Android Central Verdict
Bottom line: The VRNRGY Power Pack allows you to play for hours on end on the Oculus Quest. It's unfortunate that it charges with a Micro-USB cable, but it's still a solid addition to any Oculus Quest setup.
Pros
- +
Extends Oculus Quest gameplay for hours
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Acts as a counterweight to improve comfort
- +
Has a neoprene pad
Cons
- -
Noticeable when attached to the headset
- -
Charges with Micro-USB
- -
Wire is a bit too long
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The Oculus Quest is one of the most immersive VR headsets on the market; not because it has the best graphics, but because it requires no external hardware or wires. That makes it an excellent device for sharing VR and bringing the experience wherever you go, but limits how long you can play VR due to battery life. The Oculus Quest can get a couple of hours of battery life on its own, but you'll have to plug it in to play longer than that. Being tethered to a wall socket strips away the freedom that the Oculus Quest provides. VRNRGY aims to free you from the wall socket and let you play all day.
The VRNRGY Power Pack is a 7,000 mAh battery pack that you can attach to your headset. It also acts as a counterweight to take some of the headset's weight away from your face. VRNRGY sent me a Power Pack, and I've used it for the last month. Here's what I love and what I'd like to see improved in future versions of the device.
What you'll love about the VRNRGY Power Pack
The VRNRGY Power Pack aims to improve the Oculus Quest in two ways. First, it brings power on the go, freeing you from having to plug your headset in for longer sessions. Second, it acts as a counterweight to alleviate pressure from your face. In my testing, the VRNRGY Power Pack significantly extended my playing sessions. The Oculus Quest generally lasts around two-three hours while playing without a battery pack. VRNRGY claims that the Power Pack adds an additional six hours. While I didn't play for a solid eight hours straight, I can say that the Power Pack greatly increased my playing sessions. During my testing, a friend wanted to try out the Oculus Quest. I got my Quest off the shelf and realized that it had a low battery and wouldn't let us play. I grabbed the VRNRGY Power Pack, popped it on the headset, and my friend was shooting robots in Robo Recall: Unplugged in no time.
Can you use your Oculus Quest while charging?
The Power Pack has a 7,000 mAh battery, which was more than enough for me in my testing. The VRNRGY Power Pack also helps balance out the Oculus Quest. At 152 grams, it moves pressure off of your face without adding too much weight to the headset. It's noticeable when it's on, but not uncomfortable. The neoprene pad between the battery pack and your head improves its comfort level.
What you may dislike about the VRNRGY Power Pack
The VRNRGY Power Pack is a nice addition to the Oculus Quest, but it's not perfect. The pack is noticeable when attached to the headset. To be clear, I don't think this is a design flaw as much as a limitation of the form factor. After all, you're attaching an object with size and weight to your Oculus Quest. The people at VRNRGY did a good job minimizing this with a neoprene pad and flexible straps, but you should know that you'll notice when it's on. It's worth the added weight, in my opinion, but some people won't love it.
My bigger gripe with the VRNRGY Power Pack is the charging interface. To charge the VRNRGY Power Pack, you need to use a Micro-USB cable. That means that you can't use the same cable that you use to charge the Oculus Quest to charge the VRNRGY Power Pack. This pack came out this year, so it's odd that it's powered by Micro-USB. Some devices could arguably have a Micro-USB port using the argument that not everyone has converted to USB-C, but the VRNRGY Power Pack literally plugs into the Oculus Quest using a USB-C cable. I'm sure that anyone purchasing the VRNRGY Power Pack has a USB-C charger lying around.
One more issue related to charging is that the cable that connects the VRNRGY Power Pack to the Oculus Quest is a bit too long. It plugs into the Quest at a right angle, which is nice, but the wire is longer than the head strap. VRNRGY can't make the wire too much shorter because it needs to adapt to different head strap lengths, but the wire that was included in my kit is longer than the head strap at its loosest.
Should you buy the VRNRGY Power Pack?
The VRNRGY Power Pack is for a certain kind of VR user. If you pick up your headset, play for 30 minutes or an hour, then put it away, I don't think you need this pack. If you want to stay in VR for long sessions or you want to use it at a party where it will be in use for extended periods of time, then the VRNRGY Power Pack is a good investment. It adds quite a bit of battery life to your Oculus Quest and helps balance out the headset, improving comfort.
I'm currently testing a wide range of Oculus Quest accessories, so make sure to check back in to see which accessories are worth adding to your Oculus Quest.
A battery pack that brings some balance.
The VRNRGY Power Pack allows you to play for hours on end on the Oculus Quest. It's unfortunate that it charges with a Micro-USB cable, but it's still a solid addition to any Oculus Quest setup.
