Buyer’s Guide: Coolest VR Sets On Budget
The world of Virtual Reality (VR) really hit the headlines with the hugely successful Kickstarter campaign for the development of the Oculus Rift headset. The public release of this headset is now imminent and will be accompanied by thirty VR friendly games. A lot has happened since Oculus first began developing its headset and others have followed its lead.
The general consensus seems to be that VR is here to stay and will only grow in popularity, both in the world of gaming and in the real world with applications such as medical exploration. As Sony brings its own VR product into the fray, with the release of the PlayStation VR scheduled for late 2016, we are going to take a look at the various VR headsets on offer.
PlayStation VR
We are starting with the Sony product as its release is still hot news. The VR headset itself is expected to retail for £349. Users will also need a PS4 and a PS4 camera as the very basic requirement. Of course, if you already have a PS4 then the cost of purchasing the VR experience is dramatically reduced. If you want to move away from the basic experience then it’s possible to purchase additional accessories such as Move controllers , wands and a Dualshock 4 controller. You can make the experience as immersive as you want within the limitations of the product.
Headset Spec: The PlayStation VR headset has a 5.7-inch OLED panel. Its resolution is 960×1080 per eye, which is lower than that of its competitors. It’s yet to be seen what effect the lower resolution will have, although according to Sony the refresh rate of 120 Hz should make up for any shortfall. It’s important to note that the field of view of the PlayStation product is also smaller than that of the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, at 100 degrees.
Advantages: This is the cheapest of the full VR headsets on offer and comes with the reliable reputation of the PlayStation brand as well as access to the PS4 library. The headset is also really easy to set up.
Disadvantages: The full effect of having a lower resolution is yet to be seen, but it’s possible that blurring could result. The reduced field of view could also be an issue. Another negative to be considered is that you have to purchase a PS4 camera separately.
Oculus Rift
This is the granddaddy of VR headsets and has been in development since 2012. This means that the headset has been well tried and tested which should mean it’s less prone to glitches than its rivals. On its release the Rift will ship with an Xbox One wireless controller, an Oculus remote, a sensor and the headset itself. The much talked about Oculus touch controllers are not scheduled for release until late in 2016.
One thing it’s worth noting is that you need a ton of processing power to operate the Rift from your PC. This means that you may have to invest in a NVIDIA GTX 970, AMD 290, or similar spec graphics card if you do not already have one. This is likely to set you back around £499. You need to add to this the cost of acquiring the recommended Intel i5-4590 which costs around £152. If you want to start from scratch with an Oculus ready PC you should be prepared to pay around £1,033.
Headset spec: Both the resolution and the field of view of the Rift are better than PlayStation’s product; the resolution is 1080×1200 per eye and the field of vision is 110 degrees. Interestingly, the refresh rate of the Oculus is lower than that of the PlayStation VR. Until the two are directly compared it’s not certain what effect this will have.
Advantages: The Oculus Rift is the cheapest VR headset for PC and comes with knowledgeable and experienced support. It also has a better resolution and field of vision than the PlayStation VR.
Disadvantages: It’s likely to be expensive to upgrade your PC so that it’s powerful enough to support the Oculus Rift. The Rift is also not as powerful as the HTC Vive.
HTC Vive
If you are looking for a truly immersive VR experience, then the HTC Vive may just be it. The headset has a front facing camera which means you can get a true sense of space and you can move around the room and around the VR environment. You also have the advantage of a built in phone which means you can talk and text while you are in the VR world. The HTC Vive is not cheap, at around £746.60, but you do get plenty for your money. The headset comes with two wireless controllers and two 360-degree tracking and movement sensors.
Headset spec: The HTC Vive has an identical resolution and field of vision to the Oculus Rift. The recommendations for upgrading your PC are also the same; with the exception of it needing only 4GB of RAM as opposed to the 8GB of RAM required by the Rift.
Advantages: The HTC Vive is the most technologically advanced of the VR headsets and provides the most immersive experience.
Disadvantages: This is the most expensive of the VR headsets and you also have the additional expense of upgrading your PC.
As you can see, each of the VR headsets has something to offer. If you are going to invest in one we have hopefully given you some useful information to help make your choice easier.