A Comprehensive Review Of 2019 And 2020 VR Headsets

With the new year upon us, let’s take a look at the VR headsets that caught our attention in 2019. It’s been a busy year for VR, and we have a lot to work with.

VR headsets^[1] are just the tip of the XR iceberg. They’re only a portion of the XR headsets on the market but they’re the most visible and most sought after. If you prefer MR or AR, don’t worry, we have a similar article devoted to AR and MR headsets and glasses^[2].

VR Headsets

Virtual reality means that the entire experience is digitally rendered. That means that it is very difficult to achieve VR without a VR headset.

VR headsets can be categorized in a number of different ways. The method that we’ve chosen for this article has to do with how the headsets handle information. They may have their own on-board processor, or be connected to a computer through a wire or wireless connection.

Standalone

Standalone VR headsets have onboard processors and app databases, kind of like smartphones or smart televisions. They are extremely portable but are more limited than their computer-connected counterparts.

Though we will also be looking at one VIVE headset, Oculus rules the road when it comes to standalone VR headsets. They weren’t actually the first to market (here’s lookin’ at you, Pico Goblin^[4]) but they definitely do the best job.

Oculus has a number of standalone models. We’ll be looking at the Quest and the Go. If you want a quicker comparison, Oculus prepared this one^[5] themselves.

Oculus Go

The Oculus Go^[6] comes in at just $200, making it easily the most affordable wireless VR headset out there. It can do what it does very well but it doesn’t do as much as other headsets. It’s mainly for 3D videos and other basic applications.

Oculus Quest

If you want to do more than that – without hooking to a PC – you’ll need the Oculus Quest^[7]. The Quest rings up at twice the price of the Go. That’s the same price as the company’s all-out, PC-based model but portable.