Virtual reality has been incredibly popular in the last decade, but especially after the pandemic, the interest in exploring the VR world has significantly increased. It always has offered an escape and an entertainment and maybe even has helped people to cope with the stressful life and enjoy themselves. In consequence of the endless demand, virtual reality has been a very fast-growing industry in terms of all of the components such as VR games, VR locomotion solutions, additional accessories and most importantly, VR headsets.
In the market, there are several options to immerse yourself in the magical world of virtual reality and have fun. The question is which one you should invest in, because as everybody knows, a VR headset may be a little costly, in accordance with its technical features. In this article, we have selected 5 VR headsets that we and most of the people interested in VR consider that are the best, according to a price and performance comparison.
Oculus Quest 2
Oculus Quest 2 has been one of the most popular headset of the decade since its release to the market in terms of many aspects. According to many, the biggest reason is that Oculus Quest 2 is a standalone VR headset, meaning that there is no need for a PC or a console, you can just put on the goggles and enter the VR world. It has a relatively low price, is completely wireless and the utilization is so much easier than many of its competitors. But of course, there are several features and issues that can be considered to be negative besides its positive aspects.
There have been several complaints that Oculus Quest 2 caused skin irritation after using the removable foam facial interface. After the number of complaints increased, Oculus has announced the recall of the removable facial interface from the market and offered its users that they can replace the part totally free of charge. With this effective solution to the problem, Oculus has received our praise and earned a place in our list. Also, a new 256GB version has been released in which they have fixed the problems of the device mostly.
Lastly, you have to have a Facebook account in order to use the Oculus Quest 2. That may seem like a negative feature, but compared to the other features that Oculus Quest 2 offers, we definitely think that it has one of the highest price-performance ratios and definitely deserves a shot.
Valve Index
If you are looking for a headset that can be used with a PC, Valve Index can be your solution, if you don’t mind the price. As one of the most expensive options, Valve Index doubtlessly deserves a place in the best VR headsets list because it offers an amazing experience to the users with its high quality.
Compared to other VR headsets in the market, there are a couple of features that distinguish Valve Index. Primarily, it has a relatively higher refresh rate, one of the highest in the industry, which means you can immerse yourself in the VR world much better Plus, it utilizes finger tracking technology in the controllers, therefore it enables a much more natural VR gaming experience with a more accurate level of tracking.
Besides the headset and the controller, two base stations are included in the price of Valve Index VR Kit, which you need to place in two corners of the room to enable tracking. Valve Index unfortunately is not wireless and you will need a PC to use it, but for a high-end and more immersive experience in the virtual reality world, these negative aspects can be tolerable.
PlayStation VR
As one of the most low-priced alternatives, PSVR offers a great gameplay experience in virtual reality for those who use a PlayStation 4 console. It is old, however it is able to compete with other competitor VR headsets in the market in terms of its immersion and great games that can be played with. You will just need the PS4 console and PSVR headset, and you are ready to go.
PSVR is also compatible with PlayStation 5, but the new-gen camera of PS5 cannot be used with PSVR, therefore you will need a camera adapter to use your old one. Or, you may just wait until 2022, in which it is said that Sony will release a brand new VR headset which is special to, compatible with PlayStation 5 and probably will have better features.
Although there are many headsets in the industry that seem to be better than PSVR, it is a great alternative for those who prefer to utilize PS4 consoles and enhance their gaming experience in virtual reality.
HP Reverb G2
If you think resolution is vital in a VR headset, you should definitely try HP Reverb G2. The epic resolution of HP Reverb G2 headset is so good that it shines out of the other good features of the headset. Also, it is comfortable and easy to use, meaning that with all of the aspects combined, you can experience VR much more realistically and naturally.
HP Reverb G2 doesn’t need a base station to utilize, so it offers an easy use of the device. It is not wireless and not the cheapest alternative in the market, but with its great technical features like a great resolution and a relatively high refresh rate makes HP Reverb G2 virtual reality headset win a place in our list.
HTC Vive Cosmos Elite
It is a pricey alternative but HTC Vive Cosmos Elite deserves to be placed in the best VR headsets due to its comparably higher resolution and accurate tracking. With the addition of the base stations, it is the upgraded version of HTC Vive Cosmos.
Even though it needs more space to be utilized, it is probably one of the best headsets if you don’t mind a room-scale VR headset. Besides, one of the most well-known games, Half Life:Alyx and the free subscription to Viveport Infinity, which is a platform where you can download and enjoy many games, are included in the price.