The VR Headset Showdown: A Guide to Choosing the Right One

Hey guys, this is Austin, and welcome back to my channel. With three major VR headsets launching this year, I thought it was time to take a closer look at each one and help you decide which one is right for you.

Let's start with the Oculus Rift. Only a couple of weeks away from release, I had the chance to try out a few games on it, including Chronos by Gunfire Games and The Climb by Crytek. One of the things that impressed me about the Rift was its OLED displays, which provide an immersive experience in 3D space. The positional sensor also does a great job of tracking your movement. Playing The Climb at a solid 90 frames per second felt amazing, and while you can definitely see pixels, it's not too distracting to notice. Chronos was another highlight, offering a third-person RPG that encourages exploration and strategy. However, for a $600 headset, I couldn't help but feel that the Oculus Rift didn't quite feel premium enough. The velcro straps that come with it are adjustable, but they're not the most comfortable or convenient to use, especially if you wear glasses like me.

The Xbox One controller that comes with the Rift works fine for most games, but it's really what the Touch controllers offer that makes a difference. With full hand control in the game, you'll feel more immersed than ever before. Unfortunately, this aspect of the Oculus Rift is where I feel it falls short compared to its competitors.

Moving on to the HTC Vive, which is undoubtedly one of the best VR experiences I've ever tried. Technically, it's very similar to the Oculus Rift in terms of display quality, but what really sets the Vive apart is its full room tracking feature. With a pair of Lighthouse sensors and a decent-sized room, you'll feel like you're stepping into another world altogether. The controllers are also incredibly accurate, allowing for precise control over your in-game actions. I couldn't believe how lifelike it all felt – even when I reached down to pick up the controllers, my view in the game world was uncannily accurate.

The Vive is certainly not without its drawbacks, however. One of the biggest issues is that it requires a dedicated space to operate, which makes it impractical for everyday use. Additionally, the setup process can be a bit overwhelming, especially if you're new to VR. Nonetheless, this headset is truly an experience unlike any other.

Another contender in the market is PlayStation VR, which I had the chance to try out as well. What struck me most about PS VR was how polished it felt compared to the Oculus Rift and Vive. It's like a prototype that's been refined to perfection – everything feels smooth, seamless, and incredibly immersive. The display quality is lower than the other two headsets, but the trade-off is worth it for the overall experience.

The good news is that PS VR is also much more practical than its competitors. Powered by a PS4, it's surprisingly affordable and doesn't require an entire room to operate – you can play games seated comfortably with ease. While the graphics may not be as graphically polished as the Oculus Rift or Vive, this headset delivers an experience that feels very similar to those two, but in a more accessible package.

Ultimately, each of these headsets has its unique selling points, and it's really up to you to decide which one is right for your needs. The Oculus Rift is like-for-like with the Vive in terms of quality, but offers a more streamlined setup process. The HTC Vive is an experience unlike any other – if you're willing to invest the time and space required, it's truly worth it. Meanwhile, PlayStation VR strikes a great balance between accessibility and immersion.

So which VR headset would I recommend? Well, that depends on your individual needs and preferences. If you want the closest thing to a Holodeck experience without breaking the bank, the Vive is the way to go. However, if you're looking for a more practical option that's still incredibly immersive, PlayStation VR might be the better choice.

Let me know in the comments below which headset you'd choose, and don't forget to subscribe for more content like this!

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enHey guys this is Austin. With three majorVR headsets launching this year, which oneshould you go for? To kick things off let’stake a look at one of the biggest productsat the show, the Oculus Rift. Only a coupleweeks away from release I got to try a couplegames on it, Chronos by Gunfire Games andThe Climb by Crytek. Especially when you comparehow far things have come since the originaldev kit Oculus is impressive, it’s now usinga pair of OLED displays for your eyes witha positional sensor to track your movementin 3D space. The experience is good, playingthe Climb at a solid 90 frames per secondfeels great and while you can absolutely seepixels it’s an immersive enough experiencefor you to look past the tech. Chronos wasan interesting example of a third person RPGthat gives you a lot of incentive to lookaround to spot enemies before they drop downon you. For a $600 headset though the Oculusdoesn’t feel too premium, it’s adjustedwith velcro straps and while it works if youwear glasses like me it’s not the easiestto get on and off. The Xbox One controllerthat’s included with the Rift works finefor most games but when the Touch controllersship to give you full hand control in thegame that should help a lot. And that’sexactly what you’ll find with the HTC Vive.There’s no getting around it, the Vive isthe best VR experience I’ve ever tried.Technically it’s very similar to Oculus,the displays are good but not perfect andthe headset is comfortable but lacking a littlepolish but what really separates it is thefull room tracking. With the help of a pairof Lighthouse sensors and a decent sized roomthe Vive lets you walk around and really immerseyourself in the VR world. This is helped bythe controllers which give you basically perfecttracking in virtual reality, I could easilyreach down and pick them up purely based onwhat I was seeing in the headset. The trackingis uncanny, I kept touching the controllersin real life just to see how accurate my viewin the game world was…and well I lookedlike a crazy person but you know. I got totry a pair of demos, Everest VR and Star Wars:Trials of Tatooine. Thanks to the beastlydual Titan rig Nvidia was using to run demosthis was a clear step up graphically oversome of the other games I tried and beingable to use the controllers paired with walkingthrough the room is a massive advantage inimmersing yourself in VR. We couldn’t recordthe actual gameplay but when you get too closeto the real life wall a transparent grid showsup in the game world to keep you from runninginto things, it works pretty well. My favoritedemo was Star Wars, I won’t spoil it toomuch but you get to fix the Millennium Falconand use a lightsaber to fend off a wave ofStormtroopers. The thing that really blewme away was the detail, I kept putting myface right up against things just to appreciatehow incredible everything looked. As amazingas the Vive is the though need to have a dedicatedspace makes it really impractical comparedto the others but that doesn’t keep it frombeing absolutely badass. I also got the chanceto spend some time with PlayStation VR. Thefirst thing that jumps out at me is that thisseems like the most polished headset yet,where Oculus and Vive feel vaguely like prototypesPS VR feels ready for the big time. Unlikethe others that run off an expensive gamingPC PlayStation VR is powered by a PS4. Thebasic ingredients are similar, a fast refreshingOLED display and lights on the headset thatare tracked by the PlayStation Camera forpositional tracking but everything is justa notch less intense. The screen is lowerres and the games aren’t quite as graphicallypolished as on Oculus and Vive which shouldbe no surprise, the PS4 and PS VR combinedcost less than the gaming PC you need to runthe others, not even counting the price ofthe headsets. I’d say the experience is80 percent as good too, it feels very similarto Rift as it’s meant to be played seatedand while the lower resolution means you’relosing some much needed detail this is byfar the most practical VR setup for most people.Each headset is solid and they each have aunique selling point. The Oculus is rightthere with the Vive as far as quality goeswhile being far easier to setup. With theHTC Vive you’re getting the closest thingto a Holodeck I’ve ever tried but it’sexpensive and impractical. PlayStation VRmight be the best middle ground, it’s farcheaper while delivering a solid experiencewithout needing an entire room to enjoy. Sowhich VR headset would you guys go for? Letme know in the comments below and if you enjoyedbe sure to subscribe for more videos likethis.\n"