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. 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.
You might have seen some other famous visual headsets pop up over the last few years, including the Microsoft HoloLens and the Magic Leap One. 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.
Considering each headset costs several thousand dollars, you shouldn’t expect a large library of AR experiences for a while. With that in mind, we’ll continue to track the best new VR headsets as they are released, so make sure to check back soon for updates.
Best VR headsets 2021 Oculus Quest 2, PSVR, Vive Pro 2, Valve Index and more
We recommend this headset for most people and we expect to see plenty of Black Friday 2021 Oculus Quest 2 deals , which means it’s an excellent time to buy one. But there’s a growing fight in the high-end, more expensive realm, as the HTC Vive Pro 2 wrestles with the Valve Index .
If you’re looking to step into a virtual world for gaming, communicating or work, those above brands offer the most accessible (and reliable) entry point products. Well, whether you’re a complete virtual reality beginner or a VR veteran, our top picks in the guide below offer great performance and comfort, across a range of price points.
It’s always hard to predict which devices will be reduced come Black Friday – and Cyber Monday, which takes place a few days after on November 29 – but we expect to see some good deals on the Oculus Quest 2, which is an excellent choice of headset for most people. 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. 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? 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.
Oculus Rift S A great older PC VR option Specifications Availability: Out now Price: $399 / £399 / AU$649 Wired? 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.
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.
With a slicker, more intuitive design, faster performance and better resolution, the Oculus Quest 2 delivers the best VR experience you can have without needing a powerful PC or loads of cables. But if you’ve yet to dive into VR or want to finally go untethered, the Oculus Quest 2’s price, game library and overall ease of use make it the best entry point into virtual reality yet. Oculus Rift S Best VR headset for PC TODAY’S BEST DEALS Recommended Retailer View at Oculus View at Walmart 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 Check Amazon Visit Site 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. The Oculus Quest 2 is great but then it’s not the headset you’ll want if you’re after true room-scale VR facilitated by a powerful 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.
Best VR headsets to buy in 2021
While there aren’t many practical business uses for it quite yet, VR technology has found a firm foothold in the gaming market. 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. 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 2021
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. You Can Trust Our Reviews Since 1982, PCMag has tested and rated thousands of products to help you make better buying decisions.
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.
You might have seen some other famous visual headsets pop up over the last few years, including the Microsoft HoloLens and the Magic Leap One. 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. Considering each headset costs several thousand dollars, you shouldn’t expect a large library of AR experiences for a while.
Best VR headset 2021: Black Friday savings on the best wired and wireless virtual reality headsets for all budgets
In addition to the luxury VR headsets from big-hitters Oculus, Valve and HTC, there’s a slew of lesser-known products from manufacturers like Pimax, Zeiss and even HP. And then there’s Sony’s PSVR and Nintendo’s Labo VR, which brought virtual reality console gaming to the masses.
HTC Vive Cosmos: Cheaper than ever this Black Friday Right now at Amazon, one of our favourite PC VR headsets is currently enjoying a £200 discount. PC VR headsets offer the best displays in the industry, with high refresh rates and resolutions for a more immersive experience.
It’s a bit of a compromise: the visual experience and game library is a tad less impressive than that of PCVR, but you won’t need any extra gadgetry to get started. Fundamentally, a high refresh rate means the moving image you’re seeing on-screen will appear smoother, and you might therefore feel less nauseous.
Most VR headsets have a FOV of around 100-110 degrees, which is just barely enough to make you feel like you’re inside the world, rather than just looking at a screen. This portable VR headset is the most accessible way to enjoy the likes of Beat Saber and Superhot we’ve ever tested.
By slotting in a new processor and increasing the available memory, Oculus has drastically improved the performance of the Quest 2, opening the door for more ambitious VR games.
Not that existing titles are left wanting: courtesy of a gorgeous near-4K LCD panel refreshing at a smooth 90Hz, games and other experiences look better than anything we’ve tested before. The Quest 2 is also smaller and lighter than its predecessor, and uses a fabric strap to stay very firmly attached to your face. Of course, it isn’t without faults: adjusting the distance between lenses (to match your eyes) is a fiddly process and, perhaps more contentiously, new users will need to sign in using a Facebook account.
To be blunt, this is entirely for the data-tracking benefits, so we urge new users to take a good look at the privacy settings. It’s not cheap, not by any stretch of the imagination, but the Vive Pro 2 benefits from a handful of exclusive, game-friendly features that you won’t find anywhere else. Provided your accompanying PC is powerful enough to meet the minimum spec requirements, then there’s absolutely nothing better for virtual reality gaming at the moment. For most, the Quest 2 is good enough, but if you’re hoping to push VR to its very limits, then the Vive Pro 2 offers a virtual reality experience unlike any other. It’s certainly not the most feature-filled headset on the market – especially compared to the HTC Vive or Oculus Rift – but with almost one million sales in its opening months, Sony has clearly got the price-to-performance ratio almost perfect. With a combined display resolution of 2,880 x 1,700 (1,440 x 1,700 per eye), it tops the charts in terms of screen quality, beating its predecessor the Vive Pro, and only falling short of the £900 Valve Index and the £300 Oculus Quest 2.
This penchant for the premium extends to all corners of the Cosmos: the build is sturdy, and the visor, more comfortable than that of any headset on this list. The Cosmos controllers are unwieldy, and the lenses have a pitifully small sweet spot, so you will notice strong blurring if you move your eyes from the centre of the image. This is a VR headset for HTC loyalists, particularly those who already own additional base stations and/or the Vive Pro controllers (the Cosmos can take advantage of both). To enjoy Nintendo’s virtual reality creations, you slot the Switch console into a small cardboard unit that straps onto the head, with a pair of plastic goggles acting as the lens between eyes and display. The Labo VR Starter Set costs just £35, which is excellent value for money, while the complete package is only a tad more at £68. Virtual reality: Peering into a specially designed pair of goggles that display a 3D CGI environment that you can interact with using wand-like controllers (or in some cases, your hands).
Augmented reality: Layering computer-generated graphics on top of real-world image capturing technology. Screen-door effect: This is when you can see the individual pixels of your headset’s display, arranged in a grid that overlays the image. It’s an unfortunate side-effect of the current limitations of VR technology; the higher the resolution of the display, the less visible the screen-door effect is.
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.
Just make sure you have a PlayStation Camera handy and bear in mind it won’t work perfectly with the PS5. With a slicker, more intuitive design, faster performance and better resolution, the Oculus Quest 2 delivers the best VR experience you can have without needing a powerful PC or loads of cables.
But if you’ve yet to dive into VR or want to finally go untethered, the Oculus Quest 2’s price, game library and overall ease of use make it the best entry point into virtual reality yet. 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.
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 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
Now the Valve Index represents the culmination of the game company’s efforts to make a VR headset by itself. 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. The Oculus Quest 2 is great but then it’s not the headset you’ll want if you’re after true room-scale VR facilitated by a powerful 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.
We not only examine the size of a device’s library but also scour the listings and test out some of the higher-end apps and titles.
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 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 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 Amazon View at Currys 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 Prime View at Amazon Prime View at Amazon 78 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.
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.
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. 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 View at John Lewis View at very.co.uk Prime View at Amazon 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 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: ? Weight: 2.2 pounds TODAY’S BEST DEALS Check Amazon Reasons to buy + Excellent clarity at full resolution + Wide FOV Reasons to avoid – Poor clarity at reduced resolutions – Requires RTX 3000 or better for 90 Hz 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.
9 Top Options For 2021 [Tested and Reviewed]
This means that techjury.net may receive a compensation when you sign up and / or purchase a product or a service using our links. The best cheap VR headset in the UK, the Pansonite is the perfect solution for viewing 360-degree video and playing panoramic mobile games. The best cheap VR headset in the UK, the Pansonite is the perfect solution for viewing 360-degree video and playing panoramic mobile games. We had no issues finding quality video games to play – we got access to both the Windows and Steam VR libraries.
We had no issues finding quality video games to play – we got access to both the Windows and Steam VR libraries. The Samsung Gear VR allows you to slot your phone into the device to experience 360-degree video and orientation mobile gaming. If you have one of the compatible Galaxy S6, S7, S8, or Note 5 smartphones, it’s a no-brainer for an affordable virtual reality experience. The Samsung Gear VR allows you to slot your phone into the device to experience 360-degree video and orientation mobile gaming.
If you have one of the compatible Galaxy S6, S7, S8, or Note 5 smartphones, it’s a no-brainer for an affordable virtual reality experience. It offers good dual motion controls, is base station-free, and has a sharp display. It offers good dual motion controls, is base station-free, and has a sharp display. Now in its 8th generation, it provides a full HD 5.7-inch OLED display and a refresh rate of up to 120Hz.
From Triple-A games like Resident Evil 7 and Star Wars Vader Immortal to fun puzzle titles, there’s something for all tastes. Now in its 8th generation, it provides a full HD 5.7-inch OLED display and a refresh rate of up to 120Hz. From Triple-A games like Resident Evil 7 and Star Wars Vader Immortal to fun puzzle titles, there’s something for all tastes. It’s backward compatible and provides a combined 2K display with software-based pupillary settings for a clear and sharp image.
It’s backward compatible and provides a combined 2K display with software-based pupillary settings for a clear and sharp image. Suitable for Windows and Linux, the Valve Index is essentially Steam’s VR headset, meaning it has a great selection of fun computer-based games. Suitable for Windows and Linux, the Valve Index is essentially Steam’s VR headset, meaning it has a great selection of fun computer-based games. While the Pansonite 3D isn’t revolutionary, it does everything a panoramic headset can do well and is definitely worth the price if you’re yet to experience 360-degree video or games.
Our tester had no trouble fitting the headset over their glasses, so you’ll still be able to see clearly without having to put in contact lenses. It uses an HD resin aspherical lens in front of your phone and provides a wide 120-degree field of view . This is an orientation-only device, which means there’s no motion tracking or physical movements you can make in games with your hands or by walking around. You can only look around in a fixed position with your head, giving the illusion of virtual reality because the light is blocked out by the headset.
The Pansonite allows you to view any 360-degree panoramic content that your phone can access, whether that be via the browser, social media, apps, games, or directly downloaded files. Everything is navigated using a game-style controller with a d-pad, which incidentally makes playing mobile games an enjoyable experience. As far as the library, you have access to Windows titles and SteamVR , so HP is clearly aiming to be the best VR headset for PC. Couple that with a respectable 90Hz refresh rate and 110 to 114-degree FOV, and you get a brilliant foundation for virtual reality. At £600 the HP Reverb is a strong attempt at entering the higher end of PC VR headsets, but it’s not without its faults. That’s certainly not a bad thing, especially at less than £100 and sometimes completely free as part of various Samsung phone contract deals. In the end, the Samsung Gear VR is not for the hardcore gamer or virtual reality enthusiast. While the device is orientation-only and you cannot physically walk around and get tracked in the virtual world, it still works well for mobile games and 360-degree video.
Regardless of which phone you use (Galaxy S6, S7, S8, and Note 5), the Samsung VR headset gives you a respectable 101-degree field of view at any given angle . You also get a Bluetooth connected hand controller , so you don’t have to use the annoying buttons on the side to select things and interact with your content.
It uses the simple principle of blocking out the exterior world with the headset while using your phone display for 360-degree video and VR mobile games . This all connects to your PC via a small ‘link box’ that plugs into your computer via USB and mini DisplayPort.
This effectively maps your playing area and is accompanied by a set of motion controllers for hand movements and triggers . Meanwhile, don’t worry about lag as it manages a 90Hz refresh rate, which is fairly standard across VR headsets right now.
Its display is a per eye, 1700 x 1440 resolution, besting the Oculus Quest and its cousin the HTC Vive Pro.
You’ll immediately notice the more striking and colorful vibe given off by the Cosmo, with its blue patterning and logo. Other than that, the PS VR headset is an excellent addition by Sony and easily rivals PC products. While it doesn’t look wildly different from other VR headsets, it gives off a premium vibe and the build quality is good.
You’re tracked by the camera that would typically sit on top of your monitor or TV and it’s compatible with the regular DualShock 4 gaming controllers . The starter pack is made up of the headset, PlayStation camera and adapter, all the required cabling (including an extra HDMI), and a set of headphones.
This is great for video and simple games where the world can move around you but there aren’t any top-flight VR compatible titles. Unlike the more expensive devices, you cannot actually move closer to the object yourself by walking or reaching in real life. Speakers sit either side of your head and are surprisingly high quality, considering how hit-and-miss implementation has been on other headsets. This is one of the few design flaws that has been corrected by the other Oculus models and competitor VR devices, so we’re forced to knock off half a star here.
The all-gray design features soft elastic straps that fit across the top, middle, and back of your head, though that still doesn’t always prevent it from slipping down. A relatively cheap VR headset for PC gaming , Oculus’ budget-level GO can be picked up for less than £200. Combined, the display resolution is 2K 2560 x 1440 with a refresh rate of up to 80Hz , which is acceptable at this price point. While you cannot change the pupillary distance manually, the software version of this setting is adequate for most people.
For audio, you get directional in-built speakers to give a surround sound experience and no earpiece swapping with friends. The fit is different from the original S. We wouldn’t say it’s any more or less comfortable, rather the plastic band curves around the base of your skull and forehead this time, with padding but no Velcro.
The Rift S connects to your PC via USB and DisplayPort , but the lengthy cable means you aren’t restricted any more than the required playing area. You don’t have to mess about with external tracking sensor stations, the visuals have improved this generation, and it’s backward compatible.
All-in-all if you’re looking for the best VR headset for gaming on PC it’s hard to argue against the Valve Index.
We found the Index to work almost perfectly out of the box, which will give those who had older models a sigh of relief. For a device with a built-in sound, it performs excellently, offering distortion-free directional audio without the need to use headphones. Although we found these to work well, they’re a little dated when you consider the Oculus Rift doesn’t require any external sensors.
The display itself is a high-quality LCD that jumps past HD to an impressive 1440 x 1600 resolution per eye. At around £919, the Valve Index came out in late 2020 and is a leader in its class with great tracking, audio, and display features. Having good tracking (i.e. how the VR devices relate to your body movements in-game), is one of the most important things. You will not have any trouble playing compatible games, apps, and videos, even if it’s not as powerful as the Oculus Rift on paper.
In the box you’ll find the hand controllers, charging cable and adapter, all the required batteries, and a glasses spacer . You get a 3.5mm headphone jack if you want immersive directional audio, which we recommend you use because the built-in speakers are not the best quality.
VR fully encapsulates your vision and immerses you in a complete (though often still quite wonky) digital world that you can interact with to varying degrees of realism. From walking to picking things up, to fighting, or traveling to a faraway tourist spot.
In advanced cases, the virtual world completely changes the real-world environment but does not block it out like VR. The best VR headset designs are like goggles that block out the real-world and show you the virtual reality space via a display right in front of your eyes.
The most basic form is the Google cardboard VR headset and simple designs that cover your smartphone and allow you to watch the panoramic video. Bad tracking or poorly calibrated controllers produce annoying glitches where you can’t seem to pick up objects or move around as desired.
The Oculus Quest, for example, has quite a low refresh rate while the Valve Index can reach 144Hz like a gaming monitor. Once you get below 50Hz, you’ll clearly notice lag and input delay and some people report virtual reality sickness and eye strain when using VR at lower rates. By today’s standards, the screen door effect mostly affects cheap VR headset products and those with lower resolutions. Tethering is the opposite of wireless and refers to a VR headset that must be wired to your computer or console to work. Fortunately, most tethered headsets come with very long cables, so you aren’t really restricted in your movement. A standalone VR headset is one that functions without a PC or console, does not need to be tethered (wired) and has its own in-built display. This stands for 6 degrees of freedom and refers to the ability to walk, move your arms and hands, and look in any direction within a playing space. If you want to play advanced VR games where you can physically walk and pick up objects by using hand motions you will need to spend at least a few hundred pounds.
On the other hand, high-end VR headsets can surpass £1,000 and provide high resolutions and excellent motion tracking. A cheap VR headset display will leave you with a restricted field of view, poor focus, and the screen door effect (SDE). Full VR requires space because you might be flailing your arms to attack a monster, walking forward to get to a destination, or bending over and picking up an object. Whether you want a simple mobile VR experience or to dive right into high-end virtual reality gaming, there’s no shortage of fun to be had.
Our quick specs list, in-depth reviews, and guides will help you find the best VR headset in the UK, no matter what you require.
The best virtual reality headsets you can buy in 2021
For decades, the film industry has titillated us with the notion that we might be able to transport into a different worlds – be that The Matrix or the TRON Universe – at the click of a button. There’s a lot of variations in the technology utilised with each headset, including apps you can play and the platforms that support them, so it is definitely worth doing your research beforehand.
5 Best Virtual Reality Headsets 2020
From design to medical applications, this technology is becoming cheaper and more powerful by the day, allowing for new horizons to be explored. Using our experts’ knowledge and user rating around the web, we have selected the best virtual reality headsets for your money. If your goal is to enjoy a virtual reality experience free from wires and without the need for powerful computers, look no further than the Oculus Quest. The first truly all-in-one gaming headset, the Oculus Quest packs some interesting specs at a record-low price. The tag price of £499.00 may seem daunting, but in the realm of high-specs VR headsets, that’s actually a pretty good deal, as you won’t need to spend anything else on an expensive PC. Put on the headset, create manual “gaming boundaries” with the help of the Quest’s sensor cameras, and you are ready to go.
The headset will warn you if you’re leaving the area, so you can rest assured you’re not going to smash your TV while playing Beat Saber. It also has access to Sony’s numerous PS exclusives and will be also compatible with the upcoming PS5 console.
The main downside of the PS VR headset has been for a while the fact that it required different sensors to work properly, such as PlayStation Camera and Move controllers. However, the biggest flaw of smartphone-powered VR headsets so far has been the lack of dedicated controllers, which made the gaze-based navigation frustrating at best. The 2017 version of the Samsung Gear VR introduced a handy motion controller that works remarkably well. Combined with the extremely low tag price of £114.49, this makes the Samsung Gear a good and cheaper alternative to any other mobile headset.
A glance at the specs above will give you an idea why the Oculus Rift S is a great headset. The VR experience is somehow encumbered by the presence of cables on the back of the headset, but the trade-off is definitely worth it, as the Oculus Rift S packs in some spectacular graphics.
However, the headset only reached the second place in our list because it’s only an incremental update when considering its predecessor Oculus Rift. Sound: Integrated headphones, 3.5mm audio jack, built-in dual microphone array.
The king of commercial virtual reality on the market, the Valve Index is the next-gen VR headset that everyone has been waiting for. Extremely-high quality display, tracking of all fingers via motion controller and a wider field of view are only some of the best VR features this headset has to offer.
A consistent upgrade from the HTC Vive, the Valve Index also has an extensive game library via Steam. With a price of almost £400, the headset is not cheap, but it is the only way to access the world of next-gen virtual reality. While gaming applications are still the most widespread by far, there are many apps today aiding people in various tasks.
VR is also used in healthcare, to train surgeons before they operate on humans, and to treat patients who suffer from anxiety and other mental conditions. The quality of the footage itself will have to be high-quality to avoid blurry images, and the resolution of your headset will play a fundamental part in delivering an optimal experience. As mentioned earlier, you can assemble a complex system to enjoy virtual reality’s capabilities to the fullest.
However, if you usually play virtual reality in a small space or if you can’t be bothered setting up a complex system, you can always use a mobile VR headset and jump into the action immediately. If you click a link and buy a product we may earn revenue: this helps to support The Sun, and in no way affects our recommendations.
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