Brand: Globular Cluster
Medium: Accessory
Since the launch of the PlayStation VR2 back in March 2023, collectively the GA staff has put in quite a few hours of gameplay into a variety of VR experiences — and personally, I’ve topped 50 hours or so and earned 4 Platinum Trophies along the way. The overall next generation PlayStation VR experience has been an enjoyable one, though it took some time to realize that the actual headset could use some improvements in terms of comfort and fit, particularly in the head strap department.
Extended play sessions with the PlayStation VR2, depending on the game and the style of movement required, can sometimes result in a pressure headache (and sweaty red forehead imprint) thanks to the fit of stock forehead pad when the head strap tightness is cranked up. More active games or during times when it’s a little warmer require a tighter strap to keep the sweet spot of the headset lenses positioned appropriately to provide for the best clarity. Games that require players to look up or down a lot can cause the headset to slide out of the vertical sweet spot, even in more passive-style games such as one of my go-to personal favorites Walkabout Minigolf. It was rare to be able to play more than a couple of consecutive hours due to eventual discomfort — and of course there’s the limited battery capacity of the Sense controllers too, which is an issue for another day.
Anyway, a company known as Globular Cluster (named after an astronomy term) recognized this deficiency and got to work on what they named the Globular Cluster CMP2 Comfort Mod for PS VR2 to help improve the PlayStation VR2 experience. Thanks to some clever engineering and various customization options out of the box, this comfort mod kit end up being a solution for most of my lingering headset fit/comfort issues.
The Globular Cluster CMP2 Comfort Mod includes a new replacement set of forehead and read pad adapters, and a trio of different pads for each, that can be quickly swapped out thanks to a Velcro-type fastener. The materials for the new pad options include Gel + Foam, Sweat Absorbing Fabric + Foam, and Breathable Fabric + Gel + Foam that can be mixed and matched for whatever the situation. The CMP2 rear adapter replaces the narrow stock pad with a circular shaped anti-slip silicone option that provides for more stable contact at the back of your head. Depending on the material option used (the gel pad in particular) this can add a little weight to the back of the headset, which seems to better balance it out in my case. Either way, there are many customization options to try out including an additional fabric or padded top strap that provides even more support as compared to the stock PS VR2 design.
Installing the CMP2 Comfort Mod is fairly straightforward and only takes 5 minutes or so. The scariest part of the procedure if popping off the original PlayStation VR2 pad adapters using the included plastic tool. Globular Cluster produced a YouTube tutorial which goes over the process step-by-step which was extremely helpful. Once you dig that mini-crowbar in there and pop off that first connector the rest goes pretty quickly and smoothly. Speaking of helpful, Globular Cluster has continually tweaked the product since it originally launched and has already provided a free V2 upgrade kit for owners of the V1 version. So they are well known for their great customer support.
After testing out the various pad, strap and position options and spending even a few short sessions with PS VR2 software it became pretty obvious how much more comfortable the experience was with the CMP2. But even more importantly, the better centered sweet spot provides for noticeably better clarity and visuals due to the more stable lens alignment. I must have became accustomed to the shifting sweet spot with the stock gear so it was a pretty obvious perk to me when it was appropriately positioned for longer sessions, especially for those games which require more active head movements.
So if you’re loving the PlayStation VR2 experience, but are having issues with headset comfort and/or sweet spot stability, consider giving the Globular Cluster CMP2 Comfort Mod a try (available on the official site or Amazon). It’s definitely one of the best aftermarket accessories/add-ons for the product so far.
Note: Globular Cluster provided us with a CMP2 Comfort Mod for PS VR2 for evaluation purposes.