The Meta Quest 2 — formerly the Oculus Quest 2 prior to Facebook’s rebrand — is a stand-alone system that has brought virtual reality closer to the mainstream than ever. It’s available at $299 for the 128GB model, which consists of a headset and a pair of controllers. While those are the only basic pieces you need to jump into the world of VR, there’s a whole ecosystem of accessories out there designed to enhance your VR experience, protect your equipment and make you feel more comfortable while playing.
With all that in mind, here’s a look at some of the top Quest 2 accessories out there. Most I’ve tried myself, including the Quest 2 Elite Strap, various carrying cases, a VR mat, prescription lenses, sweat mask, weighted gloves, external battery packs and a generic version of the Oculus Link VR cable. But a few selections are highly rated by buyers online. I’ll be adding more Quest 2 accessories and will update this list as I try them out.
Read more: Best VR Games and Experiences on Quest and Quest 2
Amazon
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 Nufr comes in various colors for around $16, with the price varying slightly by color.
Amazon
When I was looking to upgrade to an “elite” head strap for my virtual reality experience, I didn’t necessarily want to spend $50 for the official Elite Head Strap. I was looking for a Quest accessory bundle that combined accessories and found this one from Esimen, which includes a nice carrying case. So far, after a month of use, everything is holding up well. That said, both the Elite Head Strap and official Quest 2 Carrying Case have a more premium look and feel to them (whether they’re worth the extra dough is debatable, of course).
Best Buy
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 I bought). You just have to pay a premium for it.
Amazon
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. I bought a Vokoo bundle that included a controller grip set and a lens cover. (It’s important to protect your lenses from the sun and getting knocked.) Everything fit well and is working fine, so no complaints, but the Vokoo bundle is no longer in stock.
FramesDirect
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.
Meta
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 that it costs $49.
Amazon
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 one. It’s a little hardcore, but it’s a must-have if you play a lot of virtual table tennis.
David Carnoy/CNET
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 re-center 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 (the price seems to fluctuate a bit). Both are 35 inches in diameter.
Amazon
Amazon has several VR sweat masks available for those who play active VR games and end up with a little too much perspiration build up. After a session of Thrill of the Fight (boxing), I often end up with sweat dripping into my eyes inside the headset, which is irritating. That’s where one of these sweat masks can help. They look a little ridiculous but they can make the VR playing experience more comfortable.
The Crossmeta version here is a little more expensive than some other options on Amazon but it comes with three masks instead of two.
David Carnoy/CNET
While you can use any corded headphones with the Quest 2, there are a handful of official headsets, including Logitech’s G Pro Gaming Headset. It seems sturdy and is comfortable for an over-ear pair, with memory foam earpads that passively seal out ambient noise. You get a short cord (with a Velcro strip) that’s designed for the Quest 2, along with other cord accessories that allow you to use the Quest headset with your PC and other consoles. The boom microphone is detachable.
I was focused a little more on the comfort factor — and wearing this Quest 2 headset during a workout VR game will raise the temp on your head a bit — but they sound good, too.
David Carnoy/CNET
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 are 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.
Amazon
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.
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.
David Carnoy/CNET
Quest 2 controllers use AA batteries and they last a reasonable amount of time but if you play a lot, they do require replacing 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 MiMH 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 move to USB-C in the future. Currently, its rechargeable D batteries charge via USB-C.
Amazon
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.
Amazon
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 (over Wi-Fi) to be more reliable. The official Oculus Link Cable costs $78, but lots of less expensive versions are available, including this 20-foot KRX data transmission and charging cable.
David Carnoy/CNET
If you’re looking for an external battery to attach to your headset to get more juice, this 10,000-mAh Aukey is a good option for less than $50. You’ll have to figure out a way to mount it to your headset. I made a DIY mount with a stick-on magnet I put on the back of an Elite Head Strap knockoff and then I stuck an adhesive plate on the battery. It worked great. Magnets are your friends when it comes to mounting. (Like all other Aukey products on Amazon, this one is currently unavailable there, but you can buy it directly at the link below.)
Amazon
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 research 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.
Each glove only adds a pound of weight, but that’s more than you think. They fit inside the controllers fine.
