I still don’t regret upgrading from Valve Index to Quest 3, but I do miss the better sound. There’s no current replacement for what the Valve Index audio provided. There are several Quest 3 Battery and Audio Strap options to upgrade to. The one that I chose has headphones, a more comfortable strap and a swappable backup battery.
Choosing the Upgrade
As I mentioned in the intro, I immediately missed the Valve Index off ear headphones when setting up the Quest 3. Buying the Quest 3 Audio Strap with Battery was the first accessory purchase I made. I knew it wasn’t going to be as high quality as the Valve audio, but seemed like a good upgrade over the Quest 3 default audio.
Headphones would help keep outside noise from invading my game audio. It also ensured my wife wouldn’t have to hear the audio bleeding from my VR games (Quest 3 audio is basically speakers in the headset sides).
Although the audio was the main reason for my choice of upgrade, I also wanted a more comfortable head strap. Having a top strap with cushioning should be the default. On top of better audio and comfort, it also has the hot swappable battery backup.
Having a standalone headset means wireless freedom, but then it shackles you with battery life. Having the backup battery backup will keep me playing. Many new Quest 3 users won’t have the VR “legs” to withstand too many hours, but I’m an OG who can withstand half a day of play.
The Quest 3 Battery and Audio Strap is a Must Have Upgrade
When I received my new head strap, it looked like everything I was expecting. The nervous bit was installation. It took an uncomfortable amount of force to remove the default head strap from my Quest 3. I felt like I was going to break the headset.
Thankfully, this was a one time install, so I nervously pulled things apart and installed the new strap. The Quest 3 Battery and Audio Strap clicked into place with a little less stressful pressure. From there, it was easy to plug in the power cable for the battery and the headphones into the audio jack.
Putting it on my head for the first time immediately showed me how essential this upgrade is. The sound was now isolated and a bit better quality. I did find a little hiccup in the sound later. When the backup battery is charging the headset, there is a slight bit of audio interference.
It’s minor enough that I have not spent a ton of time trying to solve it though. Eventually I’ll see if I can find and shield the part of the audio wire gathering that interference from the power transfer. Worth noting though I did notice it in quiet sections of games.
Going the Distance with Comfort and Battery Life
The padded top strap helps take pressure off my face without adding pressure on top of my head. Padding on the back of the strap also helps cradle my skull. The top strap has Velcro to adjust, while the back of the strap assembly has a dial to tighten or loosen the side straps. With the backup battery on the back of the headset, it helps balance the weight of the headset.
That battery is held in place by magnets. No fear of it flying out during active games. I could pull it off the back of the headset with my hand and plug into a USB-C charger. If I ever really wanted a marathon play session, I’d imagine I could buy another battery and just keep swapping.
I have not run out of juice yet with just the one battery in the hours I’ve played. My Quest 3 Battery and Audio Strap makes the audio more enjoyable, more comfort and more battery life to play longer. I highly recommend getting one for any serious Quest 3 owner.