best VR headsets you can buy

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Even as the world opens up again, there's still a compelling reason to look at our pick of the best VR headsets because simply stepping into a virtual world is a way to escape the rigors of reality.

And thanks to the wonders of modern technology, it's easier than ever to get a VR headset that doesn't need a powerful PC and a load of wires to hook it all up.

The

best VR games

Where to buy the PS5:

These retailers still have stock

So our pick of the best VR headsets you can buy in 2021 ranges from all-in-one glasses to full-fledged room-scale VR headsets that require a beefy PC but facilitate an immersive experience. Read on for get an idea of the best VR headsets you should consider.

What are the best VR headsets?

Our pick for the best VR headset is the Oculus Quest 2. You don't need to fiddle around with smartphones or invest in one of the

best gaming pc

just to experience high-quality VR. Instead, you can simply set up the complete all-in-one VR experience and then go crazy with VR without worrying about tripping over cables or running out of cables. smartphone battery life.

Of course, you also have the option of connecting the Quest 2 to a PC and thus enjoying Oculus-supported games. And there's even

more abilities coming in quest 2

But there is a catch here in that, at the time of writing,

Facebook has temporarily halted sales of the Oculus Quest 2

due to some users reporting that the foam face covering on the helmet causes skin irritation.

Beyond the Quest 2, if you want true high-end VR, you'll need a VR headset connected to a powerful PC. In that case, the Oculus Rift S, HTC Vive, and Valve Index are your best bets. Remember, you'll need a little headroom to get the most out of these headsets, especially if you plan on doing room-scale VR.

If you have a

PS4

Where

PS4 Pro

handy, then PlayStation VR is a good option. 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 hand and keep in mind that it will not work perfectly with the

PS5

The best VR headsets you can buy today

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

1. Oculus Quest 2

Best VR headset overall

THE BEST OFFERS OF THE DAY

First

$375

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$509.99

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First

$547

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Reasons to buy

Transparent all-in-one virtual reality system

Can connect to PCs

Capable of room-scale VR

Large app library

Reasons to avoid

Controllers are not rechargeable

Requires a Facebook account

Keeping up with the Oculus Quest wasn't going to be an easy task, but the Oculus Quest 2 improves on its successor on every level. In fact, it's our pick for the best overall VR headset. With a smoother design and more intuitive, faster performance and better resolution, the Oculus Quest 2 offers the best VR experience you can have without the need for a powerful PC or loads of cables.

Starting at $299, it's not the cheapest VR headset on the market, but you do get an all-in-one system that can deliver room-scale VR across a large library of games and It's also a better designed headset than the old Quest. It ditches the solid black of its predecessor and is 10% lighter, and the light gray design of the Quest 2 is highlighted by a black face strap and a quartet of camera sensors make it simple, fun and inviting all at the same time. Improved audio and general spec boot further sweeten the VR package.

You can also tether the Oculus Quest 2 to a PC and use it with fully computer-powered VR games; remember the cable is an expensive extra. But if you haven't dipped into VR yet or if you want to finally break away, the price, library of games and overall ease of use of the Oculus Quest 2 make it the best entry point into virtual reality yet.

The Oculus Quest 2 won "Best VR Headset" at the

Tom's Guide Awards 2021 for games

See our complete

Reviews on Oculus Quest 2

(Image credit: Future)

2. Oculus Rift S

Best VR headset for PC

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$409

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$419

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$511.98

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16 Amazon customer reviews

Reasons to buy

Integrated part tracking

Large library of games

Touch controllers included

Reasons to avoid

Not a huge upgrade over the original Oculus Rift

PC required

The original Oculus Rift was one of the best VR headsets for connecting to a PC and enjoying immersive gaming. The Oculus RIft S builds on that. The headset itself is much sleeker than before and it now features a 2560 x 1440 resolution display with a fast 80Hz refresh rate, and it's also pretty light, making it ideal for long VR gaming sessions whether you're sitting at your desk or whether you're enjoying VR in a larger space. It's also got a rather neat feature in the form of built-in speakers in the headband, negating the need to use the original Rift's built-in headphones; the audio results are quite impressive.

Thanks to Oculus Insight tracking technology, the Oculus Rift S can provide room-scale virtual reality without the need to place external sensors anywhere. And it comes with the impressive touch controllers that almost track movements and help make virtual reality much more kinetic and immersive.

And the Oculus Rift S comes with an impressive library of games all on the Oculus Store, with notable highlights such as Beat Saber, Superhot, Job Simulator.Overall, the Oculus Rift S is the best headset VR for people looking for a PC-based system that plays a huge library of great games at a decent price.

The Oculus Rift S won the 'Highly Recommended' award for 'Best VR Headset' at the

Tom's Guide Awards 2021 for games

See our complete

Oculus Rift S hands-on review

(Image credit: Future)

3.PlaystationVR

The best VR headset for consoles

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$199.99

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$373.99

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First

$415

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746 Amazon customer reviews

Reasons to buy

Good game library

Fairly easy setup

Relatively affordable

Reasons to avoid

The camera can be very demanding

Could be visually sharper

If you want to play VR games on a console, the PlayStation VR system is your best, and pretty much the only bet. It combines a neat headset that looks semi-futuristic and is surprisingly comfortable, with a superb range of games that is slowly expanding. You can play games like Star Wars Battlefront: Rogue One X-Wing Mission, Eve: Valkyrie and Batman: Arkham VR, as well as Astro Bot Rescue Mission, one of the recent VR games the most interesting.

If you have a PS4 or PS4 Pro, then PlayStation VR is one of the most affordable ways to play VR games, especially since you don't need an expensive gaming PC. Still, with the Move Controllers initiative and motion tracking, you still get a pretty high-end VR experience.

But you shouldn't just use it for gaming, as it can also be used to make movie watching more immersive. As such, if you're a PlayStation fan and want to get into VR gaming , PlayStation VR is highly recommended.

One thing to also keep in mind that the

PS5

also supports PlaySation VR. The only problem is that it does not work well with Move controllers. But there is good news because the

PSVR 2

best VR headsets you can buy

the helmet is in preparation and

he will bring with him a pair of new controllers

The PlayStation VR won the 'Highly Recommended' award for 'Best VR Headset' at the

Tom's Guide Awards 2021 for games

See our complete

PlayStation VR review

(Image credit: Future)

4.HTC Vive

Best VR headset for immersive experiences

THE BEST OFFERS OF THE DAY

First

$899

See on Amazon

3 Amazon customer reviews

Reasons to buy

Smooth graphics with low latency

Touch controllers are easy to use and highly adaptable

Large library of games

Reasons to avoid

Requires a lot of space and electrical outlets to use

No built-in sound

Following in the footsteps of the Oculus Rift, the HTC Vive showed what gaming company Valve could do by working in partnership with a tech company. The result was a stellar VR headset that offered a virtual reality experience that made you really move rather than sitting in one place and looking around. Valve's Lightroom technology lets you map out a space that you'll walk, crawl or tiptoe in, depending on the game, while Chaperone guarantees that you're not stepping into a wall or tripping over a beloved pet.

The controls are also a highlight, offering at the time a more revolutionary feel of being able to literally reach out and grab something, albeit by pulling a trigger rather than grabbing with your hands. The virtual experience is still quite impressive, despite other VR headsets catching up with the HTC Vive.

The only thing to keep in mind here is that it requires external tracking sensors, a powerful PC to run, and a good degree of installation and space. So for people living in small apartments, it may not be the best VR headset for them.

It's worth bearing in mind that if you want a high-end VR experience from HTC, then

the Vive Pro 2 has been revealed

, It's the first VR headset with a 5K screen and also boasts a suite of screen technologies including a 120Hz refresh rate.

See our complete

HTC Vive Review

(Image credit: Valve)

5. Valve Index

The best controls and tracking in VR

THE BEST OFFERS OF THE DAY

First

$1399.99

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$1429.99

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Reasons to buy

Great build quality

Intelligently designed controllers

Future expansion options

Reasons to avoid

No charging cable in the box

Heavy

Valve is no stranger to VR or video games having first worked with HTC to create the Vive headset, one of the best VR headsets when virtual reality became a thing about four years ago. The Valve Index represents the culmination of the video game company's efforts to create a VR headset on its own. And it succeeded.

The Valve Index is a comfortable, premium VR system, with high-quality construction, comfortable cushioning, and smart built-in speakers. The downside to this quality is that the headset can be quite heavy to wear for a while. extended. And for some unfathomable reason, there's no included USB-C cable to charge the components

There's a lot to like about the Index, as it comes with an LCD panel that offers variable refresh rates to match the power of your PC, and the images it serves up are crisp enough and high resolution.The controllers are also a highlight as they offer the ability to customize the shape of your hands and sport pressure sensitive controls plus wrist straps to keep you from dropping them when the VR action heats up .

See our complete

Valve Index Review

How to choose the best VR headset for you

Our latest list of the best VR headsets offers a small selection of headsets to choose from, so finding the right one for you shouldn't be too difficult.

If you want an all-in-one headset, the only real choice is the Oculus Quest 2, or maybe the

Oculus Quest

if you find one for sale.

But if you want a high-end VR headset, there are a few more things to consider than simply choosing between an HTC Vive and an Oculus Rift S. For example, not only will you want a desktop or laptop from Pretty powerful game, but you also need to make sure you have enough space to use VR; unless you plan to only use the headset while seated.

For PlayStation fans, your best and only option is the PSVR headset, which offers a relatively easy way to access virtual reality but is limited to Sony's PS4 and PS5 consoles.

It's worth noting that a cheap smartphone VR headset, which uses an Android phone or iPhone to power it (like Google Cardboard-derived headsets) could be a way to try out VR to make sure you don't first suffer from motion sickness. .

Will VR work with PS5 and Xbox Series X?

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

As it stands, if you want VR action on the PS5 and Xbox Series X, you're out of luck...most of the time. Only the PS5 supports VR under the form of the PSVR headset, although a second generation headset is in the works and will be designed specifically for the PS5. On Xbox Series X and Series S, there is no VR option, and there is no indication that the VR support will come in the near future. We hope that will change given that Windows 10 supports built-in VR, but at the moment things don't look very promising for the VR game console.

How we test VR headsets

Identifying the best VR headsets requires a series of factors to consider, from the hardware itself to the software the headsets will work with. We test and consider how easy it is to set up a VR headset and system, how how well-designed and comfortable the headset is, how well its interface works, and let's take a look at the accessories the VR headset can use.

We also look at how specific VR headsets work, how easy the interface is to use, as well as head tracking performance and controller quality with the headsets.

An important part of initial testing is gauging the space needed to set up one of our picks for the best VR headsets in order to get the most out of them. This does not apply to headsets that use a smartphone to power them. , but in this case we're looking at how easy they are to use with an Android phone and how much software to download and how well the phone fits. inside the headphone case.

A product can look great but still be uncomfortable to use. In addition to testing all the different contents, we spend at least 30 minutes wearing each helmet. We test to make sure the built-in air vents keep things cool. cool.And if it sweats, we see how well the face shield wicks away moisture.We also weigh helmets, because even the lightest gadget can feel heavy after long periods of use.Finally, we test how adjustable the head straps are and how secure they are.

As the de facto face of your virtual experience, the interface is vitally important. We test the responsiveness and intuitiveness of the homepage and subsequent menus, as well as special features, such as controls voice and gesture control.

Whether it's a traditional gamepad or something more elaborate like the Rift's touch controllers, we check to see if input devices are ergonomically designed; after all, no one wants cramps hands. We also test tracking and responsiveness in a number of games.

Hardware without great software is just an expensive clipboard. We not only look at the size of a device's library, but also run through the lists and test some of the high-end apps and titles. stage, a good library should contain a number of games, apps, movies, and other experiences.

Check

best gaming pc

if you want the most power for VR

The

best gaming headsets

can make games more immersive

Play the

best pc games

Summary of the best offers of the day

Oculus Quest 2 — Advanced...

Oculus Quest 2

Amazon

$375

Seen

See all prices

Oculus Rift S VR powered by PC...

Oculus Rift S

Amazon

$409

Seen

See all prices

Reduced price

Marvel's Iron Man VR -...

Sony PlayStation VR

walmart

$349.99

$199.99

Seen

See all prices

Virtual Reality HTC Vive...

HTC Vive

Amazon

$899

Seen

See all prices

Reduced price

Valve Index VR Complete Kit

Valve index

Amazon

$1479.99

$1399.99

Seen

See all prices

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Roland Moore Colyer

Roland Moore-Colyer is the UK editor of Tom's Guide, specializing in news, features and opinion pieces. He often writes about games, phones, laptops and other hardware; also interested in cars. When not at his desk, Roland can be found wandering around London, often with a look of curiosity on his face.