A Comprehensive Review Of 2019 And 2020 VR Headsets
At $700, Cosmos is the cheapest factory-packed VIVE model. It’s almost twice the price of the Oculus flagship, which we’ll talk about next. The biggest difference between Cosmos and the Pro series is the interpupillary distance sensor. The Cosmos doesn’t have one, though the IPD can still be adjusted manually. Maladjusted IPD is important for image quality and to prevent problems like headaches or queasiness.
Oculus Rift S
Rift was the first big VR headset and the Rift S[12] is the company’s current flagship model. Maybe. It’s hard to tell considering how many things Oculus has going on right now. Rift S is actually the same price as Quest and has a lot of the same specs. The only real difference is that Rift S is tethered and has better optics capabilities.
If you’re looking for more information on how the Cosmos and the Rift S stack up, ARPost put a comparison together[13].
VIVE
VIVE[14] is the name of HTC’s flagship line but it was also the name of their first headset. You can’t get the original VIVE brand new anymore. However, you can get used and refurbished models at the link in this paragraph.
Naturally, VIVE has come a long way. You’re not going to get the same image resolution going with an older model. However, you will save a lot of money. The original VIVE is currently selling for (coincidentally?) the same $400 as an Oculus.
Varjo V2
When it comes to VR headsets, it’s easy to see things as Oculus Vs. HTC. There are a couple of other options but the only one to make this list is the Varjo VR-2[15].
At a hefty $5,000 the VR-2 is marketed for professionals. Though, it does also support Steam. So what could possibly make a VR headset cost $5,000? How about human-eye resolution, 20-20 eye tracking, and a heart-stopping refresh rate?
PSVR
PlayStation VR[16] makes our tethered list but it is unique. Rather than connecting to a computer, it connects to a PlayStation 4.
It’s true, the PSVR launched in ’16. Also, while a PSVR2 is rumored to come out with the PS5 towards the end of 2020, we know virtually nothing about it. Still, as the buzz around VR grows and Sony keeps releasing better and better content, we were definitely talking about the PSVR in 2019. The year before that, it ranked high on our list of best VR headsets for gaming[17].