There's no denying that is a lot of fun. There's also not many VR experiences better than those available on the and. The HTC Vive is an impressive bit of kit for sure, but that doesn't mean it can't be improved with the addition of a few upgrades, accessories or attachments. We've been hunting down the very best bits of kit to buy to make your VR gaming all the more enjoyable. The technology has not fully blossomed just yet, but we're always excited to see it progressing. Now that same motion tracking technology is being put to use in another early-blooming technology - Virtual Reality. By attaching a Leap Motion device to the front of an HTC Vive, you can ditch your VR controllers and immerse yourself in a VR world where your hands work the magic. At least, that's the promise. The Leap Motion controller is one of the easiest things to install on your HTC Vive. Simply stick a dock on the front of your headset, pop the Leap Motion controller in and plug it into a spare USB port on your PC using a lengthy extension cable and you're away. Of course, there's some necessary , but the setup is otherwise a total breeze. From there you're then able to try out a variety of different experiences available to. Our favourites of these current experiences are almost certainly and. Cat Explorer lets you poke and prod the innards of a furry feline, with the ability to see inside and strip back layers to see its bones, vital organs and more. A brilliant little tech demo that shows the potential educational uses VR could have in the near future. Blocks, meanwhile, is a simple demo of what's possible with your hands. Creating objects of varying sizes out of thin air with your bare hands is pretty thrilling. We also liked being able to manipulate gravity - tossing objects we'd created into the atmosphere only to turn gravity back on to make them crash back down to the floor with a thump. Pocket-lint Of course, these are all just tech demos at this point. They're certainly worth playing around with and a lot of fun to do so too, but they're not full games just yet. That said, you can certainly see the potential of this tech and what would happen if VR headset manufacturers started to. For now, the Leap Motion controller-free VR experience relies on developers to make it a reality. As interest gathers we expect to see this list to grow alongside the expanding catalogue of experiences available from Leap Motion itself. If you're interested in trying controller-free VR and want to see what it will be like to be able to use your hands freely in virtual reality, then the. It's also one of the most affordable HTC Vive accessories available at the moment. We had problems finding a suitable USB powered headset and using the 3. The standard out-of-the-box Vive is also a bit of a fuss to put on and take off. The triple Velcro strap system is great for adjustment, but it's a bit of a faff. This accessory replaces the standard straps and integrates audio right into the headset design. This has several benefits - firstly the headset fitment is a lot more comfortable; padding and plastic housing allows for improved weight distribution and less pressure on the nogging while you game. The improved head strap also makes the headset a lot easier to use with a comfort adjustment wheel on the back replacing the three strap system. A simple twist of this dial loosens or tightens the headset to quickly achieve a comfortable fit or make it wide enough to slip off in a flash. The next highlight is the integrated audio. Simple flip-down ear cups sit on the ear while you game and can be easily moved out of the way should you need to hear something happening in the real world at any point. These integrated earphones mean you don't need to use your own. The design also means less cables in the way when you game, which is always a bonus. This accessory not only improves the audio experience of the HTC Vive, but the comfort too. We found this meant better immersion during gaming sessions and far less face pressure, both of which are welcome additions to an already awesome system. This can really ruin the experience when you get tied up in the cables as you play, especially in the more frantic games or just plain annoying when you feel it tugging on the back of your head constantly. This is where the TPCAST wireless adapter comes in. This is which allows you to ditch those restrictive cables in favour of wireless transmitters and receivers, as well as a hot-swappable battery pack that's capable of as much as five hours gaming before it needs recharging. It's not cheap, but it is impressive. It's not without its foibles - there's at the moment and it can be frustrating when the battery runs out of juice mid-play sessions especially considering it takes around ten hours to fully recharge. But it is a brilliant bit of kit that works really well. We can't tell you enough how fantastic wireless VR gaming is. There's nothing like the freedom to move around without tripping over cables or feeling the constant nag of the tethered cables. The downside is being painfully aware of gaming borders and not knocking over precious household objects while we play. This device works in a similar way but delivers slightly better and more officially supported results. This system works with both HTC Vive and HTC Vive Pro - requiring a separate purchase for each. Which makes it an option for Vive Pro owners who couldn't access wireless until this point. You no longer need to worry about plugging anything into your graphics card or indeed connecting your Vive to your gaming machine via any wires. The system handles everything thanks to the PCI-e adapter installed in your machine. This does mean you need to be technically savvy in order to install and use this option and it won't work with laptops, but it does allow for some pretty brilliant VR gaming without the bore of wires. It's not only uncomfortable, but it also often leads to double the problems with smudges, smearing and steaming up. The good news is it doesn't have to be this way. It is possible to so you can game without your glasses. These adapters are a great addition to your headset. They not only allow you to play without your specs, but they also offer some protection to the lenses themselves. If you scratch the standard lenses, they're not easy to replace, so it's worth keeping them safe and the adapters will stop you accidentally scratching them with your standard specs. Pocket-lint There are a few different sources for prescription lenses for the various VR headsets out there. This company not only offers prescription lens adapters but also offer additional extras like that protects your eyes from blue light radiation while you play. Of course, the lenses cost as much as your standard prescription lenses, so prices will vary according to how bad your eyes are, but in our mind, it's a worthy upgrade for comfortable, immersive VR gaming. It's so much more immersive when you can walk about in the VR world, by moving about in the real one. The problem with this though is it soon gets tiring. We've often found our gaming session cut short due to sore feet or an aching back. Rest your feet on this motion controller and you can simply dip, twist or turn your feet in order to move your character about in the VR game. With simple movements,11 you can walk, run, strafe or simply move about with ease. The underside of the 3dRudder is slightly curved allowing you to easily rock it in any direction. It does mean that you cannot use this device standing up though, as you'll not only break it but likely fall flat on your face too. This accessory is an interesting premise. Built-in pressure sensors accurately track movement and relay that information into the game. It can even detect when you press down or lift your feet up and this can be used to move vertically too. This opens up use in flight sims too and any game that requires a joystick. We also found that 3dRudder helped maintain immersion while playing as controlling movement with your feet just lends itself naturally to VR gaming, even if you aren't actually walking in the normal sense. With fast-paced games where quick movement is key to survival, we also found 3dRudder made us much agiler than trying to move about with the standard movement controls. It's not only out of the box, it's also possible to including keyboard mode, mouse mode, joystick mode and more. This means its possible to use it to control all games, not just VR ones, but also as a giant mouse to browse the internet if you feel so inclined. All the settings are fully customisable with , so it's a breeze to set it up just the way you want. Your PC should immediately recognise it as a joystick, but the software allows you to tweak the settings to your particular liking and the games you're playing too. It's also not limited to VR use, so when you're not gaming inside your Vive you can put it to good use elsewhere too. We'll be updating this list in future with even more accessories for your Vive, so be sure to check back to keep in the loop.
