Despite all that, the Quest 2 remains an extremely strong entry point to VR that doesn’t look like it will become obsolete next year. The more expensive and business-targeted Vive Focus 3 shows where more premium standalone VR headsets could evolve. Sarah Tew/CNET Good: Self-contained and wireless; great touch controllers; comfortable design for gaming; doubles as PC VR headset Bad: Requires Facebook account At $299 with nothing else needed, the Oculus Quest 2 delivers virtual reality games and an immersive VR experience anywhere. It’s faster, smaller, cheaper and more comfortable to wear than the original Quest, but you have to log in to Facebook in order to use it.
The Quest 2 reminds me of the Nintendo Switch for its versatility and fun, plus it takes mere seconds to start up and fits really well over glasses. Its more limited mobile processor still plays games such as Beat Saber, Moss and SuperHot VR extremely well, and it can even connect with a PC if you want to, using a single USB-C cable.
The 2,160×2,160-per-eye resolution and 114-degree field of view are the best at this price range, and the lightweight, comfy headset also has fantastic drop-down speakers designed by Valve. Built-in camera-based room-tracking is easier to set up than the Valve Index’s external base stations, but is more prone to tracking errors.
Sarah Tew/CNET Good: Amazing futuristic controllers; high-quality headset; works with Vive hardware Bad: Expensive; requires room setup and tethering cable Valve’s headset might be the most interesting PC virtual reality experience this year, just for its fancy new controllers. Not many apps make the most of them yet, but Valve’s hardware is mix-and-match compatible with the HTC Vive, which also is built on the Steam VR platform. It’s not as self-contained as Oculus’ Rift S, which can track the room with in-headset cameras, or the HTC Vive Cosmos. Sarah Tew/CNET Good: Plenty of games; lower price; works with many PS4 controllers like the DualShock and Move Bad: Resolution isn’t cutting-edge; Sony hasn’t yet made great VR controllers that match the competition, but a new version may be coming next year Sony’s years-old PSVR headset is still the only head-mounted display for gaming consoles and its screen still offers a surprisingly immersive experience.
But Sony’s confirmed it’s working on a next-gen PSVR headset for the PS5, with a new set of controllers, that could be coming in 2022 if you want to wait. There are a lot of expected headsets next year, as I mentioned above: Meta’s Project Cambria, PlayStation VR 2 and Apple’s mystery device. VR is a technology that’s still in flux, with companies aiming for products that are smaller and more able to be connected to devices like phones. The Quest 2 is by far the best value, and it also happens to be the best-designed headset with the most upside at the moment, as long as you’re OK with the proposition of living under Meta’s metaverse umbrella and Facebook’s data policies.
Most PC VR headsets have similar controller designs, and can bridge to work tools and apps. Take extra care with the lenses, which should be cleaned gently with microfiber cloths the same way you’d treat glasses (don’t use liquids).
The Best VR Headsets for 2022
With a headset and motion tracking, VR lets you look around a virtual space as if you’re actually there, or play a game as though you’re in it. VR’s been gaining traction in recent years thanks to compelling games and experiences, though it still seems very much in a state of flux, with headsets coming and going fairly rapidly. Oculus is focusing its efforts on a standalone VR headset, the Quest 2, but providing the option to connect it to a PC. Even Microsoft is (sort of) supporting its Windows Mixed Reality platform with a scant few third-party headsets.
The cable makes them a bit unwieldy, but putting all of the actual video processing in a box that you don’t need to directly strap to your face means your VR experience can be a lot more complex. Either external sensors or outward-facing cameras provide full 6DOF (six degrees of freedom) movement tracking for both your head and your hands, thanks to motion-sensing controllers.
Standalone headsets offer the greatest physical freedom by completely removing the cables and not requiring an external device to handle processing. The Quest 2 lacks a dedicated gaming PC’s processing power, but its high-end mobile processor can still push detailed, smooth graphics.
The company’s bowing out of the dedicated, tethered VR headset, though, discontinuing the Rift S in favor of focusing entirely on the standalone Quest 2. That’s hard to swallow, even if the Index features a 120Hz refresh rate, notably higher than most of its competitors (with an experimental 144Hz mode). They can track individual finger movements, making games (that take advantage of them) much more immersive than the standard trigger grips on other controllers. This high-end PC VR headset targets both enthusiasts and professionals, with the sharpest picture available at 2,448 by 2,448 pixels per eye.
It features a higher resolution, and replaces the external base stations with outward-facing cameras for motion tracking. There are some excellent games on PS VR like Moss, Rez Infinite, Until Dawn: Rush of Blood, and Five Nights at Freddie’s: Help Wanted. The newly rebranded-to-Meta Facebook might eventually be pushing the Quest 2 and other Oculus devices even further, with a bigger eye for broad platform integration. The company’s plans to build a “metaverse” will likely include AR and VR systems, and the Oculus division would be the natural means for that. VP of AR/VR at Facebook, Andrew Bosworth, has stated that the metaverse will “build the connective tissue” between Oculus headsets and other Facebook/Meta devices, so they will certainly be involved. Basically, these AR headsets have transparent lenses that let you look at your surroundings instead of completely replacing your vision with a computer-generated image.
You can make a web browser pop up in the middle of a room, for instance, or watch animals run around your coffee table.
Best VR Headsets for 2021
It seems like everyone is suddenly talking about the Metaverse, which means that more and more people will soon be looking for a VR headset to help them experience the promised immersive future. Thankfully, most of the earlier VR devices’ problems have been solved with the most recent HMD designs. However, they typically require a high-end gaming computer to maximize their superior pixel count, refresh rates, and feature sets. Qualcomm’s SnapDragon XR-2 SoC has proven to be a robust VR platform, with many companies choosing it to power their HMDs, including Meta (formerly Facebook/Oculus), Pico Interactive, and HTC Vive.
Pimax is also planning to use Qualcomm’s hardware in its next-generation VR headsets, which will launch late next year. To help you skip all the confusion, we’ve prepared a bit of a cheat sheet that should save you some time.
When VR headsets first hit the market, you could find a VR-ready gaming PC for under $1000, and for a time, you could build one for even less than that. With the current state of the graphics card market, you could be looking at double that figure for a system with a powerful GPU. If your PC doesn’t meet the headset’s requirements, you might want to increase your budget or buy a standalone HMD instead. Just remember anything that increases the number of pixels your GPU needs to process every second will demand more from your graphics card.
Some headsets are too narrow to accommodate wider frame designs, while others have cut-outs in the foam cushions to make space. Oculus Quest 2 Best VR Headset Specifications Connectivity: None required Display: 1x Fast-switch LCD Per-eye Resolution: 1832 x 1920 PPI: Not disclosed Refresh Rate: 90 or 120 Hz (experimental) FOV: Not disclosed Weight: 1.1 pounds (503g) TODAY’S BEST DEALS Recommended Retailer View at Oculus Prime View at Amazon View at Walmart Reasons to buy + Amazing resolution + Much more powerful than original Quest Reasons to avoid – White picks up dirt and grime – Poor controller ergonomics
However, it also offers the ability to play PC VR content through a USB tether or a Wi-Fi connection, giving you the best of both worlds. Quest 2 also offers variable refresh rates, with developers able to target 60hz, 90Hz, and 120Hz configurations depending on the performance demands of the games. Refresh Rate: 80, 90, 120 or 144 Hz (experimental) FOV: Up to 130 degrees Weight: 1.78 pounds (807.4g) TODAY’S BEST DEALS Prime View at Amazon Prime View at Amazon Reasons to buy + RGB subpixel array eliminates screen-door effect + Wider FOV than comparable headsets + Excellent audio quality Reasons to avoid – Very heavy – Less comfortable than the HTC Vive Pro – Cushions are glued on The variable refresh rate settings allow you to dial in displays to match your PC’s performance, which is an incredible help when you have a less-powerful graphics card in your system.
The best value for VR newcomers is the complete kit, including the headset, two controllers, two 2.0 base stations, and wall mounting hardware. Pimax Vision 8K X Best VR Headset Splurge Specifications Connectivity: PC Display: 2x customized low persistence liquid (CLPL) Per-eye resolution: 3840 x 2160 (native), 2560 x 1440 (upscaled) PPI: ?
The default refresh rate on these displays is 75Hz, but you can push them to 90Hz if you have an RTX 3000-series GPU to drive the pixels. Still, if you’re into things like racing, flight, and space simulations, the extra peripheral vision makes the experience much more realistic.
Varjo Aero Best VR Headset Image Clarity Specifications Connectivity: PC Display: 2x Mini LED LCD, professionally calibrated: Brightness 150 NIT, 99% sRGB, 95% DCI-P3 Per-eye resolution: 2880 x 2720 Pixels Per Degree: 35 Refresh Rate: 90Hz FOV: Horizonal Weight: 1.07 pounds HMD + 0.5 pounds Headband (487g HMD + 230g headband) TODAY’S BEST DEALS View at Varjo Reasons to buy + Ultra-clear display + Adjustability + Automatic IPD + Standard USB-C cable Reasons to avoid – Headphones, base stations & controllers not included – Expensive – A little heavy Still, it recently made its technology available to a broader audience, albeit one that can afford a $2,000 price tag for an HMD. The individual displays in this headset are not only ludicrous 2880 x 2720 pixels, but they are the first VR LCDs to offer Mini LED backlighting for precise color accuracy. The Varjo Aero also includes additional advanced features that help justify the incredible price, such as eye-tracking cameras that enable gaze interaction and foveated rendering.
HTC Vive Focus 3 Best Standalone VR Headset for Business Specifications Connectivity: 2x USB 3.2 Gen-1 Type-C peripheral ports, external USB-C port supporting USB OTG, Bluetooth 5.2, Bluetooth Low Energy, Wi-Fi 6 Display: 2x 2.88-inch (73.15-mm) LCD panels Per-eye resolution: 2448 x 2448 PPI: ? Refresh Rate: 90 Hz FOV: 120 degrees Weight: 1.73 pounds (785g) with battery TODAY’S BEST DEALS View at Vive Store Reasons to buy + Widest FOV in a standalone headset + Well-balanced weight Reasons to avoid – Expensive – Mediocre controller ergonomics
Instead, that title belongs to the HTC Vive Focus 3, a business-oriented headset that ticks so many boxes that make up an incredible HMD that we had to mention it here. HTC packed the headset with a Qualcomm XR-3 but with an active cooling system so the company could push the silicon even further than Facebook did for the Quest 2.
The best VR headset in 2021
While there are plenty of virtual reality headsets to choose from, the list of stellar VR goggles is fairly narrow. In fact, our own Imad Khan managed to find a very compelling reason to get the Oculus Quest 2 over other VR headsets. Do bear in mind you’ll need a good bit of free space to get the most out of these headsets, especially if you plan on doing room-scale VR.
Its simple setup means you’ll be playing games like Batman: Arkham VR and Star Trek: Bridge Crew in no time.
It sports a slicker design, better display resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate in some games and apps, and faster overall performance. Furthermore, the suite of apps and games on the Oculus Store can make the Quest 2 a great headset for all kinds of VR experiences, even helping with your workout and saving your from a dull fitness regime.
Oculus Rift S Best VR headset for PC TODAY’S BEST DEALS Low Stock View at Walmart Recommended Retailer View at Oculus Prime View at Amazon 16 Amazon customer reviews ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ Reasons to buy + Built-in room tracking + Great game library + Included touch controllers Reasons to avoid – Not a huge upgrade over original Oculus Rift – PC required The original Oculus Rift was one of the best VR headsets around for connecting to a PC and enjoying immersive gaming.
It also has a rather neat feature in the form of speakers that are integrated in the headband, avoids the need to use the original Rift’s onboard headphones;the audio results are fairly impressive. And it comes with the impressive Touch Controllers that nearly track movements and help make VR feel a lot more kinetic and immersive.
Overall, the Oculus Rift S is the best VR headset for folks looking for a PC-based system that plays a huge library of great games for a decent price. The Oculus Rift S won a “highly recommended” honor for “best VR headset” at the Tom’s Guide Awards 2021 for gaming.
It combines a neat headset that looks semi-futuristic and is surprisingly comfortable, with a superb range of games that’s been slowly expanding. HTC Vive Best VR headset for immersive experiences TODAY’S BEST DEALS Prime View at Amazon 3 Amazon customer reviews ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ Reasons to buy + Smooth graphics with little latency + Touch controllers are easy to use and highly adaptable + Large game library Reasons to avoid – Requires a lot of space and electrical outlets to use – No built-in audio The result was a stellar VR headset that delivered a virtual reality experience that really had you moving around rather than sitting in one place and looking around. The controls are a high-point too, at the time offering a more revolutionary feeling of being able to literally reach out and grab something, albeit by pulling a trigger than gripping with your hands.
The only thing to bear in mind here is that it requires external tracking sensors, a powerful PC to run, and a good degree of set up and space. Valve Index The best controls and tracking in VR TODAY’S BEST DEALS Prime View at Amazon Prime View at Amazon Reasons to buy + Great build quality + Smartly designed controllers + Future expansion options Reasons to avoid – No charging cable in the box – Heavy There’s a lot to like about the Index, as it comes with an LCD panel that offers variable refresh rates to suit the power of your PC. (Image credit: Tom’s Guide) As it stands, if you want some virtual reality action on the PS5 and Xbox Series X your out of luck… mostly.
A major part of initial testing involves evaluating how much space is needed to set up one of our picks for the best VR headsets to get the most out of them.
Whether it’s a traditional gamepad or something more elaborate, like the Rift’s Touch Controllers, we’re checking to see if the input devices are ergonomically designed; after all, no one wants hand cramps.
The best VR headset in 2021
The best VR headset is comfortable, high definition, and able to play a wide range of games, preferably the whole Steam library, with ease. Half-Life: Alyx shows what VR is capable of in the right hands, but there are plenty of other titles to enjoy, including Star Wars: Squadrons, No Man’s Sky, and Microsoft Flight Simulator. With a new LCD at 1832 x 1920 per eye, the Quest 2 offers exceptional clarity for an entry-level headset, through which you can enjoy a slew of games either purpose-built for the standalone headset, and thus rendered by the onboard Snapdragon XR2 chip, or beamed from your PC using Oculus Link and a compatible USB Type-C cable. There’s only one hitch in the Oculus Quest 2’s plan for virtual world domination: compulsory Facebook account login. Valve Index The best VR headset for a premium experience on a gaming PC Specifications Display: AMOLED Resolution: 2880 x 1600 Refresh Rate: 120 Hz, experimental 144 Hz mode Field of View: ~130 degrees Controllers: Index Controllers Connections: DisplayPort, USB 3.0, USB 2.0 TODAY’S BEST DEALS Prime View at Amazon Prime View at Amazon Reasons to buy + Best in class hardware + Comfortable to wear + Virtually no SDE Reasons to avoid – Setup is awkward – Limited support for finger-tracking The Valve Index boasts some of the best visuals of any mainstream, commercially available HMD, with a display resolution equaling the Vive Pro, Quest, and Odyssey+ but paired with a 120Hz refresh rate (up to 144Hz in a currently unsupported, experimental mode). It also boasts some impressive technology and handy convenience features, like per-finger tracking on the excellent Index controllers, USB passthrough for future accessories, and fantastic, crystal clear audio via the near-field speakers, which hover just off the ears. Specifications Display: LCD Resolution: 4896 x 2448 Refresh Rate: 120 Hz Field of View: 120 degrees Controllers: HTC Vive Connections: DisplayPort 1.2, USB 3.0 TODAY’S BEST DEALS Prime View at Amazon Reasons to buy + Awesome display + Precise tracking + Mature tracking Reasons to avoid – Ridiculously expensive – Takes time to setup – Gets hot in use The HTC Vive Pro 2 is the latest headset to hit the market, and it brings with it a number of updates on the display front to make it one of the most impressive mainstream options around. HTC has stuck with the satellite setup for the Vive Pro 2 to ensure you get accurate controller tracking, which means you’ll need plenty of power sockets to get everything up and running. The full starter kit comprises the headset, two first-generation controllers, and a pair of Base Station 2.0 satellites. With 2160p per eye, the Reverb G2 manages to completely alleviate the screen door effect that can cause issues with some lower resolution headsets—provided you have a powerful enough GPU to handle it.
Still, even playing in lower resolutions, you get to take advantage of great features like the highly inclusive, physical IPD toggle on the underside of the headset; the range is impressive compared to other options on the market. Still, HP counters this with fantastic IMU gyro sensors that are pretty good at predicting movements beyond the tracking area, as long as they are fluid. HTC Vive Cosmos Elite HTC goes back to base stations for improved accuracy Specifications Display: LCD Resolution: 2880 x 1700 Refresh Rate: 90 Hz Field of View: 110 degrees Controllers: 1st-gen Vive Controllers Connections: DisplayPort 1.2, USB 3.0 TODAY’S BEST DEALS View at Adorama View at Dell View at Amazon Reasons to buy + High resolutions displays + Accurate tracking + Includes Half-Life: Alyx and Viveport Infinity Reasons to avoid – First-gen controllers and base stations – Not massively innovative The Cosmos Elite comes bundled with Half-Life: Alyx and 6-months of Viveport Infinity subscription, which at the very least means there are lots of things to try out with your new headset.
The original launch price of the Cosmos Elite was prohibitively high at $899, which is one reason it didn’t fare better in our review. Oculus Rift S The best VR headset for a massive library of games Specifications Display: LCD Resolution: 2560 x 1600 Refresh Rate: 80 Hz Field of View: 110 degrees Controllers: Oculus Touch Connections: DisplayPort/Mini DisplayPort, USB 3.0 TODAY’S BEST DEALS Low Stock View at Walmart Recommended Retailer View at Oculus Prime View at Amazon 16 Amazon customer reviews ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ Reasons to buy + Excellent resolution and refresh rate + Great, deep library of games + Inside out tracking Reasons to avoid – Lower fidelity image quality – 80Hz is a little low – Officially end of life It’s nearly time we say goodbye to the Oculus Rift S. According to Facebook, it will no longer be replenished at retailers, so once the stock that’s out there is gone, it’ll disappear for good. Well, the Rift S was a decent proposition at one time, but in all honesty, it’s largely been replaced by the Quest 2—not only is that headset cheaper, but it offers better specs too. If you’ve already invested in a mid-tier or higher gaming PC, want a powerful headset, but don’t want to spend a massive amount of cash for the privilege, the Rift S is still a tempting option.
It’s still an impressive piece of hardware and a fantastic way for PC owners to dive into virtual reality for the first time.
However, you do need to have a Wi-Fi 6 router to deliver the level of throughput you require not to spend the entire time vomiting your guts up due to incessant lag. The old Vive did have a wireless module you could add to the system, which was almost effective, though, in our experience, the connection dropouts would not be something we could put up within the long term.
Low latency is vital to reducing nausea in VR, which is most intense when there’s a delay or stuttering between moving or looking and the display reacting. Higher resolution in VR is essential because the displays are so close to the user’s eyes, which emphasizes jagged lines, pixelation, and the screen door effect.
Best VR headsets 2021: Oculus Quest 2, PSVR, Vive Pro 2, Valve Index and more
For now, though, the questions of the best VR headsets is relatively simple, with only a handful of great models each suiting different kinds of players and consumers. Valve Index The best VR headset Specifications Availability: Released, but often out of stock Price: $999 / £919 / about AU$1,425 Wired? The Valve Index is an excellent VR headset and represents a next-gen system compared to its predecessors. We found it has a crisp display that runs fairly well even with older GPUs, a wider field of view, a higher refresh rate and Valve’s ‘knuckle’ controllers, which can track the movement of every finger. Its higher-resolution screen and better refresh rate allowed us to use it for longer periods of time without discomfort, and the Index Controllers are a real step up from the ones that ship with the Vive. Although we think this is the best VR headset for 2021 and our top pick for PC owners, it’s worth mentioning the Valve Index can sometimes be hard to track down as manufacturing slowed down during the pandemic.
Oculus Quest 2 The best standalone VR headset Specifications Availability : Out now Price: £299 / $299 / AU$479 Wired? It doesn’t need to be wired to an expensive PC, offers movement and freedom, and it’s easy to set-up and use.
Developer have the option to make their games run at 90Hz (important for increased comfort and realism while playing), and the headset itself is lighter than before, too.
The Quest 2 might bring a significant upgrade, but the original still boasts an OLED display panel with 1440 x 1600 per eye resolution, and is powered by a Snapdragon 835 processor. HTC Vive Pro 2 High-resolution PC VR Specifications Availability: Out now Price: $1,399 / £1,299 Wired? : Yes, high-spec PC TODAY’S BEST DEALS Prime View at Amazon Reasons to buy + Very high resolution + Wide field of view + Access to great games Reasons to avoid – Expensive – Can get hot – Lots of cables
It doesn’t come cheaply, but if you’re after the very best in PC VR visual fidelity, the HTC Vive Pro 2 should sit near the top of your list. Provided you’ve got a powerful gaming PC to back it up, this is as clear and lifelike a display as you’re able to find in the consumer VR space right now. The screen can get hot after prolonged use, the controllers haven’t changed much since the very first Vive headset released, and the external tracking stations and tethered cabling can be a hassle to set up compared to free-roaming devices like the Oculus Quest 2. Still, if you want your VR gaming sessions looking their absolute best, and have the cash to afford the headset and accompanying high-end PC, this is an enthusiasts dream.
So while you have to be aware of the additional cost involved, depending on what bundle you opt for, recent price cuts have made the PlayStation VR even more affordable. Now owned by Facebook, the Oculus Rift S should represent the next leap forward for the company’s high-end, PC-based virtual reality experiences.
There aren’t lots of different VR headset brands to choose from – at least not right now – like there is if you needed a new smartphone or pair of noise-cancelling headphones. But that doesn’t mean the Oculus Quest isn’t still a viable VR option if you want to try a standalone headset that offers a truly mobile experience.
With the Quest you still get an all-in-one VR system that works straight out of the box and offers six-degrees of freedom and a huge selection of apps and games. But that doesn’t mean to say that the original HTC Vive isn’t still a solid option for starting your VR journey – it’s just worth considering it’s a good few years older than some of the newer models entering the market. One reason we’re so sure about the future of augmented reality headsets is that major tech brands are currently pumping a lot of time, energy and resources into new AR offerings. If you want ultimate freedom and hassle-free VR, a wireless headset will suit you the best, the Oculus Quest 2 is currently the best option.
However, wired headsets do offer the very best graphics and refresh rates, so if it’s top performance you’re after, they’d be number one for you – if you have the PC to power them and the budget to afford them, of course. Having said that, VR software libraries do have plenty of overlap across devices and some wire-free headsets can optionally be linked up to a PC over a cable to expand the titles they have access to. Each of the best VR headsets has its own unique strengths and weaknesses, and if you’re not aware of these before you buy, it could be a very costly mistake to make.
The Best VR Headset
The lack of external sensors that a headset like the Valve Index uses to carefully replicate your hand movements in VR might be missing here, but we found the Quest 2’s controllers still accurate enough to fly through difficult levels of Beat Saber without frustration.
Best VR Headset of 2021
Versatile Highly immersive and interactive User-friendly Optional tether Great price Snug fit If you’re on the hunt for an excellent headset that doesn’t need to be tethered to a PC, our top recommendation is the Oculus Quest 2. This VR headset offers a top-tier interactive and highly immersive virtual reality experience. The Quest 2 is one of the most versatile options out there because you can use the included tether to attach to a PC which greatly expands the available VR experiences.
Best of all, this unique product offers an excellent VR experience at a price that makes virtual reality approachable for most folks. It does have a slightly tighter fit than some other models we tested, so it doesn’t receive top marks in terms of comfort.
Incredible tracking Best in class visual quality Built-in headphones Very expensive Multi-sensor setup If you’re entering the VR market excited for the absolute premium experience, then look no further than the Vive Pro 2. With this model, you’ll get massive play areas, fantastic tracking, a streamlined design that caters to users with glasses, and, not to mention, gorgeous visuals. Overall though, if you can meet the PC and financial requirements for the Vive Pro 2, it offers the best VR experience available. If the higher-end tethered and standalone headsets are out of your price range, consider checking out the Merge VR. You also won’t have as much interactivity or visual immersion since you are limited to the screen resolution and processing power of your mobile device.
If you want to try out VR while spending the least amount of money possible, the obvious choice is the Google Cardboard. The single-button interface limits the amount of interaction with your virtual environment, making the Cardboard more of a VR viewer. Taking these flaws into consideration, we recommend the Google Cardboard for someone who’s not necessarily a tech expert but wants to give VR a try on the cheap. Great visuals Easy to set up Fluid tracking Incompatible with glasses Strong PC needed It’s incredibly easy to recommend the HP Reverb G2, thanks to its consistently high performance across our testing metrics. Moreover, the virtual desktop provided in the Mixed Reality portal blurs the line of real and simulation which may intrigue those who frequently use Windows operating tech. And while the Mixed Reality is exciting, the entire experience which the HP Reverb G2 offers is finely crafted and immersive. But, the HP Reverb G2 is held back from overall greatness by a few issues, the most glaring is the complete incompatibility with glasses.
Throughout our tests, glasses were crammed against testers’ faces and exceptionally uncomfortable, showcasing a deal-breaking flaw for those who can’t play without them. And while it’s the best headset offering Mixed Reality today, this budding technology does have room to improve with future iterations.
Compare select up to 5 products to compare Score Product Price Our Take 84 Vive Pro 2 Headset $799 If you’re seeking the best virtual reality experience out there, you’ve found it 80 Oculus Quest 2 $300 This is one of our all-time favorite VR products for its high levels of immersion, interactivity, and freedom from a cord tether 80 HP Reverb G2 $600 This is an excellent headset with specific appeal to those looking to experience Mixed Reality with a Windows PC 79 Valve Index $999 While the Index has some incredible features for the VR aficionados, it isn’t necessarily the best bet for everyone 78 HTC Vive Cosmos Elite $899 Immersive, interactive, and very user-friendly, we are impressed with this top-notch headset 71 PlayStation VR $500 Offering an exceptional gaming and VR media experience, the PlayStation VR is a fantastic choice, as long as you already own a PS4 62 HTC Vive Cosmos $700 The Vive Cosmos delivered an overall lackluster performance, making it a bit of disappointment 47 Merge VR $50 Relatively unremarkable in our testing trials, but it is quite durable and perhaps best suited for kids 45 Google Cardboard $25 If you want to give VR a try and are on a tight budget, then this model is your best bet 35 Bnext VR $50 Unless the Bnext is severely discounted, it is hard to recommend this product He has played many generations, if not all, of the major platforms, even some of the more obscure, including the Nintendo Virtual Boy and the Tiger Electronics R-Zone that somewhat resemble VR headsets.
These headsets alone are expensive, but when you also consider the cost of the powerful PC required to use them, the overall price can easily double. However, tethered headsets are on another planet compared to mobile models in terms of interactiveness and visual immersiveness. The Oculus Quest 2 splits the difference, costing considerably less than the top tethered models and requiring no additional hardware, making it a much more attractive choice. In this rating metric, we focused on how easy and intuitive each product makes it to interact with your virtual environment.
The Valve Index offers 6-DOF (Degrees of Freedom), and its stock sensor configuration can easily cover an area larger than you can reach with the tether. The Vive Pro 2, like the Valve Index, relies on an array of sensors to provide a fluid level of tracking.
Using tripods, wall mounts, or clamp sensors, plus the possibility for play areas reaching 10 x 10 meters, the tracking elements allow for an ultra-realistic experience. We found the motion tracking on these controllers to be excellent complements to the Quest 2. Credit: Laura Casner
Comparably scoring to the Quest 2, the HP Reverb G2 performs well in interactivity through a comfortably sized play area and really fluid tracking. However, our testing showed that as long as the controllers pass in front of the onboard cameras with relative frequency, the kinks work themselves out. As long as the controllers pass in front of the onboard cameras relatively often, the HP Reverb G2 has great tracking. The interactiveness of the headsets that require the insertion of a smartphone contrasts sharply and negatively, as one might expect with the severe price difference.
With 2488 x 2488 pixels per eye, and a field of view of up to 120°, the fruit of the technical specifications bequeath the user a breathtaking visual experience. 2160 x 2160 pixels per eye and a field of view range of 114° pair nicely with gorgeous visuals that greatly expands immersion. The headset does a great job blocking out external light as well, and the HP Reverb G2 was one that did not get affected by different nose sizes. The one thing that keeps this headset from overtaking the Vive Pro 2 is a minor amount of visual fuzziness along the peripheries.
The Valve Index has a resolution of 1440×1600 pixels per eye and uses LCD panels that supposedly give you clearer images due to their subpixels than OLED displays. The Vive Pro 2 snagged the top spot for comfort, receiving the highest, though still reserved, praise. Somewhat weighty on the face, though still usable, the foam and fuzzy material which covers the headset elicited mixed responses from our testes. However, the Vive Pro 2 really succeeds with its ability to comfortably work over glasses, allowing spectacled users the same great experience as their non-lensed counterparts with this device.
Although the material comfort comes down to personal preference, the Vive Pro 2’s emphasis on glasses compatibility is a huge plus. The PlayStation VR leaves sufficient room for glasses to be worn, but the Merge VR, the HP Reverb G2, the two HTC Vive Cosmos models, and the Oculus Quest 2 are quite cramped when worn with glasses, especially with larger frames. For their exceptionally convenient and hassle-free use, taking home the top scores out of the entire group were the Oculus Quest 2 and the HP Reverb G2. If you haven’t used the headset in the room previously, you will also need to spend an additional minute or two defining the playable area by creating a “Guardian.”
The HP Reverb G2 comes equipped with integrated headphones that hover over the ear, allowing you to hear your surroundings both real and simulated. It is extremely easy to access the audio connector to plug in headphones when using the Cardboard, and it was only being slightly more difficult with the Merge VR. In terms of hardware setup, the Google Cardboard, Bnext, and the Merge VR are essentially ready to go right out of the box.
Of the remaining tethered headsets, the PlayStation VR and the HP Reverb G2 are the easiest to set up for the first time. It only took about 10 minutes to set them up, requiring us to plug in a handful of cables and make sure the cameras were pointed in the correct direction. For the HP Reverb G2, wearing the headset isn’t required for crafting the play area, which makes the whole process really convenient. The Valve Index and Vive Pro 2 are by far the most difficult to set up of all the headsets we tested, predominantly due to the need to install external sensors. Hopefully, you have found this to be an informative and helpful analysis of the best VR products currently available and you feel ready to make your next headset purchase, whether you want a high-end VR powerhouse, a user-friendly beginner model, or a bargain option that will leave some money left over to buy some games.
Best VR headsets 2021: Top picks from HTC Vive, Oculus and more
Modern gaming machines are also more capable, helping deliver lifelike virtual environments in the comfort of your home. We test a variety of different metrics, not least their graphical prowess, how comfortable they are to wear for extended periods, and what level of compatibility they offer. Other highlights, like hand-tracking, inside-out tracking (meaning no external sensors), passthrough cameras and a clever guardian system, make Quest 2 incredibly fun to play with. Great visuals, superb audio and the ability to plug in and play more with Oculus Link make Quest 2 even more special, as well.
It has the current best-in-class display, which offers an incredibly high pixel count, great field of view and up to a 120Hz refresh rate, too. Like the previous Vive Pro, it needs a high-end gaming machine to run properly but delivers a superb experience that stands out from the crowd.
It’s a tethered virtual reality headset that requires a decentgaming PCto run, but delivers a fantastic gaming experience with brilliant visuals, audio and room-scale play. It was also built in collaboration with Valve and Microsoft, meaning it works with both Windows Mixed Reality and Steam VR, giving you the best of both worlds. The Pocket-lint editorial team spends hours testing and researching hundreds of products before recommending our best picks for you. We consider a range of factors when it comes to putting together our best guides including physically testing the products ourselves, consumer reviews, brand quality, and value. This is a question that can apply to basically any purchase in the world of technology, but that doesn’t make it any less apt when we’re talking about VR headsets – you need to set your budget! Some, like the Oculus Quest 2, have the ability to work standalone, with reduced graphical prowess, but can still be plugged in for tethered fun when you need a boost, which is arguably the best of both worlds.
Others, like most HTC Vive headsets, can be converted to work wirelessly using accessories that will add a bit of cost and could take a little while to set up, but once you do so you’ll have amazing graphics without worrying about wires. There are plenty of amazing videos out there to explore in VR, as well as brilliant productivity tools and coworking spaces to help you combat isolation. VR has been an area of expertise for Pocket-lint for years, since the time when it was a niche idea that was lightyears away to being the consumer-friendly product it is today. We’ve tracked its growth into a mainstream option, and have been reviewing and testing headsets that entire time, building up a bank of comparisons and judgements to call on.
In the above summaries, we’ve kept things brief, avoiding jargon and numbers, but if you click through to a headset’s individual review you’ll find more granular breakdowns.
The Best VR Headsets 2021: PC, Console & Standalone VR
Like the original, the Quest 2 boasts standalone functionality and inside-out tracking, albeit in a smaller form factor this time around. There’s also Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR2 Platform available, offering a serious improvement to performance that’ll expand the experience of standalone apps and games over the coming months and years. If that wasn’t enough, thanks to Oculus Link, you can hook up your Quest 2 to your PC and experience PC-exclusive VR titles like Half-Life: Alyx. The pixel-packed display does a phenomenal job at breathing new life into much-loved VR games with added detail, and it all but eliminates screen door effect too – seriously, it’s an impressive panel.
It’s also incredibly expensive compared to most headsets in our chart, meaning it’s only for the most dedicated VR fan that can overlook some of the older design choices employed by the Vive Pro 2. 4 HP Reverb G2 – High resolution at a good price Pros 4K Display Great sound Inside-out tracking Though it can’t quite match the 5K display of the HTC Vive Pro 2, the 4K display of the HP Reverb G2 will still be a huge jump forward for those still on first-gen VR headsets, offering improved textures, better visual clarity and a wider 114-degree FOV without the premium price of HTC’s option. That problematic nature extends beyond tracking too; the Reverb G2 doesn’t play well with AMD-powered PCs, and the Windows Mixed Reality platform it uses is far from the quality offered by the likes of SteamVR and Oculus, with glitches and the occasional complete crash.
Sony’s virtual reality offering features a 5.7in OLED display that’ll provide gamers with low persistence and, consequently, less motion blur when being used. For quite some time, the Oculus Rift S was the best VR headset for most consumers; it boasts a range of improvements over the original and fixes most of the complaints without a price increase.
The Rift S is comfortable, boasts high-end optics (albeit bested by the Quest 2) and like a growing number of headsets, offers inside-out tracking that completely eliminates the need for external sensors. It’s still available to buy from select third-party retailers while stock lasts, but you likely won’t get any new features going forward.
It’s worth noting that there’s also the high-end Valve Index to choose from, but as we’re yet to use it in person, we can’t recommend it in our chart. This is generally thought of as a beginner’s VR headset; it gives you access to a budget range of experiences, 360-degree videos and basic games, but doesn’t provide much in the way of actual interaction with virtual environments. Generally speaking, the high-end VR headsets like the Vive Cosmos Elite offer great controllers with true 1:1 positional tracking, while inside-out tracking like that offered from the Rift S, Quest 2 and standard HP Reverb G2 is a little more unreliable. PlayStation’s VR headset offers basic positional tracking, but it’s not quite as accurate as Oculus’ and HTC’s options.
This really improves immersion as, with the Rift S, Quest 2 and Vive Cosmos, you’re able to physically walk around virtual worlds, bend down and retrieve items from the floor. Anything lower than 60Hz, though, and you’ll start to notice motion sickness when using VR as the display takes a little too long to refresh when you move, causing lag. Lastly, field of view – or FOV as its commonly referred to – essentially gives you an idea of how immersive the VR headset is.
Be First to Comment