BOBOVR
| BOBOVR | |
|---|---|
| Information | |
| Type | Brand |
| Industry | Virtual Reality accessories |
| Founded | 2014 |
| Headquarters | Hong Kong (registered as BOBOVR Innovation Limited); origins in Shenzhen, China |
| Products | VR head straps, battery straps, charging docks, facial interfaces, controller grips |
| Parent | Shenzhen Xiaozhai Technology Co., Ltd. |
| Website | https://www.bobovr.com |
BOBOVR is a Chinese brand of Virtual Reality accessories best known for aftermarket head straps and battery straps for Meta's standalone headsets. The brand grew out of Shenzhen Xiaozhai Technology Co., Ltd., a company that began making smartphone-based VR viewers in the mid-2010s, and it later became one of the most recognized names for comfort and battery upgrades aimed at the Meta Quest 2, Meta Quest 3, and Meta Quest 3S.[1][2] The brand's products are sold internationally through its own store and major retailers, and its current catalog spans head straps, hot-swappable battery systems, charging docks, carrying cases, facial interfaces, and controller grips.[3]
According to the established VR-focused outlet Android Central, BOBOVR "has been the go-to name for Quest 2 head straps for years and was the pioneer of magnetically hot-swappable battery packs," a feature that competitors later copied.[1] Its battery straps attach a rechargeable pack to the back of the head, which both extends a headset's runtime and counterbalances its front-heavy weight; because the packs detach magnetically, a charged pack can be swapped in without removing the headset, allowing effectively continuous use.[1][2]
History
The brand traces back to Shenzhen Xiaozhai Technology Co., Ltd., a Chinese firm focused on virtual reality hardware that used the name Xiaozhai VR for the Chinese market and BOBOVR for overseas sales.[4] Its early products were inexpensive smartphone-based VR viewers in the mold of Google Cardboard and Samsung Gear VR, sold under the "Z" series. The BOBOVR Z3, for example, was a phone-holder headset from around 2016 with a roughly 95-degree field of view and adjustable lenses, and it was followed by further models such as the Z4 and Z5.[5] These phone-powered viewers placed a smartphone in front of the eyes and relied entirely on the phone for display and processing, a low-cost category that faded as dedicated standalone headsets arrived.[5]
The brand's profile rose sharply with the launch of Meta's standalone Quest headsets. After Meta (then Oculus) released the Meta Quest 2 in 2020 with a thin fabric strap that reviewers widely criticized for pressing on the face, BOBOVR introduced rigid "halo" replacement straps, beginning with the M1 and the better-known M2.[1][6] The M2 Pro added a magnetic, hot-swappable rear battery pack, an approach Android Central credits BOBOVR with pioneering and which became the template for much of the company's later lineup.[1] When the Meta Quest 3 and Meta Quest 3S arrived, BOBOVR carried the design forward with the M3 and S3 families and developed a retrofit kit so that owners of the older M2 strap could adapt it to the newer headsets.[6][2]
Technology
BOBOVR's signature design is the halo, or "gravity balance," head strap. In place of the soft over-the-top band that ships with Quest headsets, a rigid plastic frame rests on the crown and cradles the back of the skull, shifting the headset's weight off the cheeks and nose and distributing it around the head. Fit is set with several adjustment points and a tightening dial at the rear, comparable in operation to Meta's own Elite Strap.[1][2]
The brand is most associated with magnetically hot-swappable battery packs. A rechargeable pack clips to the rear of the strap, counterweighting the headset while adding playtime, and detaches with a magnetic release so a depleted pack can be exchanged for a charged one without interrupting use.[1] Capacities have grown across generations: early Quest 2 straps used a 5,200 mAh B2 pack, while later Quest 3 and 3S straps such as the E3 Pro and S3 Pro use a 10,000 mAh hot-swappable system (two 5,000 mAh packs) with 22.5 W fast charging.[7][8] To keep its packs reusable across products, BOBOVR designed families of straps, charging docks, and accessories that share a common battery, an ecosystem advantage that reviewers have noted distinguishes it from rivals.[9] Beyond straps and batteries, the brand has expanded into thermal comfort accessories, including the F2 active air-circulation facial interface, which uses a small built-in fan to reduce heat build-up and lens fogging, and later straps with a built-in cooling fan, as well as charging docks, carrying cases, and silicone controller grips.[10][3][6]
BOBOVR has also pursued official certification from Meta for some products. The brand describes straps such as the E3 and E3 Pro as "Made for Meta" certified accessories for the Quest 3 and 3S, indicating they have passed Meta's compatibility and safety program for third-party hardware.[8]
Products
BOBOVR's catalog centers on head straps and the battery systems that attach to them, organized into product families that share compatible battery packs and accessories. The original M2 was a passive comfort strap for the Quest 2; later families added integrated batteries, fans, and support for newer headsets.
| Product family | Era | Headset(s) | Type and notable features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Z series (Z3, Z4, Z5) | c. 2016 onward | Smartphone-based | Phone-holder VR viewers; adjustable lenses; roughly 95-degree FOV on the Z3[5] |
| M2 (M2, M2 Plus, M2 Pro) | 2021 | Meta Quest 2 | Rigid halo comfort strap; M2 Pro adds a magnetic hot-swappable 5,200 mAh B2 battery pack[1][3] |
| F2 | 2021 | Meta Quest 2 | Active air-circulation facial interface with a small fan to reduce lens fogging and heat[10] |
| M3 (M3 Mini, M3 Pro) | 2023 onward | Meta Quest 3, Meta Quest 3S | Halo straps; M3 Pro uses the 5,200 mAh B2 pack for about 1.5 hours of added runtime; M3 Pro about 59.99 US dollars[7][2] |
| S3 Pro | 2024 | Meta Quest 3, Meta Quest 3S | Top-end strap with a built-in cooling fan and a 10,000 mAh hot-swappable B100 battery system[9][3] |
| E3 / E3 Pro | 2024 onward | Meta Quest 3, Meta Quest 3S | "Made for Meta" certified straps; E3 Pro adds a 10,000 mAh hot-swappable battery with 22.5 W fast charging; about 79.99 US dollars[8] |
| Charging docks, cases, grips | ongoing | Quest and other devices | Charging docks (D3, BD3, PD100), carrying cases, and controller grips that work with the brand's straps and battery packs[3] |
Reception
BOBOVR's straps have been consistently well reviewed in the VR press and are frequently recommended over Meta's first-party straps as better-value alternatives. Android Central named the M3 Pro the best head strap available for the Meta Quest 3, praising the comfort of its halo design and the convenience of its magnetic, rechargeable battery packs.[2] The outlet has repeatedly highlighted BOBOVR alongside competitors such as Kiwi Design as the leading third-party options for upgrading Quest comfort and battery life at a lower price than Meta's official accessories.[9] UploadVR likewise features BOBOVR products across multiple accessory categories in its buying guides for the Quest 3 and 3S.[6]
Reviewers credit the brand with popularizing the hot-swappable battery strap and with maintaining one of the broadest accessory ecosystems in the category, an advantage rooted in its long presence in the market.[1][9] Common criticisms across reviews are that some battery straps add noticeable bulk and weight at the rear, and that certain halo designs can slightly reduce the headset's effective field of view or shift during very active gameplay for some head shapes.[1][9]
See Also
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 "GeekVR Q2 Pro vs BoboVR M2 Pro: Which Quest 2 head strap is best?". https://www.androidcentral.com/gaming/virtual-reality/geekvr-q2-pro-vs-bobovr-m2-pro.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 "BoboVR M3 Pro Quest 3 headstrap review". https://www.androidcentral.com/gaming/virtual-reality/bobovr-m3-pro-review-meta-quest-3-headstrap.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 "BOBOVR - VR Accessories, Quest 3 & 3S Accessories, Head Strap". https://www.bobovr.com/.
- ↑ "ShenZhen XiaoZhai Technology Co., Ltd.". https://www.tradees.com/bobovr/.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Xiaozhai BOBOVR Z3 Specs, Reviews & Prices". https://vrlitic.com/xiaozhai-bobovr-z3/.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 "Best Quest 3 & Quest 3S Accessories: Cases, Head Straps & More". https://www.uploadvr.com/quest-3-accessories/.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "BOBOVR M3 Pro Head Strap for Meta Quest 3 & Quest 3S". https://www.bobovr.com/products/bobovr-m3-pro.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 "BOBOVR E3 Pro Battery Strap for Quest 3 & 3S". https://www.bobovr.com/products/e3-pro.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 "The official Quest 3 Elite Strap with Battery deal is good, but these two alternatives are better". https://www.androidcentral.com/gaming/virtual-reality/the-official-quest-3-elite-strap-with-battery-deal-is-good-but-these-two-alternatives-are-better.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Review BOBOVR F2 Active Air Circulation Facial Interface for Oculus Quest 2". https://www.gsmgotech.com/2021/09/review-bobovr-f2-active-air-circulation.html.