The HTC Vive is easier to repair than the Oculus Rift

Published: 26th April 2016 | Source: iFixit | Author: Mark Campbell

iFixit's Teardown of the Oculus Rift and that HTC Vive has revealed that the Vive is both easier to repair and uses more standard hardware than the Oculus Rift.

The HTC Vive uses standard Torx and Philips head screws, allowing the headset, Controllers and base Stations to be taken apart with standard hardware. The Head Strap and Face Pads were also found to contain no hardware and were completely replaceable, meaning that HTC Vive users are able to replace these with custom alternatives in the future.

The Oculus Rift was found to be more difficult to get inside, with the head strap being impossible to replace without cutting into the headset's external fabric coating, meaning that users will not be able to use aftermarket strap designs in the future. Inside the headsets both contained components that could be easily damaged, but the Oculus Rift was much more intricate and contained a lot of easy to damage ribbon cables.

The HTC Vive is easier to repair than the Oculus Rift

The Oculus Rift got a repairability rating of 7, while the HTC Vive got a higher repairability rating of 8. Both Teardown guides are available to read on the iFixit Website.

You can join the discussion on iFixit's Teardown of the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive on the OC3D Forums.

iFixit has revealed that the Vive is easier to repair and take apart than the Oculus Rift..https://t.co/kE5GQlZaZI pic.twitter.com/TuoTlbAsEP
— OC3D (@OC3D) April 26, 2016

Most Recent Comments

26-04-2016, 16:49:13

Wraith

Level 9000 idiocy right here, who is even going to take theirs apart or try repairs? It's newer than newy newness, so pretty sure warranties have yet to even be filled..Quote

27-04-2016, 01:15:04

Merxe

In a few years (2-5) the headsets will begin to break for whatever reason. When warranties expire people will start going on the Internet watching movies about disassembling those products. That's when it will start being useful.

The same happened to me with my Galaxy S3, I unscrewed my phone to find the cause of my problem and it turns out I have to replace the whole motherboard on my phone. Now I know better how to replace it (plus the YT videos will be helpful).

The information in this article tells me that it's much better to buy the Vive than the Rift when it comes to repairing it.

It's the same when it comes to smartphones - my S3 and one of the newer ones, like the S7. My S3 has a load of screws so I can open it much easier. The S7 has lots of glued parts so I wouldn't be so confident about messing with its innards.

I do consider this part of a product when it comes to buying something. And that's why it can be relevant to some people.Quote

The HTC Vive is easier to repair than the Oculus Rift