Oculus (Meta); 2 · Valve Index. Valve; 3 · HTC Vive Pro 2.HTC; 4 · HP Reverb G2.HP; 5 · HTC Vive. Best VR Games · Oculus Quest 2 Review · Valve Index Review · HP Reverb G2 Review If it doesn't bother you, the Quest 2 is a quick and easy device for jumping into VR. Most wired headphones require the use of one or two external sensors.
The Oculus Quest 2 is a self-contained unit capable of tracking the movement of the controller, hand and helmet without the need for an additional kit, just like its predecessor. The inside-out tracking in the Quest 2 manages to stay exceptionally well and without fear of falling out of the eye line with sensors. The Valve Index has some of the best images of any conventional VR headset available on the market, with a screen resolution equal to Vive Pro, Quest and Odyssey+, but combined with a refresh rate of 120 Hz (up to 144 Hz in an experimental mode not currently supported). The 130° field of view is also the best in its class and there is virtually no detectable screen door effect inside the headphones.
Does everything sound good? Yes, the Valve Index is the grandfather of virtual reality headsets. If the list of specifications weren't enough, the Valve Index feels great to carry. It's a little heavier than the Rift S, enough that the weight was noticeable in our side-by-side comparison, but the shape of the head strap distributes that weight better around the head. Not to mention, it's built with carefully selected, high-quality materials, with top-notch weight distribution.
Strap materials feel quality more like a padded t-shirt and extra soft than standard foam padding, never bothering me during extended gaming sessions. The Valve Index is the grandfather of virtual reality headsets. The Valve Index also has impressive technology and practical features such as the USB pass-through in the slot hidden behind the front panel. There are tons of cool third-party mods for this slot, including cooling kits.
Read our full review of the valve index (opens in a new tab). The HTC Vive Pro 2 brings with it a series of updates to the front of the screen to make it one of the most impressive options on the market. The native resolution of 2448 x 2448 pixels per eye is incredible, and when combined with the 120 Hz refresh rate and 120 degree field of view, it becomes one of the best viewing experiences on the market. Read our full HTC Vive Pro 2 review (opens in a new tab).
The HP Reverb G2 has earned a spot here with the best VR headsets, thanks in large part to its fantastic resolution. If your primary concern is to future-proof your setup in terms of image fidelity, you won't be disappointed. With 2160p per eye, the Reverb G2 manages to completely alleviate the screen door effect that can cause problems with some lower resolution headphones, provided you have a GPU powerful enough to handle it. The HP Reverb G2 works seamlessly with Steam VR, although I have some complaints with its dependence on Windows Mixed Reality.
Essentially, there's no way to prevent it from opening at startup if you've left your headphones plugged in, other than uninstalling them, which I don't want to do because it includes some interesting features. Other than that, I have no real complaints on the software front when it comes to using the set on a day-to-day basis. Read our full HP Reverb G2 review (opens in a new tab). Inside-out tracking means you don't need external sensors, as the helmet can track both itself and the controllers around it.
Originally, this method was not as effective, it was not as responsive, and it broke the immersion in the game. But with the best VR headset, the Oculus Quest 2, the technology is almost on par with the headlight in terms of responsiveness now. And it's certainly much more convenient. The valve index could be due to its own wireless module, as some patents have emerged, indicating that at least one wireless head strap (opens in a new tab) has been considered for the company's stellar glasses.
The Index works with external headlight boxes similar to those of the HTC Vive, which means you must first set them up in a room. It's not as self-contained as the Quest 2 or the HP Reverb G2, which can crawl the room with the cameras built into the headphones. It's definitely not wireless either, but if you already have some older HTC Vive hardware, you can add parts of the Index to mix and match. The Oculus Quest 2 is the best standalone VR headset most people can buy, but it's not the best standalone VR headset out there.
Instead, that title belongs to the HTC Vive Focus 3, a business-oriented headset that meets so many requirements that make up an incredible HMD that we had to mention it here. While there are plenty of options to enjoy virtual reality on PC, console players have only one option right now, and that is PlayStation VR. It doesn't have room-scale tracking or the highest resolutions, it offers something PlayStation is known for; quality exclusives (some of the best VR games are available on PSVR). The PSVR has a lower resolution than other VR headsets on this list, with a resolution of 960 x 1080 per eye and the field of view is only 100 degrees.
However, its 120 Hz refresh rate ensures a smooth gaming experience. You can also use a camera and motion controller to improve immersion. It works on PS4, PS4 Pro and PS5, a free adapter for the PS Camera available and Sony has announced that a sequel is coming through PlayStation VR2 complete with at least 20 launch titles, but until then, the PSVR remains one of the best headphones on the market. You could say that HTC was the first to create truly outstanding virtual reality headsets.
They then created the Vive Pro and the HTC Vive Cosmos; the latest version. If you want wireless headphones other than the Quest 2, this is your choice. It has a resolution of 1,440 x 1,700 per eye (2,880 x 1,700 combined), which is better than the Index, and almost eliminates the screen-door effect. If you have to have the best, here it is.
The valve index has a resolution of 1440 x 1600 per eye at 120 Hz, smooth as butter. Expanded base stations allow you to map larger areas for gaming and controllers have full finger tracking. All that great functionality puts it ahead of the competition, but it's also much more expensive, though you can reduce some of that cost by using genuine Vive parts. Do this and you can customize your settings, based on what you value most, or purchase the full Valve Index for the best VR visual experience available.
If “resolution” is the buzzword you choose, Vive Pro 2 is right for you. With a resolution of 2,448 x 2,448 per eye, the HTC Vive Pro 2 will let you forget about the screen effect, but you'll need a powerful PC to run it. One of the biggest limitations of today's virtual reality headsets is the field of view, or FOV. While many other headsets on this list have 100- or 120-degree FOV, the Pimax 5K Super doubles that, meaning you'll have more peripheral vision during your favorite VR experiences.
The Vive Pro 2 is expensive, especially compared to some of the other headsets on this list, but if you're serious about VR gaming, these headsets are likely to tick all the boxes. The base model's 128 GB of storage is enough to store dozens of games and apps, though keep in mind that there's no way to add more storage after purchase. Only the PS5 supports virtual reality in the form of a PSVR headset, although work is being done on a second-generation headset that will be designed specifically for the PS5.The semi-futuristic looking helmet is surprisingly comfortable, with an excellent range of games that has been slowly expanding. If you're a PC gamer, a PC-connected VR headset offers the most versatile collection of software for an immersive VR experience, and it also allows you to use those headsets for creative and business tools.
Naturally, you'll need to be prepared for an anchored VR experience, but there's no higher-quality way to get into high-end VR in your home. The HP Reverb G2 is a super comfortable VR headset, with integrated headphones and the highest resolution on this list, with a combined total resolution of 4,320 x 2,160. We had no problem running any of the games in this configuration, but yes, that's OK in terms of specs. PC gamers once preferred tethered VR headsets, but with the release of the standalone Meta Quest 2 (which can be connected to your PC if you want), there has been a fundamental shift in the market.
Users who want to go the PC-based pinned route can access Oculus games through a Steam add-on called Revive, which worked well on Valve Index and HTC Vive Pro 2, but not as well on the HP Reverb G2.Technically, it's a Microsoft Windows mixed reality headset that prefers to launch in the native Windows 10 VR ecosystem, but it connects to Steam VR and works with those games and apps as well. You can play games specially designed for the standalone headphones and therefore rendered with the integrated Snapdragon XR2 chip, or stream from your PC with Oculus Link and a compatible USB Type-C cable. The headphones have no formal store for gaming distribution, and HTC is making no attempt to bring the headphones to the consumer market in North America. .
.
