HTC's guidelines for the Vive's setup makes mounting its lighthouses incredibly easy, as long as you're cool with drilling holes in your walls. Each kit includes a couple of mounting brackets that only take a couple of minutes each to put up, but what if drilling holes isn't something you're up for?
No worries! Drilling the mounting brackets into your wall isn't a necessity. In fact, HTC designed the Vive lighthouses with this in mind. The back and bottom of the lighthouses come with threaded holes, which happen to fit just about every camera mount ever made, making it easy to attach to tripods and stands. Let's take a look at a few mounting options that don't involve losing your damage deposit or require repair later down the road.
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Fovitec Vive lighthouse stand
Probably the best way to get your lighthouses off the ground without drilling holes is by attaching them to these adjustable stands from Fovitec (about $46 for two) (opens in new tab). They can be set up in seconds, reach above seven feet in height, and a ball swivel at the top lets you adjust the lighthouse as needed.
If you're one to carry your Vive around to share with friends — or you just like to keep a tidy space — the stands fold down to a compact size and can be stored in the included carrying case.
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JOBY GorillaPod
If you're setting up your Vive in a unique space (one with a lot of stuff around the edges and maybe not a ton of floor space), one or two of these GorillaPods from JOBY (about $48 for one) (opens in new tab) will get the job done.
They're pricier than the other options here, but they're certainly the most versatile. The tripod arms are designed to flex and hold onto just about any surface, rubberized rings and feet help keep it in place when attached, and a ball joint at the top lets you adjust the lighthouse as needed.
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MDW clamp mount
Like the GorillaPod, these MDW clamp mounts are ideal for anyone suffering from a lack of floor space in their VR area. They're not as versatile — they require a smaller area to clamp onto — but they're far cheaper at just about $16 for two (opens in new tab).
You still get a ball joint at the top for adjusting the lighthouses, and the clamps have a rubberized grip to keep from stripping the paint off of shelves or scraping your fine hardwood furniture.
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3M indoor mounting tape
As seen in some of the Vive's advertisements, lighthouses can simply be placed on a shelf in your VR area. It's not the best when it comes to precision tracking due to angles, but it will get the job done in a pinch and won't cost anything.
However, the lighthouses vibrate when in use, and this may cause them to walk over to the edge and drop off. That's not an ideal situation, which is where this 3M mounting tape (about $8 for a roll) (opens in new tab) comes in. Stick a strip to the bottom, set it on a shelf, and worry not about falling hardware.
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