These DIY Virtual Reality Gloves Work with Both Meta Quest and Valve/HTC VR Headsets

Virtual reality (VR) technology has come a long way in recent years, but the industry is very much still trying to figure out the best way to handle control. Manufacturers could simply have the user hold a standard gamepad, but that isn’t particularly immersive or versatile. The popular solution right now is a pair of handheld controllers that can be tracked in real 3D space by the headset. But even those aren’t very immersive. Maybe gloves would be better? Rachel Freire decided to find out by creating these ‘HYBRID VR Data Gloves’ that work with both Meta Quest and Valve Index/HTC Vive VR headsets.

Freire is an artist and fashion designer that often uses technology to add unique capabilities to the garments and accessories that she crafts. She has, in fact, even combined gloves with electronics in the past. Seven years ago, she made simple e-textile gloves with conductive fabric. Then she improved on that design through a few iterations, including a version called ‘Mudra’ that worked with HTC Vive VR headsets via Viv Tracker modules. Now Freire has updated the Mudra design to be more modular and to also work with Meta Quest VR headsets. This is the ‘Hybrid’ model and what we’re covering today.

Because the Valve Index VR headset is fully compatible with HTC Vive hardware, the Mudra and Hybrid gloves will work with both of those systems. But the Hybrid works with Meta Quest headsets, too. While Quest headsets certainly aren’t open by any means, they do work with third-party Bluetooth controllers. So, Friere made the Hybrid gloves capable of acting as those.

To enable the Meta Quest connection, Friere used a TinyPico development board. Despite the name, that has no relation to the Raspberry Pi Pico. It is actually an ESP32-based board and is very small, which made it perfect for this project. The ESP32’s built-in Bluetooth adapter lets it connect to Meta Quest headsets, while the Vive Tracker lets it connect to HTC Vive and Valve Index headsets.

The rest of the construction is similar to Freire’s previous projects, with conductive pads on the fingertips acting as buttons when the user performs a pinching motion (either between thumb and index finger, or between thumb and middle finger). Freire provides patterns and very thorough instructions for cutting the material and sewing the glove together.

If you want a VR controller that feels more natural than what came with your headset, this is worth a look.