How To Clean Valve Index Face Gasket
The VR ergonomics adept Rob Cole of immersivecomputing.org has tried for united states the VR Embrace headset covers for the Valve Alphabetize, and had reviewed information technology for u.s.a.. I'g very glad to host in this blog his professional impressions on this VR accompaniment, that it'south very informative for all the VR community. Considering that very soon at that place will be the launch of Half-Life: Alyx, all people owning a Valve Index are for sure interested in annihilation that tin can better the comfort of their VR headset.
If after having read it, you are interested in ownership it, y'all can head to VR Embrace website and look for them. Have a squeamish read!
VR Cover: Valve Alphabetize Interface & Foam Replacement Basic Ready
The face up gasket puzzler
Nine months subsequently launch, replacement "face gaskets" for the Valve Index remain somewhat thin on the basis.
Valve'south official face gasket is often out of stock, and was but released in one width which may non be suitable for everyone.
Aircraft Alphabetize with a single gasket was odd, considering Valve's before collaboration with HTC which had seen the Vive aircraft with both narrow and wide confront gaskets in the box.
Later I learned from Steam user BOLL that Index was originally listed in early April 2018 as coming with "2 Face up Gaskets (narrow and wide)".
Past the end of April he had noticed the webpage had been edited to remove any mention of narrow and wide, leaving just "Face up gasket".
I've asked Steam support several times since launch about an official wide confront gasket, simply I always get the same respond
Steam back up does non have any information on when or if a new gasket will be made available.
I of the moderators on the valve index subreddit said they had learned that the Index development kits had shipped to SteamVR developers with both width gaskets in the box, mirroring BOLL'due south earlier findings.
Concrete evidence of a large Index confront gasket recently emerged on Reddit subsequently someone was mistakenly sent one of the "L" gaskets by Steam Support. Equally seen in the photo below, it has the old "prune in" pre-production mounting tabs, Valve then switching to magnets for the production gasket.
Perhaps this means some tooling or 3D printing files exist for this L model somewhere at Valve or their manufacturing partner in Cathay, giving me hope that information technology could exist released in the future!
The wide face gasket
As my previous article for SkarredGhost "Valve Index : A Good Fit?" mentioned, I couldn't apply my Index with the original Valve face gasket as information technology simply did not fit, information technology was too narrow for my face up.
As a former Vive owner who always used the wide face gasket, this was puzzling equally being a "sample-sized" person (medium everything and 63.5mm IPD). I am no huge-headed outlier requiring an oversized gasket, just a regular-sized person, if there is such a thing.
Perchance it'southward non well known that the wide Vive gasket was actually a "regular" fit, with the narrow being for people with narrower faces; some Vive owners with larger heads had to build their own actress-big gaskets. This is why the wide gasket was fitted to the Vive headset in the manufacturing plant and the narrow came as a spare inside the box.
A temporary solution was provided for my Alphabetize gasket problem by 3D press a stretched version of Valve's plastic face gasket base design, that they had released as part of a large Index data dump into the public domain. Large thanks to Valve and to Anonymous Hermit for modifying the face gasket!
After receiving a 3D printed base of operations from Ninja Prototype in China, I had stuck Velcro and magnets into place, using the Velcro to attach aftermarket Vive PU face cushions. As the Vive cushions were smaller than Alphabetize's wider centre box I ended up cutting them to fit, to maximize the field of view.
This was less than ideal as it had left several unsealed edges where the absorber was cut, which degraded over fourth dimension from heat, wet (sweat) and physical contact (abrasion) against the confront from using and donning/doffing the headset.
Information technology also caused mild skin irritation during longer or more active sessions with the PU cushions trapping rut and moisture against the pare; I experimented with some spare fabric from an Index face gasket I had stripped, which certainly added some skin condolement.
After going through a number of cutting-up cushions since last year, I was excited to hear virtually the first commercially available Alphabetize Face Gasket from industry stalwarts "VR Cover".
VR Cover to the rescue
VR Encompass has been making face gaskets, face cushions and other facially related parts since the offset consumer headsets launched in 2016. Tony @ SkarredGhost put me in touch with the prissy people at VR Cover who sent a sample I could test (thanks Sharon!)
The package arrived in a very neat plastic container, consisting of:
- 1 x Facial Interface (plastic gasket base)
- 1 x PU Leather Memory Cream Replacement (Standard) i.east. thin
- i ten PU Leather Retentiveness Foam Replacement (Condolement) i.e. thick
- two 10 side wedges
This was an impressive set of parts, well finished especially the plastic base with its own Velcro facing and magnets.
The first thing I did, of course, was to compare the VR Cover plastic base of operations with my own 3D printed wide base and an original Valve gasket, and this is where I noticed a key difference; the VR Cover plastic base was identical in radius to the original Valve face gasket.
Looking closely, I realized VR Cover had created two plumbing fixtures options on a unmarried width plastic base by supplying thin and thick versions of their PU cushions.
Using the "thick" cushion gave me an identical fit to the original Valve face gasket, albeit with a different material. I tried installing this option but every bit with the Valve original, I had a noticeable gap between my brow and the cushion which prevented me getting my face forward plenty to fit the headset correctly.
I also tried the side wedges just could not go my face anywhere close to the front of the confront cushion!
Using the "thin" cushion gave a wider fit than the original Valve face up gasket, only still non as wide a fit, as my 3D printed setup.
Width is better talked of equally radius, or circumference, in my case a 59cm head which is the upper end of "medium" in a bicycle helmet or baseball cap – the sparse cushion and VR Cover plastic base of operations wasn't an ideal match, but certainly closer to my measurements than the Valve original face gasket.
Unfortunately, I presently found that using the "thin" absorber led to physical discomfort and cherry marks on my forehead, equally I could conspicuously feel the plastic base of operations pressing though the thin cushion which afterward xxx-45 minutes of utilize left my face feeling a trivial sore.
This was non unique to the VR Cover's thin cushion past any ways, Index is a relatively heavy headset which means extra cushioning in the face up gasket helps to spread the headset weight and headset clamping force across the available areas of the caput and confront. To confirm, concluding year I had experimented with using thin aftermarket Vive cushions with my 3D printed base but had soon switched back to slightly thicker cushions to increment session comfort.
Of course, in that location was aught stopping me from trying VR Cover'southward face up cushions in my 3D printed broad base of operations, these fit well and permit me experiment with the thin and thick cushions.
The thick cushion worked well at first, providing extra comfort to isolate my face from the headset weight and clamping force.
The thin cushion also worked to bring my face equally far forward into the display as possible. However, despite the increased radius of my 3D printed base, the physical weight of the Index headset soon made its presence known through the sparse cushion, once more leaving me feeling a picayune sore after an hr of use.
Using VR Comprehend's thick absorber with my 3D printed base gave a more positive issue than using their thin cushion with the VR Comprehend plastic base, so I carried on using the thick cushion for a while.
Still, after peradventure two weeks of regular use, I started to discover the weight of the Index headset again and realized the foam inside the thick confront cushion was slowly flattening out (thinning) reducing my comfort. Later on another two weeks, my thick cushion did not wait much thicker than the thin absorber (which I had hardly used) and I establish it a little uncomfortable apart from short sessions with less movement.
The PU issue
Something else that has to be mentioned, and information technology's not specific to VR Cover'southward Index face up cushion, is the biological incompatibility of PU as a facial interface material when you consider the pare's requirement to breathe (release heat and sweat).
There is little testify that the PU material itself causes a reaction every bit fully reacted polyurethane polymer is chemically inert.
From the PU Manufacturers Association: "Skin contact with some polyurethane products may effect in pare sensitization", just also "In that location are no applicable exposure limits for cured polyurethane materials"
There is very little information on the use of PU as a pare contact layer, I institute this from the U.s.a. National libracy of medicine, which concluded that PU was more effective than silicone for scar treatment:
Efficacy of a polyurethane dressing versus a soft silicone canvas on hypertrophic scars.
The polyurethane dressing demonstrated a significantly more pronounced reduction in severity of these clinical signs after four and viii weeks of treatment and was better tolerated than the silicone sheet.
Then whilst PU itself is generally non an irritant, information technology can human action as a "dam" to prevent the pare from breathing in areas direct in contact with the gasket – recollect of it every bit existence a waterproof layer betwixt your pare and the outside world, this then stops the skin functioning properly in that expanse.
Away from medical trials, back in the VR world, the PU cushions were doing what they've always washed for me which was the causing localized skin irritation, leaving my forehead sore afterwards a session with a big red mark, combined with the weight of the headset pressing through the cushion. Longer-term in that location is a tendency for these marks to develop into spots or blemishes where the skin is repeatedly irritated.
PU has its advantages for VR facial interfaces, as information technology doesn't absorb moisture, so it's easy to make clean which makes it ideal for sharing headsets or utilise at public events where hygiene is critical and users are merely doing curt sessions (i.e. VR demo at a shopping mall).
Information technology also has an agglutinative belongings in that it sticks to the skin when wet, making the headset "stick" in identify ameliorate at the expense of making it difficult to reposition. Ane applied example of this is if you snag the tether and yank the headset out of position, it's and so much harder to reposition on the face with a clammy PU cushion.
For a solo user at habitation, wearing a device like the Valve Index which is designed for long term comfort, the PU cushion started irritating my pare making my Alphabetize less comfortable, negating the possibility of longer sessions with adequate condolement.
The materials that Valve used on the Index face up gasket were specifically used to increment user comfort to support long sessions, and this was my realization after months of using different PU cushions and fabric covers.
Of course, before receiving the VR Encompass sample, I was using PU cushions in my modified 3D printed base, just these had a perforated surface, and had been cut into three pieces providing some extra breathability. The VR Cover PU cushions were fully sealed, with no surface relief, effectively trapping whatever local oestrus and sweat my caput produced.
Once once more I must stress the issues of PU cushions are non unique to this VR Cover product, depending on how active your session is, your fitness level, room temperature and then on….will all have an effect on how much of an issue using PU is?
Solution to the PU upshot?
I've given some feedback to the team at VR Embrace, to encounter if there is an alternative textile – this is non an easy task as the fabric needs to be biologically compatible whilst existence durable and easy to clean!
Equally many Valve Index owners found out with the original Index Face up Gasket, information technology soaks up sweat very quickly, becoming wet-laden with a tendency for bacteria to build up inside the foam core leading to a less than pleasant experience. Whilst it was possible to wash under cold water and air dry, this didn't deep cleanse the cushion and repeated washing started to create ripples in the fabric surface.
Some other aspect of PU that has to be mentioned, as it was normally cited an issue on the HTC Vive when used with aftermarket PU cushions, is the build-up of rut and moisture within the headset.
One function provided by the fabric cushions on the Vive and Index is to wick abroad moisture from the face and store it inside the absorber, effectively protecting the electronics inside the headset. I noticed very quickly when using PU cushions that my headset got wet within, at the top where the lens assembly is located.
In the short term, this meant more frequent removal of the headset and cleaning of the lenses as they become covered in sweat smearing the surface and reducing clarity.
In the long term, this may cause problems, as some Vive owners establish when using aftermarket face cushions leading to corrosion damage to the PCB within the headset, something that rarely affected people using the original fabric faced cushions.
Whether this tin damage the Valve Index is unknown, the Vive reportedly lacked any internal waterproofing; I've seen some "tear downwardly" shots of the Index where its PCB appears to have a waterproof coating but I can't ostend this.
The ripple effect
Another big improvement could exist a "pre-curved" cushion to eliminate the ripples that are created by plumbing fixtures a apartment-cutting cushion to a curved plastic base. This is acquired by the inside face (plastic base side) and outside face up (face up side) being the same distance/length.
As the cushion is fitted into the plastic base the within face is stretched whilst the outside face is compressed causing the ripples seen in my image. These ripples can exist felt across the forehead and may be partly responsible for the discomfort felt during longer sessions.
Once again, this is not unique to VR Comprehend, and is seen in many other VR face cushions. The large reward of a pre-curved face cushion is the absence of ripples or material bunching up every bit the pre-curve naturally matches the radius of the plastic base on both forepart and rear cushion faces.
The original Valve Index confront cushion and Oculus Rift CV1 face up cushion are both pre-curved designs with no ripples appearing in the surface until well worn.
Conclusion?
Overall the VR Cover set has a proficient design concept equally I like the modular approach, and of course bringing an alternative Face Gasket for the Valve Index to the market is very welcome.
For people who desire a same width replacement for the Valve Index Face Gasket and cannot buy 1 from Valve due to stock levels, it will solve that problem.
For those who cannot 3D print a plastic base, or don't feel confident edifice their own, VR Cover'south plastic base provides an instant solution with two cushions to choose from.
For people requiring the wider face up gasket (without 3D printing) information technology tin offer a solution but your fit and comfort volition depend on your craniofacial shape, and whether you can tolerate the "thin" cushion which I had to employ to make information technology wider.
However, information technology's all the same not as wide plumbing equipment as the 3D printed option and I did find it uncomfortable for longer with the PU material causing a skin irritation; equally said before, not unique to VR Cover but just the use of PU equally a skin contact layer.
My last conclusion is that selection is always expert so VR Cover needs to be congratulated for bringing this to market place. I'm sure with further developments by the VR Comprehend squad this product can offer more plumbing fixtures and condolement options for Index owners.
In an ideal earth I'd similar to see VR Encompass offer 2 versions of their Alphabetize kit:
- Regular plastic base (as tested here)
- Wider plastic base of operations
Each base could be supplied with 2 pre-curved face up cushions (1 for use, 1 for spare)
I'd recommend using a medium thickness absorber of a higher density, breathable foam core and peel-compatible surface fabric.
Valve Index Head Strap Cover
After on, I received VR Cover'due south new "Valve Index head strap encompass".
In their ain words:
Experience a fresher, cleaner headset when y'all add our hygienic 100% cotton cover to your Valve Index. Our absorptive cotton fiber accessory wraps onto the strap and quickly soaks upwards sweat from the dorsum of your head to exit you feeling more than comfortable.
The set includes:
- 2 10 Valve Index Caput Strap Cover
A concern for a number of Index covers was the non-removable rear cushion inside the headset harness. Despite using the aforementioned anti-microbial cloth every bit the original Valve index face up gaskets, information technology was obvious that over time this could get dirty, stained or unhygienic.
Of course, I've tried to remove the head strap'south rear cushion on my Index months ago in an attempt to drill a hole through the headband plastic to modify the tether cable routing, simply had stopped subsequently finding it was retained using what looked like one-time "snap fit" plastic clips.
After levering an surface area of the cushion'southward plastic backing with a flat bract screwdriver it felt like the clips might snap, so I left it in place. This presented a trouble as at that place was no style to supervene upon the fabric facing of the rear pad; over time this could take on moisture, bacteria, dirt and become worn or compressed from regular utilize. Replacing the rear harness was non possible at a consumer level, fifty-fifty if spares were available.
Upon opening VR Comprehend's Index Head strap comprehend kit, I was a piffling confused past the instructions until I realized both covers were inside out. Turning them the correct mode effectually helped, but the instructions still proved a lilliputian confusing so I tried plumbing fixtures it myself to figure out exactly where the straps and Velcro were supposed to go. It's great that they supplied two, so you have a spare for yourself, or can run ii so you take a spare for guests to use (this works well combined with a spare face up gasket).
Somewhen, I got the cover fitted to my Index, and placed it on my head. Immediately I noticed the harness was now a piffling too tight as adding the cover had slightly reduced the circumference so I backed off the rear knob adjuster 3 clicks.
The nearly interesting aspect was discovering that the fabric cover firmly gripped the rear of my caput (mainly the occipital os). This added a welcome degree of stability to the caput strap, reducing front end end (eye cake) movement of the VR headset. Non something I was expecting just a very welcome surprise.
It likewise felt a niggling softer and more comfy across the rear of the head strap / harness, I didn't find any departure in heat or sweat compared to using the "naked" Index head strap, despite energetic sessions in Beat Saber and Pistol Whip.
Equally I've just been using it a few months, I cannot comment on long term durability except to say it's not showing any clothing, and if it does habiliment then information technology's washed in task in protecting your Index. It's besides groovy value, coming with two covers, perhaps fitting the cover on 24-hour interval i of your Alphabetize buying will help your Alphabetize maintain its own value rather than degrading every bit many VR headset tend to over time.
The only improvement I could think of was to the instructions, it might have been me non understanding them just that in itself is the "acid exam": can they be understood very chop-chop and easily? The VR Embrace head strap comprehend itself thankfully suffers no such trouble, it'south highly recommended by me!
Thanks to VR Cover for the test samples and of form thanks to Tony @ SkarredGhost for the hookup.
(Header image by Rob Cole, Immersive computing)
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Source: https://skarredghost.com/2020/03/21/valve-index-vr-cover-review/
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