VR Options Breakdown

Hey guys, there was a request for some info on VR Headsets, so I thought I'd make a quick informational post for everyone.

When it comes to headsets there are 6 main choices:

1. HTC Vive - $500

2. Oculus Rift  - $400

3. Playstation VR  - $300

4. Oculus Go - $200

4. Samsung Gear VR  - $90

5. Google Daydream  - $99

6. Google Cardboard  - $5 - $70

The Top Tier [High End] devices are the HTC Vive and the Oculus Rift.

• The HTC Vive has the best room scale experience, meaning walking around a real space of about 6ft by 6ft, give or take.  this is great for an experience where there are lots of items to pick up and play with or for action heavy experiences where you need to dodge/duck for cover, pick things up off the ground, draw, sculpt, hit buttons, pull levers, play sports, etc.
• The Oculus Rift has the best sitting/view only experience.  The headset is most light-weight, it's easy to wear and the headphones are built into the headset, where as the vive (atm) requires separate headphones/earphones.  It's great for watching videos, being on a ride/in a vehicle, playing a 3rd person game or any content that requires little movement.
• The Vive is more open source, coming out with new add-ons like a wireless attachment to remove the need for a cable, but adding a battery pack.  The oculus is adding more social options through facebook for a better multiplayer experience.

The Middle Tier device is the Oculus Go.

• The Oculus Go is currently the most affordable some-what high end VR experience.  While it doesn't have the computing power of the high end devices, it is a completely self contained VR device giving it ultimate portability and drops the need of a phone to be able to enjoy content.  This is a huge step forward for VR and more devices in this tier are being created.

The Lower Tier devices are the Gear VR and Daydream.

• The GearVR is the best mobile experience atm.  The headset was created by Oculus and designed specifically for Samsung phones, which you will need in order to use it.  
• Daydream works best with the Google Pixel phone and was a few other compatible phones with plans to add more in the future. So daydream serves as the most open and affordable option at this level.
• While you won't get an experience anywhere close to the Oculus or Vive, you can still get a fairly decent VR experience without breaking the bank.

Lastly is Cardboard.

• This is the most affordable option to break into the VR world.  There are a wide variety of options to choose from here.  Like the middle tier they require a smartphone as the main device delivering the experience.  Since the smartphone  will likely not be optimized for a VR experience the quality will be much lower than the other options, but it is still fun to try out, especially if your in the process of saving up for an Oculus or Vive.
• They come either as cardboard cutouts with lens that require a little folding to form the VR headset, a plastic fully assembled version or a sized down foldable version to travel with easier.  Some include a button on the side that simulates a finger tap on your phones screen.  This is used with experiences that allow you to make selections, usually by centering a selection / selectable object in the center of your viewpoint.  These version also come with or without a head strap since they are designed for shorter experiences and can just be held up to your face.

Viewable in VR

• Facebook: You might have noticed that Facebook is allowing 360 videos to be posted.  With those you typically play the video and then move your phone around to see all the different angles available.
• Youtube: Youtube has a wide variety of 360 videos
• Various VR ready websites: On some sights you'll see a VR icon in the window of a content viewer.  When you click it the screen divides into 2 screens showing the same content with a slight (unnoticable) difference in the angle.  When that view is up on your phone you can put the phone into a cardboard headset for a "true" 3D view, which means a sense of depth is added to the view (think 3D movies).
• Google Cardboard App: There is a main cardboard app as well as cardboard ready apps that can be downloaded and installed on your phone that make it easier for you to launch the VR experience.
• VR Viewer Apps: There are also apps that make it easier for you to view 360/VR photos and play 360/VR videos.  A lot of them take some work to get the player to access the video, but there are some great guides for that included / available for those apps.

*There are tons of other headsets in the works and a few currently available, so if your looking for something between the Middle and Top Tier there are web and video reviews to help inform you of what's available.