The Quest 2 is the best VR headset in my opinion, based on my research. It has impressive specs like display, tracking, and design, as well as a reasonable price point. But the best VR headset ultimately depends on your specific needs and preferences. Some people may prioritize a higher-resolution display, while others may want a more immersive experience with better controllers or room tracking. It’s important to consider factors like budget, compatibility with your gaming setup, and the availability of compatible games and software before making a purchase.

The biggest consideration is the use case. Will you be using a headset for gaming only? Do you already own a powerful PC and need a headset that interfaces seamlessly?

The gulf between commercial and consumer VR has always been small, with plenty of enterprises utilizing Oculus headsets and savvy consumers looking into enterprise headsets for powerful collaboration potential. The reality is it’s still very much the Wild West for a technology class that’s been puffed up by years of hype but is still searching for a knockout case for adoption. 

The use-cases remain niche: Gamers, designers, enterprise applications like training. Within each utilizer pool, there are a small number of serviceable, if quirky headsets, meaning budget tends to be the deciding factor after the use-case. One thing we’ve noticed is that the technology hasn’t advanced as much in the past few years as it might have, so don’t shy away from older tech, which is cheaper and represents a great value in what’s still the first blush of our mixed reality future.

To choose the VR headsets listed, I took a broad survey of available devices to compile this list and spoke to independent industry experts not affiliated with the brands listed. Nothing beats the hands-on trial, and we also had fun putting these headsets through their paces.

I considered a variety of factors when choosing the best VR headsets, including resolution, field of view, refresh rate, position tracking, display, and pixels per degree. I also looked at other features like design, ease of use, and compatibility with gaming systems and software.

My goal was to provide a comprehensive list of the top VR headsets on the market, taking into account the needs and preferences of a wide range of users. I believe that the headsets on this list offer a great balance of quality, affordability, and versatility, making them suitable for gamers, designers, and professionals alike.

Resolution

Resolution matters in VR if you want to avoid the screen door effect, which is a mesh-like appearance due to seeing the lines separating pixels on a screen. Think about an old computer with poor resolution — you can probably see a grid of fine lines on the screen as you use it. Most VR headsets available today still have the screen door effect to some extent, but you can minimize the effect by purchasing a headset with a high resolution. The highest-resolution consumer-facing VR headset is the HTC Vive Pro 2, which has a resolution of 2,448 x 2,448 pixels per eye.

Field of View

How much of the virtual world do you want to see at once? Field of view is a degree measurement that shows you how much of the virtual world you see at one time. Human vision is limited to about 220 degrees, and the Pimax 8K/5K+ headsets come close to that field of view at 170 degrees.

Refresh Rate

Refresh rate tells you how many images are generated per second. You want a high refresh rate to keep your VR experience lag-free and to see natural, realistic images. The refresh rate can affect how disoriented you feel with a VR headset on — you want your eyes to keep up with the images, and you want the images to keep up with the action. If the refresh rate is below 90 frames per second, you might experience disorientation and nausea with a headset on. The Valve Index has a refresh rate of up to 144 Hz, making it one of the best options for a smooth VR experience.

Position Tracking

Position tracking detects your position relative to your surroundings in a virtual environment. It’s different from head tracking, which only looks at the rotation of the head because it registers forward/backward, up/down, left/right, and other total body movements.

Display

A VR headset consists of a display screen, sound, sensors, and controllers. You’ll want the highest resolution you can afford here to minimize the screen door effect

Pixels Per Degree

Pixels per degree, or pixel density, is calculated by taking the total number of pixels in a horizontal display line and dividing it by the horizontal field of view. For example, the HTC Vive has 1080 pixels per eye and a field of view of 100 degrees, giving it a pixel density of 11 pixels per degree. Keep in mind that the human eye sees about 60 pixels per degree.

While many VR headsets require a capable desktop or laptop computer, there are a few standalone options like the Oculus Quest and HTC Vive Focus. A standalone headset has more limited motion parameters, usually only allowing for up/down, left/right, and forward/back movement of your head. The trade-off is that they have onboard memory storage for games and programs, freeing you from being tied to a PC just to pop into Minecraft or VRChat for an hour or so.

The HTC Vive Pro 2 has an impressive resolution of 2,448 x 2,448 pixels per eye, the highest resolution available on a consumer-facing VR headset. There are a few VR games that have realistic experiences, including Half-Life: Alyx and Beat Saber. Half-Life: Alyx comes with your purchase of a Valve Index VR Kit and other Valve products.

The Sony PlayStation VR headset is the most compatible with PlayStation and upgrades the PlayStation experience with VR gaming. 

Yes! While many of the titles you’ll find on Steam or the Epic Store will cost you at least a little money, there are tons of free software options out there like Spider-Man: Far From Home VR or the demo for the popular rhythm game, Beat Saber. Just make sure that the game you want to download is compatible with your particular headset.

That is a complicated question to answer. Many PC-reliant and standalone VR headsets are expensive, making widespread adoption of the tech difficult. Additionally, the cost of building or buying a pre-built PC capable of virtual reality can also be quite high. VR headsets also require a lot of space to operate safely, as users are essentially walking around blind in a room full of obstacles, which can be challenging for those who don’t have dedicated VR gaming spaces.

If you’re a serious gamer who wants to keep up with the latest tech, it’s worth investing in at least a mid-tier headset like the Oculus Quest to get a feel for VR gaming before diving into more high-end options. However, if you don’t think you’d use the headset for more than the occasional Beat Saber session, it might be better to borrow one from a friend. Ultimately, the decision to invest in a VR headset comes down to your level of interest and dedication to the technology, as well as your budget and available space.

The next version of the Quest VR headset, the Quest 3, is projected to launch this year. Meta’s VR headsets have proven immensely popular, so much so that Meta controlled 90% of the VR headset market in Q2 2022. Meta’s investments in VR technology have led to innovation at subsidized prices, but also to rising hardware expenses that keep going up. Despite those costs, the consumer-facing Quest 3 should come out by the end of 2023.

Virtual reality is now entering its second or third generation, with more brands jumping into the fray. That’s good news for gamers and potentially for a future in which Zuck’s vision of the Metaverse actually comes to fruition.

In addition to the top units listed above, we recommend the following headsets for those looking to expand their options and comparison shop, starting with the best VR headset for kids.