Adjusting a VR Headset Correctly

For a good gaming experience, it's essential that your headset fits well on your face and head. This not only allows you to play for a longer time, but in many cases also provides a sharper and more enjoyable image.

Some VR users who put on a virtual reality headset for the first time are surprised by the quality of the headset. They put on the headset without adjusting the straps on the sides, back, and/or top. As a result, the lenses may not be pressed well against the face, causing the image to be blurry. This greatly diminishes the VR experience and leaves a negative impression. This is a shame, as the first impression is often the most important.

In this blog, we therefore explain how to best put on a VR headset, how to adjust the lenses using the IPD slider, and how to always put the headset comfortably on your head!

Loosen as many straps as possible that are attached to the headset. By this we mean the straps on the sides, back, and top of the headset. In some cases, you can do this by unfastening all velcro stickers and pulling the straps back, but in some cases, you need to turn a knob on the back of the headset to enlarge it (such as the HTC Vive Pro).

Put the VR headset against your face. In this step, it is important to ensure that the image from the lenses is displayed as sharply as possible. The 'sweet-spot' needs to be in the right place for your eyes to get the most beautiful image display.

Tip: if you are putting the headset on someone else, indicate that they should hold the headset like binoculars. Everyone is familiar with how binoculars work, so in this way, someone knows immediately how to look through the VR headset.

Now that you have the screen positioned exactly right for your eyes, you can start fastening all the straps again. You do this by first positioning the back of the headset properly on the back of the head. It is important that the front and back of the headset are balanced, so do not place the back of the headset too high or too low on the back of the head.

Once the back of the headset is in place, you can fasten the top strap of the headset. Tighten this strap enough so that you feel the headset is comfortably supported on your head. Make sure not to tighten this strap too much, otherwise, you will notice that the back of the headset will start to move up.

The IPD (interpupillary distance) is the distance between the two lenses of the VR headset. Because everyone's eyes are at a different distance, the VR headset offers the ability to match the distance between the eyes with the distance between the lenses. On a headset, you typically adjust this by turning a knob on the bottom or top of the headset. Keep turning this knob until you feel that the image is sharpest for you. Note: this is different for everyone.

Tip: the average IPD is 64 mm. Generally, this is in a range of 54 mm to 72 mm for most users.

Some headsets have an external headphone and/or cable. After someone has put on the headset using the previous steps, you can lower the earbuds of the headphones. To achieve the best sound quality, you can slide the height of the cushions up and down. Make sure the headphones are at the exact height of the ear to enjoy the best sound.

Tip: the sound is very important for the player's immersion, but it can also cause someone to be completely isolated. If you are playing in a group, you can choose to place only one earbud at the correct height and not the other one.

A wired VR headset often has a guide on the back that allows you to neatly run the cable to the computer along the back of the headset. This ensures that the cable is well protected and neatly runs down the back of the headset.

Tip: when you have a wired VR headset, try to have your viewing direction run opposite to the computer. This ensures that the cable of the HMD runs over your back to the computer and does not lie in front of your feet.