What To Look For Your First Virtual Reality
With tech companies enthusiastically churning out new VR headsets like there’s no tomorrow, you’ll likely run into a peculiar problem hounding first-time buyers. Simply put, the market is flooded with different brands and models that choosing the right VR headset for you can be a headache.
For those about to take the plunge into the exciting world of virtual reality, here are some pointers on what to look for when buying your first VR headset.
Types of VR Headset
Depending on your preference, two types of VR headsets are currently available on the market, mobile and tethered. In addition, the tethered group can likewise be divided in terms of where its sources its computing power. There are tethered headsets that need to be plugged into a PC to function while others can be plugged into a gaming console.
PC Powered VR Headsets
This type of VR headsets require a compatible PC to function. One of the drawbacks for PC-based VR headsets is that they are not portable because it demands the use of a CPU. Also, this type of setup requires some space; you basically have to install the sensors around the room for it to work.
However, one of the major advantages of a PC-based VR setup is that they can offer the best VR experience. The reason for this is that it requires fast, high-quality graphics for any VR experience to be truly immersive. PCs generally have an advantage in this regard because they are more powerful than smartphones. Thus some graphics-heavy VR games will run only in PC-based VR setup and not in mobile.
Two brands are recognized to be in the high-end spectrum of the PC powered VR headset category. These are the Oculus Rift, and the HTC Vive considered two of the most powerful headsets in the market capable of providing the best VR experience to users. Of course, it is no surprise that these two headsets are also the most expensive in their niche. After all, a high-quality VR experience is bound to come with a price.
But for the budget conscious shopper, there are affordable PC-based VR headset options in the market.
Console VR Headset
This type of headset needs to be plugged into a console to work. At the moment, however, only Sony consoles – the PS4 and the PS4 Pro – have VR capability. While Xbox One maker Microsoft, as well as Switch maker Nintendo, previously expressed eagerness for the VR niche, both companies are yet to introduce VR-ready consoles into the market. In effect, you can only buy the PlayStation VR headset to plug into your PS4 console.
Mobile VR Headsets
They say that the future of VR is mobile. But before you head out and buy your mobile virtual reality headset, be mindful of the fact that you will rely on your smartphone as the source of its computing power. However, smartphones still lag behind PCs and consoles in terms of processor speed.
The implication is that the VR experience you get from the current smartphone and VR headset combo cannot yet approach the quality level of the VR experience from PC and console-based platforms. In fact, there are VR games that will not run in the current mobile VR headsets. The most you can get out of a mobile VR setup are some light games and viewing 360-degree videos. However, it is possible that as smartphones get more powerful in the future, the VR experience you can extract from a mobile setup will be on par with PC and console-based headsets.
Currently leading the pack of mobile VR headsets are Google Daydream View and Samsung Gear VR. There is a host of cheaper alternatives, but it is best to read some of their user reviews before buying one.
Specs Should You Look For When Comparing VR Headsets
If you have already narrowed down what type of VR headset you want to get, then the next step will be to compare specs for the same headset category. Here are the top three specs to watch out for when shopping for your first VR gear.
Field Of View
To make virtual reality truly immersive, a VR headset needs to simulate the real world as much as possible. One way to do this is to have a wider field of view (FoV), so the human brain can be tricked into thinking that what it sees in the virtual environment is indeed real.
The human eye does not see the real world in the same way as it would appear on a flat computer screen. Because the eyeball is spherical, the human eye sees the world up to a certain arc in a circle, also known as the field of view. The closer you get to this natural field of view, the more realistic the VR experience will become.
The best human field of view is 270 degrees. Of course, constructing a VR headset capable of delivering a 270-degree FoV would result in an unnecessarily bulky gadget and would certainly jack up its cost. The best compromise is to have a 120-degree horizontal PoV. When you compare specs, be sure to include this PoV in your comparison.
Latency and Tracking
When you turn your head in the real world, the scene you can see with your eyes immediately changes. Ideally, that should also be the case when it comes to virtual reality headsets. However, there will always be a delay between the head or eye motion to the actual change in scenery displayed by the VR headset which is also known as latency.
The trick is the make this latency as low as possible. When the vision on the headset’s display lags too compared to your head movement, you’ll likely experience a drunken feeling as your brain struggles to make sense of the delay.
Some factors will affect this aspect of your viewing experience – the sensitivity of your headset’s movement tracking mechanism, the settings of a game of VR experience, as well as your GPU capacity. In short, make sure your graphics hardware is up to speed with the VR experience you are viewing. Otherwise, you will need to make these two compatible either by lowering a game’s graphics settings.
Pixel Density
Lastly, the quality of your VR experience will also depend on the pixel density. This is important especially in VR where the display is right in front of your very eyes. If the pixel density of your VR headset is not high enough, you’ll likely experience screen door effect, which happens when you can discern each pixels. And that will not help in getting an immersive VR experience at all.
Thankfully, comparing pixel density is relatively easy. If you go shopping for a headset, you can always ask the store clerk to help you compare the pixel densities of the different gadgets on display.
How You Plan To Use Your VR
Before buying your first VR headset, you might also want to consider how you plan on using the VR gear. For instance, if you only plan to use it viewing 360-degree videos, you might want to go mobile, especially if you already own a VR-ready smartphone. If you are a serious gamer who already own a PS4, then the best choice for you would be to get the PS VR. Conversely, it would be a smart move to buy a PC powered VR headset for gamers who already own a high-end PC.