Pimp Your Virtual Reality Tech

Let’s look at it like this: Virtual reality is all about getting inside some other world, or having the VR tech transport you into another place, body or concept of existence. So what the actual headset looks like is kind of irrelevant.

Or is it?

Anyone who’s a fan of William Gibson will understand the importance that aesthetic style brings to our personal tech. When you’re being transformed into a cybernetic organism, you have to make sure you look like an awesome one, right? Otherwise, what’s the point of becoming a cyborg at all?

So check out these amazing virtual reality headsets that’ve been pimped up to give the world outside your virtual one a dazzling profile!

Got one to add to the gallery? Tell us in the comments.

A VR HMD concept by Japanese cyberpunk artist Keiichi Ikeuchi, offering a retro futuristic Pip-Boy-styling to your face gear.

A 3D printed VR headset designed by artist Masaharu Ono.

Alx Klive regressed his Cardboard beautifully, creating a steampunk headset that’d make the Victorians need a sit down and a cup of tea.

Artefact Group looked a few years into the future with the Shadow VR concept, to see what shape virtual reality might take in 2020.

When you see this Vive mod by Redditer bsman1011, it seems so obvious you have to wonder why HTC didn’t make it standard.

And a tip of the hat has to go to Sega, for this slick design that dates back to 1991.

Although it never materialized as a product, the Sensics Natalia VR headset oozed style, and there are shades of the Vive in its positional tracking design.

Part of an art exhibition held in London’s Covent Garden called Violescence, these concept VR helmets were designed to give people a look into virtual nature. Interesting point, these are working HMDs (they have Rifts inside them).

Nope, not an HMD, admittedly. In fact, this re-skinned Vive controller isn’t even real — it’s just a beautifully rendered 3D model. But seeing its industrialized paint job was too inspiring to leave out of our virtual VR art exhibition!

Got any stunning VR concept art or designs you want to add to this list? Put ’em in the comments.