How to choose your right virtual reality headset

Virtual reality headsets come in many shapes and sizes, and new VR glasses are added every year. With a price from less than ten to thousands of dollars, VR is there for every budget. On this page you will find everything you need to know about virtual reality headsets to make the right choice.

Which VR headsets can I choose from?

Virtual Reality headsets can be divided into three categories. The headsets that use a PC or game computer as a power source. These VR headsets generally provide the best VR experience and have a positional tracking system which provides a much more realistic experience. The headsets that use a smartphone as a power source are a lot less powerful than a PC, but Samsung still offers a special VR experience with their Gear VR . Unfortunately, this form of VR does not have the positional tracking, and you can only use these headsets while seated. The last type of headset works autonomously. The current generation of these autonomous headsets are similar to the Gear VR, but future models, such as the Oculus Quest, will also feature positional tracking. 

Is virtual reality on the PC not extremely expensive?

When virtual reality first appeared on the consumer market a few years ago, a very powerful computer was needed to control the high resolution screens in VR glasses. The cost of both a VR headset and the hardware quickly ran into the thousands of dollars. Now that 4K is slowly becoming commonplace and the technology of the past is already outdated, the total price tag for virtual reality has already dropped considerably.

The system requirements differ per headset. But in general, the faster and more extensive the PC, the better the experience. With the following minimum system requirements you are able to use virtual reality applications and hardware:

Minimum system requirements for Oculus Rift
Processor: Intel Core i3-6100 or AMD Ryzen 3 1200 / AMD FX 4350
Video card: NVIDIA GTX 960 or AMD Radeon R9 290
RAM: 8 GB
Connections: Once HDMI 1.3, once USB 3.0, twice USB 2.0

Minimum system requirements for HTC Vive
Processor: Intel Core i5-4590 or AMD FX 8350
Video card: NVIDIA GTX 970 or AMD Radeon R9 290
RAM: 4 GB
Connections: Once HDMI 1.4 or DisplayPort 1.2, once USB 2.0

Minimum system requirements for Windows 10 Mixed Reality
Processor: Intel Core i5 7200U
Video card: Intel HD Graphics 620 or NVIDIA MX150 / 965M
RAM: 8 GB
Connections: Once HDMI 1.4 or DisplayPort 1.2, once USB 3.0, bluetooth 4.0 receive (for controllers).

PC controlled headset

The headsets that are controlled via the PC offer by far the best VR experience at the moment. The three most important players are: HTC with the Vive, Facebook and Oculus with the Rift and Microsoft with the Mixed Reality headsets from different manufacturers. Although the final experience is broadly the same, the underlying technology varies enormously. In particular the way in which the position of the headset and the controllers is determined. For the Oculus Rift, two cameras (sensors) must be placed on the desk that follow IR LEDs on the headset to determine the position. For the HTC Vive, two base stations must be mounted on the orphan side of the playroom. The Mixed reality have all sensors built into the headset. Every technique has its advantages and disadvantages.

Smartphone-driven headsets

You can make this form of virtual reality as expensive as you want. You can turn a pizza box into a Google Cardboard VR headset. That is fine for occasional use, but is not suitable for hours of viewing pleasure. The best way to do this is to contact Samsung. The Gear VR was made in collaboration with Oculus and has a huge lead over the rest. With the Gear VR Netflix you can watch in a giant virtual home theater. The disadvantage is that you need a Samsung smartphone to use it. If you do not have this, then you can, in addition to a self-crafted headset, also opt for a ready-made solution such as the VR Box or Carl Zeiss ONE Plus. Almost all modern smartphones fit in here. The only thing you have to pay attention to is whether the smartphone has a Gyroscope, Accelerometer and Magnetometer.

Game computers and VR

Sony controls most of the virtual reality market with their PlayStation VR headset. They cleverly responded to the high costs of VR at the time and developed a headset that could be offered for a reduced price by using old techniques. Moreover, no expensive PC hardware was needed, because the PlayStation VR is connected to the PlayStation 4 game console. Nintendo will soon be adding itself to the list of game computers with virtual reality support. The Google Cardboard-based VR glasses is primarily intended for children who can get acquainted with the technology of a piece of cardboard themselves in an innovative way.

Autonomous VR headset

Some call the independently operating headsets a breakthrough for virtual reality. These headsets do not require a telephone and no PC and have all the necessary hardware that is built into the headset. The current generation is very similar to the Gear VR. They have no positional tracking and can only be used while seated. The Oculus Go is currently the best choice in this category. At present, the better headsets such as the Lenovo Mirage Solo and Oculus Quest are not yet freely available. Those who are still patient with the latter will also have the opportunity to walk around and gain a full VR experience without having to be tied to a computer or telephone.