What's the best VR headset to buy?

[Garygator]

Hi, Jimmy here

I've been really interested in VR and have been using them and interacting since Oculus was still 720p

Recently I've been wanting to get back in the loop after being gone for so long but I'm really torn on what to get. I have how ever narrowed it down to three. The Vive, The Oculus, and Samsung's Odyseey+. Can I get some help choosing?

I like the Vive because of room scale and tracking, but the controllers are eh and screen door effect exists, also 500 dollars

I like the Oculus becuase they have the best controllers, and are really comfortable to wear + decent built in headphones. But, really bad room scale, and screen door effect.

I like Samsung's becuase it has the best resolution out of Pimax, and has almost 0 screen door effect, its easy to set up, and the controllers are pretty alright. But, has the least support, 500 dollars, and the worst tracking out of them all, atleast for the controllers.

I can get some honest unbiased advice on what to get? With some reasons why I should choose it?

Thank you for your time.

[[RUST]Grumplestiltskin]

I always say to folks, if you have 2m x 2m of dedicated space, and are able to mount the base stations _well_ and semi-permanently, get the Vive, especially because the SteamVR ecosystem will soon contain the Knuckles controllers, and... other things.

If you don't have that type of space to dedicate, a Rift might be a better option.

The only way I'd recommend a WMR headset is if price is super duper a factor for you and/or you're able to 'expense account it' through a job, etc.

Just my two cents.

[Garygator]

Originally posted by RUSTGrumplestiltskin:

I always say to folks, if you have 2m x 2m of dedicated space, and are able to mount the base stations _well_ and semi-permanently, get the Vive, especially because the SteamVR ecosystem will soon contain the Knuckles controllers, and... other things.

If you don't have that type of space to dedicate, a Rift might be a better option.

The only way I'd recommend a WMR headset is if price is super duper a factor for you and/or you're able to 'expense account it' through a job, etc.

Just my two cents.

Thank you so much! That's extremely helpful! I have a pretty large area to play, so I think I'll consider gettting the vive, espicailly after looking more into the knuckles controller.

[Jonkenden]

Ye if you have the space and economy the vive is top dog.

From what i gathered researching this myself.

Vive sensors are better and can easily cover 360 with what you get in the box
Controllers in current version are somewhat clunky to handle but accurate
Headset is slightly unbalanced with basic straps, putting weight in wrong spots.
Pricey

Oculus cheaper than vive out of box
Comfortable controllers
Well balanced headset
Not great sensors, has issues detecting your controllers in 360 motions.
Many reccomend buying additional sensors, wich put final price closer to vive.
Each sensor uses usb slot from computer

[Shabazza]

My only gripe with the VIVE is the fact, that the area where the image is really crisp is very limited to the center of the lenses.
People report, that the Oculus lenses are much more even in crispness over the whole lens area.
(while having slightly lower FoV though and it's quite less bright and has less adjustment options)
That narrow crisp zone can make it a bit difficult to aim down sights (especially with scopes) with the VIVE.
Because you need to make sure your VIVE is always accurately positioned in your personal sweet spot, to get a crisp image through the scope.
Also, my VIVE tends to start to sag over time, as the rear head band is not low enough to counter it's weight when moving around.
Makes the VIVE pretty finicky at times. At least with scopes when you are in action and not in a firing range.
I'll probably add some weight to the back head band to compensate that a bit. (or get the wireless set if I win in the lottery. Wohoo... That thing also sort of adds weight to the back part. )

But because of the great tracking with the 2 stock sensors, and the overall good ergonomics and Steam environment, I'd buy the VIVE over the Oculus, if accurate 360 play is what I want and if money is not the biggest issue.

I don't find the wands terrible, btw. In many games, it's nice to have a grip of that shape.
Holding a sword, knife or a bow feels good with those.
But to use guns, they are not that great tbh.
Looking forward to the knuckle controllers...

[desrtfox071]

I'm going to offer a dissenting opinion.

While it may be the case that the Vive is top dog, and I agree with this assessment, I have an Oculus Rift and it works great. Hand tracking works fine as long as you don't get yourself into a situation where no beacon can see your touch controller.

Given that the knuckes may be still a year out, it may make more sense to grab a less expensive VR system with the idea in mind that a year from now you may be upgrading no matter what you purchase now. In the meantime, the OR seems to work well for me, and you save around $100 compared to a Vive. This may give you the opportinity to spend that $100 on software to get a feel for VR in general, and determine what you like. Also, you get a chance to work out your area dedicated to VR, and learn what is important to you regarding VR, before you take the plunge on your "pro" kit.

Just my opinion.

[Acedirt234]

I am currently using the WMR lenovo explorer, and it was one of the best experiences within my budget (125 USD used). Inside-out tracking causes very few problems, and the problems they do cause are easy to work around.

[ABF81]

I've got a WMR (Lenovo Explorer) at home and access to a Vive at work. Haven't ever played with a Rift however.

Personally I prefer the WMR headset as it's cheaper (unless you're getting an Odyssey+ or live in Australia), has better image quality and the fact that you don't need any external power makes it easier to set up and very portable (if you've got a VR capable laptop or just want to take it over to a mate's place so they can try out VR).

The downsides I find with WMR are the fact that the tracking gets worse when the HMD loses sight of the controllers (that being said when it can see the controllers I find the tracking just as good as the Vive), the limited software adjusted IPD (only an issue on the cheaper WMR sets, not an issue on the Odyssey+), the lack of included Bluetooth (again not an issue on the Odyssey+) and finally there are occassionally compatibility issues with some VR titles but they are improving at a great rate. I mean even Mr Anti-WMR himself Anton is talking about adding offical WMR support :p

[Rastabara]

I would wait until the next iteration of the rift and vive gets announced. I (somehow) managed to get all 3 of the VR / MR headsets and truth be told the Rift only lasted me a bit more than a year before it bricked itself. Im rocking the Lenovo Explorer that I managed to get an open box deal on and its enough to play this game and a few other cockpit games such as elite dangerous and dcs.