<a class="_question-link QuestionHeader-TitleLink" href="/topics/1668/~best-vr-headsets">What are the best VR headsets?

Wireless controllers will be available for Vive that will allow interacting with the VR world. These controllers have motion tracking, allowing you to physically pick up and manipulate objects in a natural way. This allows much further immersion than playing with a standard console controller. See More

Top Pro

Comes with wireless controllers for interaction

Top Con

Quite expensive

With a price tag of $599, the HTC Vive is the most expensive virtual reality headset currently on the market. While it does offer more with included controllers and tracking cameras, the cost is higher because of it. See More

Top Pro

Immersive experience thanks to physical movement tracking

Instead of merely providing a 3D 360° view, the Vive offers a more realistic immersive experience by tracking your physical movement (head movement, as well as hand movement through the controllers). Most VR headsets would allow you to pick up an item by pressing 'A' on a controller - the Vive lets you walk towards an item, reach out, and pick it up with your hands. See More

Top Con

Bulky cable can inhibit movement

The cable that is used to connect the HTC Vive to your pc and other Vive peripherals is quite bulky, which may also cause some tripping incidents. See More

Top Pro

Can walk around a room easily with passthrough camera

There is a camera on the top of the headset, meaning the player will be able to have that camera feed sent to their headsets screen, which will allow for the user to see what is around them and in the room without having to take off the headset. Also when you start up the Vive for the first time you set a play space boundary and when you get near that afterwards while playing a transparent grid pops up to say "Hey, you're about to run into a wall or something else!" See More

Top Con

High specs for required minimum PC equipment is a barrier to entry

HTC suggests at least nVidia GTX 970 or AMD R9 290 for your graphics card, and an Intel i5-4590 or AMD FX 8350 or higher for CPU. If you need to upgrade computer components to be VR ready, the cost will be even higher than the Vive's $800 price-tag...making the barrier to entry extremely high. See More

Top Pro

Made in collaboration with Valve - an experienced high quality vendor

The HTC Vive is made by HTC in collaboration with Valve, the creators of Portal, Half Life, CSGO, TF2 and more. They are also the owners of Steam. HTC bring their hardware manufacture and design experience, and Valve their gaming experience to bring a device that is both well designed and provides a good user experience for gamers. See More

Top Con

Works best in large clear areas

While the device can be used in small confined areas, the best experience is going to be in a large empty room, which allows for one to have the room needed to walk around freely. See More

Top Pro

Tied to Steam

Being that the Vive is made in partnership with Steam (one of the biggest gaming platforms in the world), the support and games found for it should not be an issue for those familiar and already purchased into the Steam ecosystem. See More

Top Con

The resolution (2160x1200) has not justified the price worth

Top Pro

Uses OpenVR

Top Pro

Room-scale tracking

The HTC Vive's room-scale tracking is a standout feature that allows you to freely move around in a virtual space. The precise tracking provided by the base stations enables you to physically interact with the virtual environment, adding a whole new level of realism and immersion to your gameplay. You can walk, duck, and dodge in the virtual world, making the experience incredibly engaging. See More

Top Pro

Immersive visuals

The HTC Vive offers stunning visuals that transport you to a whole new world of virtual reality. The level of detail and clarity in the virtual environments provide an unparalleled sense of immersion, making your gaming experience truly captivating. See More

Top Pro

Extensive game library

The HTC Vive offers an extensive library of games and experiences to choose from. With a wide range of genres and experiences available, from thrilling action games to mesmerizing exploration adventures. The diverse game library provides endless options for entertainment and ensures that you'll never run out of new experiences to try. See More

After Facebook partnered with Microsoft, Oculus dropped support for both GNU/Linux and OSX operating systems. While they are small markets, it is sad to see a company with enough funds to support them decide that they are not worth the support at this time. See More

score 27 · Answer 2

Oculus Rift

Top Con

Dropped GNU/Linux and OSX support

Top Pro

Easily extensible through built in USB port

The built in USB hub allows for other devices to be plugged in for power and communication. This means the user can extend the function of the Rift through extra peripherals that work alongside it such as the Leap Motion. See More

Abdullah Bajwa's Experience

As a gaming enthusiast, I recently had the opportunity to try out the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset, and my experience was nothing short of amazing. The easy setup, comfortable fit, stunning visuals, intuitive controls, and vast library of games all contributed to an unforgettable gaming experience. As a reviewer, I highly recommend the Oculus Rift for gamers looking to immerse themselves in a whole new level of gaming realism. See More

Specs

Display Resolution:2160x1200

Ports:Built-in; HRTF

Display Refresh Rate:90Hz

Display Resolution Per Eye:1080x1200

Could be seen as a pro but this could be bad for the whole VR market because it could turn into console wars for VR, instead of a brand of monitor like it should be. Imagine Asus monitor exclusives. Timed exclusives as well as Rift platform exclusives that never leave the ecosystem leaves other players with other headsets out, something that has not been an issue for PC games (only PC games, not console to PC games obviously) before this, which is one of the major reason enjoy PC gaming. See More

Top Con

Exclusive games for the Rift

Top Pro

Easy to adjust lens distance

There's a dial at the base of the unit that can be used to adjust lens distance. This helps focus on the display, which is essential for best text clarity. Being that everyone's eyes are different, this greatly helps to make for an experience that anyone can enjoy with clear visuals. See More

Jar-El's Experience

I'm not able to install it because the installer requires SSE 4.2 on my cpu, which isn't even actually needed from what I understand on the forums. Not supported for linux at all. See More

Top Con

Limited game availability due to a proprietary store

You can only officially get software and games from their official store. This can limit competition for pricing and availability, thus artificially creating scarcity for their platform. You can purchase games from Steam as well, but the games purchased in each store can't be seen in the other. Why fragment the market and user experience? This is something already seen on digital stores that lock content to one platform such as Nintendo's, Sony's, and Microsoft's. Through limiting competition on where you can purchase digital goods, prices tend to never fall that much, seeing years old games that still sell at full release prices more often than one would think. While it is still early to know for sure what route Facebook will take, keeping titles expensive for long swaths of time or allowing prices to degrade in a natural fashion due to age, their current track record for honesty in their endeavours leans more towards locked down expensive content. See More

Top Pro

Easily use the headphones you prefer

The headphones the device comes with are detachable, this means you can use your own headphones if you prefer their fit/quality. See More

Top Con

The installer requires SSE 4.2 on your CPU to be able to install but this is not mentioned anywhere in the specs

Top Pro

Out-of-the-box game engine integrations for developers

Rift integrates with Unreal Development Kit, Unreal Engine 4, and Unity 4 without any workarounds, which makes it easier for developers to create games for Oculus Rift. See More

Top Con

Potential for motion sickness

While the Oculus Rift's tracking is generally smooth and responsive, some users may experience motion sickness or discomfort, particularly during intense or fast-paced games. This can be a downside for those who are prone to motion sickness, and it's important to be aware of this potential issue before purchasing the headset. See More

Top Pro

Familiar experience of playing games

For those used to the traditional way of playing video games, using a controller and sitting in a chair, the Rift should feel quite familiar. It does offer a virtual reality experience through what you view, with some tracking interactions, but mainly it is much like playing a traditional console or PC game where you are viewing the game on a screen (directly in front of your face of course) and controlling the game with a gamepad or keyboard and mouse. This should appeal to those that would like to experience VR gaming but do not want to compromise on their traditional control methods or afford the room for gaming that takes place standing and walking around ones room (such as the Vive). A slight evolution on traditional gaming without being too unfamiliar in control or setup. Although true, touch controllers are still the main control method for most games. See More

Top Con

Requires high end computer components

Video card requirements: nVidia GTX 970 or AMD R9 290 (or greater) CPU: Intel i5-4590 (or greater) RAM: 8GB (or greater) These specs will limit the number of users that will be able to use the Rift, as a compatible computer may add to the already high $600 price tag. For a totally smooth experience an nVidia GTX 1070 or an AMD R9 Fury would be recommended. $400USD+ cards! See More

Top Pro

Comfortable fit and easy setup

The Oculus Rift is designed with user comfort in mind, featuring adjustable straps and built-in headphones for a snug and secure fit. Setting up the headset is also straightforward, with clear instructions, making it accessible to users of all skill levels. See More

Top Pro

Vast library of games and experiences

The Oculus Rift offers a wide range of games and experiences to suit different preferences, from action-packed first-person shooters to captivating puzzle games. With a diverse and constantly expanding library of content, there's always something new and exciting to try, keeping players entertained for hours on end. See More

Top Pro

Immersive gaming experience

The Oculus Rift provides an unparalleled level of immersion, with stunning visuals, 360-degree tracking, and intuitive controls. The realistic graphics and vibrant colors transport players to another world, making them feel like they are truly inside the game. See More

Top Pro

Ability to control and improve ones VR viewing with a built-in latency tester

Being able to test for latency and adjust accordingly can help improve the experience of play. This tester uses a real-time microsecond precision measurement of motion-to-photon latency, which can help optimize the latency being experienced in order to cut down on delays of movement to visual interpretation. Basically as you move your head to look around, there will be a delay of information as it has to first be transmitted to the PC that you moved, then the correct info has to be sent back to the display in order to show this movement in an accurate and believable way. The longer the delay the less real the VR experience with a side effect of causing motion sickness. Having a tool to adjust this can be beneficial in getting as close to a real world VR viewing experience. See More

Top Pro

Works natively with Windows 10

Windows 10 supports streaming of XBox One games to any Windows 10 PC. With the native Oculus support built in, this means the user can also stream XBox One games to the Rift as well. While VR will not be supported in those games due to the fact they were not made for it, you can still experience those games on the Rift screen making for a large viewing area thanks to how close the screens are to ones eyes. See More

Top Pro

Freedom to use any up to spec PC components

This device is driven by any desktop PC, providing it run the Oculus SDK. This hardware agnosticism makes is positive because of the freedom it provides to both consumer and developer. No matter the PC components being used, as long as they are up to the Rifts specs, the device will work. See More

Started with original ps4. Later upgraded to pro. small difference not enough to warrant a upgrade out of necessity See More

score 12 · Answer 3

Playstation VR

Top Pro

Runs great

Top Con

PlayStation 4 only

So far the only platform confirmed for the headset is PS4. There has been no information if the device will be backwards compatible once the PS4 life cycle is done or if it has the potential to work on PC. See More

Specs

FOV Diagonal:90°

Ports:HDMI USB2

Display Panel Type:LCD

Project Morpheus is designed to be used with PlayStation Move controllers. Move controllers are motion-sensing, thus it represents hand movements in-game more naturally. This allows for more immersive interactions with the virtual world. See More

Top Pro

Natural controller interaction

Top Con

Resolution limits immersive experience

Due to the screen being so close to your face, the 1080p display is not enough for creating a clear picture. The pixelation is enough to remind you that you've got screens strapped to your face. See More

Top Pro

Light face contact allows for comfortable play sessions

The design of the device allows for most of the pressure when wearing to be placed on the top of the head meaning there is little contact and pressure on ones face. This helps to keep it comfortable to wear for extended periods. See More

Top Con

Posible framerate problems on original PS4

Top Pro

Headset will not steam up with prolonged use

There is ventilation built into the unit so that when the user gets sweaty, the device will not fog up on the inside. This also is good for the electronics in the device such as the screens, as moisture in them may cause them to break or malfunction. See More

Top Pro

Can be used relatively comfortably with glasses

There is enough room in the device to afford the wearer room to wear glasses while the device is on. This way those that do not use contacts are still able to use the device. See More

Foveated rendering is a rendering method where the quality of the image (and subsequently the processing power needed to render the image) throughout the image is different. It allows rendering only the parts the user is focused on in high quality and lower the resource usage of the device considerably. See More

score 9 · Answer 4

FOVE

Top Pro

Plans to have foveated rendering

Top Con

Fove's eye-tracking technology is terrible.

It is hard to apply to the game, and it is very inaccurate. See More

Top Pro

Supports eye tracking

The device has a built in eye tracking function that is supposed to help with things like targeting, much like eye targeting used in fighter jets. See More

Top Con

Currently eye tracking has to be calibrated at the start of every game

The built in eye tracking currently has to be recalibrated every time a new demo/game is started. This can be time consuming and interrupts the flow of play for those that like to try out many different games in one session. See More

Top Pro

Able to access lots of content

Originally only Unity, Unreal Engine, and Cryengine were supported, but support for OpenVR and Steam VR are in the works. This will ensure there is plenty of content available for the Fove. See More

Top Con

Highly demanding specs

The recommended specs for this device is a PC that can run modern games at 2560x1440 at 100fps or greater. This means the one will need a very high powered GPU CPU combo. See More

Top Pro

Crisp graphics

The picture is meant to be clear due to the quad HD (2560x1140) display. This high resolution will help text and edges of round objects look crisp. See More

Spyware embedded by facebook and forced facebook account See More

score 1 · Answer 5

Meta Quest 2

Top Pro

Cheap and uses custom Android, so no PC unless you wanna play PCVR

Top Con

Owned by facebook

score 4 · Answer 6

Sulon Q

Top Pro

Controller-free 3D tracking

With 2 cameras on front of the unit, the Sulon Q can produce a 3D map of the room you're in without the need for stationary sensors to track your movement. This also means that it can track the position of your hands, meaning there will be no need to hold onto controllers. See More

Top Con

Likely expensive

Because all of the components are integrated into the unit (GPU, CPU, battery), this will raise the cost instead of offloading the processing to a dedicated computer. See More

Top Pro

AR as well as VR

Virtual reality is available, however this headset also supports augmented reality. This bridges virtual reality with the real world, allowing VR components to overlap in the real world. You can see an example of the Augmented reality in the Magic Beans Demo video. See More

Top Con

Console quality

While its not definitive what "console quality" specifically means, don't expect insane framerates. With the on-board GPU and battery, there's only going to be so much performance available. See More

Top Pro

Wear and play

The Sulon Q can be used completely un-tethered. That means no cables to drag around, and no need to worry about upgrading your PC to be VR-ready. It incorporates PC components right into the headset - 256GB SSD, 8GB RAM, AMD FX-8800P process and a Radeon R7 graphics card. It also includes a 2560x1440p OLED display to complete the build. These components are housed in the box that rests on the back of the wearer's head, and helps balance out the weight of the headset. See More

Top Con

Likely very heavy

Because it's un-tethered, it needs the CPU, GPU, as well as a hefty battery installed on the unit. The final weight isn't known yet, but it's likely going to be quite heavy. See More

Top Pro

Great displays

There are two OLED displays with a total resolution of 2560x1440 - beating out the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive slightly. The Sulon Q's displays can manage a 90Hz refresh rate which is said to reduce motion-nausea significantly. See More

With a 210 degree vertical field of view along with a 180 degree vertical view the device can mimic 75% of a normal human's field of view, which is more than any other device claims so far (nearly double that of other high end VR sets). This really helps the wearer feel like they are actually in the virtual world. See More

score 20 · Answer 7

StarVR

Top Pro

Extremely immersive displays

Top Con

Lots of nausea

There is still time for StarVR to fix this, however currently nausea is a problem which sets in early, and the effects can last for an hour afterwards. See More

Specs

FOV Diagonal:210º

Display Resolution:5120x1440

Display Panel Type:OLED (rumor)

Display Refresh Rate:90 Hz

While most VR headsets use 1080p or 1440p resolution, the StarVR uses 2560x1440p per eye (total resolution of 5120x1440 or roughly 5K). This will ensure text is crisp, and shapes don't have jagged edges - helping to immerse users even more into the virtual world. See More

Top Pro

Crisp details

Top Con

May be meant more for commercial use

The manufacturer (Acer) has stated that these device will be seen in commercial settings such as CR theme parks, so they may be priced out of the casual consumers price range. See More

Top Pro

Eye tracking

Not only allows Eye tracking, the so-called "foveated rendering", but it enables software developers to implement features that include the users gaze. (More realistic avatars, Gaze aiming). In this headset it also is used to automatically set the IDP. See More

The hardware is under an open license, so it's great for hardware hackers to make and share their improvements. The plastic part 3d models are open and can be printed on a 3d printer as well meaning users are free to customize the looks of the device as well. This also means any manufacturer is free to produce a device using the open hardware and software. Which can lead to more competition which can lead to lower price points. See More

score 8 · Answer 8

Razer OSVR Hacker Dev Kit

Top Pro

Open hardware

Top Con

Headband not that comfortable

The device uses a tri-band design to attach to ones head. This can be uncomfortable due to how many straps there are and their placement. Other devices use a triangular design which is often considered more comfortable. See More

Specs

FOV Diagonal:100°

Display Refresh Rate:60Hz

Interpupillary distance:Adjustable

The HMD is designed to be upgradeable, meaning components can be switched out and upgraded as desired. Users can also upgrade between official versions. See More

Top Pro

Modular design

Top Con

Low res screens

The included screens for the device are 960 x 1,080, which is less than full HD (1920x1080). Compared to other popular headsets this is low, which can lead to less crisp graphics (most other VR solutions use 1080p or 1440p). See More

Top Pro

Pretty cheap

Its only $299 for the kit, which is nearly half the cost of the Oculus or Vive. See More

Top Pro

Only requires a mid-spec PC

This makes it usable by a much bigger range of customers. Most gamers will already have a PC that can support this HMD. Specific minimum specs aren't listed. See More

Top Pro

FPGA for hardware programming

A FPGA is included which allows hardware hackers to better integrate their modifications. FPGAs also make the HMD more flexible. See More

Top Pro

Individual eye focusing

Users who have different focus points for each eye will rejoice! You can individually focus the left/right lenses to make sure you get the clearest image for yourself. See More

The headset is lightweight at just 246g, and can be worn with glasses. It will automatically adjust depending on your pupil distance, and has a low latency at 13ms to help reduce motion-sickness. See More

score 2 · Answer 9

Three Glasses D2

Top Pro

Comfortable to wear

Top Con

Poor early implamentation

The sensors tend to overcompensate for your movement, which results in motion sickness, and also early demos have had very unstable software. There's time to tweak these before the full launch, but are present as of now. See More

Specs

FOV Diagonal:125°

Display Refresh Rate:60Hz

Interpupillary distance:Adjustable

To run, you only need an Intel i3-540 CPU, nVidia GTX 660 GPU, and 4GB of RAM. For a better experience, it's suggested you have at least Intel i5-4590 CPU and nVidia GTX980 GPU and 8GB of RAM. See More

Top Pro

Low system requirements required

Top Con

Padding is not adjustable

While the device is wide enough for a normal pair of glasses, the padding is not adjustable meaning those with larger heads or wide set glasses may have trouble. See More

Top Pro

Convenient touch panel

There is a touch panel with a power and menu button built into the side of the device. While there are no menus in the headset itself, games could take advantage of this touchpad, which could be convenient. See More

The device has battery life of up to 7 hours of use cord free. This is great for those that do not wish to be tethered to any objects. See More

score 1 · Answer 10

GameFace EP1

Top Pro

Can be used cordless

Top Con

Bulky

The EP1 is blocky and heavy at 445g, thanks to it's included Tegra X1 SoC and cooling solution. See More

Specs

FOV Diagonal:100°

Display Resolution:2560x1440

Ports:3.5mm TRRS jack

Display Panel Type:OLED

Content will be available from a wide range of providers, including: Android/Google Cardboard, Gameface, Steam VR, Lighthouse. See More

Top Pro

Plenty of content streams

Top Con

May be noisy with moving parts

The device has a built in smartphone chip that will need cooling in order to run Android games natively. This fan will cause some noise as well as moving air (from the top of the unit), which all may be a bit distracting. See More

score 2 · Answer 11

Samsung Odyssey

Top Pro

Inside out tracking

Top Pro

No screen door effect

Top Pro

OLED screen

As everybody knows by now, Facebook owns Oculus. This isn't too concerning for Rift owners, as the Rift CV1 doesn't have any cameras on it. However, the Quest has 4 ultrawide-angle lenses which could easily allow Facebook to collect data on consumers. See More

score 4 · Answer 12

Oculus Quest

Top Con

Privacy concerns

Top Pro

No wires

The Oculus Quest is stand-alone and requires no PC, and thus has no wires. See More

Top Con

Closed garden/DRM

Unlike the Rift, which supports games designed for the Rift, as well as third-party stores such as Steam and Viveport, the Quest will have a closed garden approach and only support the Oculus store and Oculus approved apps. See More

Top Pro

Powerful

High-quality stand-alone headset experiences. See More

Top Con

New flawed touch controller design

The new controller has one major flaw. The loops are inverted. This means when you hit a wall when really getting into a game, there will be no ring around your knuckles to protect your hands. See More

Top Pro

Uses better lenses+screen than Rift and Vive

The Quest uses the same design of lenses as the Oculus Go, which are much improved quality and FoV. The Quest will also ship with higher resolution panels for each eye at 1600x1440. This is much better than the Rift's 1080x1200 per eye. See More

Top Pro

Lots of games at release

50+ games are confirmed for the launch of the Quest in Spring of 2019. Confirmed titles include Rec Room, which is a cult hit in the VR community. Beat Saber has also been hinted by the developers. A general rule is if a game is already on PSVR and doesn't have a exclusivity contract with Sony, it will probably eventually release on the Quest at some point, as the Quest is around the same level of performance/better performance than PSVR. See More

OSVR is meant to be an open platform for anyone to build apps for, meaning anyone using it will have access to the pre-existing library. See More

Answer 13

Claire 22M

Top Pro

OSVR software support

Top Con

Not targeted to consumers

The Claire 22M is intended as a commercial VR headset. See More

Specs

FOV Diagonal:170°

Display Resolution:5120x1440

Inertial Tracking Refresh Rate:200Hz

Top Con

No available SDK

So far there is no available SDK for this VR unit meaning its purpose is more for industrial use than for consumers at the moment. See More

The NeoPro will allow multiple players to experience VR in the same room, thanks to IR sensors. See More

Answer 14

NeoPro

Top Pro

Collaborative experience

Top Con

Not available for the average consumer

This is made for industrial use and is not available for the average consumer. This makes it very difficult to obtain. See More

Top Pro

Comfortable

With memory foam padding around the display and a large surface area on the back to hold the weight, the NeoPRO will be comfortable to wear for extended periods. See More

Top Pro

Can be used completely wirelessly

The device can stream over wifi, which means it can be used wirelessly. This is great for those that do not wish to be tethered to their PC. See More

Thanks to two front facing cameras the position tracking can work more accurately as well as display Augmented Reality to both eyes through separate cameras, making for a more real experience. This also eliminates the need for external sensors, as the two cameras can be used to calculate depth. See More

Answer 15

Vrvana Totem

Top Pro

Good position tracking

Top Con

May not be available to individual consumers

The company producing this VR headset is not big enough to go into production themselves for the mass market ad will most likely sell the unit on a business to business basis, meaning it is not meant to be for consumers at the start. See More

Specs

FOV Diagonal:105°

Supported Platforms:Windows; PS3; PS4; XB360; XBO

Display Panel Type:OLED

The product page doesn't mention virtual reality, instead it seems to be focused on augmented virtuality (overlaying virtual components into the real world instead of totally immersing the user into a virtual reality). See More

Answer 16

Immersion-Vrelia Pro-DG1 HMD

Top Con

Not meant for VR

Top Pro

Easily adjust the lenses

The lenses in the unit are adjustable for separation of eyes as well as for near or far sightedness. This makes sure the unit will work for most people no matter they eye spacing or sight abilities. See More

IndependentBhima's Experience

It's a fake See More

Specs

FOV Diagonal:123°

Display Resolution Per Eye:1920x1080

Top Con

Looks cheap

The front of the device is quite large, looking like it is using a cheap screen that will have quite a lot of weight on the front of the device. No price has been announced, but the looks of the unit on trade show floors looks pretty generic and shoddily put together. See More

The components do not give a look of quality. See More

Answer 17

Immersion-Vrelia BlueSky PRO HMD

Top Con

Looks cheap

Top Pro

Corrects for myopia and hyperopia

The lenses in the unit are adjustable for separation of eyes as well as for near or far sightedness. This makes sure the unit will work for most people no matter they eye spacing or sight abilities. See More

Specs

FOV Diagonal:123°

Display Resolution:2160x1920

Display Resolution Per Eye:1920x1080

Motion-to-Photon Latency:~ 30 ms

There is room enough in the headset that the user can wear their prescription glasses comfortably. See More

Answer 18

Sensics dSight

Top Pro

Can be worn over glasses

Top Con

Poor displays

While the resolution is decent at 1080p per eye (some other systems use 1440p), the screens used are TFT, which will not look as good as OLEDs or LCDs. See More

Specs

FOV Diagonal:131°

Display Resolution:3840x1080

Ports:2xHDMI USB

Display Panel Type:TFT

Eye tracking allows for more control as tracking of ones eyes can be used to navigate menus or in game mechanics. This makes for a good way to not need to use a mouse or touchpad of any sort. See More

Top Pro

Supports eye tracking