Top 5 Best VR Headsets of 2024

Even for a little while, the greatest virtual reality headsets may make you forget that you have a large piece of foam and plastic covering your face. Even before you get upon your sofa, it will give you the impression that you are in the world of a game. The Meta Quest 3 is the top VR headset, based on our testing of dozens of models, ranging from the most well-known to the least well-known. Not only is it reasonably priced, but it’s also one of the few VR headsets that seems genuinely novel at the moment. However, the Meta Quest 2, its older sibling, is the greatest low-cost VR headset.

The Valve Index is the best option if you’re searching for the most expensive, high-resolution VR headset available and money is no object closest thing to having a holodeck in your office. While we’d love to see an upgraded model out of Valve, the Index still holds up really well. If you can get it at a good discount, even better.

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Last update on 2024-10-16 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.

Top 5 Best VR Headsets of 2024

1.Apple Vision Pro

Last update on 2024-10-16 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.

Even though a year has passed since my first thrilling encounter with Apple Vision Pro, I still remember it since you rarely forget your first time. But now that I have a new perspective and eyes, I wonder whether I entered Apple’s reality distortion field when I put on that mixed reality headset.

To be clear, I stand by everything I wrote about my first hands-on demo. However, over the course of a year, I sampled many elements briefly and eventually lived in a review unit while writing my in-depth evaluation.

Apple’s largest swing in years was Vision Pro. With its VR headsets, Meta virtually controlled the VR market, yet nobody was purchasing the idea of the Metaverse, and the Meta Quest line (like other VR headsets) is still most popular with gamers. With Vision Pro, Apple didn’t just intend to redefine VR and Mixed Reality; it wanted to redefine computing with Spatial Computing.

And with Vision Pro, it was clear from away that Apple put its all into the headset. It didn’t resemble the competition at all, and the experience was far superior to anything you could get on HTC Vice and Meta Quest headwear.

The freedom of a review exposed unexpected dimensions, even after those initial thrilling Vision Pro interactions. Vision Pro seemed to be the most well-designed V1 device ever. It was as prepared to link to your laptop and enable work as it was to play games. With odd and perhaps dubious concepts like Personas and EyeSight, Apple even attempted to take into consideration the anticipated isolation of VR. The former projects a representation of your eyes onto two screens on the outside of the headset, while the latter scans your face and creates an eerily accurate avatar that can appear in FaceTime calls and other interactions.

Even if some ideas seemed ill-advised, I couldn’t shake the impression that this was a revolutionary step in mixed reality, VR, and computing. I felt that way for months, right up until after I finished my Vision Pro review.

2.Meta Quest 3

Last update on 2024-10-16 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.

With the same CPU and RAM as the Meta Quest 3, the Meta Quest 3S can play all of the same VR games and apps as its brother, including the upcoming Batman: Arkham Shadow (which is included for free). Its displays, however, are the most obvious decline. You must settle for the Quest 2’s 1832 × 1920 pixels per eye single display layout, which the Quest 3S is recycling, rather than the sharp 2064 x 2208 pixels per eye dual-display setup of the Quest 3.

Additionally, the Meta Quest 3S uses the fresnel lens technology from the Quest 2 rather of the Quest 3’s pancake lenses. I will not delve into the specifics of how these lenses differ technically, but know that fresnel lenses are bulkier and cause blurriness at the fringes of your field of view.

The Quest 3’s curved face features four cameras in two vertical stacks, with an infrared emitter between them. Two cameras are primarily used for spatial tracking, scanning your surroundings for AR content, and determining the boundaries of your play area. The other two are RGB pass-through cameras that let you view your environment in color. Two additional spatial tracking cameras sit along the headset’s bottom edge.

At 18.2 ounces, the Quest 3 is just a hair heavier than the Quest 2 (17.7 ounces), but noticeably less bulky. The headset is only 2.2 inches deep from the front to the top of the face mask padding (reduced from 2.6 inches), excluding the headband. The white-gray chassis’s more rounded sides give the impression that it is even smaller than the Quest 2’s flat walls. It feels and looks a lot more compact and sleek.

Between the bottom cameras are a volume rocker, pupillary distance (PD) adjustment dial, and a three-contact charging dock connection. You can utilize the USB-C port on the left hinge to charge the headset if you don’t use the dock. Not far below it is a power button.

Wide elastic straps that wrap both horizontally and vertically over the back of your head make up the headband, which is a three-point adjustable harness. When the horizontal strap, which has two overlapping portions for altering the size, reaches the top strap, it splits off into a Y form. By pulling the Y broader or pushing it narrower, you may easily adjust the headset’s fit. A lovely addition is that you may better stabilize the headset by separately adjusting the top strap.

3.Meta Quest Pro

Last update on 2024-10-16 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.

It’s possible that the more reasonably priced Meta Quest 3 is the greatest VR headset we’ve ever tested, with the Apple Vision Pro a close second. However, if you’re a mixed reality power user, this is a good option because of the constantly falling price.

This technology is ideal for real-time online collaboration among professionals, scientists, and creatives. You’ll adore it if you’re in that niche. Its mixed reality capabilities significantly accelerated the transition away from the Quest 3’s pure VR.

I have seen the Quest Pro’s potential up close after spending some time using it hands-on—or, in this instance, heads-on. In a comparatively short period of time, it’s clear why being in a virtual office and collaborating with virtual representations of your colleagues could be appealing. Some people may even prefer meeting in the virtual world rather than being a talking head in a box on video calling apps like Skype or Google Meet.

Like the Quest 2, the Quest Pro is an elegant-looking VR headset. It has what Meta calls “pancake lenses” in the front and a curved-cell battery on the back. Their respective curves help them contour to your head, making the device comfortable to wear for extended periods.

The Quest Pro measures 10.3 x 7.1 x 5.0 and weighs a mere 1.59 pounds. The headset is so light that it’s almost as if you’re not wearing it at all. As I said in my preview, I see this as a small victory considering how big and bulky older VR devices were. And of course, the fact that it has no wires helps tremendously with comfort.

There aren’t many buttons or controls on the headset itself. A headphone jack, a USB-C port, and a power button are located on the left side of the headset. Additionally, it includes two dials: one on the power pack and one on the front lens.

While the back dial is used to tighten and loosen the device around your head, the front dial lets you change the distance between your eyes and the screen between 2.16 and 2.95 inches. Although the dials are a little stiff, turning them isn’t too difficult, especially after you get them to move. Over time, regular use should loosen them up.

4.Meta Quest 2

Last update on 2024-10-16 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.

Without the strap, the Quest 2 weighs 17.7 ounces and measures 4.0 by 7.5 by 5.6 inches (HWD), making it slightly lighter and smaller than the original. The headset’s sleek white plastic chassis contrasts with the black of the foam and plastic eye mask behind it. With the exception of the four position-tracking cameras along its edge, the front faceplate is almost completely blank.

The headset’s 3.5mm headphone jack and USB-C port are located on the left side, while the power button and indicator LED are located on the right. Two pinhole microphones and a volume rocker are located beneath the headset. The eye mask is simple to remove, allowing you to move the lenses or put in a separator that lifts the headset slightly away from your face to accommodate glasses. Even with the separator, however, glasses can make the experience feel awkward if you have particularly large frames.

Stretching across plastic arms, the headband is a three-point elastic strap with a modest up-and-down pivot. Without the use of headphones, sound is piped into your ears by the arms’ speakers. You can customize how the top of the Quest fits against your face by using hook-and-loop (Velcro) fasteners to attach the top strap to the headset. Two plastic sliding clips hold the side straps together at the back.

Although using the default strap to adjust the headset is quick and easy, it doesn’t offer the most snug fit and may shift if your head moves quickly or violently. The Quest 2 Elite Strap, a add-on that offers a more snug fit, can be used in its place. That accessory has a ring-shaped component.

The Quest 2’s two motion controllers differ slightly from the Oculus Touch controllers (now known as Meta Quest 2 controllers) that were originally included with the Quest and the now-defunct Rift S. The two triggers fit comfortably beneath your index and middle fingers, and they still have curving handles with noticeable rings on top that allow tracking through the headset’s cameras. When you are not actively utilizing the analog stick or the two face buttons, the bigger circular control surface at the top of the handle provides a nice bare location for your thumb to rest.

The controllers feel a little thicker in the hand and are simpler to hold firmly thanks to the improved design. Additionally, the battery door is less likely to to sliding off during intense gameplay sessions. It isn’t a drastic redesign, but the few small tweaks make the controllers feel better overall.

5.Sony PlayStation VR2

Last update on 2024-10-16 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.

Sony’s virtual reality ambitions have advanced significantly with the PS VR2. In contrast to Sony’s initial VR attempt, which frequently fell short, it is immersive, opulent, and very enjoyable to use. There is no competition if you consider it an upgrade to your aging PS VR gear. Although it will be difficult to persuade PC VR enthusiasts to abandon SteamVR anytime soon, I dare say the PS VR2 might even compete with the most well-liked PC VR headsets.

Undoubtedly, there is merit to the PS VR2’s remarkable level of sophistication. It has a remarkable feature set that is highly appropriate for 2023. Intelligent eye tracking is one feature that makes navigating in-game menus easier.

The PS VR2’s 110 degree field of view isn’t earth-shattering stuff, as that’s more or less the norm nowadays, but it’s wide enough to encompass the better part of your vision. And beyond that it’s sufficiently dark to keep you immersed in the game, blocked by the headset’s soft-touch surround.

The headset’s design is a real highlight, actually. It’s a little different to most PC VR headsets in that it uses a firm headband that clamps onto your cranium, with the headset sort of floating down in front of you. From there you slide it closer or away from the bridge of your nose for the best fit. This design keeps most of the weight of the headset off the front of your face, which helps massively with long-term comfort, and you can push the headset away easily without adjusting the headband if you want a little breather onto your cranium, with the headset sort of floating down in front of you. From there you slide it closer or away from the bridge of your nose for the best fit. This design keeps most of the weight of the headset off the front of your face, which helps massively with long-term comfort, and you can push the headset away easily without adjusting the headband if you want a little breather.

If you want to quickly install the headset onto a friend as well, this design is quite practical. Even while using it on someone else’s head, it requires a lot less tinkering to get adjusted correctly than some other headsets. The strap of the Quest 2 is really uncomfortable and subpar.

However, you may be let down once you connect your computer, so don’t get too excited about what this could all entail. The PS VR2 is not recognized by SteamVR and is not officially PC compatible.

You can’t use it for VR gaming, even if you connect it in with the long USB Type-C cable. If your graphics card has a USB Type-C port, you can connect the headset to it.The PS VR2 offers significant quality of life enhancements in addition to the expensive things. First and foremost, it now comes with two VR-specific controllers. Compared to the first-generation PS VR, which was based solely on the assumption that you had an old Move controller collecting dust in a box someplace, that is a significant improvement.

These days, the controllers that come with the widely used standalone headsets are comparable to the new Sense controllers, which I lovingly refer to as Sony’s orbs. They have some finger detecting features, simple grip buttons, and truly good tracking, making them evocative of the controllers from Meta Quest 2.

VR headset Q&A

What are VR lighthouses?

Your VR headset must be able to sense both the controllers in your hands and the headset itself in order to record your motions. Positional trackers, individually placed sensors, or base stations—also referred to as lighthouses—that are connected to your PC were utilized in the initial VR headsets.

Although this is the most accurate tracking approach, it is also the most laborious, and unless they are permanently placed in a room, you will have to set them up and calibrate them each time you wish to play.

What is inside-out tracking in VR?

Because the headset can track both itself and the controllers nearby, inside-out tracking eliminates the need for additional sensors. At first, this approach damaged in-game immersion and wasn’t as responsive or effective.

However, the technology is now nearly as responsive as the lighthouse thanks to the greatest VR headset, the Meta Quest 3. and is unquestionably much more practical.

Are there wireless PC VR headsets?

Indeed! The Quest 2 and 3 headphones from Meta are wireless. Previously, in order to get the most out of your VR headset setup, you needed to connect it to your gaming PC using a USB Type-C cable.

However, there are now readily available wireless methods for doing that. A Wi-Fi 6E router is necessary, nevertheless, in order to provide the throughput you need and avoid spending the entire time throwing up from constant latency.

There was a wireless module for the old HTC Vive that you could add to the system, and it worked really well. In our experience, nevertheless, the connection dropouts were something we could not tolerate over time.