This year end has brought a pleasant surprise for the VR world as it’s finally taking a positive leap towards the mass adoption of the general household, much of it thanked to the timely release of the Quest 3 from Meta. Evidently, most major retailers were struggling to keep the Quest 3 in stock over the flood of purchases during the holiday season. The Meta app also topped the Download chart on iOS App store for the week trailing Christmas.
Fun Tip: Did you know you don’t have to buy apps and games twice for mutiple Meta VR headsets within a household? Turn on App Sharing!
Fundamentally, the Quest 3 is also a major technical improvement over the Quest 2 with sharper images, clearer audio, better ergonomic properties, and smarter as well. The display headset that people once laughed at for how ridiculous a person looks while wearing it, becomes the most sought-after platform last month.
In contrast to the Apple upcoming VR which costs north of $3500, the Quest 3’s asking price of $500-$650 seemingly is not so bad at all now. It’s perfect for someone who wants to test the virtual water and not get disappointed –especially when the cost is split over 4 interest-free payments with Paypal’s Pay in 4, Apple Pay Later or with Affirm; which definitely is the current trendy thing to do this year, cuz everyone and their meemaw’s already maxed out their credit cards post-Thanksgiving lol.
And as the old sentiment has changed, the techs got better and thus there will be multiple waves of new travelers to the metaverse which in turn brings more friends and families to the platform via words of mouth. And for that reason I think I should buy 500 ITM leap calls on $META just to see the moon, but who knows what turmoil an election could bring! Yet whatever the chaos the real world gives, you can now always take a little break from it and have great fun in the virtual world like you’re the main character in Ready Player One…eh. Still an absolute fun though!
1. Better Strap!
However when there are other members and children in your family, invest in an after-market strap could make a huge difference for everyone. It’ll also save you from a whole lot of frustration and time to adjust the fitment of the strap as the headset changes heads.
Anyhow, after a trial with several third-party straps, the clear winner for me is the DESTEK QH3 Pressure-free Head Strap!
The Destek QH3 is definitely among the more affordable choices, asking less than $35 and that is half the price of what you’d have to spend if bought directly from the Meta shop. Plus it is a whole lot more comfortable and easily adjustable than both the stock’s or the Meta’s upsell strap. The build quality is nice and solid as well.
Yet main reason this strap is a win in my book is because it has the additional top adjustment that helps balance the weight on both front and the back of your head, it really prevents wear fatigue on your face over prolonged period of usage. It can also quickly adapt to all sizes heads as far as I have tried putting it on, and it fits snuggly without hurting anything near the brain.
There are also more expensive straps from other sellers with a built-in battery –but you should know that it might not be a good idea to put non-removable, unverified lithium ion battery anywhere near your face.
Alternative:
2. Better Grips!
Most after-market options could instantly improve the comfort of holding your controllers and help take the gaming experience to a greater level with more precise point and click. For the most parts, it’s also for the sake of people around too.
I’m a middle class in US, which also known as The Poor in 2023, so I’m all for squeezing the pennies as efficiently as possible. I find that the YRXVW Protective Covers are one of the best priced around, and it’s often going for $15. That’s definitely considered an essential investment with a high ROI, like a great IT department that upper managements always overlook. If you prefer a combo set with rubber faceplate, check out the bundle by Flattermonn as well –it’s only a few dollars more.
Alternative:
3. More Play Time!
..or plug it into an overkill 50,000mAh powerbank that gives you an extra 27 hours of screentime on the go. Note that not all powerbank can charge the Quest 3 on the fly, look for high-powered Quick Charge 4.0. Yet to be honest, 50000mAh is a big piece of brick, I think around 10000mAh would fit comfortably in your back pocket and quickly dissipate any passing gas.
You can also buy this belt with a built-in 10000mAh battery that at least sits a bit away from your head and closer to your heart because obviously love kills. Or if you want to go for the neck, there is an option for it as well.
In my opinion, I think a combo of a long cable and a supercharge 10000mAh power bank is the best if you want to be high power + portable with the Quest 3; though some may find it’s cumbersome to have a wire around. In this case reroute the cable around the head strap itself to prevent it from disconnecting with the Quest 3.
On the other hand, the lowest cost approach is probably just a long cable to the wall jack; and the near tangle-free solution is the belt or a neckstrap with battery. Lastly, besides one from Meta, I’m not sure how safe a third-party head strap with built-in battery is, so it’s your call to make. These straps often don’t support the top adjustment like the DESTEK above.
4. Others!
Though I’m not blind like a bat, but most bats would say they can see better than me. That’s why I’m glad there actually is love for people wearing glasses like me. There are two reputable prescription lens manufacturers for the Quest 3; and with just a little over $50, you can get yourself a nice pair of perfect fit lens to improve your personal enjoyment and quality of experience in the Meta world.For the first time since forever, I actually feel like a child again because I didn’t have to wear glasses to see the world back then. Ugh, it’s weird to be the same age as old people man!
Speaking of fine wine, since the week I got the Quest 3, it has been dropped for the total of three times thanked to my clumsy hands. And each time I was really certain it was done for. Fortunately it’s mostly just scratches –but still, I’m starting to hate the gravity around here.
Maybe do yourself a favor and avoid any potential future regrets with these protective kits, just for that peace of mind. There isn’t a lot of options on the market right now, but I’m trusting this simple combo to keep the passthrough cameras safe. At least until I accidentally drop and naturally add a kick the Quest 3 down the next two floors, of course.
5. Apps and Games
Fast forward to this day, I have compiled this list of goodies that I really enjoy. It’s something you probably like to have for your Quest 3 as well. I also use these links from Metamom4 and they usually carry a 25% discount, hopefully that will save you some money. Enjoy and have fun!
Big Screen
Watch local videos, 3D movies or stream Youtube, Twitch, Prime, etc.. in a big room, camp fire or in a theater, alone or with your friends. There is also a VR chatroom for you to hang out with up to 12 players. You can also stream video games from your PC as well. It’s free and gets updated very frequently.
First Encounter
This is such one fun mixed-reality game for everyone in the house, and a good one to showcase to others what your headset could do as well. The game will fill portion of your room with a setting of a faraway planet filled and a bunch of space puffians. Catch ’em all, person with the highest score wins!
Ocean Rift
If you miss snorkeling in the Carribean sea or ever want to try it dry before taking the real dip, get Ocean Rift. You can dive into beautiful underwater safari parks full of aquatic life and..prehistoric animals. It will be a fascinating swim nonetheless!
Beat Saber or Synth Riders
Two of the most loved VR games. The concept is simple, free style with the music, catch notes, evade objects and master your rhythm rails. I thought it would be boring just like similar games on phone, but VR really makes a world of different. Recently, more players start to prefer the mixed-reality mode available in Synth Riders more than full VR that in Beat Saber. Either way, both games are surprisingly super fun to play and potentially could help you shred some weight for the new year. Not like I gained any while eating ramen due to this stubborn inflation lol.
BRINK Traveler
This is a beautiful, easy going game for your collection. With over 25 locations to choose, from South Korea to Iceland, France to Spain, etc..the BRINK world brings many natural wonders to your breath-taking view. It might not be as amazing as a real life experience obviously, but at least I can avoid the crowd and enjoy walking the scene quietly, that’s just worth $15 in my opinion.
If you prefer something like a Google map experience, also check out Wooorld –it builds a visual mixed-reality world using Google Maps 3D data and you can quickly jump to any location to discover places, plan a trip or see landmarks of over 170 countries in the world. It could be endless fun if you are into exploring Google Maps. The game also supports Co-op under Collaborate or Challenge mode.
Super Hot
Who never attemped those bullets dodging moves like in the Matrix when you were young and noob? Well, don’t let that dream slip away. I now can do –what I call a pro gamer move– exactly what I always performed in front of my friends before, but so much cooler. This game could be hours of fun for you and it’s an absolute great workout. By the end of it, you might become a fully qualified special agent –just so you know the NSA is hiring starting salary at $140,000.
Richie’s Plank Experience
Why is this a worthy game you ask? I came across this clip on Reddit, well you can see for yourself…
Eleven Table Tennis or Racket Club
When it comes to pingpong or tennis matches, these games are the best of them all. I’m sure you will get hooked with the physics of Racket Club and have endless fun with Table Tennis, no doubt. The cherry on top is you can compete with another player online or play co-op with a friend. Soon you’ll realize it’s a lot more addicting than it sounds.
Crazy Kungfu
So we can train like the Furious Five in Kungfu Panda?? Enough said.
You are probably tired with all the reading right now and ready to get back on the Quest 3. I’d like to speed things up, here are the rest of the most phenomenal VR games that definitely gives you the greatest time in the virtual world. I’m introducing them here for the last because they might come with a premium price tag unlike the mini games above. Thankfully, Meta is still running 25% OFF on these links for now so feel free to use them before they are expired.
Once you are done with all these awesome games, which could take over a year or even more, you can look into streaming VR games from your PC to the Quest 3 (PCVR). OR, learn about Sidequest and relive that retro life once again with Dukem Nukem 3D along with other classic games you once know.
The possibilities, are absolutely out of this world!