The AMVR Grips offer a great package for anyone who has just picked up a Quest or is considering knuckle straps for their controllers.
I don’t think I could use my Oculus Quest without having a pair of good Touch controller grips wrapped around them. It’s not to stop me from throwing them across the room, it has become more of a comfort thing and it also allows you to loosen your grip to cool off your hands regularly and prevent the controllers from getting all sweaty.
The Oculus Quest Touch Controller Grips from AMVR was one of the first grips to release for the Oculus Quest controllers, yet with grips from Mamut and Kiwi design has donned my controllers over the past year, it has only been until now that I have got the opportunity to try them out and bring you this review.
In the box, you get a lot for your £25.99 from Amazon. You get a pair of plastic textured grips, one for each controller, a black/red and black/blue elastic knuckle strap and a pair of black/white straps if you wish for a more natural colour theme for your Quest setup. Finally, there are four velcro straps to fasten the top end of the grips to your controller sensor ring. You only need two of these, so its good to have a backup set should they go missing or need replacing.
On top of all this AMVR have thrown in a handy VR Lens Cover to keep your lenses protected and away from sunlight and also an Anti-Leakage Nose Pad. Both items didn’t need to come with these grips, but it’s a tiny addition that goes a long way to protect and also enhance your Quest experience. More on that later.
Installing both grips onto your Quest controllers is done fairly easily. Simply slide on the grips, select the strap colour combo and insert one end into one of three sized holes at the top and feed the other end through the attached spring-loaded buckle at the bottom. Finally, you secure the top of the grip to the sensor ring with one of the four mini velcro straps. Now slide your hand in between the grip and the elastic strap and tighten the tension of the strap by sliding the strap through the buckle and you’re good to go.
Once everything is set up, you will not need to touch the grips any more other than to remove them to replace the batteries in the Touch controller. This was one of my problems for not continuing to use grips on my controllers. Also, having come from no grips with Kiwi design’s knuckle strap design, the chunkier grip really does feel different. Some may like a chunkier handle to your controller, but for someone with average-sized hands it can take a little getting used to.
The grips are textuered in the palm area, which helps create some level of airflow between the grip and your sweaty palms, which helps increase friction and provides a better grip around the controller. This is great if you intend to use the Quest for exercise or in these hot summer months.
In comparison to my Mamut Touch grips, I found AMVR to be a better deal overall, not just for the additional accessories, I found the flatter strap with its rubber inside to hold onto my hand better and form a better grip on the back of my hand than the round paracord of the two Mamut laces. Mamut has since released a new/similar design, but I’ve yet to try their new DX grip design.
So as grips for your Quest go, the AMVR Oculus Quest Touch Controller Grips are still a great pack of accessories for your Quest. But there is one element that really seals the deal in recommending these grips to anyone with a Quest, and that is the Anti-Leakage Nose Pad. What a curveball, I know! Having tried a number of nose pads from various makers, this free accessory that comes bundled in the box is a great addition for the Quest.
Simply attaching the nose pad around the nose area of the Quest and reinserting your facial interface back on, its design is more discrete than some other, over-designed, noise covers, yet it does just enough to not be intrusive around your nose, whilst doing a superb job at blocking out unnecessary light from around your nose. It does not completely block out all light (that depends on the size of your nose, I guess) but it’s just enough to reduce light leakage in this area, yet still allow you to peek through the tiny gaps that are left to help update where you are in the room.
Retailing for £25.99 from Amazon, the AMVR Oculus Quest Touch Controller Grips is a great package for anyone who has just picked up a Quest or is considering knuckle straps for their controllers. You get plenty of adjustability with the staps, they feel comfortable and strong enough to stay on your hands and the value-added accessories that come bundled really improve the experience and protection of your Quest.
