Over the years, VR headsets have carved out a niche audience for themselves but haven’t quite broken the mainstream in the way that smartphones did. The introduction of the Apple Vision Pro has rekindled the interest of the global audience in VR, but it remains to be seen whether we’ll ever get to the stage where affordable, mass-produced VR headsets are a thing. As of now, your options are pretty limited. If you’re looking to buy a new VR headset, here are 5 essential things you must know before making the purchase.
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In This Article
Standalone or tethered?
Most VR headsets fall into two camps – standalone and tethered. A standalone headset is equipped with a powerful processor or chipset and doesn’t require a PC to carry out the bulk of computation. Meanwhile, a tethered VR headset needs to be connected to a PC or an external console to carry out power-intensive tasks like gaming. Some tethered headsets may require a PC connection at all times.
Both genres of headsets have their advantages. A standalone VR headset gives you the freedom to move around and take your device wherever you go, without needing a PC to make it work. But your usage of the divide is limited by its battery life. On the other hand, a tethered headset is undeniably more powerful and can play demanding gaming titles while rendering supreme graphics. While using a PCVR, you don’t need to care about the battery as it constantly draws power from the PC it is connected to.
Wired or wireless?
If you’re swayed towards buying a tethered VR headset, there’s another choice you need to make. Since your headset will require a PC for major tasks, you need to decide whether you want a wired or wireless connection. Most headsets require either an HDMI or USB Type-C connection with the PC for efficient communication between the two devices. It goes without saying but in this case, your mobility while wearing the headset gets restricted.
Tethered headsets with a wireless kit cost a premium over their wired counterparts. The quality of graphics rendered over a wireless connection may not be as good as a wired connection. The quality of the wireless kit supplied with the VR headset plays a big part in determining its performance. If it transmits a weak signal, the graphics quality will not be lossless.
Image resolution
Detailed and immersive visual experience is the cornerstone of a good VR headset. The image resolution supported by the headset matters a lot. Modern VR devices are still getting better with every iteration, bringing better visuals every passing year. The ceiling for improvement in this regard is very high. Image resolution is one aspect where you should not compromise. Since the headset is very close to your eyes, lower-resolution images will immediately seem shoddy and soft. Even if you have to splurge a little extra money, get a headset with a high resolution. At the moment, Apple Vision Pro offers the highest image resolution at 3,660 x 3,200p per eye.
Tracking system
Another vital aspect of VR headsets that you must take into consideration before making a purchase is the tracking technology. This is divided into two camps as well: outside-in and inside-out. The former uses external sensors or cameras to track your position and read your movement relative to your environment. Your body movements are then replicated in the virtual space. Using outside-in tracking technology has a lot of advantages. Since it relies on external sensors, it can very easily map the room and accurately triangulate your position. The precision offered by this tech is amazing. You don’t have to worry about occlusion issues with the sensors.
Meanwhile, inside-out tech uses sensors built into the VR headset to track your position and movement relative to your surroundings. While it is incredibly easy to use and does not require setting up external sensors, it is not as accurate as outside-in tech. Occlusion issues may also arise if you’re using handheld controllers with the VR headset. However, if you’re more concerned with portability, this tech is vastly superior.
Price
VR headsets have still not broken the mainstream in a way that would pave the way for bang-for-the-buck affordable devices. If you’re on a budget, you will need to make certain trade-offs. High-resolution devices carry a higher price tag, but you can choose to go for a wired headset and not splurge on a wireless kit. If you’re not interested in gaming, you can even go for a cheaper standalone headset with minimal processing that’s just good enough for playing content. Of course, you need to ensure that the device can support higher-resolution images.
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Conclusion
These are the 5 things you need to keep in mind while buying a VR headset. Since the Apple Vision Pro is not available in India yet, you can go for other reliable VR headsets like the Meta Quest 3 or the Pico 4 All-in-One. Got your eyes set on a particular VR device? Let us know what it is in the comments!
