With the Oculus Quest now firmly in the consumer marketplace, the general reaction to the standalone device has been positive fro users and press alike. But the design was never going to win everyone over packing all that kit including lenses, processor and battery into a unit which straps to your face. Some owners are really struggling but for myself and my large head, there are no major problems. Could the headset be made more comfortable as well as solving issues hygiene from constant face swapping? It can with help from VR Cover, which has produced two handy products.
The VR Cover Solution
VR Cover isn’t new to these problems and has in fact been producing different facial interfaces for headsets like Oculus Rift and HTC Vive for a number of years. Generally, no matter which headset you have VR Cover will have two options available, a foam (pleather) replacement or a cotton cover to go over the original. The former tends to be more expensive because you get more in the kit; while the latter is the entry-level option, designed to be washable.
For Oculus Quest you’ve got the rather snappily titled VR Cover Oculus Quest Foam & Interface Basic Set and the Oculus Quest VR Covers. Both of which work well but there’s certainly a firm winner I found.
The Foam & Interface Basic Set
This is VR Cover’s premium product for the standalone headset, retailing for $29.99 USD. In the kit, you get a plastic facial interface and two pleather covers which attach via velcro plus a handy cloth for clean the headset’s lenses.
Oculus’ normal foam interface isn’t that bad yet these certainly offer an improved level of comfort for the money. The cool pleather naturally grips the face which is great for energetic videogames like Beat Saber or Creed: Rise to Glory. After a couple of sweaty hours use the cover didn’t feel all gross and sodden, easily wipeable with a cloth – or for extra cleanliness, an anti-bacterial wipe works well.
Another benefit I found was that with a bit of readjustment of the pleather covers the nose gap could be closed, greatly reducing the light coming through – making VR experiences that little bit more immersive. The old ‘VR Face’ from wearing a headset too long is reduced as well, not completely, but enough that after an hour or so the effect isn’t horrendous.
The only real negative comes from that grip mentioned. While good for short energetic sessions, the lack of breathable fabric can start to get a bit too much, even adding to the heat factor.
VR Cotton Covers
As for the cheap and cheerful Oculus Quest VR Cover at $19.99, these work just as you’d expect. Made of 100% cotton, these easily attach straight onto the original headset interface via a couple of elasticated bands – one at the nose and the other at the forehead.
Supplied as a pack of two, these are ideal when you want to demo a hectic VR videogame to mates as they soak up the sweat. They can then be removed and easily washed – by hand or machine. The cotton is super soft and gently sits between face and headset to make the entire experience that bit more enjoyable.
Because it sits over the original foam cover the VR Cover version naturally finds a comfort sweet spot which makes me wonder why Oculus hasn’t done something similar.
A VR Cover Verdict
Without a doubt, my favourite is the cotton Oculus Quest VR Cover. The foam set works well enough but when I was deciding which was my preferred choice I realised that while I had given both equal footings, it was the cotton covers that had stayed firmly attached. I like them that much that apart from cleaning they’re never going to come off, they’re just way too comfy. I’d even go so far to say that if you’re looking to improve your Oculus Quest experience, these VR Cover’s are a must buy.
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