The variety of VR devices has increased exponentially in recent times. The rise of Virtual Reality has caused more and more companies and brands to develop their own VR glasses.
If you are interested in the world of Virtual Reality but you are lost among the large number of VR devices on the market, in this article we will try to clarify your doubts and make the process of selecting your next Virtual Reality glasses easier.
Types of VR Devices:
We can classify Virtual Reality glasses depending on the equipment to which we are going to connect them. In this way, we can differentiate between:
- VR Devices for Smartphone
- VR standalone or standalone
- VR Devices for computer
- Virtual Reality for console
Virtual Reality for Smartphone:
These are Virtual Reality glasses that connect to our own Smartphone. In this case, the Virtual Reality experience is produced thanks to the Smartphone's processor which does all the work. In this way the power and graphic capacity does not depend on the VR Glasses but on the Smartphone itself, but, even if you have a premium range Smartphone, the features are very scarce compared to the other alternatives.
Their strong point is undoubtedly in the price, since they are the most economical models and for this reason they are an excellent alternative to enter the world of Virtual Reality if your only intention is to try this technology for the first time, or use it to reproduce simple experiences.
- Advantages of VR glasses for Smartphone:
- Easy to install
- Simple to use
- Very economical price
- Useful for simple experiences
- Disadvantages of VR glasses for Smartphone:
- Minimal power
- Poor graphics capability
- Depending on the quality of your Smartphone
- Best VR goggles for Smartphone:
MI VR Play 2
Xiaomi VR device, compatible with Android and IOS. Perfect to use Virtual Reality for the first time.
Virtual Reality glasses specifically created to offer great comfort and convenience, being thanks to this, the best choice for long sessions, also due to its reduced weight.
The MI VR Play 2 are compatible with Google Play and other catalogs of applications thus being able to access with them to a lot of Virtual Reality experiences such as video games or videos in 360º. Price: 15,99€
Google CardBoard
Google's economical and minimalist option for experiencing Virtual Reality, consisting of Virtual Reality glasses made of cardboard.
They can be had for just 5 or 6 euros, plus they can be customized and painted to your liking. Google even has a tutorial to make them yourself.
A priori it may seem a somewhat crappy option, however, for many users is the best option to get into the VR.
There are a variety of VR devices to take advantage of Virtual Reality on your Smartphone, such as the Samsung Gear VR or the Google DayDream View, but because not even Samsung or Google themselves trust in their success and are leaving them in oblivion, we consider them not very viable options in the long term, in addition to having a much higher price than the proposed options.
The big problem, currently, is that these types of VR devices are not able to reproduce great experiences of the highest quality so for now, they are useful for those who want to try Virtual Reality, but not for those who intend to enjoy it to the fullest.
VR standalone devices:
The standalone VR devices consist of Virtual Reality glasses that work completely autonomously, that is, they do not need any external device to work and allow you to enjoy your favorite Virtual Reality experiences. In this way, it is not necessary to connect the VR glasses to a Smartphone, a PC or a console in order to use them. This is because the Virtual Reality device itself has the processor and the interface necessary to reproduce the Virtual Reality experiences.
At present they are the most balanced option between quality of experience and price, because, despite not having an external processor, of a PC for example, the processor they mount and their great optimization allows them to achieve a good level of quality, at a price quite accessible to most of the public.
- Advantages of standalone VR glasses:
- They allow to reproduce medium quality experiences, even in some cases high
- They do not depend on an external device (Smartphone, PC, etc...)
- More freedom of movement by not having cables connected to other equipment
- Accessible price
- Disadvantages of standalone VR glasses:
- Lower power and graphics capabilities than PC VR devices
- Limitation in reproducing top-quality experiences
- Best standalone VR goggles:
Oculus Go
This is the cheapest variant of Oculus, but despite that its materials and finish are of good quality. It is also able to offer a sufficiently acceptable performance, with attractive specifications.
Principally it mounts two LCD screens that have a combined resolution of 2560×1440 pixels and a refresh rate of 72Hz. You can get them for €219 in its 32GB storage version, and for €269 in its 64GB storage version.
A great alternative to experience Virtual Reality without the need for a high-end PC. Its biggest problem is that Oculus has stopped manufacturing them to give them all the limelight and bet on the Oculus Quest 2, so they are more difficult to find on sale.
Oculus Quest 2
The Oculus Quest 2 is the big brother of the Oculus Go. Thus, they have an even better finish than their previous counterparts, being somewhat more comfortable for long gaming sessions.
In terms of power and graphics quality, they are also superior with an LED panel of 3840×3664 pixels and a frequency of 90 Hz. They also have a great advantage over the Oculus Go, and is that these give us the option to play autonomously, with an excellent result, but can also be connected to the PC thus increasing the performance of the experiences.
Without a doubt, they are the best option on the market today, democratizing access to Virtual Reality, both in the short and long term. Its price is 349€ in its basic version of 64GB of internal storage, and can be expanded to 256GB for 100€ more.
Virtual Reality for PC:
As the name suggests, and just like VR devices for Smartphone, VR devices for PC are Virtual Reality glasses that need to be connected to a computer in order to be used. This means that you need a computer with sufficient power and graphic capacity to be able to reproduce the VR experiences at the highest possible quality. Therefore, although, the choice of VR device in this case is important, it is also important, first of all, to know if we have a computer with sufficient specifications to be able to use the VR glasses.
We can highlight of this type of VR devices, that being the ones that can offer the best experiences, in turn and usually, they are also the most expensive VR devices on the market by far. So much so, that we can find models costing €1500 and even more.
- Advantages of VR glasses for PC:
- They offer the most immersive experience possible, being the ones that offer the best graphics performance.
- They allow to reproduce the highest quality experiences.
- They usually have tracking elements and haptic sensors that enhance the experience.
- They have the widest catalog of video games.
- Disadvantages of VR glasses for PC:
- Need to have a high-end PC, compatible with Virtual Reality.
- They are the most expensive type of devices on the market.
- Best VR glasses for PC:
HTC Vive Cosmos
The HTC Vive and HTC Vive Pro revolutionized the world of Virtual Reality, leading the way alongside the original Oculus Rift. Now, this new and renewed model, returns to the forefront of Virtual Reality devices offering the highest performance possible today.
The HTC Vive Cosmos have a basic pack that can be purchased for €799, and a Cosmos Elite pack with improvements for gaming for about €1000. There are also other packs, designed for professionals, which include improvements in the eye catcher sensors, in the sound system or even accessories and more precise controls. These professional packs range from €1000 to €1500.
Without a doubt, the HTC Vive Cosmos, in any of its variants, are the VR glasses for the ultimate Virtual Reality experience, and hence also its very high price compared to other options.
Oculus Rift S
As with the HTC Vive Cosmos, these are also the second version of an earlier Virtual Reality device. In this case, the first Oculus Rift were the model with which the VR was discovered to the world, since much of the public began to know this technology thanks to the predecessor model to these Oculus Rift S.
The Oculus Rift S, are a safe bet if you have a high-end PC, which has sufficient specifications to enjoy Virtual Reality. Their power and graphics capabilities are far superior to those of smartphone VR devices or standalone VR devices. Although when it comes to competing with those in its category, such as the HTC Vive Cosmos, it may be somewhat inferior, while still offering an excellent experience.
Despite that, it is also important to note that they cost 349€, less than half that of the HTC Vive Cosmos. That makes them a very interesting option if we want to enjoy, practically, the highest quality, at a much more affordable price.
Console VR devices:
When it comes to enjoying Virtual Reality on console, the truth is that the options are quite limited. Although, in recent years, companies in the video game industry have been interested in this technology, its development has not yet caught or convinced the public. Mainly, these VR devices are Virtual Reality glasses that need an external processor but instead of being that of a Smartphone or a PC, it is that of a console. Therefore in this case, the Virtual Reality experience is produced thanks to the console's processor, and the quality of the experiences is limited by this fact.
The main limitation of these devices is that they can only be used on a specific computer, although this also causes their software and hardware to be more optimized to take advantage of the capabilities of that specific computer.
- Advantages of console VR glasses:
- Because they work on a single device, their optimization is greater.
- They allow you to reproduce experiences at good quality.
- They are mainly oriented to video games.
- They have an affordable price.
- Drawbacks of console VR goggles:
- Need to have the specific console they work with.
- They only work with a single device.
- They have a limited catalog of experiences.
- Best console VR goggles:
PlayStation VR
With the intention of entering the emerging Virtual Reality market, Sony decided to launch its VR device model to be able to enjoy Virtual Reality games on the PS4. This happened back in 2016, and since then, the catalog of titles and playable experiences on Sony's console with VR functionalities has been scarce.
Also, with the arrival of PS5 a few months ago, a new range of possibilities opens up that only increases the uncertainty about what will be Sony's next step in its adventure with Virtual Reality. Perhaps it will not bet more on it in the short term and leave everything as it is now, or perhaps they are preparing a 2.0 version of the PSVR that can make the most of the improved capabilities of the new PS5.
Currently, the PSVR can be purchased only in pack with different PS4 games compatible with Virtual Reality, at a price of about 300€ approximately.
Nintendo Labo VR Kit
Through the innovative Nintendo Labo initiative, which involves creating toys made of cardboard that can be used to play on Nintendo Switch, VR came to Nintendo. In this case, in the fourth Nintendo Labo pack, known as VR Kit, Nintendo includes a rudimentary VR device that we will have to build ourselves with cardboard. Subsequently by attaching it to the Nintendo Switch screen, we can live an "immersive" experience in the console games.
The complete Nintendo Labo VR Kit costs about 80 €, and is intended for the youngest members of the family to enjoy. The system used is similar to that of VR devices for Smartphone, serving the console screen as a viewer of the Virtual Reality experience.
However we are facing a Virtual Reality glasses that ultimately have some features and provide an experience comparable to the Google CardBoard, however at a much higher price and with the limitation, or enjoyment, of having to assemble the VR device ourselves.
How to choose your next VR glasses? Aspects to take into account:
As we have already seen, the Virtual Reality market has a huge variety of devices, which also cover different needs. For this reason, when deciding which Virtual Reality glasses to choose, we recommend that you take into account the following aspects:
- The computer equipment you have: Do you have a high-end PC? A regular smartphone? Maybe a PS4? Or none of the above?
- The budget you have: Can you spend more than £500? At most £300? Or just £100?
- The use you're going to make of it: Are you going to use it every day? Maybe once in a while? Or do you just want to try it out of curiosity?
- The quality you want to get: Do you want a fully immersive experience? Will you settle for something nice? Or do you just want to watch 360º videos?
Thus, and after analyzing what your specific situation is in each of the above aspects, you will probably be clearer, at least, what you want and therefore what you need.
Which VR glasses to choose? Conclusion and specific cases:
In conclusion and after having analyzed the options that currently exist in the market to live Virtual Reality experiences, we have come to the conclusion that the most complete VR device in our opinion is the Oculus Quest 2. The reasons are simple:
Despite this, we have also decided to compile other options that we would choose for more specific situations, which we will detail below. Maybe one of these situations can be yours.
Which VR glasses to choose in some specific cases?
"I want to try Virtual Reality without spending a lot of money"
In a case like this we have two options: buy a Smartphone VR glasses, if you have a relatively good Smartphone and you are not going to use them many times, or buy a standalone VR glasses if your Smartphone is not of sufficient quality and you also want, just in case you like the first experience, to be able to use them more times in the long term.
"I want to enjoy Virtual Reality experiences at good quality without spending a lot of money"
Again, in this case we also have two relatively clear options: buy a standalone VR glasses, more specifically the Oculus Quest 2, or buy a VR glasses for PC, preferably the Oculus Rift S, provided you have a high-end PC.
"I want to enjoy Virtual Reality experiences of the highest possible quality and I don't care about money"
This case is very clear. To get the highest quality of immersion and enjoy Virtual Reality to the fullest, you need VR glasses for PC. And if you don't mind spending more money, the most recommended option would be the HTC Vive Cosmos, in any of its versions.
"I have a PS4 and I want to try VR for the first time, and probably enjoy it also in the future"
You could think about buying the PSVR and it wouldn't be a bad investment of money, but we prefer to recommend the Oculus Quest 2. The reason is simple: for a little more money they will give you a better experience, you will have a larger catalog of games, they are more comfortable, and in the long term you could also use them connected to a PC if you want to enjoy higher quality games.
