The Oculus Quest 2 is great, but these accessories make it even better

The Oculus Quest 2 is an amazing, affordable introduction to VR, but it isn’t without its flaws. Its face cover causes skin irritation, and it doesn’t ship with the official Carrying Case. Its unsupportive cloth strap makes the headset top-heavy, the battery is short-lived…there’s plenty to improve! Thankfully, the best Oculus Quest 2 accessories actually solve (or at least alleviate) many of these issues. To make your virtual experience better, we’ve chosen the top Oculus or third-party option in every category, from face covers to batteries, Link cables to VR-ready PCs.

Best overall: Oculus Quest 2 Carrying Case

You may not be carrying your Quest 2 anywhere these days, but unless you want to keep your Quest 2 in the box it shipped in, you need something to hold it. The lenses can get damaged after just a few seconds of exposure to sunlight, and after you buy a bunch of accessories, you’ll need somewhere to keep them, so they don’t get lost.

Among the best Oculus Quest 2 cases, Facebook’s first-party accessory should be your first choice, and not because it has an “O” engraving. It can fit your headset, controllers, charging cable, and Link Cable secure, with custom molding and inlaid dividers that keep everything in place. That’s all fairly standard; what makes the official case stand out is that it can fit the Quest 2 with the Elite Strap attached. Most third-party cases are designed for the base headset, with no room for bigger straps.

Even if you don’t have the Elite Strap, this case looks stylish, is easy to carry with the attached hand-hold, and is specifically designed for the Quest 2. (Many third-party cases were originally designed for the Quest 1 and relabeled.) On the other hand, the soft material and lack of padding mean it doesn’t protect from falls or compression in a suitcase. For actually carrying a case around outside, consider looking at a hard-shelled case from the linked list above as an alternative.

Before you buy it, consider one thing first: the Elite Strap with Battery comes with a Carrying Case, so if you plan to buy that as well, there’s no need to buy this individually.

Pros:

• Fits the Elite Strap
• Molded to naturally hold Quest 2 securely
• Stylish design

Cons:

• Soft-shelled
• Pricier than most alternatives

Best overall

Oculus Quest 2 Carrying Case

• $49 from Amazon
• $49 at Best Buy
• $49 at B&H Photo

A perfect fit

An essential Quest 2 accessory, the Carrying Case makes it much more portable and convenient to carry, store, and use.

Best Quest 2 head strap: Oculus Quest 2 Elite Strap

The default Quest 2 strap is soft and loose, making it easy to pull the headset on and off but not offering much support. The Quest 2 Elite Strap hugs the back of your head and comes with a fit adjustment wheel to tighten or loosen it around your head. It’s heavier than the default strap but keeps the Quest 2 more secure during active VR games. It somewhat offsets the front-heavy design.

You may have heard rumors of the Elite Strap breaking when you tightened it too much, but after an initial recall, Oculus fixed the issue and has been selling it without user complaints for half a year now. You can safely buy one without worrying.

There are two main reasons to buy the Elite Strap. The first, obvious reason is improved comfort and fit. The second is that you can buy a special Elite Strap with Battery and Carrying Case bundle. This version inserts a battery into the back of the strap that plugs into the charging port, adding several hours of additional playtime. Some Quest 2 modders strap battery packs onto their headsets to add more battery life, but that can be uncomfortable; this built-in battery solution is really handy.

Our recommendation is the Elite Strap, but we can’t deny that it’s expensive and makes the Quest 2 less portable. If it isn’t what you’re looking for, we suggest looking into the best Quest 2 Elite Strap alternatives, which should also serve your needs.

Pros:

• Better ergonomics than default strap
• Back wheel for secure fit
• Upgraded model comes with battery and case

Cons:

• Early models had issues with breaking
• Makes headset larger, can’t fit in some cases

Best Quest 2 head strap

Oculus Quest 2 Elite Strap

• $49 from Amazon
• $129 from Amazon (w/ Battery and Carrying Case)

Better fit, balance, and padding

The Elite Strap makes extended play sessions much more comfortable and can even double your playtime with the built-in battery.

Best Quest 2 link cable: VR Cover Premium USB-C Cable for Oculus Quest 2 (5m)

33% of SteamVR users use the Oculus Quest 2, despite the fact that it’s not designed for native PC VR. To play Steam VR games on the Quest 2, you can play games wirelessly with Air Link or Virtual Desktop, but a wired connection gives you the best, most consistent performance — especially if your network isn’t built to handle the required speeds.

You can buy the official Oculus Link cable for reliable performance, but it gets expensive. That’s why we point people to the best Oculus Link cable alternatives; and of those, the closest rival cable in specs, length, and quality is the VR Cover Premium USB-C Cable. It’s a 16-foot, USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C cable rated to transfer 10Gbps and 20V/3A of power — everything you need for PC gaming on your Quest 2.

A nylon-braided cable with a right-angle head to slot into the Quest 2 charging port, the VR Cover cable is designed with plenty of give and flexibility for roomscale VR without potentially yanking and damaging your hardware (or tweaking your neck). It’s the closest you’ll get to the freedom of wireless VR while still tethered to your computer.

Pros:

• 16 feet (5m) long
• 10Gbps fast enough for any game
• Enough power to keep steady battery while playing
• Cheaper than the official Link cable

Cons:

• You might need a USB-C-to-USB-A adapter for computer
• Still fairly pricey

Best Quest 2 link cable

VR Cover Premium USB-C Cable for Oculus Quest 2 (5m)

• $49 from Amazon

Almost cordless

The 5m VR Cover USB-C cable is your best alternative to the official (expensive) cable for consistent PC VR performance.

Best VR-ready PC: HP OMEN 30L

It’s not every day you’d call a PC an “accessory,” but in this case, it’s the truth. The best Oculus Quest 2 games can be immersive and graphically impressive for a mobile VR headset, but you need PC hardware to play Oculus Rift- or SteamVR-level games on a Quest 2. So check and see if your PC, laptop, or Mac is compatible with Oculus Link; if it isn’t, then we suggest picking up a VR-ready PC if you can afford one.

Most powerful PCs with graphics cards made in the last few years will work for VR. But if you need help picking one, we’d suggest the HP Omen 30L, highly rated by our colleagues at Windows Central and one of the best prebuilt PCs for Oculus Link. Depending on which model you buy, you can upgrade up to an Intel Core i9-10900K, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 GPU, a TB of SSD storage with some HDD backup, and 32GB of RAM.

These specs are all more than powerful enough for playing the best SteamVR games to play with Oculus Link. It has one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port — perfect for your VR Cover Link cable — and plenty of fan cooling to keep it running smoothly. Performance is excellent in various benchmark tests, at least with the best build. Really, the only issue with the HP Omen 30L is that the top builds are quite expensive and often hard to find.

Pros:

• Excellent computing and gaming specs
• NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 GPU
• USB-C port for Oculus Link
• Cool RGB lighting

Cons:

• Cheaper PCs can also run VR games
• Fans were noisy in tests

Best VR-ready PC

HP Omen 30L

• From $1,500 from HP (Base hardware)
• From $2,100 at HP (RTX 3080 upgrade)

Expand your Quest 2 gaming library

This prebuilt gaming PC has a next-gen graphics card and respectable components, ready for the most demanding VR experiences.

Best Quest 2 battery pack: VR Power 2 for Oculus Quest 2

There’s very little worse than that “low battery” warning ruining the immersion of an intense Beat Saber session, forcing you to cut the fun short. The Quest 2 only lasts about 2.5 hours on a full charge and will drain if you leave it on standby, so you’re bound to run out quickly. That’s why we recommend strapping a reliable Quest 2 battery pack to your headset to extend your playtime.

As we mentioned above, the Elite Strap with Battery will naturally accomplish this, but its bundled price is steep, and the 4,676mAh boost to battery life is only a couple of hours. For true all-day battery life, look into Rebuff Reality’s 10,000 mAh VR Power 2. It attaches to the back of your head strap and displays the current capacity, so you know if it needs a recharge itself.

The VR Power 2 sits on the upper back of your head, resting comfortably thanks to its soft padding on the inside. It can work with the default strap, as well as the non-Battery Elite Strap or other third-party straps. It’s relatively heavy at 0.6 pounds, but this helps to counterbalance the headset’s weight. The included cord runs along the top strap and slots into the charging port, with fastening clips to keep it in place.

You can buy a standard battery pack with the same (or larger) capacity for much cheaper, but you’ll have to find a way to attach it to your headset securely. This is designed specifically for the Quest 2 and is much easier to install.

Pros:

• Ups your playtime by 4 to 6 hours
• Serves as a counterweight to headset
• Costs less than Elite Strap with Battery
• More secure than most modded battery packs

Cons:

• Fairly expensive
• Somewhat heavy
• Makes headset harder to remove

Best Quest 2 battery pack

VR Power 2 for Oculus Quest 2

• $70 from Rebuff Reality

Playing with power

Rebuff Reality’s 10,000mAh battery prepares the Quest 2 for an all-day virtual reality binge.

Best Quest 2 controller accessory: VR Cover Controller Grips

Oculus Touch controllers come with little built-in hand straps that prevent accidental tosses. But if you do let go, the controllers awkwardly swing from your wrists; you have to keep a constant, rigid grip on them during play sessions, which can strain your wrists or cramp your hands. That’s why many Quest 2 gamers like Quest 2 hand strap mods which strap the Touch controllers to your knuckles so you can safely loosen your grip.

Out of all the available mods, we tested and loved the VR Cover Controller Grips. They velcro around your upper knuckles, so the Touch controllers stay firmly in place at all times, with the buttons within easy reach. The felt fabric material helps it to feel soft and cool rather than restrictive and sweaty. And they come with a non-slip, textured plastic grip that’s pleasingly firm, so gripping it hard won’t cause it to shift under the pressure.

These grips add some extra weight, but surprisingly, you may appreciate that when playing active games like Beat Saber and Creed: Rise to Glory. And you can easily remove the VR Cover straps when they get dirty since they’re fully washable (unlike the Touch controllers).

Pros:

• Keeps the controller securely in your hand
• Fits any hand size easily
• Adds a little more weight to the controller
• Comfortable felt material

Cons:

• Prominent VR Cover branding

Best Quest 2 controller accessory

VR Cover Controller Grips

• $29 from Amazon

Loosen up

Give your hands a rest. These durable, well-made knuckle grips keep the Touches secure in place no matter how much you shake them.

Best Quest 2 face cover: AMVR Facial Vent and Pads

The Quest 2’s biggest design flaw is its foam padding on the inside of the headset. Not only do the pads absorb dirt and sweat that’s difficult to clean, but they can cause consistent skin irritation across long play sessions. Facebook recently issued a voluntary facial interface recall and are sending Quest 2 owners a free silicone cover to cover up the foam. Even Oculus agrees you need a new face cover!

You can certainly make do with Oculus’s complimentary cover; it’s free, after all! But it doesn’t solve another persistent issue with the Quest 2: lens fogging. The headset design prioritizes blocking light at the expense of air circulation to and from the headset, causing heat and sweat to condensate on the lenses. To solve this issue, try installing AMVR’s Facial Vent and Pads.

This mod has a special vented nose gasket that improves circulation without letting too much light in. Made of PU leather materials, it’s arguably more comfortable than silicone but still reflects sweat much better than foam. It even has “side wedges” that cushion your face around your eyes, blocking light and improving the fit for people who wear glasses. All in all, you get plenty of modded improvements to the headset, plus some replacement parts, for a reasonable price.

We’re a fan of the AMVR facial interface; we just strongly recommend you buy the all-black set, as consumers report that the other version’s orange coloring catches light inside the headset, causing a distracting glow.

Pros:

• Comfortable
• Ventilation prevents fogging
• Reduced light leakage
• Tight fit

Cons:

• Complicated to install
• Orange color can be noticeable in-headset

Best Quest 2 face cover

AMVR Facial Vent and Pads

• $27 from Amazon

No sweat

AMVR’s Facial Vent and Pads improve ventilation and comfort, are easy to clean, and give you a more premium leather feel.

Best Quest 2 headphones: Logitech G333 VR gaming earphones

The Quest 2 comes with built-in speakers, but those speakers are relatively tinny and low-quality. Plus, chances are your family or roommates won’t want to hear your game audio spilling out. For proper immersion and for sparing the people nearby, the best Oculus Quest 2 headphones are necessary to any Quest 2 owner’s arsenal. And for us, the Logitech G333 VR earphones top that category.

With dual drivers dedicated to mids/highs and bass, respectively, these compact earbuds deliver solid audio despite their lightweight design. And speaking of design, they have custom-length cords, so the side nearer the Quest 2’s 3.5mm headphone jack is shorter; that, along with the provided velcro straps, ensures the cable doesn’t dangle and bounce during active gameplay. Plus, of course, they don’t have any noticeable latency, ensuring the audio matches up to the video.

Co-developed by Facebook and Logitech, the G333 VR earbuds are a little expensive, especially considering their custom length makes them unsuited for use with a smartphone. But they’re easy to attach to your Quest 2 permanently, adding no noticeable weight and fitting easily inside any carrying case. They also come with three different bud sizes, so they’ll fit most ears without difficulty.

Whether you prefer these or over-ear headphones is a genuine matter of preference. We think these work better for action-packed games or VR exercise regimens, but if you want more powerful audio, other Quest 2 headphones like the Logitech G PRO may work better for you.

Pros:

• Lightweight
• Low-latency
• Dual drivers
• Custom cord length and velcro straps

Cons:

• Costly for earbuds
• Only work for VR

Best Quest 2 headphones

Logitech G333 VR gaming earphones

• $49 from Amazon
• $50 at Best Buy

Good things, small packages

Don’t let the G333s’ small form-factor confuse you: they’re capable of delivering rich, crisp audio for sinking into VR worlds.

Best Quest 2 accessory for glasses-wearers: VirtuClear Rx lens inserts

While the Quest 2 ships with a glasses spacer, many have reported that it doesn’t prevent glasses from sliding up against the headset’s lenses — meaning either set of lenses can get scratched. Even if that doesn’t happen, a tight fit will make your glasses push up against your nose, causing headaches and discomfort. For the near- or farsighted who want a clearer, more natural VR experience, you can buy prescription Quest 2 inserts and ditch your glasses.

Made “in partnership” with Facebook, VirtuClear lenses are installed directly over the official lenses. You send in your official prescription, and VirtuClear will customize and ship your personal lenses to you. It takes 7 to 10 days to create the lenses, then extra time for shipping. The company also recommends you install the Quest 2 Fit Pack for better comfort with these lenses.

Just like that, you’ll essentially have personalized Quest 2 lenses while freeing yourself from glasses!

These lenses work best for solitary Quest 2 owners who don’t regularly share the headset with friends or family members. Yes, you can remove and reinsert them every time you swap headsets, but that’d be annoying for anyone. Also, you’ll want to make sure your prescription is up to date; these lenses aren’t cheap, and your eyes could get worse in a year, so make sure they’re accurate for as long as possible.

Pros:

• Tailor-made for the Quest 2
• Endorsed by Oculus and Facebook
• Anti-glare treatment
• Easy installation

Cons:

• Takes a long time to ship
• Pretty expensive
• Not designed for sharing

Best Quest 2 accessory for glasses-wearers

Virtu Clear Rx lens inserts

• $80 from Frames Direct

Clearing things up

Tred of cramming your glasses in-between your Quest 2 and your face while playing? VirtuClear’s lens inserts will be a lifesaver.

Bottom line

There’s no VR headset like the Quest 2; its portability and reasonable starting price make it a popular entry point for virtual experiences. But Oculus made it so inexpensive in part by not including many vital accessories in the box. With a set of the best Oculus Quest 2 accessories, your experiences with the headset genuinely will improve. And you’ll want to start with an official Quest 2 Carrying Case, which can safely fit the headset and many of those accessories.

You can’t just shove the Quest 2 into a backpack and call it a day. The lenses could be scratched, the various cables and chargers lost, or the Touch joysticks pressed to the side, potentially causing drift. A Carrying Case is an easy way to protect your investment and keep all your VR tools in one attractive container. Plus, it has room for your upgraded Elite Strap!

Credits — The team that worked on this guide

Charlie Wacholz is a freelance writer at Android Central. He has a passion for all things gaming, exciting, innovative hardware and VR, as well as indie games and anything Nintendo touches. When he’s not writing, you can find him talking about Metroid or asking for a new Katamari game on Twitter at @chas_mke or waxing nostalgic about games, film, TV shows, and music on his podcast, Comfort Food.

Michael Hicks is a former ebook dev turned tech writer whose career arc took him from VR to wearables, emerging tech to gaming guides, before arriving at AC to cover Android, Oculus, Stadia, and smart homes, among other things. A Bay Area native, he loves underperforming sports teams, running, and tormenting his friends as the DM for D&D and Star Wars RPG campaigns.