The Oculus Rift S has ditched its external sensors instead of built-in Oculus Insight tracking, though you might still want to extend your Oculus Rift S cables running to the headset. The cable has been extended from four meters to five meters compared to the original Rift, so it'll do in small spaces. However, it can still certainly benefit from extensions that add about six feet, especially if you have a large area to move around in. Here's how to get it done on the cheap.
Products used in this guide
- DisplayPort extension: Rankie six-foot DP cable ($9 at Amazon)
- USB-A extension: Cable Matters six-foot USB cable ($8 at Amazon)
- Updated Rift headset: Oculus Rift S ($399 at Amazon)
How to extend your Oculus Rift S headset
The Oculus Rift S has a cable tether that includes DisplayPort and USB-A connections, so two cables are actually required to get the job done. Our top picks from Cable Matters and Rankie are both six feet to avoid any unnecessary cable spooling up at your feet, and they both should have no compatibility issues with the new headset. Once you have the two cables in hand, you can proceed with the steps below.
- Plug the male DisplayPort cable end from the Rift S into the female end of the Rankie extension cable.
- Plug the DisplayPort extension cable into your PC.
- Plug the male USB-A cable end from the Rift S into the female end of the Cable Matters extension cable.
- Plug the USB-A extension cable into your PC.
That's all there is to it, and you've added six feet of room-scale Rifting for only about $17.
Our top equipment picks
Here's the stuff you need to complete the steps in this guide. These cables are likely not the only options out there, but they're affordable, and they've been seen successfully working with the Oculus Rift S.
Add six feet to your Rift S headset cable
The Rift S has made the switch from HDMI over to DisplayPort 1.2 for a video connection, so you'll need an extension cable to match. This one from Rankie has been seen working with the Rift S, and it's the same length as our recommended USB-A extension so that there's no extra slack lying around.
Add six feet to your Rift S USB cable
If you're extending the DisplayPort cable on your Rift S head-mounted display, you'll no doubt also want to extend the USB cable to match. This option from Cable Matters should have no issues working with the Rift S, and it's long enough to fit most setups.
The new Oculus Rift S is here, bringing inside-out Oculus Insight tracking for no need of external sensors, new Touch controllers, and the same selection of games and apps that made us fall in love with the original Rift CV1. The headset still requires a tether back to a PC, and though the stock cable is now longer, it can still stand to be extended.
No more external sensors!
The next evolution of the Rift brings improved lenses, a display with a higher pixel count than the original, and a redesigned head strap and tracking system, but you're still tethered to a PC with a cable that can be extended.
Are you looking for more affordable accessories for your Rift S? We've rounded up the best we could find, and none cost more than $20.
