Best Meta Quest 2 Accessories for 2023 – CNET

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If you’re looking for a little protection for the Quest 2 head unit (yes, people have been known to drop them), a face cover will help. The Kiwi comes in translucent or black colors.

If you’re looking for a more comfortable gaming experience, upgrading to an “elite” strap is the way to go. I initially bought that knockoff Esimen accessories bundle. That’s all been fine, but I will say the official elite strap version is superior (it’s not twice as good, but it’s a bit of an upgrade over the elite strap knockoff). You just have to pay a premium for it. 

If you’re hardcore about your VR gaming, you know that it’s a bummer to have to stop gaming because your battery is dying. That’s where a setup like the Bobovr M2 Plus Head Strap Twin Battery Combo comes in. You get a head strap plus two batteries and a docking station, so you can charge one battery while using the other. It’s one of the best and most ergonomic Quest 2 external battery setups we’ve seen, and it’s a good deal if you’re looking to upgrade the stock Quest 2 head strap and also add some extra battery life.

The batteries dock and adhere magnetically to the back of the head strap and essentially double the battery life of the Quest 2. If you don’t want the dock and second battery, you can buy the base Bobovr M2 rig for a little more than $50 (the batteries also charge via USB-C). 

This case is compatible with the Meta Quest Elite Strap as well as Kiwi Design head strap, Bobovr M2 head strap M2 (see above) and other Bobovr head straps. I have another Esimen case that’s missing the bulge on top and it’s held up well over time. This case is one of the few case options for those that buy the Kiwi or Bobovr head straps.

Plenty of VR games are designed to make you sweat. That’s why it’s a good idea to get a silicone or faux-leather face cover that you can easily wipe off after each gaming session, along with a set of controller grips. There are lots of options on Amazon, but what makes the Kiwi Design bundle slightly better is that its controller grips have a door for the battery so you don’t have to pull off the grips when you change batteries.

The bundle also includes a lens cover, which protects your lenses from getting hit with direct sunlight, which can do damage to your system. This set only comes in one color but you can also get Kiwi Design’s controller grips in white or translucent for around $30 (the bundle is a better value overall if you can live with black). 

You can certainly play with the Quest 2 while wearing glasses, but it is more comfortable without. That’s where a set of prescription lens inserts comes in.

Oculus has partnered with FramesDirect to provide such Rx inserts, with prices starting at $80 for the VirtuClear inserts. There are other Oculus VR Rx lens inserts out there, including ones from VR Lens Lab and WidmoVR, but I’ve only tried the VirtuClear lenses. They work well and are easy enough to remove so someone who doesn’t require glasses can play. 

There are plenty of carrying cases for the Quest 2 that cost around $25 and are quite decent. But the Oculus-branded version is arguably the best. It’s protective, relatively lightweight and sleek-looking. The only drawback is its cost, which is around $60.

If you’re looking for a cheaper alternative to the official Meta Quest 2 Carrying Case, the Syntech Hard Carrying Case is a good alternative for just over half the price. 

We’re finally starting to see some true-wireless earbuds for the Meta Quest 2, and the Soundcore by Anker VR P10 is officially compatible with the console. The way it works is that it comes with a USB-C dongle that you plug into the Meta Quest 2’s USB-C port and which streams audio to the buds. They can also be used as Bluetooth earbuds, and there’s a companion app that allows you to put the buds into Meta Quest 2 mode (work with the dongle). It can be a little tricky to set up, but I got it working after a couple of attempts.

Once connected, the buds work well though, I wouldn’t say the sound quality is great, which may have more to do with the Quest 2’s hardware (and how it outputs audio) than the buds. But these are a way to get private sound (when you raise the volume of the Quest 2’s external speakers, people in the room can hear the audio) and avoid having all the wires. And they are cheaper than some of the wired solutions out there from Logitech, for example.

Owning a “VR” mat is good because it provides some padding for your feet during VR workouts and also sets a boundary that you can feel (the mat is raised a bit off the floor so you can sense when you’re stepping off it and know to recenter yourself). This provides as much padding as a thick yoga mat. 

I’ve used one from Supernatural that sells for $42. It seems to be very similar to the popular Proxi-Mat Space Station Theo mat that you can find at Amazon for around $50 (its price seems to fluctuate a bit). Both are 35 inches in diameter. 

The Quest 2 has a couple of excellent table tennis games that are already shockingly realistic (I play Eleven Table Tennis). But if you want to add even more, turn your Quest controller into what feels like a real ping-pong paddle with a paddle grip. The weight balance is a little different, but it’s close enough to give you the sensation you’re truly holding a ping-pong paddle. It’s a little hardcore, but it’s a must-have if you play a lot of virtual table tennis.

If you don’t want to wear full-size headphones while playing, the Logitech G333 VR gaming earphones are a good alternative. They come with a custom-length short cord (and Velcro strap) designed for Quest 2 headsets. 

The cord leading to the right bud is longer so you wear that cord behind your neck, which allows you to leave them hanging when you don’t have the buds in your ears. While they’re nothing too fancy as far as earbuds go, they do have a sturdy cord and feel sturdy overall, and they’re well-designed for Oculus Quest 2 use. They deliver solid sound if you get a tight seal (a few different sized tips are included).

There are plenty of cheaper earbuds options for Oculus Quest 2 — you can find them here. However, I haven’t tried them. Some don’t seem as durable as the Logitech G333.

The Anker Charging Dock for Quest 2 is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a resting place for your Quest 2 head unit and controllers when you’re not using them, and includes rechargeable batteries for your controllers as well as a USB-C cable and power adapter (you plug the cable into the dock).

The dock also comes with a little magnetic USB-C adapter that you plug into the USB-C port on the Oculus headset. You then dock the head unit and the integrated magnetic charger connects to the adapter.

I was able to charge the Quest 2 headset even with an elite head strap on it, but you have to take off any grips you might have on the controllers to charge those.

Quest 2 controllers use AA batteries, which can last a reasonable amount of time, but if you play a lot, they do require replacement more regularly. That’s why it’s a good idea to get a set of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, which charge faster and last longer than the NiCad and NiMH rechargeable batteries of yesteryear. And who needs to put more dead disposable batteries out in the world?

Pale Blue rechargeables come in packs with as few as four batteries or as many as 12 (various battery types are available). The batteries charge via Micro-USB and the included cable charges up to four batteries simultaneously. It takes about two hours to get a full charge. Some competing models have moved to USB-C charging, and Pale Blue may do that in the future. Currently, only its rechargeable D batteries charge via USB-C.

External battery packs are a popular accessory for the Quest 2 and there’s no shortage of them out there. This model from Moolechi costs a little more than some but has a higher percentage of positive reviews than some of the cheaper batteries that clip on to the side of your Quest 2’s head strap (this has a mounting rail system that allows you to slide it on and off easily enough).

It’s a 5,000-mAh battery and basically doubles the battery life of your Quest 2. The LED is just for show, but it does add a little flair to your console and lets you know the battery is working. While this battery lists for around $30, we’ve seen it for as low as $19 when you apply an instant 30 percent-off discount coupon on Amazon. 

I haven’t tried this Quest accessories combo out yet, but it gets high marks on Amazon and seems like a good way to attach an external battery (not included) for extended gameplay sessions. 

There’s a magnetic docking area on the back of the comfort strap. You simply stick the adhesive metal plate onto any external battery and the battery then sticks to the comfort strap. While there are now plenty of battery options for the Quest 2, this is more of a DIY solution for those who already have a battery pack they want to bring to the charging party.

If all you’re looking for is a lens cover, this Orzero VR Lens Protect Cover is one of the more popular options for just less than $10. Personally, I look for accessory bundles that include a lens cover, but some people only want this lens protector accessory.

I wanted a little bit more of a challenge when doing virtual reality workout games like Thrill of the Fight, Fitness VR, The Climb and The Climb 2, Beat Saber and many others, so I looked into getting some wearable weights. From my experience, I found that weighted gloves were the way to go. Just be warned that you should proceed at your own risk with these (you could injure yourself), but it certainly does increase the intensity of your workouts.

I originally had the Nayoya weighted gloves on this list but those are now out of stock. These Ringside gloves are probably the best alternative. The two-pound version adds a pound of weight to each of your hands, but that’s more than you think (I have only used two-pound weighted gloves, not heavier versions). They fit inside the controllers fine. While they should fit most hands well, I can’t say they’ll be a good fit for everybody.

You can play PC VR games on your Quest 2 but you need a Link cable (although Meta has been refining its Air Link wireless option to be more reliable over Wi-Fi). The official Quest 2 Link Cable costs $79, but lots of less expensive versions are available, including this 16-foot KRX data and charging cable (the 20-foot version is out of stock).