Since the March release of Valve's VR smash Half-Life: Alyx, standalone VR devices -- yes, they're still around! -- have seen a huge spike in interest. But the concept of a VR device in 2020 is in flux as the technology is ever-evolving.
This is because companies such as Qualcomm (which makes the chips inside most self-contained VR headsets, including the new Oculus Quest 2) are building new chips that point to a wave of better standalone headsets at lower prices -- including ones that plug into your phone.
Meanwhile, older mobile VR or phone-based VR headsets, like the Samsung Gear VR and Google Daydream are basically dead. A good number of the current iPhone, Android and app options don't even work with the old mobile headsets anyway. If smartphone-based VR comes back, it'll more likely be in the form of small headsets that plug into phones via USB-C for VR gaming and other uses.
Read more: Best gaming PCs for 2020
Regardless, if you're a PC gamer, a solid gaming PC-connected VR headset offers the most versatile collection of software for an immersive VR experience and lets you use that headset for creative and business tools. Note that a more powerful VR system will still be largely tethered to a desktop or laptop, and a PC VR headset may require external sensors, so they may not be the best option for everyone.
Read more: Want to play Half-Life: Alyx? Here's the VR gear that works
And what about console gaming? The aging PlayStation VR is still fun if it's on sale, mainly because there are loads more great games for this device than you'd think.
Just know that VR is still here, but the VR experience is evolving. Augmented reality, or AR, and mixed-reality headsets aren't ready yet, so in the meantime a solid VR goggle and rig is your best bet for escaping to other worlds. When we look for a VR device, we're in the market for something that offers solid motion tracking, syncs well with our controller, and offers a solid gaming experience. Read on to figure out which is the best VR headset for you. (Note that prices are subject to change.)
Good: Self-contained and wireless; great touch controllers; comfortable design for gaming.
Bad: More limited library of apps; standalone design limits more advanced apps and tools.
At $300 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. The standalone VR headset has self-contained motion tracking and a full-motion six degrees of freedom (aka 6DoF) VR controller that is the same as the ones on the PC-required Oculus Rift, plus a surprisingly great high-resolution display and built-in speakers. Apps are downloaded right to the standalone headset's onboard storage. 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. Read our Oculus Quest 2 review.
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.
Sony's three-plus-year-old PSVR headset is still the only head-mounted display for gaming consoles and its screen still offers a surprisingly immersive experience. Even better, it's often on sale for as low as $200, sometimes with games thrown in, too. Sony has delivered (and continues to deliver) many excellent virtual reality games, many of them exclusives. All you need is the PSVR and a PlayStation 4 and you can start playing. (A few good games to start with are listed here.) This VR system is showing its age, though, compared to the alternatives. Read our Sony PlayStation VR review.
Good: Reasonable all-in price; crisp display; in-headset room tracking; really good controllers.
Bad: Bulky headset isn't very portable; can't flip up like some other VR headsets.
The Oculus Rift S is an improvement over the original 2016 Rift PC VR headset, adding overdue features like a higher-resolution display and self-contained room tracking via five cameras studded in the Rift S headset. No more external cameras or sensors are needed, making the Rift S much easier to use casually.
Oculus' collection of games and apps is excellent, and the Oculus Store is easy to browse for games for first-time Rift users. In-headset tracking for the Rift S isn't always as seamless or as large-scale as the holodeck-like room tracking on the HTC Vive and Valve Index, but not needing to install any extra hardware is a huge help. The Rift S still uses a cable tethered to your PC, but at least that one cable is pretty compact.
(Note that at time of latest update, the Rift S was not available at Oculus, possibly due to high demand ahead of Half-Life: Alyx. Apart from resellers charging $550 or more, the only place we found it for sale was Lenovo.) Read more about the Oculus Rift S.
Good: Amazing futuristic controllers; high-quality headset; works with Vive hardware.
Bad: Expensive; requires room setup and tethering cable.
Valve's new headset might be the most interesting PC virtual reality experience this year, just for its fancy new controllers. Valve's "knuckle" controllers are pressure-sensitive and can track all five fingers, making them almost like gloves. 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. The Index headset has excellent audio and a really sharp, wide field-of-view display.
The Index uses external "lighthouse" boxes, meaning you need to set those up in a room first. It's not as self-contained as Oculus' Rift S, which can track the room with in-headset cameras, or the HTC Vive Cosmos. It's also definitely not wireless, but if you already have some Vive hardware, you could add on parts of the Index to mix and match. Read our Valve Index review.
Good: Modular faceplates for extra features; built-in tracking; flip-up visor.
Bad: More expensive than the Rift S or the original Vive.
A wild-card pick for PC VR is the Vive Cosmos, the follow-up to 2016's HTC Vive. The Cosmos has self-contained tracking like the Oculus Rift S and a better-resolution display than the original Vive, but also has swappable faceplates that will add more cameras for mixed reality and external sensor tracking (for larger holodeck-type experiences). The Cosmos can get expensive, but its flexibility might be intriguing for creators. Bonus: you can use Valve Index accessories with it. Read more about the HTC Vive Cosmos.
Watch this: We took Oculus Quest on vacation
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November 03, 2020 at 04:00AM
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The best VR headset for 2020 - CNET
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