite Strap with Battery works with the Quest 2 and Quest 3) and don’t actively make your headset less comfortable to wear.
