TWO TEENS COULDN'T AFFORD A VR HEADSET — SO THEY BUILT ONE
Relativty started as two teenagers building their own VR headset from scratch. It became a fully open-source headset: printed shell, custom board, SteamVR support.
by Relativty (Maxime Coutté & Gabriel Combe)
VRElectronics
Built withArduino3D printing
- difficulty
- ●●●○○
- time
- a few weekends
- license
- GPL-3.0
- repo
- repo STABLE (COMMUNITY-DRIVEN)7,250 stars
●●●○○ · a few weekends · GPL-3.0 · 7,250 stars · repo STABLE (COMMUNITY-DRIVEN)
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
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COMPAREE VERDICT
Two teenagers who could not afford VR built their own, and it became Relativty: an open-source 3-DoF headset with a printed shell, an Arduino-compatible tracker and SteamVR support. The current recommended build uses an off-the-shelf Arduino Pro Micro and an IMU supported by the FastIMU library; the original custom board is still in the repo. With over 7,000 stars and an active Discord, you are not alone. It has no controllers or positional tracking and will not match a modern commercial headset - the point is that you understand and own every part.
IN THE REPO
GOOD TO KNOW
- —GPL-3.0, hugely popular (7k+ stars)
- —Repo is stable but not actively developed (last update 2024) — the design is complete and well-trodden by the community
Parts to buy
5 itemsFrom our check of the build. Exact quantities and part numbers are in the creator’s BOM.
Can I build this?
Build at your own risk. Projects involve tools, electronics and sometimes mains voltage — follow the creator’s safety notes.
Videos
'We couldn't afford an Oculus so we built one' — the full story (Changelog interview)1:06:00
The launch clip is only 18s; this 66-min interview with Maxime is the real story — village in France, a teacher, and advice from Oculus's chief architect.
More builds like this
All projectsGallery
Start here
Navigation into the creator’s own docs — we don’t rewrite the guide, we route you to the source.
- 1.Read the repo README + community build guides (lots of prior builders to learn from)
- 2.Source display + lenses from the BOM
- 3.Print the shell
- 4.Build the board, flash firmware, connect SteamVR
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
- Not actively developed since 2024 — lean on community write-ups and issues
- Lens + display alignment determines comfort; take time on the optics
- Pick an IMU supported by the FastIMU library, as the current build guide says; a 6-axis IMU without a magnetometer will drift in yaw over time.
- The relativty.com website did not respond when we checked; the GitHub README is the build guide and the Discord (about 2,000 members) is where builders help each other.
Is it as good as a real headset?
No — it's a DIY headset, not a Quest. The value is understanding and owning every part, and the story of building VR yourself.
Is the project still maintained?
It's stable but quiet since 2024. The design is complete and the big community means plenty of build help exists.
Do I need to be an expert?
No — with 7k+ stars there are lots of guides. Solid soldering and patience with optics is enough.
Does it have controllers and 6-DoF?
No — it's 3-DoF and has no controllers. The README points to HadesVR if you want 6-DoF. Relativty is about the story and understanding VR, not matching a Quest.
Community builds
No community builds yet — be the first, we feature the best ones.
Discussion1
FROM THE COMPAREE TEAM
Relativty is 3-DoF with no controllers, and the point was never matching a Quest — it's owning every part you built. Is that still a reason to build a headset in 2026?
This open-source handheld turns a tiny Intel NUC mini-PC into a Windows gaming console
●●●●○ · build a gaming handheld instead
A spinning ball of light that paints a floating 3D globe on your desk
●●●●● · a harder electronics-plus-optics build: a spinning persistence-of-vision LED globe
Relativty (Maxime Coutté & Gabriel Combe)
Two teenagers who couldn't afford a VR headset built their own from scratch, then open-sourced the whole thing — printed shell, custom board, SteamVR support. It went viral and gathered a big builder community.
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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.
CompareeTEAM2mo agoedited
Correction (4 October 2026): we re-checked this page line by line against the project's own repository, documentation and videos, and fixed errors in earlier versions.