Criteria to choose a VR headset
There is no escaping virtual reality these days; a quick trip to the mall is all you need to be harassed by the dazzling marketing spiel of the sales clerk peddling the latest and trendiest in VR headsets. Despite VR technology’s recent introduction to the consumer market, the tech industry has surprisingly spawned virtually endless options to choose from, all vying for your hard-earned cash. Before making the splurge, you need to be aware of some of the criteria in choosing the right VR headset for you.
Your Budget
Not every buyer is blessed with ridiculously deep pockets. Thus, most buying decisions will need to factor in the cost of the VR headset. Incidentally, the big three among console and PC supported VR headsets – PS VR, Oculus Rift, and HTC Vive – are also among the high-end category in terms of pricing. Fortunately, most of these had their prices reduced in recent months, and further price slashes could still happen in time for the holiday shopping rush.
For instance, Oculus Rift, which previously carried a price tag of US$599, is now priced at $399. Competitor HTC Vive, on the other hand, saw a $200 price slash and is now being sold at $599 instead of$799. Amazon is sweetening the deal even further by offering the headset at only $549 or a discount of $50. Sony’s offering, the PS VR, is likewise getting a price cut, current selling for $399, a significant drop from its former price of $499.
A caveat though, you will likely pay more than the price tag on these VR headsets to enjoy the VR experience that they promise. All of these high-end gears are not mobile; they have to be connected to a compatible PC or a console to run. So unless you already possess the needed hardware, you have to shell out some pretty serious cash for them as well.
Mobile VR headsets are way cheaper than the three previously mentioned. For example, Google Cardboard is priced between $20 and $30 depending on the model, Homido has a $75 price tag while Zeiss VR One is being offered at 120. Samsung’s Gear VR, which works well with your latest Samsung smartphone, is priced at $99.
Your Existing Hardware
Your choice of VR headset could likely be dictated by the hardware that you already own. Of course, it is only logical for you to choose a gear that is compatible with your existing gaming or computing setup to save up on expenses.
If you happen to own a pretty powerful PC, you can go ahead and get either an Oculus Rift or an HTC Vive. Just be sure to check that your gaming hardware is already compatible with either headset.
Of course, if you’re a techie kind of guy, you can always opt to build your own PC to match the required specs for either gear. These are the minimum specs required for your system to be compatible with the Oculus Rift: Processor: Intel i5-4590, Graphics Card: Nvidia GTX 970 or AMD 290 and an 8GB RAM.
If you opt to get the HTC Vive, be sure to build a PC that meets its minimum hardware requirements. For instance, the company’s site suggests Intel™ Core™ i5-4590 or AMD FX™ 8350 for its processor or their equivalent as a minimum. For graphics, NVIDIA GeForce™ GTX 1060 or AMD Radeon™ RX 480 or their equivalent must be used. A 4 GB RAM will work, but a higher RAM will even be better. Minimal video output device should have 1x HDMI 1.4 port, or DisplayPort 1.2 or newer and the setup must have 1x USB 2.0 port or newer. The PC should run on Windows™ 7 SP1, Windows™ 8.1 or later or Windows™ 10 as its operating system.
If you fancy getting the Sony’s headset, the PS VR, be sure to own the required console or at least have some extra cash to acquire it. PS VR will need the PS4 console and PlayStation Camera to work.
The Samsung Gear VR could work for you if you own Samsung’s newer phone models such as the Galaxy 8, For those who own other Android-running mobile gadgets, there are tons of compatible VR headsets commonly referred to as Cardboard headsets. All of them work with standalone mobile VR apps, which is the same type of app running your VR-ready phone.
But if you happen to have second thoughts about buying a console or a compatible PC on top of the already expensive VR headset, the best move will be to wait for a bit until the technology matures. There are indications that the next thing in VR is mobile. For instance, the HTC Daydream headset is designed to be mobile, which makes the PC, console or phone unnecessary.
How Serious Are You As A Gamer?
VR headset users can be divided into two classes – casual and hardcore. As surprising as it may sound, the type of gamer you are could be a factor in determining your choice of VR gear.
For hardcore gamers, the quality of the VR experience is paramount. Thus, this particular type of buyers will, to a certain degree, sacrifice everything to get the best gaming experience offered by today’s technology. They won’t mind even if they have to allocate their entire living room to set up their dream VR play area. Most of them would be tech inclined as well, so the difficulty of setting up the system and the working out the glitches that will inevitable pop up along the way are viewed as a challenge rather than an inescapable source of irritation. For this rare breed, getting the PS VR, Oculus Rift or the HTC Vive could be the best choice.
For casual gamers, on the other hand, dedicating a big chunk of their living space to get the sensors and controlling tracking up and running is just asking too much. Most of them could not be bothered with setting up their space for motion tracking either. The most they would probably do is download some VR app, a slot on their phones and enjoy the fuss-free VR experience that it offers. For these type of gamers, the Samsung Gear VR, as well as other mobile and phone-powered headsets, will suffice.
Available VR Games
It is also important to consider the particular games available for a specific VR headset. If you are dying to try a particular VR game, then the first thing to do is find out which VR gears are supported by that title.
Generally speaking though, most developers of fully fledged games support Sony’s PS VR, Oculus Rift, and HTC Vive as these three headsets are marketed to serious gamers. On the other hand, Gear VR and the rest of the newer platforms offer introductory apps and experiences.