Rebuff Reality VR Shell For Oculus Quest Impression
When it comes to VR headsets, they are rather… exposed. The HMD, on top of being a pricey piece of tech, contains the main hardware that enables you to step in this other reality. Given the nature of VR gaming, this component is at risk of damage if you are not too careful with your surroundings or even the controllers; since games like Beat Saber and FitXR can get pretty physically intensive. As such, you might want to protect it from scratches and hits. For this purpose, Rebuff Reality created the VR Shell for the Oculus Quest; a bumper of sorts akin to what you’ll find for phones. And that’s the product we’ll take a look at in this impression piece.
The VR Shell comes boxed in a nice package; much nicer than I would expect for a VR bumper. Out of that package comes the VR Shell, a microfiber cleaning cloth, some stickers and an instruction manual. The latter tells you how to properly insert the Shell over the Quest (lift the stap, push it over the power button side and slide it all the way onto the headset).
My first concern after inserting it was whether it would add considerable weight to the already heavy Quest headset. Thankfully, the VR Shell barely adds any weight but it does add a few millimeters of thickness as expected. Made of thermoplastic, its membrane consists of a mixture of hardened poly-carbonate and hexagonal strengthening that is said to protect the headset from accidents. In layman's terms, this means that it’s flexible and tough enough to absorb shocks but won’t shatter on impact.
Sure it won’t save your Quest from a drop of a few meters or a very heavy impact but for general damages to which the device is at risk of, the VR Shell will give you some peace of mind as it does add a noticeably sturdy layer of protection. In fact, it offers a nearly all-round protection, with the exception of the area around the straps being clear to allow access to the headphone jacks. This apparently also helps in heat dissipation and I haven’t noticed my Quest heat any more than it usually would.
My next concern was whether the buttons and sensors would be accessible or not. To my relief, all of these are easily reached while still being safeguarded. The cameras are unobstructed and I haven’t had any issues with tracking the controllers or my hands. The power, volume and IPD keys fit snugly in their dedicated slot without any interference to their access and use. There are even little slots for the mic. This attests to the fact that Rebuff Reality put much thought into designing the VR Shell.
Of note, you can even easily customize the VR Shell with some paper cut art to insert between the headset and the accessory as the latter is transparent. Rebuff Reality has some examples already and also has a template should you want to make your own.
My main issue with the VR Shell is that it can be quite challenging to take off. I experienced this as after first inserting it on my Quest, I noticed some dust that needed to be removed. But taking the VR Shell off to clean the headset proved more difficult than I expected it to be.
Another issue I have is about its availability. The VR Shell is only available for the Oculus Quest and no other headsets; not even the Oculus Quest 2. I wish this peripheral was also available to VR users of other HMDs but this is unfortunately not possible for now. Hopefully, Rebuff Reality accommodates for other HMDs in the near future.
For the VR Shell, Rebuff Reality has the following tagline: “protect your virtual world from this reality”; and it does just that. At the current price of $20 (it used to be $40), the VR Shell offers a product that’s quite value for money, especially if you want some additional peace of mind while stepping into VR with the Oculus Quest.
Official Rebuff Reality VR Shell Store
