With Meta successfully cornering the standalone VR headset market, HTC has turned its sights to the lightweight VR market with what it describes as its first pair of “immersive glasses”. Interestingly, the PlayStation VR headset is the only VR headset for console gamers – Microsoft offers a way for gamers to play Xbox games through the Oculus Rift S, but it isn’t VR-enabled. Sony’s virtual reality offering features a 5.7in OLED display that’ll provide gamers with low persistence and, consequently, less motion blur when being used.

While a universal USB A to USB C and USB 2.0/3.0/3.1 Gen 1/3.2 Gen 1 compatible cable, it’s also fully compatible with the Oculus Quest 2. As such, it’s a cost-effective alternative to the full-fat official Oculus Link cable required to hook the headset up to a PC and access a more extensive selection of games than those found on the Oculus store. We’ve narrowed it down to five essential VR accessories. Each of our recommendations makes the VR experience better. They are sure bets for those on the hunt for the very best way to spice up their VR headset and setup. It’s a great time for VR with capable headsets including the Meta’s Quest 2 and high-end Quest Pro available to buy worldwide, offering a high-end experience without the need for a dedicated gaming PC. There’s also the Pico 4, a solid Quest 2 competitor with better hardware at a slightly cheaper price point, and let’s not forget the Vive Cosmos and Vive Pro 2 for PC gamers. It’s safe to say there’s a VR headset for everyone. If you have the space and like to keep everything neat, tidy and in the right place, a VR headstand is a good idea. The AMVR VR headset stand is an excellent choice and compatible with the Oculus Quest, Oculus Quest 2and the Rift S virtual reality headsets. As VR continues to make steady inroads toward becoming mainstream, there is an ever-growing abundance of VR accessories to choose from. Eyeing up all of the options can be off-putting, especially if you’ve only just bought your first VR headset. To save you the hassle, we honed in on accessories that either enhance the VR experience, make it safer, up the convenience chops of a VR setup, or help keep your headset in tip-top condition.A textured surface lets the player know exactly where they are and which direction they are facing, acting as a tactile barrier, a physical limit to the designated play area to keep them safe. Aside from basic VR experiences akin to those from Google Daydream and Samsung Gear VR, the main draw of the Vive Flow is the ability to mirror your smartphone display. That allows you to run apps like Disney+ and Netflix, enjoying your digital content on a virtual 100in display.

If you need a solution to route cables off the ground so they don’t pose a tripping or tangling hazard when playing, the KIWI design VR Cable Management offers a novel 360° rotation ceiling-mounted six-pulley system to declutter and expand your play area. The pulleys mount to your ceiling either via adhesive or screw hooks, routing cables away from your feet and body for a surprisingly convincing untethered feel. Plant one above your PC, then stagger the rest throughout the room. I’m really amazed how good this piece of wood and metal looks and feels. It is a must-have accessory for desk setups and matches extremely well with the side wall of my office.An in-built LED adds some tasteful flair to the stand. The LED can be adjusted to red, gold, green, cyan, blue, indigo, lavender, white, and a cycling color mode, so you can fine-tune it to match or jazz up your existing RGB setup. Rather than having to buy an entirely new headset when HTC reveals new tech, Cosmos owners can simply buy a new faceplate and attach it to their existing headset, offering huge savings down the line. The Vive Cosmos isn’t the cheapest VR headset available to consumers. But, the modular nature makes the Cosmos range unique, which is why it costs a little more.

Aside from the fact that the system is only compatible with a small number of smartphones in the wider market (and no iPhone support at all), the decision to use Miracast instead of standard USB-C connectivity means there’s input lag. That means you can’t play your favourite games via the cloud on the headset, nor can you hook it up to a laptop for work purposes. After dealing with the costly official Elite strap, I can confidently say that the M2 Pro Strap by BOBOVR has proven to be an outstanding substitute. The KRX Link Cable for VR Headsets is pieced together for durability with multi-layer protection, light materials, and a welcome fully-braided cable despite the lower cost. It’s pleasantly flexible and soft as opposed to the bulky stiffness of most standard USB cables.The issue is the oddly rectangular FOV, with the 120-degree FOV referring to the horizontal FOV only. It makes some VR experiences feel a little more claustrophobic when compared to the likes of the Valve Index. The Meta Quest Pro is Meta’s most advanced VR headset to date, and in fact, it’s the most capable of any standalone VR headset on the market right now – but it’s only really for a specific type of person. The only real issue is with content. With Meta funding many of the biggest and best VR titles on its headsets including Beat Saber, Resident Evil 4, Medal of Honor and Among Us VR, it’s unlikely that these will ever appear on a competitor’s platform. There are a few notable games on the Pico Store including Blade & Sorcery: Nomad and Into the Fall, but it’ll take some time for Pico to build up a library as large and varied as that from Meta.