I’ve been using the new KIWI Design P5000 hot-swappable compact battery system for months now across multiple VR sessions, both during my livestreams & during casual play sessions, and it has absolutely delivers. As someone who live streams VR for up to 6 hours straight while casting, using passthrough, and running demanding standalone games, all while overclocking using Quest Game Optimizer (to deliver the highest end standalone VR fottage for viewers), battery solutions matter more to me than the casual VR user & is the single most important aspect to keep my Quest 3 live streams going strong. The P5000 is one of the most practical VR accessories released recently.

The P5000 solves one of the biggest problems with standalone VR headsets, the battery life. But it isn't just a small solution, it's been the best solution for extra battery for me so far in VR and offers something close to unlimited playtime. And that’s not exaggeration. These compact 100g power banks have been a game changer,literally and figuratively, in ways I honestly didn’t expect.

As a VR power user who is always looking for the best options available, and who also does testing for various VR accessory companies, I'm constantly testing different battery solutions for VR headsets. Most of them do help to a degree, but they all have major downsides that this P5000 just doesn't have. I'll go over the positives and negatives in this review.

Being a huge fan of the KIWI Design original 3 in 1 battery strap, I was very dissapointed to find out that the product was no longer in production as of 2024. I speculated if they were working on a replacement and I even voiced my concern to the KIWI Design team numerous times as I thought the 3 in 1 battery strap was THE essential VR accessory to have for wireless VR sessions. But now that the P5000 is here, it more than surpases a previous solution, in massive ways, all while remaining small in actual size!

Positives:
Universal Compatibility - For VR & More
One of the best parts of the P5000 kit is that it works with any VR headset that charges via USB-C. Quest 3/3S, Pico, Quest Pro, Steam Frame, you name it. And because it’s a proper USB-C PD battery, you can also use it on anything else. Your phones, cameras, lighting, microphones and even a Steam Deck & more.

Hot Swappable - Near Unlimited VR Power
This feature alone puts the P5000 in a different class. You get two 5000mAh batteries and two magnetic charging docks. One charges while the other is in use. And since each battery supports 20W PD fast charging, you can recharge one battery mostly to full during a long play session with the other. I’ve forgotten to charge them before streaming and still managed to finish a full 4–5 hour stream with no downtime. That’s insane.

Lightweight & Balanced
Each battery weighs about 100 grams, which is very light considering the power they output. Also, mounting this on the back of the headstrap adds a noticeable improvement to headset balance, which improves long term comfort. With the Quest 3 specifically, the P5000 doesn't get in my way, and can be a comfort upgrade as much as a battery upgrade. To give you an idea, another top brand for VR accessories newest swappable batteries are nearly double the weight at 180 grams (not to mention the competitors battery are also not universal as they are reliant on the specific headstrap, and VR headset specific).

Compact Size - WAY Smaller Than Other Power Banks
I have a drawer full of power banks, some of them considered small but the P5000 looks like their baby in comparrison. It’s maybe a quarter the size of my smallest power bank. It's honestly baffling to me how small these power banks are with how much power and features it packs into the overall package. The power banks measured to be around 3.5in long, 1 1/4in wide (at the thickest point) and 1in deep. This thing seemingly disappears with the strap, even visually. No bulky brick strapped to the headset.

Flexible Mounting
The mount comes with a velcro strap and USB-C cable attached. The velcro is really strong, really secure, and stays locked even during fast head movement. I’ve tried to knock it off by doing unrealistic head shakes to test and the battery doesn’t budge, or come off centered. No wobble, no shifting, no annoying weight swing aka no added inertia. And I can remove the battery without even taking off the headset.

Easy Readability - Dual LED Indicators
It's great that the battery has LEDs to display the battery life. But even better that it has the LEDs on both sides of the battery. No matter which way I mount it, or put it on the charging dock, I can see my battery level instantly. With each LED bar representing 25% battery, your not left guessing at how much battery you have remaining. Press the small orange button once to toggle LEDs, or press twice to power the battery off. It has intuitive and simple functionality.

Fast Charge Times
90–120 minutes for a full charge. And because of PD, you can get a significant recharge in under an hour. This is how I'm able to run 5+ hour long livestreams without worrying about if I'll run out of power.

Strong Power Input/Output
Input: 5V ⎓ 3.6A (Max), 5V ⎓ 3A, 9V ⎓ 2.22A
Output: 5V ⎓ 3A, 9V ⎓ 2.22A
Enough to power very demanding standalone VR and keep up with passthrough, high brightness, and wireless casting. For reference, the Quest 3 stock charger is fixed 9V at 2A (so these power banks output more power). Some personal tests have shown my Quest 3 to use as high as 27w during very short periods (I assume 9V at 3A, but that's a guess) and for the most part, 18 watts is where it tops out for usual charging.

Great Playtime Per Battery
Depending on use-case, you can expect 60–100 minutes of extra gameplay per battery. And if you're using a built in battery headstrap like the KIWI K4 Boost, the combo gives me an easy 6+ hour session with battery to spare, even while playing demanding games like Dungeons of Eternity while casting.

Safety Certifications
The P5000 meets proper safety standards in all markets where it is sold. Which adds a nice peace of mind. The days of worrying if the $30 Amazon power bank will catch fire while on my headset or while charging are over.

Perfect for Long Sessions, Travel, Casual & Power Users
This isn’t just for gamers. Anyone using VR while traveling, for fitness, hosting demos, creator work, conventions or multiple hour long sessions will benefit massively from this kind of power & flexibility.

Easy to Store
With two charging docks that are tiny (around 1.5in by 1.5in and 1/2in thick), whichdouble as storage stands, you can always have a reliable place to have your power banks. Since the docks are magnetic to one another, and have a gripped bottom, it makes it so they both stay side by side, in the same place. Plus, the compact size makes it so they can be stored seemingly anywhere without taking up much space. I even tested the power banks on the road, by throwing one in my pocket as I went to run errands, without it even being noticeable.

Additional Benefits Worth Mentioning:
-Stays cool during use
-No app or firmware required
-Two charging docks included (one for each battery)
-USB-C port on the battery itself for direct charging
-Cable routing is clean and not limited to one VR headset or even brand
-Great for balancing VR headsets
-Fits neatly in any travel case
-Battery type is Lithium-ion
-Capacity: 18.25Wh / 3.65V / 5000mAh

Negatives:
The main downside is the price. It's not cheap at $89.99
This is probably the biggest drawback for most people. It’s not a $25 Amazon solution, but it also doesn’t perform like one. With the current KIWI sale going on, and with the BTRUE discount code (10% off at any time), the price gets more reasonable at just $68. Plus KIWI runs sales often, so even if you miss this specific sale, there will be one right around the corner. And like I said, you can always save 105 by using my affiliate code: BTRUE . Still, it’s not the budget option as it's a high end, practical accessory.

Not Truly Infinite Power
Even with hot swapping, you still rely on recharging. It’s not infinite playtime, but it’s easily the closest I’ve personally seen in VR. I’ve never run out of power while using them properly and I'm in VR more than 99% of users out there.

Added Rear Weight (Sort of)
For most people this improves comfort, but some users don’t like any weight on the back at all. This is a personal preference thing.

Charging Isn’t Max Level PD
It charges plenty fast at the 20w fast charge for the Quest 3, but PD chargers can be 27w & higher & are capable of recharging even faster. Not a dealbreaker, but worth mentioning for us power nerds.

No Water Resistance Rating
There’s no IP certification that I could find, so it’s not built for outdoor use in wet weather.

Wrap Up:
The KIWI Design P5000 battery system is one of the most useful VR accessories I’ve used in a long time. It fixes a major pain point that every standalone VR user deals with, and does it in an easy to use, flexible, and reliable way. It’s lightweight, compact, adjustable, universal, and genuinely changes how long you can enjoy VR without interruption.

Whether you are a long sesion VR usuer, creator, use your headset for fitness/working out, have multiple wireless headsets from different companies or maybe you just hate being limited to the 60-100 minute battery on your headset, this is an easy to reccomend upgrade. With the hot-swappable design, universal capabilities and PD support, it’s the closest thing we’ve had to unlimited VR play sessions.

Big props to KIWI Design for making something that’s not just convenient, it’s something I’ll be using every time I use wireless VR!

If you want to check it out and support my content & VR community, you can use my discount code BTRUE for 10% off.

P5000 Compact Power Bank Kit affiliate link