The Ultimate VR Headset Buying Guide
Design
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The absolute best quality VR experiences can't be powered by a mobile phone. The Oculus Rift, Valve and HTC Vive, and Sony PlayStation VR - the three high-end headsets we're currently expecting - all run on external computers or game consoles. This means they can offer sophisticated features such as motion tracking, high resolution screens and the best possible graphics. They are also generally more comfortable, block outside light better and are less prone to motion sickness. But they won't be released until later this year, and for now they're expensive and aimed primarily at early adopters.
Advance price
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By almost any measure, high-end headphones cost a
plot.
The Oculus Rift costs $599, plus the still-unknown cost of its motion controllers. The HTC Vive costs $799. The only headset we don't know about at this time is PlayStation VR. Early price estimates for the Rift and the Vive were a long way off - people underestimated the former and overestimated the latter - so we'll refrain from making PSVR guesses. headphones; there's also a box that helps the PlayStation 4 process video. Those prices will come down over time, but it's hard to say how long that might take.
High-end headsets offer more complex and interactive experiences
Hidden costs
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Most people have a desktop or laptop computer. But the only ones likely to have VR-ready PCs (sorry, no Macs yet) are movie or video editors, gamers budget video and other people who regularly need a lot of processing power. To be clear, computers that don't meet Rift and Vive's recommended specs might still be able to run some VR games and videos , which will vary in complexity and size. But to get a guaranteed good experience, expect to spend around $1,000 if you're buying a new desktop — maybe a little less if you're buying a headset and PC combo .With PlayStation VR, however, the math is much simpler: all you need is a PlayStation 4 console.
Space requirements
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One of the great features you get with high-end headsets is the ability to move around or even walk in space. The standard way to do this - used by Oculus and Sony - is to place LEDs or a another set of markers on the headset and then tracking them with an external camera. This type of location tracking is very effective, but how far you can move depends on how much space the camera can capture. PlayStation VR lets you primarily allows you to lean, crouch, and move. The Rift can allow you to move a few feet in any direction, although we only saw this with multiple tracking cameras.
Unlike these, HTC's Vive uses a laser tracking system that allows you to walk around a 15 x 15 foot room. This is by far the most freedom you'll get from any headset, especially with a "chaperone" system that turns on a camera to show you when you're approaching an edge. But that also means you'll need to set up a powerful computer next to totally clear ground. in smaller spaces, so it's good to buy if your house or apartment is a little more cramped. But it makes less sense to get the most expensive headphones on the market if you don't enjoy sound biggest advantage.
Controllers
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Tethered headsets tend to be more video game-focused than the rest of the pool, and the Oculus Rift and PlayStation VR frequently use gamepads. The Oculus Rift will ship with an Xbox One controller, which will be the primary method of using the system at launch. PSVR uses PlayStation 4 controllers for several experiences. But what really sets these high-end headsets apart are their motion controllers, which let you do everything from gaming to realistic three-dimensional painting virtual ping pong.
Sony already had its Move motion tracking wands, and the PlayStation 4 gamepad has a light strip that tracking cameras can pick up too. The Rift and Vive use their own specially designed controllers, and which one you prefer depends on it. much of the feel, as they have similar capabilities. But there are some logistical issues: the Rift's controllers won't be released until months after the headset's release, and the Vive
only
uses HTC and Valve motion wands - no traditional gamepads included.
The three helmets allow you to move in physical space
Availablity
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April is going to be a huge month for high-end headsets. The Oculus Rift ships at the end of March and the HTC Vive shortly after, marking the first two high-end headset launches. Many people, however, might get their orders closer to this summer. The Oculus Rift is heavily out of stock, with a current July shipping date for first-time buyers – though buying a PC bundle might get you one sooner. Vive pre-orders just opened, and we don't know how much inventory HTC is working with. The Rift (and likely the Vive) will appear in stores, but don't expect to see large quantities.
If you look at PlayStation VR, the timeline gets a bit longer. We recently heard that Sony is shipping it this fall, and it's possible we'll hear an exact date at this year's Game Developers Conference, where the company has released information about VR in the past. Sony released around 17 launch games last year, although developers have generally been more secretive about their plans than they were with the Rift or the Vive.And while there are free games that come with the headsets - Rift controls will come with the platformer
lucky tale
for everyone and
EVE: Valkyrie
for pre-orders, and Vive pre-order customers get Tilt Brush,
fantastic contraption
, and
work simulator
- everyone has also been pretty coy about how much you'll pay for
to buy
a game.
Unless you're determined to be a very early adopter, waiting a few months might just be the best option. Both Oculus and Valve have lined up several dozen titles for the Rift and Vive, but the full catalog will take a few months to complete. out, and it will take time to squash the inevitable bugs that come with new builds. Touch movement later this year. And if you wait, the hardware needed to run these high-end headsets will only be cheaper.