General Information
When PSVR2 entered the fray on Feb 22nd 2023, I immediately noticed that the headset was relatively lightweight overall thanks to the lack of battery, but it also tended to push into your forehead and sinus regions thanks to the bulk of it sitting towards the front.
Coming from the Meta Quest 2, then named the Oculus Quest 2, I was used to the 503-gram weight, but it was dissipated somewhat thanks to the overhead strap, a feature the even burlier 560-gram PSVR2 strangely omitted in favour of a head-clamping tightener.
Enter Globular-Cluster CMP2 comfort mod for PSVR2 with overhead strap, weight balancer, sweet-spot keeper and most significantly: enhanced padding at the front and rear!
Incredibly Simple, Sub 15 Minute Installation time
Opening the packaging to the CMP2 yields a wealth of possibilities. I immediately got on board with every facet of this product and really got fired up to make the upgrade and enhance my regular experiences with the PSVR2.
The box contains not one but three forehead pads, an antislip rear pad with three types of padding to cup your skull, and the over-the-head strap I so craved along with a pry tool and a rather lengthy foldout instructions manual that didn't quite cut the mustard in places.
When I began the installation process, my heart truly dipped, my stomach flipped, and I felt at times like I was about to destroy my £529 piece of tech over a £50 box of bits.
The pry tool is designed perfectly for its purpose but I honestly had no inkling what was lurking behind each piece I attempted to pry off. Was there a cable under there? Was there a clip or push-piece that would snap off if I levered it the wrong way? Could I irreparably damage this thing?
I needed more information and after 10 minutes of staring into the void and trying to console myself that this was for the greater good, I thankfully found the handy instructional video that shows you before, after, and demonstrates how to get into the headset with minimal fuss.
In comparison to the icons in the included manual, this truly set my mind at ease that I was biting off more than I could chew.
Using The Video Tutorial Is A Must
Prying into the back piece of the headset first I had inadvertently removed the rubber lining from the rear plastic mounting bracket so had to individually pop each one back onto the comblike protrusions. Getting those back on, I managed to remove the rear rubber section relatively easily, and with very little fear of destroying something.
Moving on to the front I was a lot more careful and particular with my prying. I know that the PSVR2 uses plastic lens coating which is easily scratched or scuffed if you even wear glasses in the headset incorrectly, so I was meticulous in keeping my cool when getting deep into the rubberised forehead padding.
With a swift pull to the left and a tug to the right, I managed to visualise what I had seen in the video and manifested a now almost naked PSVR2 that was ready to upgrade!
Interchangeable Options, Game-Changing Upgrades
Clipping the rear anti-slip padding on first you'll notice that this entirely changes the form factor of the back of the PSVR2 in so much as it now cradles the back of your skull rather than clamps around it. The cupping effect is phenomenal and holds the rear portion of your headset entirely still and maintains even more comfort by including a cooling gel insert beneath the silicon covering by default.
The rear cradle also has built-in velcro attached to it that allows you to swap out that cooling gel and silicon shroud for any of the other two options: black pleather or speckled grey foam.
I felt that the combination of cooling gel and silicon protection was best for sessions of active games that cause you to work up a sweat, like "Beat Saber" or "Pistol Whip", and I think that the foam option would be super comfortable but would soak up sweat like a sponge and eventually stink or discolour, or deteriorate. Thankfully you can wash the foam pieces at a low temperature, but drying time and even forgetting to do so is not ideal for me when I want to play daily!
The front modification included a plastic insert that adds a velcro grip to the forehead padding area. This means that you can easily swap it out for a pleather version, or two different foam versions. The ease of use the CMP2 brings to keeping your PSVR2 comfortable, padded and more enjoyable overall is priceless. With these mods, you can chop and change, mix it up, use one to destruction and then swap it out for another breathing fresh life into well-worn tech.
The final addition these modifications bring is that of plastic loops that can house an overhead strap. The strap itself is padded for your pleasure and the velcro adjustability of it means that you can essentially take all the weight off the front of your face and place it on the tippity-top of your head. This alleviation of pressure and additional sturdiness can maintain your eye level within the headset and thus retain that ever-so-critical sweet spot.
Comfortable, Userfriendly, Undeniable Value For Money
In using the CMP2 in games like "Crisis Brigade 2 Reloaded" and "Pavlov" I noted that the padding was by far more comfortable and softer on your face than the original molded silicon rubber parts. The padding warms up to your body temperature and feels like it molds to your forehead in a far more appealing way. The rear cupping is next level compared to stock and the addition of cooling gel is simply inspired.
Whereas before I would be pulling or pushing the headset into place to regain the sweet spot, I was finding that it was there 24/7 and allowed for fewer distractions and less dipping out mid-game to make adjustments in a quiet corner somewhere
The Globular Cluster CMP2 is quite simply a game changer. It puts to rest any issues you may have with the current stock hardware, gives you interchangeable options and increases playability tenfold. While there is the option to safely remove the mod and restore the stock components: I will not be going back to vanilla PSVR2 ever again!
At just $49.99 on the site, and with just 15 minutes of your time required to complete the installation from start to finish: there is no possible reason not to upgrade your PSVR2 immediately!
