KIWI design RGB Vertical Stand for Quest 3, Quest 2 & Quest Pro
design
It seems like regardless of brand, the entire VR ecosystem follows the same basic aesthetic when it comes to product design. Think smooth lines, matte finishes and not a corner in sight. The KIWI design RGB Vertical Charging Stand follows that trend and the result is a pretty stylish pedestal.
The Vertical Stand is all plastic but carries a definite premium vibe and the matte finish both looks and feels great. There’s a little self-construction involved but the handful of pieces in the box quickly slot together to form a solid and sturdy unit.
The main platform offers plenty of room and unlike the KIWI design Quest 2 Charging Dock is completely flat, making the RGB Vertical Stand compatible with not just the Meta Quest 3, but the Quest 2 and Meta Quest Pro as well. It ends up feeling as much a display unit as a functional item, proudly showing off your VR headset to all who enter the room. It’s hard to miss too because the KIWI design RGB Vertical Stand is a pretty big beast, almost to the point of being an issue.
You’re going to need to find some space for the KIWI design RGB Vertical Stand and it’s probably not going to fit inside a TV unit. The holsters that see the Quest controllers essentially hang on either side of the headset may look pleasant, but they need clearance and that means a lot of dead space around the stand as a whole. If you know what you’re in for it’s not a problem, but if you’re after a compact storage solution this isn’t it.
Around the base of the headset platform is a strip of quintessential gamer RGB lighting. It’s tastefully implemented, if not a little redundant as it’s purely decorative and doesn’t reflect the charging status of the headset itself. A couple of discrete buttons on the underside of the platform let you cycle between a solid colour, animated multi-colour or off – which I ended up using in the name of saving energy. I’m sure the realities of syncing with charging status are far more involved than my non-engineering mind imagines, but it would be nice to be able to see if my headset is charged at a glance rather than just an unrelated rainbow party.
performance
The KIWI design RGB Vertical Stand is more than just a place to store your headset and controllers though, it’s also a charging dock for your Quest 3, 2 or Pro. Better still, it’s now Made for Meta – an official certification offered to a limited range of third-party products.
check latest prices
It’s got the seal of approval from Meta, and it’s got the seal of approval from Mediaberry too because through a few weeks of testing I was really impressed with the performance of the KIWI design RGB Charging Stand.
There’s no power adapter included in the box so you’ll need to continue using the official Meta Quest 3 adapter but rather than plugging into the headset itself you’ll plug into the USB-C connection on the back of the KIWI design Vertical Stand. A clever magnetic right angle adapter plugs in to your Quest 3 headset and connects to a flexible stem on the side of the stand. It’s a really neat, quick-release system that self aligns with a minimum of fuss. Even without paying attention to exactly how I placed down my Quest 3 headset it always connected and began charging.
Charging speeds were equal to just plugging the headset in directly, so there’s no loss of performance when using the KIWI design RGB Vertical Stand. I found this was the same across the Meta Quest range and the experience was the same whether I used the adapter on the Quest 3, Quest 2 or the Meta Quest Pro.
My main criticism of the KIWI design Quest 2 Charging Dock was a lack of compatibility with their own Battery Head Strap. Given the Quest 3’s lacklustre battery life an extended battery headset is almost a necessity and it’s nice to see KIWI design has a solution this time around. The KIWI design SPC Battery Head Strap includes a dual connector that allows the Quest 3 and battery head strap to charge simultaneously via the same magnetic connector on the RGB Vertical Charging Dock – great stuff.
The only disappointment for me is that unlike the Quest 2 equivalent from KIWI design, there’s no charging benefit for the Quest 3 controllers. The storage solution is a neat one but for £65 you don’t actually gain any functionality over the plugging the standard charger in.
summed up
The RGB Vertical Charging Stand is solid addition to the KIWI design range and another in a line of top-quality Meta Quest accessories from the brand. As a way to keep your headset charged and everything neat and tidy it ticks all the boxes with a clever quick-release magnetic connector and universally compatible design.
As you’d expect from an accessory granted the Made for Meta accolade, charging performance for the Quest 3 headset is great but a lack of controller charging support makes the RGB Vertical Stand more of a luxury than a necessity.
