VR headsets have become popular in many homes over the past few years, mainly due to regular releases from Meta, Sony’s PSVR 2 and PC-adjacent products from HTC, HP, Vive and others. Many of these headsets are great on their own, but they shine even more when worn with accessories.
However, the industry is still in its “wild west” phase, so it can be hard to know what’s worth buying and what will end up in the closet within a week. That’s where Engadget comes in. Here are the best VR accessories to pair with modern headsets.
We’ve tried to keep these picks as universal as possible, so they’re compatible with different VR ecosystems. However, some of the best VR accessories only work on certain platforms and we’ll cover that as we go along. We’ve also steered clear of experimental and expensive add-ons like treadmills and force feedback clothing to prevent you from going bankrupt.
DriveR Elite VR Golf Club Handle Attachment
In my opinion, games like Topgolf’s Golf+ and Walkabout Mini Golf are the best apps for VR headsets — and I’ve never played golf in my life. There’s something about golf-related activities that fit perfectly in virtual reality. It already feels real, but you can make it even better by buying club attachments.
Golf clubs are long and heavy, while VR controllers are small and light. Weighted club attachments solve this problem, and DeadIVR’s DriveR Elite is one of the best.
The Fox Driver integrates with the Meta Quest headset and the iron core provides that necessary weight. It’s not as tall as its real-world counterpart, but it’s actually a nice addition to your windows and furniture. If you like minigolf, check out the company’s line of putters.
AMVR VR G-un Stock Attachment Compatible with Meta/Oculus Quest 3S/Quest 3
First person shooters are another great genre for VR, but standard controllers don’t cater to it. For added realism, integrate your controllers with some sort of gun stock attachment. We recommend buying this one from reputable accessory maker AMVR. It actually comes with two gun stock attachments so you can live out the dream of wielding dual swords like the ultimate badass from a John Woo movie.
They look great too, with an aesthetic that’s reminiscent of the old NES light gun accessory. The only caveat? They’re designed to work with the new Quest controllers, so the only viable headsets are the Quest 3 and 3s. However, if you have one of these headsets, you’ll definitely start playing games like Arizona Sunshine, Population: One, and of course, rhythm shooter Pistol Whip.
Shadow Shot VR Bow Accessory
There are many great VR games in which the bow is the main weapon. Death: Unchained, Dungeons of Eternity, and Survival Nation all have strong archery mechanics, for starters. Gameplay generally requires you to pull back one controller while holding the other in place to mimic the motions of shooting an arrow.
This is fine, but it does take away from the realism a bit. DeadIVR’s Shadow Shot accessory doesn’t just feel like using a bow, it’s an actual bow. Controllers are attached at either end and you pull back and fire. For real-life archers, the learning curve should be close to zero. For newbies, this could be an interesting way to learn the basics of the game.
SteelSeries Arctis Nova 4
Let’s get a few things out of the way first: any pair of wired headphones will work with any VR headset. The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 4 headphones aren’t specifically designed to be VR headsets, but they do have a number of features for enthusiasts.
They have 360-degree spatial audio, which is a real game-changer for VR experiences, an AI-assisted microphone that reduces ambient noise and a fully customizable EQ, which comes in handy when streaming videos or listening to music on a VR headset.
These are also wireless headphones with Bluetooth that connect to almost everything. But you may want to plug directly in when moving around in a VR space to minimize lag. However, going wireless, you’ll get 36 hours of use on a single charge and a quick-charge feature that charges the headphones in just 15 minutes.