BUILD YOUR OWN VR HEADSET FOR THE PRICE OF A GAME
A 3D-printed 6DoF VR headset that runs Beat Saber — full CAD, PCB, firmware and an AliExpress parts list.
VR3D-printing
- difficulty
- ●●●●○
- time
- several weekends
- license
- CERN-OHL-S-2.0
- repo
- repo ACTIVE483 stars
●●●●○ · several weekends · CERN-OHL-S-2.0 · 483 stars · repo ACTIVE
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
- 3D printer + filament — printable parts — files are in the repo
- Electronic parts — full list with part numbers in the repo BOM
- Dev board / microcontroller — runs the project firmware
Partner
COMPAREE VERDICT
CNCDan's DIY_VR proves you can build a working VR headset yourself for roughly the price of a game — 3D-printed, adjustable IPD, and capable of actually playing Beat Saber through a SteamVR driver. It's a properly complete project: STEP CAD for two versions, STL, PCB files, Arduino firmware, and a README build guide with a BOM that links to cheap AliExpress parts. The honest details: full 6DoF tracking needs the companion controllers repo and a SteamVR driver (Relativty or HadesVR), so it's a two-part build, and it's a several-weekend project rather than a plug-and-play kit. But for the cost and the bragging rights of playing VR on a headset you soldered and printed yourself, it's fantastic.
IN THE REPO
NOT IN THE REPO
- —A complete buildable project: STEP CAD (V1 + V2), STL, PCB files, Arduino firmware, and a README build guide with a BOM
- —The BOM links to inexpensive AliExpress parts (display set, IMU, radio, Pro Micro, lenses)
- —Full 6DoF needs a second repo (the controllers) and a SteamVR driver (Relativty/HadesVR)
- —Licensed CERN-OHL-S-2.0
Can I build this?
Build at your own risk. Projects involve tools, electronics and sometimes mains voltage — follow the creator’s safety notes.
Partner · KickstarterHeyGears G1: 10M+ colors and transparent parts in one print, plus UV printing on flat objects. Figures, parts and labels — no painting.
Videos
I Built My Own VR Headset14:52
The creator's full build video.
Gallery
Start here
Navigation into the creator’s own docs — we don’t rewrite the guide, we route you to the source.
- 1.Watch the build (the full walkthrough)
- 2.Get the CAD + BOM (STEP/STL/PCB/firmware + AliExpress BOM)
- 3.Build the controllers (for full 6DoF)
- 4.Set up the SteamVR driver (Relativty / HadesVR)
Resources
Documentation, files and community threads for this build — we link straight to the original sources and never rehost the creator’s files.
KNOWN ISSUES
- Full 6DoF needs the companion controllers repo and a SteamVR driver (Relativty/HadesVR) — it's a two-part build
- It's a several-weekend electronics project, not a plug-and-play kit
- Match the lenses and display to the BOM — IPD is adjustable, but optics matter for comfort
Can it really play Beat Saber?
Yes — with the companion controllers and a SteamVR driver (Relativty/HadesVR), the creator demonstrates it playing Beat Saber with 6DoF tracking.
Is everything provided?
The headset repo has STEP/STL CAD, PCB files, Arduino firmware and a README build guide with an AliExpress BOM. The controllers are a separate repo.
How cheap is it?
Band $ — it's built from inexpensive AliExpress parts, roughly the price of a game. The BOM has current links.
Do I need a PC?
Yes — it's a PC-VR headset that runs through SteamVR via the driver.
Community builds
No community builds yet — be the first, we feature the best ones.
Discussion1
FROM THE COMPAREE TEAM
It plays Beat Saber, but only after you build a second repo's worth of controllers and wire up a SteamVR driver. Is a two-part, several-weekend build still worth it when used headsets are cheap?
CNCDan (dmcke5)
Documented a complete DIY VR headset — CAD, PCB, firmware and a cheap AliExpress BOM — and showed it playing Beat Saber with 6DoF tracking via a SteamVR driver.
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DISCLAIMER
- Comparee is not the author of the projects featured here. All rights to each project belong to its creator — every page links to the original source, and we never host creators’ files.
- Information is provided without warranty and may become outdated as projects evolve. Prices are indicative bands only — always check the creator’s parts list for current costs.
- Building and operating any project is at your own responsibility. Protective equipment, safe workshop practice and compliance with local regulations are the builder’s responsibility.
CompareeTEAM1mo ago
What we found checking the claims: the Beat Saber demo is real, but it depends on a companion controllers repo plus the Relativty/HadesVR SteamVR driver — the headset repo alone only gets you part of the way. The optics are the quiet make-or-break: the creator stresses matching lenses and display exactly to the BOM for comfort. Has anyone here sourced the AliExpress display kit recently — still available?