VR headsets are a great piece of tech, but just like any other tech gadget, they also need to be cleaned regularly.
A VR headset that isn’t properly taken care of will generally have a shorter lifespan or you may run into some technical issues over the years as well.
This post will describe the easy way to properly clean your VR headset. We’ll also provide some useful do’s and don’ts that can help you out.
Quick Summary
This post will shed light upon:
- Why VR headset lenses need to be cleaned
- How often VR headset lenses be cleaned
- How to clean VR lenses
So without further ado, let’s get started.
Why Should VR Headset Lenses be Cleaned?
The lenses inside a VR headset are made from similar materials as any other LCD screen or the screen of your smartphone.
As a result, they are very prone to dust buildup as well as other sources of dirt such as smudges from your fingers and face.
The inside of a VR headset can get pretty humid.
As you play physically intensive VR games, the inside of a VR headset can even fog up from your breath as well as sweat. This can often result in oil smudges and general dirt buildup on the lenses.
If you don’t clean it, it will continue to build up and eventually, you’ll start to see some deterioration in the quality of visuals that you see through these lenses.
They may appear foggy or smudged. Thus, hindering your VR experience tremendously.
They can build up dust even when they’re not in use.
No matter how hard you try, the truth of the matter is that there’s dust everywhere. You can definitely invest in some dust covers for your VR headset but even that won’t allow you to totally skip a lens-cleaning session every once in a while.
It’s generally advised to let your VR cover “air out” after you’re done playing with it. This is because it will inevitably catch some sweat while it’s on your head, especially if you’re playing something action-packed that requires a lot of movement.
How Often Should I Clean My VR Lenses?
So we’ve established that you should regularly clean your VR lenses. However, how often is “regularly”?
Well, if you can manage it, we recommend that you clean your VR headset before and after each VR gaming session you have. It may seem like a lot of work but it really isn’t once you make it a regular part of your gaming routine.
Soon, it will start to feel like a part of your gaming habit and just something you do without thinking about it.
Cleaning the VR headset lenses before use allows you to take care of any dust buildup that may have happened while it was in storage. Cleaning them after use will ensure that any sweat buildup or oil smudges that it may have built up can be removed and cleaned.
If you can’t manage that, we recommend you clean your VR lenses at least once a week.
That’s the bare minimum that you should at least hope to achieve in any case if you own a VR headset. Dust and sweat can easily build up inside a VR headset and you must ensure to clean it regularly so that it doesn’t happen.
Trust us when we say that it’s a much more enjoyable experience to play in VR with a clean headset rather than a dusty one that’s also sticky because of sweat. Yuck.
How to Clean VR Lenses? (Easy Guide)
Before we talk about how to clean the lenses of your VR headset, let’s clear out the items that you’ll need to achieve this effectively.
The items you need aren’t a whole lot. Plus, they don’t cost a lot either and are relatively easy to find.
Here’s what you’ll need to clean your VR headset’s lenses effectively:
A Compressed Air Canister
This isn’t something that’s entirely necessary and you can definitely get away with cleaning your VR lenses without it.
However, if you have it, you’ll definitely see the difference since it can be very effective at clearing out heavy dust inside your headset.
It’s a great way to clean not only your VR headset’s lenses but also, just the entirety of the internal VR headset chamber.
They don’t cost a whole lot and you can easily get a can for yourself on Amazon.
A Piece of Microfiber Cloth
Unlike the air canister, this is something that we recommend you should always have to clean your tech gadgets.
This is especially true if you want to clean something fragile like a screen or, in our case, the lenses of our VR headset.
They don’t cost a whole lot, but we do recommend that you do your research and buy one that’s high-quality. It should be ultra-fine and soft to ensure that the cloth does not cause any long-lasting damage to your VR headset’s lenses when you’re using it to clean them.
You can get a six-pack of microfiber cloths on Amazon for a very generous price. The great thing about them is that they come individually packed in their reusable envelopes. You can wash and reuse microfiber cloths as well. Hence, this set can last you for a very long time.
Now that you have all the equipment you need, follow these steps to clean your VR headset’s lenses:
Step 1: Use the nozzle of the air canister to knock out all the dust from the inside of the VR headset’s internal chamber.
Important note: Make sure that the nozzle of the air canister is at least 2 – 3 inches away from the surface that you intend to clean.
Furthermore, ensure that you point the nozzle at the little nooks and crannies of your VR headset where it’s difficult to clean and where dust could build up.
Do not aim the nozzle of the air canister directly on your VR headset’s lenses.
Step 2: Use the microfiber cloth to smoothen out and knock off any residual dust that may still remain inside your VR headset.
Step 3: Clean the microfiber cloth, and now, use it to clean the VR headset’s lenses.
Start from the middle of the lens and rub your microfiber cloth in a circular motion as you move outwards.
Don’t apply too much pressure but just enough to knock off any dust buildup as well as get rid of any oil smudges present on the VR headset’s lenses.
Wrapping Things Up…
It’s extremely important to keep your tech gadgets clean to ensure they have a long lifespan and continue working perfectly for many years.
Not only does regular cleaning ensure a longer lifespan but it also results in a much more pleasant and enjoyable virtual reality experience.
How often do you clean your VR headset and its lenses? Let us know in the comments section below.