Not exclusively, no. Mobile VR headsets require a compatible smartphone, and the PlayStation VR is powered by either a PS4 or PS4 Pro Oculus Rift S and the HTC Vive both require a PC to run, and lesser-known devices such as Razer’s OSVR and the Fove VR headset also need a PC. Oculus Rift is also supported by the Xbox One although it only generates a huge virtual flatscreen to play on; it doesn’t do proper” VR. Unfortunately, Microsoft has unequivocally stated that the upcoming Xbox Two will not support virtual reality of any kind. The apps in smartphones are limited in power and also restricted to videos and games that are exclusive to certain mobile use VR players like the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, you will have to hook the VR headsets to your PC. But for starters, you will require an expensive PC that can power virtual reality games. There are a whole host of headsets available, too – everything from powerful, high-end models like the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift to mobile experiences like the Samsung Gear VR, Google Daydream View, and the brilliantly simple Google Cardboard. At $400 with nothing else needed, Oculus Quest delivers virtual reality games and an immersive experience anywhere, and has self-contained tracking and full-motion six degree of freedom (6DoF) motion controls with vibration that can also track finger movements with VR gaming : they’re the same touch controllers you get on the PC-required Oculus Rift Quest has a surprisingly great high-resolution display and built-in speakers, and apps are downloaded right to the headset’s onboard storage. Up-to-date pricing and reviews for cheap VR headsets on the market can be found at VR Headset Adviser website.
Virtual reality is the way to go. Since the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive first launched back in 2016, VR headsets have become more widely accessible and offer a variety of apps, games and experiences. Why we like it: If you own a PlayStation 4 and you’re interested in getting a taste of virtual reality—or if you want to play some VR games without spending the money on a gaming PC and a high-end headset like the Oculus Rift or HTC Vive —Sony’s PlayStation VR is an easy recommendation. Smartphone virtual reality headsets (a.k.a. mobile VR, VR viewers) include a number of high profile brands in the VR space, such as the Samsung Gear, Google Daydream, and the Pansonite HMDs.
The market for virtual reality hardware is officially shifting away from budget-priced, low-performance headsets , Strategy Analytics said today, as demand has evaporated for Google’s Cardboard and Daydream products , as well as Samsung’s Gear VR Consequently, midrange to high-end headsets from Sony, Facebook’s Oculus, and HTC earned 77% of all revenue generated globally by VR headsets last year, while prior top vendors fought for shrinking shares of the lowest-end pie. Other headsets, like the Oculus Go or the smartphone-based Samsung Gear VR and Google Daydream View , support fewer degrees of freedom, only tracking the swivel and tilt of your head rather than following you as you move around. At $200 it’s pricier than mobile VR headsets, but unlike those headsets, you don’t need a compatible (and usually expensive flagship) smartphone to use it. The $200 investment gets you right into a Gear VR-like virtual reality experience, complete with an intuitive controller.
Tethered headsets like the Oculus Rift S, the HTC Vive Cosmos, and the PlayStation VR are physically connected to PCs (or in the case of the PS VR, a PlayStation 4 ). The cable makes them a bit unwieldy, but putting all of the actual video processing in a box you don’t need to directly strap to your face means your VR experience can be a lot more complex. Why we like it: Mobile VR headsets like the Samsung Gear VR give you the same experience as the Oculus Go standalone VR headset but use a smartphone as their screen, which makes them less expensive if you already own a compatible phone. A standalone VR headset costs less than a Samsung phone plus GearVR or than an Oculus Rift plus VR-ready PC. Some standalones are really cheap: the upcoming Oculus Go, for instance, will cost only US $200, and this will let a lot of people afford entering virtual reality;
Skip past tethered headsets like the Oculus Rift , HTC Vive and HTC Vive Pro , keep going past premium mobile designs like Samsung’s Gear VR and the standalone Oculus Quest and the new Oculus Rift S and HTC Vive Cosmos and you’ll find a sea of cheaper models for $45 or less. 360° XXX is at its best with VR headset such as Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Samsung Gear VR or Google Cardboard. Frequent updates for the latest hardware and software including Magic Leap, Oculus Rift, Steam VR / HTC Vive, PlayStation VR, Windows Mixed Reality, Mac, iOS / ARKit, Google ARCore, Samsung Gear VR, Google VR, OSVR and Leap Motion.
At launch, VRrOOm’s VR app will be available on iOS, Android, and Google Daydream systems for VR-enabled mobile phones, allowing the audience to watch content curated by the world’s finest festivals and cultural events either in a magic window mode on smartphones, or in VR mode with a mobile- or PC-based VR headsets compatible with such as HTC and Oculus headsets. Combined with a faster Snapdragon 835 processor compared with the Oculus Go’s Snapdragon 821, the Quest offers a much more compelling and immersive VR experience, all without the unwieldy cable or PC requirement of the Rift S. We hope to see more standalone 6DOF, dual motion controller headsets in the future, like the upcoming HTC Vive Focus Plus. Oculus has both tethered and standalone headsets from the Go, to the Quest, to the Rift S. HTC has the Steam-friendly Vive and Vive Cosmos, and the developer-focused Vive Pro Sony has the PS 4-focused PlayStation VR (that will apparently work with the PlayStation 5 if and when that system comes out), and Microsoft is supporting its Windows Mixed Reality platform with a variety of headsets from different manufacturers.
The issue here is that cheaper VR headsets usually require the use of a mobile device and whilst these headsets are generally very good, they don’t quite offer the same level of performance or functionality as more expensive headsets such as the Oculus Rift or HTC Vive. Currently, PlayStation VR doesn’t run on anything other than the PS4 and PS4 Pro, despite rumours Sony is thinking about taking it to PC. Therefore the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive VR are the only two headsets you need to concern yourself with PC specs wise. Both Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive require PCs to run – as do lesser-known headsets like Razer’s OSVR and Windows MR devices.
Smartphone-based VR is generally the cheapest way to jump into VR. Phone-based headsets, such as the Google Daydream View or Samsung Gear VR cost significantly less than a full PC-based solution. Much like the HTC Vive, the Oculus Rift requires a wired connection to a high-spec (and often very expensive) gaming PC, running Windows 7 or higher, but the payoff is the ability to create processing-heavy interactive experiences and games. The first of the high-powered virtual reality headsets, the Oculus Rift delivers jaw-dropping, immersive VR experiences with a comfortable design and intuitive interface.
Why we like it: The Oculus Rift S is the top pick in our review of the best VR headsets for PCs because it combines a comfortable, approachable design with the largest selection of games and other media If you’re serious about getting into VR, a high-end PC headset like the Rift S is worth investing in. The jump in quality and tracking compared with that of a standalone headset results in a more immersive experience and better games. If you like the look of the Samsung Gear VR, but own an iPhone, you will not be able to use it. Similarly, if you want to use the Oculus Rift but don’t have a decent laptop that is ready for virtual reality gaming you may need to buy one. Apple has mostly ignored virtual reality so far, so there’s no telling when the iPhone might get a high-quality mobile experience like that of a Gear VR. The downside is that especially if your phone is a couple of years old, there’s no guarantee it can handle Google Cardboard apps well.
Google’s cheap and cheerful smartphone-powered Cardboard will set you back £20, whereas the mobile VR headset Samsung Gear VR launched at £120. Powered by Oculus, the Samsung Gear VR gives you access to over 1,000 games, apps, and 360-degree experiences on the Oculus platform, which allows the VR headset to boast a larger collection of apps than any other mobile VR headset on the market. Not only does the Oculus Go have over 1,000 VR apps, streaming services, games, and 360 degree experiences, but it also lets users immerse themselves in virtual reality without being tethered to an expensive computer, video game console, or mobile phone.
The Oculus Rift is one of the lightest and most comfortable VR headsets, has hundreds of games and experiences, and even has the highest rated touch controllers of any VR headset according to IGN , the leading video game console review website. Google and Samsung were the biggest names in mobile VR, with Google Cardboard and the Daydream View, and Samsung’s line of Gear VR headsets. Also, the Windows Mixed Reality store doesn’t have as many compelling VR experiences as the Rift and SteamVR stores, though you can use SteamVR games on Windows Mixed Reality headsets, again with some software wrestling.
And that’s before you address the processing issue; the Rift S and Vive headsets need pretty powerful PCs to run, while the PS VR requires a PlayStation 4. If the cost isn’t a deal breaker but the cables are, HTC offers a wireless adapter for the Vive, but it requires a desktop PC with a free PCIe slot to work. Mobile headsets like the Samsung Gear VR and the Google Daydream View are relatively inexpensive at around $100, and because all of the processing is done on your phone, you don’t need to connect any wires to the headset. Other categories include mobile headsets, which combine a smartphone with a mount , and hybrid solutions like the Oculus Quest with the upcoming Oculus Link feature that allows the standalone device to also serve as a tethered headset.
Smartphone VR headsets make use of smartphones to provide a virtual reality experience. Indeed, mobile VR headsets are essentially a plastic casing with a pair of lenses and cushioning for user comfort, mostly relying on the tech of the inserted smartphone to power virtual reality apps. The Gear VR is one of the best options when it comes to mobile headsets, however, the fact that is only fully compatible with certain Samsung smartphones prevents it from getting a perfect score.
This does limit its performance when compared to PC headsets and users should expect a similar experience to the one they would get if they used a high-end mobile headset like the Samsung Gear VR. Thankfully there are plenty of VR games and experiences out there to make owning a headset worth it. All three headsets are reasonably evenly matched when it comes to compelling VR gaming experiences but, because of the know-how and prowess of developing and publishing games, Sony’s PlayStation VR definitely takes the lead in regards to instantly playable and appealing games. It compares the three major headsets on the market: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and PlayStation VR.
To start, one of the main differences between something like Google Cardboard and something like Samsung Gear VR or Oculus Rift is the tracking sensor, said Jason Latta, director of emerging technologies at Louisville, Kentucky-based marketing agency Power Creative. The Google Daydream uses a phone to power your VR experience, but unlike Samsung’s ‘walled-garden’ Gear VR, is not exclusive to Google’s own Pixel phones – it also works with Samsung Galaxy handsets, LGs and a few others, although support hasn’t been included in most of the newest headsets. A more affordable option than the HTC Vive or Oculus Rift, PlayStation VR is tethered to a PS4 rather than an expensive PC gaming rig.
The best VR headsets used to be PC-driven, tethered models such as the HTC VIVE and Oculus Rift. Six years after the first iteration of the Oculus Rift kickstarted the modern era of virtual reality, the now Facebook-owned company is back with not one but two new entries, joining a raft of big names from HTC’s Vive to Sony’s PlayStation VR and even Nintendo. This still makes sense as a best VR headset pick for any PC virtual reality user looking for a lot of hardware options, or who is looking to create location-based experiences – but consider the Valve Index and Vive Pro, too.
But you need those little sensors and boxes set up in a room, and you also need to tether with a long cable to your gaming PC It’s not as self-contained as Oculus’ Rift S, which can track the room with in-headset cameras, or Microsoft’s Windows virtual reality headsets. In-headset tracking for the Rift S isn’t always as seamless or as large-scale as the holodeck-like room tracking on HTC Vive and Valve Index, but not needing to install any extra hardware (just like Microsoft’s virtual reality headsets) is a huge help. Fully standalone, self-contained systems seem like the future of games and virtual reality, but so do low-cost, lightweight devices that plug right into phones Some headsets also have eye tracking There may be a lot more virtual reality in the future, or virtual reality may never end up being the future at all.
All VR headsets need to be used alongside a good quality pair of headphones, and there are other optional gaming accessories , from gestural hand controllers to gaming chairs, all designed to enhance the virtual experience. Smartphones like the Google Pixel, Moto Z, Huawei Mate 9 pro, Asus Zenfone AR and the Samsung Galaxy S8 can be used for amazing virtual reality experiences. For playing simple games on your smartphone, you can opt for Google’s Daydream VR View or Samsung’s Gear VR or any other VR headset that is compatible with your iOS or Android smartphone. Be sure to visit vr headset adviser for the top VR headsets on the market to buy.
If you’d rather use a smartphone-powered device, we recommend the Samsung Gear VR or the Google Daydream And if you’re looking for something for a game console, look no further than the PlayStation VR , which has a serious game library to explore. Samsung was one of the early movers on VR, launching the Gear VR headset, co-developed with Oculus, and designed to support a smartphone , rather than needing a connection to a PC or console. For simple games that would not look out of place on a mobile phone you could turn to the new Oculus Go (think of it as a Rift S for beginners) or Google’s Daydream View VR headset.