VR Headsets

[penguin112]

My almost 10 year old has asked for a VR headset for his birthday, I have absolutely no experience of these at all can anyone advise if the meta quest 3 is any good, what accessories are recommended to buy with it to get the most from it and how does the games work, are these all downloaded? Any advice would be greatly appreciated as I am totally clueless.

There are two versions- the full quest 3 and the quest 3s.
You don’t need any extra hardware to get started, everything is in the box (I would recommended buying an extra battery pack as it only last for about 2 hours of play) . You pay for and download games from the meta store either via the app or through the headset. Games can be pricey but there are often offers on.
There isn’t much difference between the two headsets, for a starter the quest 3s is perfect and is cheaper than the full quest 3.

Be warned though that you need a lot of space to play the games without hitting your walls and tv etc. Lots of people find they get terrible motion sickness when playing so it’s best to start small and only play for 10 mins at first then build up.

You should be aware that VR headsets aren't really recommended for anyone under 12 or 13. Maybe wait a few years unless you're prepared to police it very carefully and only allow a few minutes at a time.

Good advice from @BuffetTheDietSlayer & agree on the motion sickness - it can be absolutely brutal, I can't play anything at all with any movement, it makes me want to pass out.

Also @CheeseNPickle3 is right that it's not recommended, but that is because they can't evidence the safety of it below the age of 13 - not that there's proof of harm. Which, if course doesn't mean there isn't any lol. So keep his sessions short.

Please also make yourself familiar with the games so you know what he's playing & keep things appropriate. The added benefit is that you can engage with him over something he's enjoying. There's a puzzle game called 'keep talking and no-body explodes' which you can play together that's absolutely brilliant. One of you has the manual to a puzzle laden 'bomb' & the VR person has the bomb in their hands & has to tell you which Puzzle they have whilst you refer to the manual to help them solve it.

We got my 13yr DD one from CEX exchange at Xmas. I tried it out on a “dodge things flying towards you game with dance music” it was fun we had a laugh but migraine triggering for me with the speed of the lights. She limits herself to 20-30mins max she has a adhd brain and loves gaming would spend all day doing it but we try to encourage healthy habits as it’s quite an immersive experience and yes you need space around you or you hit the wall.

Is there a gaming lounge near you? We have a few springing up so you can go try these out by buying time at the lounge. Other mostly young folk there too.

Thanks, after giving it some thought I think I might look at a laptop or X-box as an alternative until he is a bit older