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
- difficulty
- ●●●○○
- time
- a few weekends
- license
- GPL-3.0
- repo
- repo STABLE (COMMUNITY-DRIVEN)7,217 stars
●●●○○ · a few weekends · GPL-3.0 · 7,217 stars · repo STABLE (COMMUNITY-DRIVEN)
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
- Soldering kit + basic tools — one-time buy, serves every future build
Partner
COMPAREE VERDICT
This is the project that proves the whole channel's point: two teenagers who couldn't afford VR just built it. Relativty is a real open-source headset — printed shell, custom electronics, SteamVR support. With 7,000+ stars there's a big community and lots of build write-ups, so you're not alone. It won't match a modern commercial headset, but that's not the point — the point is you understand and own every part. Fantastic 'I built VR' story and a genuinely doable build.
IN THE REPO
NOT IN THE REPO
- —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
Can I build this?
Build at your own risk. Projects involve tools, electronics and sometimes mains voltage — follow the creator’s safety notes.
Partner · KickstarterCORE POWER BANK S: 0.2" thin, 2.8 oz, 5000 mAh with 22.5W fast charging. Semi-solid battery, carbon fiber, IPX7 waterproof.
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.
Gallery
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.
- 66-min story (Changelog) changelog.com
- Builder Discord (~2k) discord.gg
- Hackaday: open-source VR headset hackaday.com
KNOWN ISSUES
- Not actively developed since 2024 — lean on community write-ups and issues
- Lens + display alignment determines comfort; take time on the optics
- MPU-6050 IMU drifts — builders recommend the MPU-9250 instead (issue #13).
- The relativty.com site is currently down; the project lives on the Discord (~2,000 members).
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?
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.
Keep building — related projects
Same category, picked by how close they are to this build.
FULL CADThe Open Book: a DIY E-Reader That Won a Hackaday Prize
ElectronicsOpen-hardware●●●○○moderate
FULL CADZSWatch: Build Your Own Open-Source Smartwatch
ElectronicsWearables●●●●○advanced
FULL CADLucidGloves: DIY VR Gloves You Can Feel
VRWearables●●●○○moderate
FULL CADFlix: Build a Drone From Scratch on a Cheap ESP32
DronesElectronics●●●●○advanced
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
A community fix worth surfacing: the stock MPU-6050 IMU drifts, and builders in issue #13 recommend swapping in an MPU-9250 — the kind of knowledge that now lives in issues and the Discord since the project website went down. We also found the backstory runs deeper than the 18-second launch clip suggests; the long-form interview covers a French village, a supportive teacher and advice from Oculus's chief architect. Whose build story tops that one?