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Here Are The Best Oculus Rift Extension Cables

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Putting together room-scale VR setup for your Oculus Rift may prove to be tricky. This is mostly due to the number and complexity of cables which you’ll have to extend, in order to provide room-scale tracking and freedom of movement. The critical issues are ensuring your HDMI cable can handle the video signal output, and that the USB extension cables are capable of transferring the camera/sensor tracking.

Higher bandwidths usually don’t go well with Ethernet cables, so we recommend using only HDMI and USB cables. This proves to be fairly complicated, since the Rift is very specific about both PC ports and the extension cables you may use. On /r/oculus you can find a good guide on the extension cables which have been tested, and proved to work.

You should however proceed with caution, and put in some additional research, since some motherboards and GPUs simply aren’t compatible with all the listed extension cables.

You should also have in mind that the maximum length at which USB 3.0 cables work is about 15ft (3 meters), and if you want to buy a longer cable, consider getting an USB 2.0 extension. USB 2.0 uses less bandwidth data, hence it often works more reliably on lengthy cable extensions, 15ft and longer.

Oculus Rift HMD extension cables

It is possible for you to expand your room-scale Oculus Rift setup to a larger area than Oculus recommends. In order to extend your Oculus Rift headset, you gotta purchase two types of cables. These are HDMI 1.3 and an USB 3.0 extension cables.

Noticing that many users are willing to experiment with unusual setups, Oculus tested the following 6 foot cables which will enable you to enjoy VR in a larger area.

USB 3.0 Rift Cable Extension recommended by Oculus

Monoprice Six-Foot USB 3.0 Extension

HDMI Rift Cable Extension recommended by Oculus

Monoprice 6ft High Speed HDMI Cable Extension

Oculus Rift Sensor extension cables for wall-mount setups

For most standard setups, you can get away with 6ft USB cables, but for wall mounting you are going to need some 15ft extensions. For maintaining the recommended setup which includes two USB 3.0s and one USB 2.0, you are going to have to buy sensor cable extensions for each of them.

You should never buy USB 3.0 extension cables longer than 15ft – 17ft (5m), as we explained earlier. Besides this fact, backed up by experiences so far, you should always choose active extension cables over passive ones when purchasing. This is due to the fact they tend to maintain the signal better than the passive ones, so we recommend using active extension cables if possible.

Monoprice 15-Feet USB 3.0 Extension Cable

Monoprice 16-Feet USB 2.0 Extension Cable

Cable Matters  USB 3.0  Extension Cable 5 Meters/16.4′

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We hope this article helps you set up a killer Oculus Rift VR room! Make sure to visit VRBorg daily for more awesome virtual reality news, guides, tips and reviews!

If you like our content make sure to share it on the social media!

Sincerely yours, VRBorg Collective

6 Must Have Accessories for HTC Vive

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Even though the Vive is one of the most feature-complete virtual reality headset on the market, there are various accessories for HTC Vive available designed to optimize your experience. Third-party manufacturers, in cooperation with HTC, have produced many neat HTC Vive accessories which will enable you to enjoy high-end VR to the fullest extent.

Some of the gadgets which made our list of must have accessories for HTC Vive aim to improve the degree of immersion. Others are simply some quality-of-life improvements for HTC Vive owners, like storage and transport solutions. Eager to improve the already awsome HTC Vive experience? In that case, let’s take a look at the must have accessories for HTC Vive which will take it to the next level!

HTC Vive Deluxe Audio Strap

Audio plays a huge role in the world of virtual reality. In the Vive box, you get a pair of fairly basic earbuds, which don’t really provide the necessary audio quality. To achieve the more immersive VR, you are gonna have to invest in a pair of decent headphones, and the HTC Vive Deluxe Audio Strap is one of the best you can get.

Deluxe Audio Strap has the over-the-ear design, featuring two headphones hanging over your ears, which are attached to the adjustable strap. The build quality is very good considering the price range, combining lightweight and flexible plastic materials with foam padding for the comfortable fit.

Besides the significant improvement of audio quality, the Deluxe Audio Strap brings extra comfort to your VR sessions, as it complements HTC Vive’s design beautifully. It makes putting the Vive on just a bit easier every time. You can easily flip the headphones up in order to listen to the real world around you, if it’s really necessary.

Check out Deluxe Audio Strap on Amazon

TPCast – Wireless HTC Vive kit

HTC has officially announced the release of their own wireless adapter for HTC Vive and HTC Vive Pro in the beginning of 2018. However, it won’t be available until the end of 2018 (rough estimate), so if you are too impatient to wait for it, you can jump into tetherless VR using TPCast today!

The future of virtual reality will most certainly feature wireless headsets. Probably the most annoying thing about room-scale VR setup is dealing with all the cables, and therefore the somewhat limited freedom of movement.

For further explanations and installation instructions regarding TPCast, you should probably read this article. Clearly, there are few issues you may encounter with this, such as relatively short TPCast battery life. However, the benefits of wireless virtual reality by far exceed the few drawbacks every pioneering product comes out with.

The reason TPCast made our list of must have accessories for HTC Vive is the fact that once you’ve experienced tetherless VR, you’ll be wondering how the hell were you using the original, wired version for so long!

Check out the best TPCast deals on Amazon

HTC Vive VR Cover

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEQ9F8gAalw

Cheap and essential accessory for HTC Vive, the set of two replaceable covers which ensure your Vive foam padding doesn’t soak up the sweat during long and intense VR adventures. HTC Vive does come in the box with two face cushions, and while they are all soft and comfy at first, over time they do collect plenty of impurities. Once they accumulate a fair amount of dirt, there is no easy way to clean them properly.

The product from VR Cover on the other hand, can be washed in a washing machine, just like any other piece of cloth. It’s made of 100% cotton, meaning it will absorb any sweat and oil your skin may excrete during your VR sessions. While designing the product, manufacturers had both the hygiene and comfort in mind. The VR Cover doesn’t narrow your field of view the tiniest bit, since it adds less than 1mm to the Vive’s existing face foam.

Get HTC Vive covers on Amazon…

…or VR Cover official website

VR Docking Station by VRGE

VRGE manufactured a product which enables you to organize your virtual reality hardware in style! Not only can store your HTC Vive HMD, but also charge the Vive controllers on it.

The top section is made out of solid, high quality wood, polished to a satin finish. It comes in two different hues, lighter made of maple wood, and the darker one, which utilizes naturally glossy walnut wood. Soft-touch bumpers ensure you don’t damage your HTC Vive or the controllers when you put them down.

This VR docking station looks really classy and it is very compact. You can simply put it on your desk or mount it to the wall with ease (the necessary wall-mount hardware is included). It is available for all of the three high end VR headsets – Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and PSVR. The version of this HTC Vive accessory comes with a pair of 6ft USB cables.

Get the maple wood VR Docking Station on Amazon

Get the walnut wood VR Docking Station on Amazon

Hyperkin Polygon VR Protector Bag

What’s the point of having a virtual reality headset if you can’t show it off to your friends? Maybe you just travel a lot and decided to pick up a VR ready laptop since you want to enjoy high-end virtual-reality on the road.

In either case, you’re going to need a proper carrying case, and the Hyperkin Polygon VR Protector Bag might be just the right choice for you. It provides heavy duty protection at a fairly reasonable price. There are, of course, plenty of carrying cases to choose from, but this particular one made our list of must have accessories for HTC Vive because of the best cost/benefit ratio. Compartments are modular, meaning you can reorganize it in order to fit other accessories inside.

Check out the Hyperkin Polygon VR Protector Bag on Amazon

VIVE N CHILL

Last but not the least, VIVE N CHILL is definitely a must have accessory for your HTC Vive! This is an ingenious solution for one problem you cannot avoid during long and intense VR sessions – the HMD heats up after extended use, the heat is transferred to your face, hence the sweating is inevitable!

You can install this accessory for HTC Vive in under a minute. It is very lightweight, so you won’t even notice the added weight, and it is guaranteed to keep your head cool!

Get VIVE N CHILL now!

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This was VRBorg’s list of 6 must have accessories for HTC Vive! We hope that the items found on our list improve your VR experience!

If you liked this article, make sure to share it on the social media!

Sincerely Yours, VRBorg Collective!

Is the Oculus Rift Worth Buying in 2018?

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The diversity of the Rift makes it one of the premier Virtual Reality systems as of the moment. Yes, there are a lot of enthusiasts passionate about the Rift, and they have been around since it was first in development. But, with all the other VR systems out there, you have to decide whether the Rift is the one worth spending money on. Factors you have to balance are the resolutions of the eye screens with the actual prices of different VR headsets. Here are some of the main points to consider if you’re planning on buying an Oculus Rift.

What do most people who have bought the Rift think of it?

Well, most reviews are fairly positive. Those who have bought the rift because they are dedicated gamers looking to level up their gaming experience are reasonably pleased. Playing a VR game has never been so accessible or easy. Move a few years back, and VR meant visiting a special arcade or something of the sort. The charm of having a VR installation right in your own home is something that hasn’t worn out yet for most VR enthusiasts using the Rift.

While some claim that the Rift is as easy to use as a game console, this is not quite the case, as some level of setting and calibration is involved. However, the resolutions of the Rift are in dire need of an upgrade, even as competing devices forge ahead, and visual resolutions improve across the industry. The price of the Oculus Rift, while not exorbitant, could hardly be called inexpensive. However, if you look at the price of cutting edge devices like the HTC Vive Pro, the Oculus Rift, while offering lower resolutions, suddenly looks positively economical.

Click here for the best Oculus Rift prices

The Rift is simple, beautiful and practical

That’s really a winning combination. It is lightweight (it weighs only 380g), the helmet is easily worn, and the slick finish makes it look less like a gadget and more like something right out of science fiction. While it does tend to heat up with use, this does not become unpleasant. Moreover, the strap system is easily adjusted when the headset is on your head, and the lens adjustment button is more convenient than the Vive.

Oculus Rift 3

However, the ergonomics could be improved, especially when the headset is worn by someone who wears glasses. The layer of protective foam is very thin in some areas, or too thick in others. Thus, especially around the cheeks, the headset tends to press on the skin, and cause discomfort to a greater or lesser extent, depending on the individual shape of a person’s face.

How does the Rift compare to the Vive Pro?

A comparison is rather unfair, considering the exorbitant cost of the Vive Pro. That said, if you have the money to spring on a Vive Pro, it is the superior alternative at the moment, in terms of resolution and clarity. Do bear in mind that its massively enhanced resolutions demand enormous computational resources, which also massively increases the ultimate costs of a Vive Pro VR setup.

However, considering its price, the Oculus Rift certainly delivers

The Rift costs just $400 as of now, while even the classic Vive retails at $500, and the Vive Pro is too expensive to mention to people who don’t have a bank balance that can handle economical shocks of considerable magnitude.

The Rift really wins people over in terms of sheer performance. Its 5.7-inch OLED displays at 90Hz create resolutions of 1080p for each eye, or a combined resolution of 2160p x 1200p. You’ll have a viewing angle of 110 degrees, which sort of makes it feel like you’re looking at virtual reality through a scuba mask, but which one rapidly gets used to. On a reasonably high end machine, frame rates of around 45 FPS should be easy to reach.

Another big surprise is the sound quality. The headphones built into the headset do not look to impressive at first sight, but they offer a quality of sound that is not only perfectly adequate, but which actually generates a realistic ‘sound stage’ and creates good sound isolation.

Check out the best Oculus Rift Amazon deals

What’s the game experience like?

Why, it varies from game to game. No matter what the level of your display hardware – and that’s really what the Rift is – what you actually ultimately see in VR depends on the graphics of the app you’re using or the game you’re playing. It also depends on the computational power of your PC or VR laptop. But if the graphics of the game are great, the immersion and graphics quality created by the Rift are excellent. To most users, VR does become a convincing alternate reality with the Rift.

Oculus Rift 1

A great catalogue of games!

When the Rift first came out, it struggled against a lack of content. That’s now well in the past. One of the main strengths of the Oculus Rift today is its games catalog, with a growing number of exclusive games of very good quality.

In order to differentiate itself from its competitors, Oculus has chosen to form partnerships with various developers to ensure exclusivity on certain games in virtual reality. In fact, the Oculus Store is already full of exclusive titles of excellent quality, and the list continues to grow over the months. While we are hardly going to go into all the games available for the Rift here, I’ll just mention two or three to show you what the Rift could do for you.

From Other Suns, a cooperative space game for the Oculus Rift

From Other Suns is one of the most ambitious virtual reality games ever. Three players can join in VR to take control of a spaceship with the goal of returning to Earth. Finding resources, trading and fighting enemies are some of the ups and downs that await them on their journey home.

The timeline of each individual game you play in Other Suns is computer generated, so that no game resembles a previous one. The number of weapons you could collect is theoretically infinite. The content is colossal.

Ripcoil – Frisbee dueling on Oculus Rift

This game is simple but effective. Two players face each other in an arena, and throw a frisbee. The goal is to score a goal in the opposite camp. Standing on a mobile platform, players move by swaying from right to left.

The idea is to grab the disk in flight to send it back to the opponent. Walls on the sides of the arena help to bounce the frisbee. Each time it is sent back, the disc gains speed, which intensifies the rhythm of the action.

The Mage’s Tale, a virtual reality RPG for the Oculus Rift

In The Mage’s Tale, developed by InXile Entertainment , the player takes on the role of a sorcerer’s apprentice. The title features more than 10 hours of adventure , during which the player will have to create his own spells with an ingenious crafting system, defeat hordes of enemies by casting elemental spells with Oculus Touch controllers, discover hidden secrets in the depths of the dungeons and solve various riddles to find his master.

Those are just a taste of the games and apps available on the Rift – as you can see, there’s a wide selection that ranges from sci-fi to fantasy to horror.

Should I buy the Rift?

It all depends on your budget. If you can afford the Vive Pro, go for it. There are apps that allow you to play the entire Oculus library on the Vive. However, most people could not afford the Vive Pro. In which case, the Oculus Rift does provide an excellent VR experience at what has become a very competitive price. Whether for the gamer or the VR enthusiast, the Oculus Rift at the price it is available for today represents excellent value for money.

Get Oculus Rift on Amazon

Oculus Rift 2

Is HTC’s Vive Pro Worth Buying?

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After introducing a wireless and stand-alone version of the virtual reality headset, Vive Focus, a few weeks ago, HTC pushes forward with the Vive Pro. The HTC Vive Pro was unveiled at CES 2018 in Las Vegas, and is being represented as a considerable improvement over the original Vive. The new design corrects some perceived flaws in the make-up of the original Vive.

With the advent of the HTC Vive Pro, those VR enthusiasts who already have the original Vive are wondering if they should spring for the new one, while those who’ve been waiting for the release of the Vive Pro to make their advent into the world of VR are wondering whether this is the time to make their move, and buy the Vive Pro. Let’s answer everyone’s questions by telling you what advantages – or disadvantages – the Vive Pro might have over the original Vive, and whether you should buy now.

As the name implies, the Vive Pro is a new version of the original HTC headset, designed for VR enthusiasts and businesses. A headband for this new headset and a wireless module compatible with the classic Vive should come out a little later this year.

HTC Vive Pro 1

How much better is better?

The Vive Pro forges far ahead of the classic in terms of resolution, with each eye screen developing a resolution of 1440 by 1600. That gives a combined resolution of 2880 by 1600 pixels, which is far ahead of the classic Vive headset. This brings the resolution to 615 dpi, an increase that should allow a certain gain in display definition. Such an improvement also demands considerable processing power for a perfectly smooth experience. Optimal results can only be expected with a GTX 1080 or 1080 Ti graphics card.

Moreover, the Vive Pro has integrated headphones

The original Vive could be blamed for lacking an integrated audio system. A user had to use his or her own headphones. The Vive Pro incorporates a set of headphones that provide for Hi-Res Audio, and which provide for immersive 3D sound. HTC has decided to integrate active noise reduction, for even more complete sound immersion. A ‘conversation’ mode nevertheless allows one to hear a person outside one’s ‘virtual world’ if necessary.

What’s more, unlike various headsets with integrated headphones out there, these are detachable, so you could use your own if you wanted to. Not that you need to, as a rule – the integrated headphones deliver exceptional quality.

HTC Vive Pro 3

Redesigned ergonomics provide more comfort

Beyond the lower resolutions of the first Vive, we felt that it just wasn’t comfortable to wear. The Vive Pro has changed this by using a new arch system, both simpler to adjust and with better weight distribution. The foam padding on the face has also been changed, with the contact area increased by almost 25%, allowing for less pressure over a larger area. The light insulative capabilities of the headset have been improved to allow the user to be better immersed in the virtual world.

Check out Vive Pro deals on Amazon

The HTC Vive Pro also has 2 front cameras

For the moment, HTC has not focused too much on their possible utility. However, the new cameras would provide for not only better integration of the real world with the virtual world, but also allow the headset to be used in ‘augmented reality’, where the virtual world and the real world merge. The applications for professionals in innumerable fields are… well, innumerable.

HTC Vive Pro 4

An adapter for wireless play

In addition to its new VR headset, HTC has lifted the veil on a fascinating new accessory. Since the Vive first came out, users have complained about how the cables that connect the headset to the PC get entangled in just about everything, including user’s legs. HTC’s new Wireless Adapter is compatible with the Vive Pro, and will finally allow the headset to be used wirelessly. It relies on Intel’s WiGig technology, putting the connection back on a 60 GHz frequency.

Price. Price. Price.

The price is one thing that many purchasers might balk at, since it costs about 880 euros in Europe. The price in the US will be $799. Note that this price only covers the basic headset and the connectors and such. Just the basic package, in other words.

The Vive Pro does not include controllers or base stations, which really do represent a significant extra cost, with a single controller costing 145 euros. And that’s roughly what the base stations cost as well, so if you add up the cost of the HTC Vive Pro with that of two controllers and two base stations, you see that the cost of getting an HTC Vive Pro operational is far too high.

The Vive Pro is only cost effective if you already own the Vive, since the classic Vive’s base stations and controllers are compatible. As a matter of fact, if you’re set on buying a Vive Pro, the most economical way to get a Vive Pro operational, is to buy both it and the original Vive, which is considerably cheaper as of now. Then you can simply use the Vive’s controllers and base stations for the Pro.

HTC Vive Pro 2

Advantages of the Vive Pro

The Vive Pro is more of a stage in the evolution of the original Vive than a brand new avatar of the headset. Nevertheless, the resolution of the new headset’s screens represents a seventy percent increase in definition compared to the resolution of the classic Vive. That’s both a good and a bad thing. It’s good, because the massive increase in resolution means levels of immersion and realism far beyond the classic Vive. However, the increase in resolution also means that the Vive Pro requires a proportionally more powerful PC, which should be planned for when purchasing the Vive Pro.

Is the Vive Pro the ultimate gaming platform?

HTC and Oculus are two opposing protagonists in the virtual reality market. They fight to gain market share, yet partner in convincing the general public to interest themselves in VR. The Vive Pro could shift the gaming industry to favor the Vive, to the detriment of Oculus. The diversification of Oculus, which served them well at once point, is now completely overwhelmed by the premium experience that HTC wants to offer. This could well make more and more developers shift to the HTC Vive Pro, so we can look forward to tons of titles, making the HTC Vive Pro a MUST BUY for any dedicated gamer.

To buy… or not to buy?

Buy it, of course… if you can afford it. If you have money to spare, buy the Vive Pro now. If you don’t have money to spare, wait till you can get your hands on a wireless adapter, and then buy the Vive Pro. It’s expensive for the price, but delivers a premium experience that sets a new bar in the VR industry, one you might not want to miss out on.

Click here for the best Vive Pro deals on Amazon

How to Prevent VR Headset from Fogging Up?

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Virtual reality headsets nowadays provide more realistic and immersive experiences than ever before. However, if the lenses on your VR headset start fogging up, the opportunity to enjoy high-quality virtual reality goes down the drain. And this isn’t an issue you can simply ignore. It forces you to take the VR headset off, clean it, sit down and cool off so it doesn’t start fogging up again, all that really annoying/immersion breaking stuff.

Why is this happening? Is there anything you can do to prevent your VR headset from fogging up?

Let’s break it down!

Why is my VR headset fogging up?

Just as your VR headset lenses are fogging up, any glass surface fogs up as a result of moisture in the air condensing on it. This effect mostly takes place in situations when the warm, moist air comes in contact with the cooler air – it condenses. You’ve probably noticed this very effect, albeit on a bigger scale, when first starting a car on a cold winter morning.

In your very case, the high body temperature rapidly warms the air engulfed between your face and the VR headset, which causes the fogging up, as the moisture is condensed on the significantly colder lenses.

The very design of many VR headsets provides the perfect conditions for fogging up to occur, considering that the air mostly remains enclosed. This is especially annoying if you’ve stored away your VR headset for some time, as it may take a while for the headset lenses to warm up, and catch up to the temperature of your body.

What should I do to prevent my VR headset from fogging up?

Classy storage solution by VRGE: Virtual Reality Docking Storage System

Acting beforehand is probably the best way to prevent the VR lenses from fogging up. As you can probably already conclude, the idea is to keep the temperature of your VR headset closer to that of your body. Clearly, there are other solutions too, which don’t involve taking precautions, but can eliminate lens fog as effectively.

  • Warm your VR headset up before using it

For the most headsets, just turning them on before use will do the trick. It may take a while, so maybe go and grab a drink and wait for 10-15 minutes. If you want to get into the action more quickly, put the headset over your head for a couple of minutes. This will help it the cold lenses acclimate faster and reach the temperature closer to that of your body.

Some users report that turning on a hair dryer and blowing hot air onto the headset did the trick as well. Creativity goes a long way, you may even come up with some DIY quick fixes. Just make sure to let us know!

  • Store the VR headset in a warm place

Now, this can be problematic, especially if you own a PC, tethered headset. This depends entirely on how your living space is organized.

Obviously, you want to avoid extreme temperatures.

It comes down to how you store the VR headset, so while keeping it in a nice cozy place may not completely prevent a VR headset from fogging up, it will significantly decrease the temperature difference, enabling your headset to pick up heat more quickly.

  • Anti-fog sprays and wipes

These are the solutions which skiers may be familiar with. Now, the effectiveness of sprays and wipes often vary depending on the brands and situations. I myself prefer being patient rather than frustrated, so before immersing into VR sessions I warm the headset up and have the wipes just in case.

Check out Anti Fog Spray on Amazon

Check out Anti Fog Wipes on Amazon