I have worn a lot of different HTC Vive headsets. I enjoy the design, but setting the headset up the first time so it fits you just right can be a little on the tedious side. Which is one of several reasons I was a little uncertain when I heard Busch Gardens Williamsburg in Virginia was going to be filling a room full of many Vive headsets for its latest attraction, Battle for Eire. If the headset takes a while to set up, it means getting people on and off the ride is going to take longer than most other rides in a theme park. Longer wait times seldom translate to a totally positive experience, which could have meant this new VR-based experience was short-lived. Fortunately for everyone involved, a unique new head strap was built for this version of the Vive to make getting the headset on and off incredibly smooth and fast. In fact, it's so well done I would happily buy this as a mod for my Vive at home. Best VPN providers 2020: Learn about ExpressVPN, NordVPN & more

What you see here is actually two separate pieces which come together to form a fairly standard-looking VR headset design. The front is all HTC Vive, same as you can buy in a store. The back, where the green plastic the ride refers to as the "Emerald Mask" sits, is actually a totally separate piece. When you queue up for the ride, you pick up the Emerald Mask from one of the racks. While you wait in line you fit it to your head and make sure it's comfortable. Then, when you take a seat on the ride, the Vive part of the headset is in a dock next to your head. To connect the two pieces, all you need to do is touch the two halves together. Three powerful magnets connect to the steel circles on the front of the Emerald Mask, and as soon as you hear that click the headset feels firmly attached. When I shook the headset back and forth it felt as stable as any other HTC Vive I've worn, which was incredible. This ride is a seated experience, so there wasn't a lot of opportunities to get up and spin around, but when the ride was over I needed to pull with a fair bit of force to disconnect the two halves. As I left the room, there was a place to put the Emerald Mask part of the headset for cleaning. According to Busch Gardens VP or Engineering Larry Giles, this part of the headset is sterilized in much the same way a set of 3D glasses for some of their other attractions is cleaned before returning to the rack.