INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Best VR Headset Buying Guide: Welcome to TechRadar's round-up of the best Virtual Reality Headsets on PCs, phones and consoles you can buy
in 2018.Update: With VR headset prices dropping to all time lows, just what, exactly, do you need to pay to get into VRWe've got a complete
breakdown of how the prices of each of the three top VR headsets stacks up against one another, including the hidden costs you may not
consider when adding a VR headset to your online shopping cart.Here's a teaser: while the HTC Vive has a new low price, it's still the most
expensive of the most popular VR headsets
However, you do get a lot for the money, including industry-leading room-scale tracking.Original article continues belowThe best VR headset
may be a tricky thing to figure out when devices are getting ever-more advanced and ever-less expensive. With permanent price drops
sweeping the high-end VR landscape, it's getting harder and harder to choose between VR headsets, all of which have something different to
offer.Questions you'll likely encounter when making your decision are: Do you go for performance or price For something you can slot a
smartphone in to or need a powerful PC to run Decisions are complicated by the fact that there is seemingly a new VR headset or significant
advancement to an existing one every day
Where once Oculus Rift and HTC Vive dominated the best VR headset conversation, new headsets are springing up left and right, some even
without wires. On the flip side, more powerful VR headsets are coming to the fore as well
The HTC Vive Pro, which releases on April 5, is an sizeable upgrade over the HTC Vive that also comes at the sizeable price of $799/ £799
(about AU$1,015).Then, of course, there are the mobile headsets, namely the Samsung Gear VR and Google Daydream View
These, too, are about to meet a major rival in the form of the standalone Oculus Go.You can skip down below to see our choices and
explanations in depth, but it's important to note that permanent price cuts have brought the so-called traditional VR headsets more closely
in line with one another. The four best on the market right now, the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, HTC Vive Pro and PlayStation VR, are
unsurprisingly also the most expensive of all the mainstream VR headset offerings
These four offer unparalleled immersion through superior refresh rates, extremely high resolutions, and both the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift
offer room-scale tracking and motion controllers for your hands right out of the box.You get much the same perks with the HTC Vive Pro,
except it doesn't include any accessories in the box, yet.Each headset has its own distinctive strengths and weaknesses, and if you're not
aware of these before you buy, it could be a very costly mistake to make
But that's exactly why we put this guide together.The best VR headset: HTC ViveHTC Vive reigns over the competitionAvailability: Out now |
Price: $499 / £499 / about AU$615Best overall VR experienceSoftware partnership with ValveRequires a high-end GPUStill expensiveWhen it
originally released, the HTC Vive was streets ahead of its nearest competitor, the Oculus Rift
It supported room-scale tracking out of the box, and came with two motion controllers that allowed it to offer a much more immersive
experience. Now, however, the gap has narrowed
Nowadays the Oculus Rift matches much of the Vive's functionality and includes two motion controllers of its own. But the Vive still has
the edge over the Oculus because, for our money, the room-scale tracking is that much better
The feature allows you to walk around a space that's 4.5 x 4.5m big, adding another dimension to the feeling of presence that you experience
while using it; you're not just pressing up on an analogue stick, you're using your legs to walk.That's if you have enough space in your
real room, of course.The headset itself contains two 1080p screens which makes for a very crisp image
Unfortunately it's not quite high-resolution enough to prevent you from being able to discern individual pixels when you wear it, and the
HTC Vive Pro, with its 78% increase in dots per inch, offers a much sharper screen in addition to built-in audio, which the original Vive
lacks.However, despite not being the latest and greatest Vive, where the original HTC gains back points is in its price. Though it's still
more expensive than Oculus Rift, the HTC Vive Pro has a few shortcomings that don't quite justify its high price tag
For the regular user who doesn't have the funds to buy an HTC Vive Pro, the HTC Vive offers a still-excellent experience for less cost.Read
the full review: HTC ViveBest VR for console gamers: PlayStation VRVirtual reality has made it to consoles, and it's stunningAvailability:
Out now | Price: $299 / £259 / AU$655AffordableNear PC-quality performanceGood selection of gamesLacking required accessories in boxPoor
job sealing out lightSpotty motion controller trackingThere's no getting around the fact that in order to run either the HTC Vive, HTC Vive
Pro or the Oculus Rift you need a pretty substantial gaming PC, which is a hefty investment for most people. That's not the case with
Sony's PlayStation VR, which requires little more than a PS4 console to run. Considering the huge difference in power between the PS4 and
PC, the PlayStation VR is a surprisingly capable virtual reality headset
Its refresh rate is nice and responsive, and we've had no problems with the reliability of its head-tracking. Thanks to Sony's backing, the
selection of PlayStation VR games is also impressive
There were dozens available at launch, and many more have followed over its first year on sale. Sony has addressed one of our biggest
complaints with the PlayStation VR - that its accessories are sold separately - by offering a variety of packs and bundles with devices like
the PlayStation Camera included
However, PlayStation Move controllers, while are included in some bundles, aren't in every one.While you have to be wary of the additional
charges involved, depending on what bundle you opt for, recent price cuts have made the PlayStation VR even more affordable
It may not be the top VR headset, but the PSVR is certainly making a strong case to users. Read the full review:PlayStation VRPC runner up:
Oculus RiftDespite some hiccups, Oculus Rift will take your breath away Availability: Out now | Price: $399 / £499 / AU$649VR
pioneersFacebook backingRoom-scale isn't as goodThe current VR arms race is all thanks to one man: Oculus founder Palmer Luckey
As a teenager, Luckey collected VR tech and was fascinated with making his own headset in his garage
Numerous prototypes and a $2 billion Facebook buyout later, Oculus is still the biggest name in VR.It's seen some decent upgrades over the
years thanks to the inclusion of the Touch controllers (which we'd argue are slightly superior to the Vive's), and a couple of key price
drops. Yet, compared to the HTC Vive's room-scale technology, the Rift isn't quite as good
The reason is that while the Vive is designed to let you walk around in any direction, by default the Rift has you place its two sensors in
This means that the tracking is more single-sided, and you can't let yourself get turned around, or else the sensors will lose track of
you. The experience is a bit different when you add a third sensor to the mix, but if you're comparing apples-to-apples, we still believe
the Vive does room-scale a heck of a lot better.That being said, by being cheaper than the Vive, the Oculus Rift offers a very compelling
mid-range virtual reality option for those with less space to spare.Read the full review: Oculus RiftThe newcomer: HTC Vive ProHigh
resolution at a high price Availability: Launches April 5 : | Price: $799 / £799 / about AU$1,015High resolution displayBlocks out light
better than HTC ViveBuilt-in headphonesMost expensive VR headsetSetup is difficultHeadphones can crackleThe newest high-end VR headset in
town comes packing a lot of impressive specs
Take, for instance, the HTC Vive Pro resolution of 2880 x 1600, offering a 78% increase in dots per inch than the HTC Vive. This means
ultra-crisp visual fidelity that lets you experience textures and shadows in a way previously impossible in VR.But the HTC Vive Pro perks
There's also the addition of built-in headphones and new nose guards that do a better job of blocking out light than the HTC Vive
All told, the HTC Vive Pro is a clear evolution in both design and tech on the older HTC Vive. However, for all its shiny new specs, new
navy blue color and a game library that's sure to grow, the HTC Vive Pro has some serious flaws. The main one is obvious: it's expensive
It costs the same as the HTC Vive did at launch, and it doesn't come with any accessories in the box
That's right: you'll have to buy controllers and sensors separately, at least until a bundle is available later in 2018.Setup is also a
challenge with the Vive Pro because all of your firmware has to be as up-to-date as possible
Even then, you may run into some challenges, which could deter the average user from jumping into the Vive Pro experience.Because of its
price, its challenging setup and the fact that the still-excellent HTC Vive is now much less expensive, the HTC Vive Pro is likely best
suited for VR enthusiasts and arcade owners
It's still an awesome headset, just one that's probably not for everyone
Read the full review: HTC Vive ProUaAhraxkGCCs2FkMB8LBTB.jpg#
