Which VR headset to buy in 2020?

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CEO_OF_CBT

Limp Gawd
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Jul 2, 2020
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Leaning towards the Valve Index but not sure if it's the best option.

Will be pairing this with prescription lenses for it. Don't think any model can fit glasses inside right now?


Thanks in advance.
 
I have a Oculus Quest and wear glasses, abet a little uncomfortably, with it.
 
All the vive models work well with prescription lenses and doesn't have the impending forced Facebook integration, I have used it with my glasses but inserts are the way to go. The Vives also have some of the better FOV in the VR world, there's a post in this forum with FOV comparisons that is worth looking at.
 
modi123 said:
I have a Oculus Quest and wear glasses, abet a little uncomfortably, with it.
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Would want to avoid Oculus due to privacy concern


Aireoth said:
All the vive models work well with prescription lenses and doesn't have the impending forced Facebook integration, I have used it with my glasses but inserts are the way to go. The Vives also have some of the better FOV in the VR world, there's a post in this forum with FOV comparisons that is worth looking at.
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Where can I find this post? I might be using the wrong keywoads but can't find this post that you're talking in particular
 
For PCVR, it's pretty cut and dry as I see it, having owned or otherwise used pretty much everything except Pimax:

Best PCVR $200-$300: Odyssey+
Best PCVR $400: HP Reverb G1 Rev2 (preferably with a 2020 manufacture date code)
Best PCVR $600-1000+: Wait for HP Reverb G2 in October ($599)
Money no object: Pimax 8KX ($1800+ for full setup with lighthouses and knuckles controllers) - I wouldn't buy even with money to burn, for several reasons.
If you value wireless mobility more than graphical fidelity: Oculus Quest $399 (casual, low-poly stuff like Beat Saber)

Notes:
  • Valve Index is great but I don't recommend it because it's too expensive, and once I saw the clarity of 2160x2160 res in the Reverb G1, everything with less res ceased to exist for me - no going back. If a full Index setup was $499 I'd still use Reverb G1 as my daily driver until G2.
  • The degree of tracking performance difference between Lighthouse and everything else is overblown in online discussions: "WMR bad, Lighthouse best, yada yada". There was a test done with a robotic arm that measured deviation between tracking systems, and the difference in accuracy between Lighthouse and WMR was the width of two sheets of paper. WMR 2.0 on HP G2 (and possibly TBA Samsung Odyssey 2) further improves with two extra cameras for a total of four, so it's going to be fine for just about any use scenario. YES, Lighthouse is best, but only by fractions of a millimeter, and to me that's not +$600 better than Reverb G1, or +$400 better than upcoming G2 to get a full $999 Index setup.
  • Forget HTC and Oculus - they've both abandoned PCVR, with HTC focused on industrial now, and Oculus/Facebook focused on Quest/mobile.
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Oh man, I had a Samsung Odyssey+ and for games like H3VR where you constantly grab from your shoulders or line up shots with one hand in front of the other, that stuff would jitter and break consistently.
 
I have preordered Reverb G2, it should arrive some time around October or November. As far as picture quality goes, based on reviews of preproduction model on Youtube the picture quality should be the best there is and tracking should finally be good, thanks to the added cameras of WMR 2.0 system, so it is no longer as bad compromise as WMR rigs used to be. But inside out tracking is a must for me anyway so my choices are quite limited. Index and other lighthouse systems like Pimax are simply impossible for my situation and needs. I will do a small review when I receive mine, although the only thing I can compare it to is my old Oculus Rift CV1.
 
Agree that it probably is worth waiting for the Reverb G2 at this point. We're right at the cusp of a whole slew of new VR and GPU tech to hit, so I for one would at least wait until Oct/Nov before committing to a full blown PC VR setup.
 
did some reading and it seems that the reverb G2 is the most interesting out of the bunch


thanks for the advice
 
Has anyone tried HTC Vive? The price is a bit above average, though does it really mean high quality?
 
Original Vive? First gen VR like original Oculus Rift, horribly outdated. Vive Pro? Better, but WAY overpriced considering what is available at markets today, Valve Index and even Oculus Quest made that headset mostly obsolete. And HTC Cosmos was a flop. HTC's only good side (does not apply to Cosmos) is that it is a lighthouse based system, meaning you have a clear upgrade path where you can change equipment piece by piece when you can. IE you can simply upgrade the controllers to Valve Index controllers and/or upgrade the headset to Pimax headset and so on. But why bother when you can get a full Index set for almost same price. Simply put, HTC is out of the VR game for the moment, it is not a sensible choice unless you have no other option.
 
MaZa said:
Original Vive? First gen VR like original Oculus Rift, horribly outdated. Vive Pro? Better, but WAY overpriced considering what is available at markets today, Valve Index and even Oculus Quest made that headset mostly obsolete. And HTC Cosmos was a flop. HTC's only good side (does not apply to Cosmos) is that it is a lighthouse based system, meaning you have a clear upgrade path where you can change equipment piece by piece when you can. IE you can simply upgrade the controllers to Valve Index controllers and/or upgrade the headset to Pimax headset and so on. But why bother when you can get a full Index set for almost same price. Simply put, HTC is out of the VR game for the moment, it is not a sensible choice unless you have no other option.
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The Vive Pro is still worth considering, but only if you're willing to pay the inflated price of the headset + another $300 for a wireless adapter.
Wireless VR is really good, but I'm hoping that Valve and/or HP step up and offer it with their headsets.\

But until they do... Vive Pro is the only PC wireless VR worth considering.
 
Vive Pro is definitely better than the original Vive but still is not there. Headset is kinda heavy and bulky, speakers suck ass, still have the screen door effect but is much better. I bought my used over a year ago for $400, which was worth it at the time. Already had a Vive, thus lightboxes and controllers.
 
Wow. Didn't really look into the Vive Pro option. But I guess now I have to forget about HTC headsets at all. Seems like you guys just saved my budget! Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
 
Can you easily use a headphone with VR gear usually? Or is there restriction with size on some of them.
 
CEO_OF_CBT said:
Can you easily use a headphone with VR gear usually? Or is there restriction with size on some of them.
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Most HMDs are clearly not intended for you to bring your own headphones, although the OG Vive does seem to support this.

Most others have built-in headphones that aren't really removable that would be in the way if you tried to use a different pair of headphones. You can do it with SteamVR, though. You just configure it to use a different audio device than the one in the HMD.
 
RazorWind said:
Most HMDs are clearly not intended for you to bring your own headphones, although the OG Vive does seem to support this.

Most others have built-in headphones that aren't really removable that would be in the way if you tried to use a different pair of headphones. You can do it with SteamVR, though. You just configure it to use a different audio device than the one in the HMD.
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oh :(

my concern is that those headphones included aren't that good
 
Index or (maybe) Reverb G2, at this point. Depending on how you feel about inside-out tracking and the WMR controllers.
 
My biggest concern with the G2 is the IPD max stated is 68. With my rift I use 69.5. Not sure 68 will work for me. Doing some reading some people can deal with IPD being off and some can't. I could lower my rift to 68 and see how that works but not sure if the sweet spot on the rift lens is comparable to what the G2 will have.
 
Randall Stephens said:
My biggest concern with the G2 is the IPD max stated is 68. With my rift I use 69.5. Not sure 68 will work for me. Doing some reading some people can deal with IPD being off and some can't. I could lower my rift to 68 and see how that works but not sure if the sweet spot on the rift lens is comparable to what the G2 will have.
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It all depends on the headset and how it fits you. You will have to try one on to make sure.
 
Randall Stephens said:
My biggest concern with the G2 is the IPD max stated is 68. With my rift I use 69.5. Not sure 68 will work for me. Doing some reading some people can deal with IPD being off and some can't. I could lower my rift to 68 and see how that works but not sure if the sweet spot on the rift lens is comparable to what the G2 will have.
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I will let you know. I also max out the IPD on my Rift CV1. Measured from mirror my IPD is around 69-70 so I also fall outside of the G2's ramge but apparently because of the big sweetspot it should not be a problem. We will see.
 
The Reverb G2 looks really nice and seems to carry over a lot of the good qualities of headset design that the Valve Index has. The higher resolution per eye is a nice improvement too that would have been nice to have in the Valve Index. The Valve Index has impressive clarity but can be hampered by the at times excessive glare (game dependent). But there are still quite a few features of the Valve Index that make me prefer it over the HP Reverb G2:

Higher refresh rate:
The Reverb G2 is currently reporting a max refresh rate of 90Hz. Perfectly suitable for VR play. But the Valve Index can do up to 120Hz normally and overclock to 144Hz. While it may take a beefy system to get those results with certain games, I have to say that the difference between 90Hz and 120Hz was quite noticeable and a huge improvement for me for the games that can pull it off.

Higher IPD capability:
The HP Reverb G2 has an IPD range of 60 to 68, while the Valve Index has a range of 58-70. For me, I am need an IPD above 68 to feel comfortable while my kid needs an IPD below 60 to be comfortable. With the limitations of this on the HP Reverb G2, it just won't be as comfortable of a VR headset to use.

Wider FOV:
This might not make much difference to some, but the wider FOV on the Index certainly adds to the immersion. The HP Reverb G2 has a max FOV of 114 degrees while the Index has a max FOV of 130 degrees. But on a counterpoint, this might be part of the reason there is more glare that the Index has in certain environments.

Lighthouse compatibility:
Inside out tracking has improved greatly, no doubt about that. When everything is working as it should, tracking response between the two is extremely close. But where the lighthouse method still wins out on is when it comes to occlusion of the controllers. Having cameras on the side of the HP Reverb G2 will help reduce the chance of occlusion, but there are still going to be moments where the camera may lose view of the controller for accurate tracking and there isn't much of a way to improve its tracking capability for those with greater demands in use since it is built into the headset. The lighthouse method, depending on placement, will be better at minimizing the chance of occlusion in tough, fast paced situations (Beat Saber comes to mind or reaching behind you in Half Life Alyx or Boneworks). And if you need to increase your tracking precision, you can add more lighthouses (up to 4 lighthouses). The downside is that it is a more costly investment, requires more hardware to setup, and makes the VR not as portable if you plan to take it places.

Valve Index controller compatibility:
The Valve Index controllers are just plain awesome and a joy to use. But because they are designed to be used with the lighthouses, you can't just order a set of the controllers to use with the HP Reverb G2 without extra investments and jumping through hoops. I am not saying it isn't possible, but if you have to invest in lighthouses as well and then rely on a some middleman applications to get them to work together, then it might be better to invest in a VR system where it works together natively.

All in all, I am excited to see that progress is continuing to be made and that there is competition out there to keep it moving forward. I also like seeing how some companies are partnering together in a sort of teamwork fashion to keep the tech relevant while still being competitive. The downside, though, is I don't appreciate the walled garden approach that some companies are doing when it comes to access to applications. There are work arounds for some, but they are not perfect.

What I will be interested in seeing is a Valve Index type headset that offers higher resolution, deeper blacks, HDR, 120Hz refresh rate, eye tracking, improved optics, and the ability to remove the rear headset padding to wash/replace. Someday...
 
MavericK said:
Probably because it was designed in partnership with Valve. ;)
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Well...duh...;)

I knew that it was designed in partnership, but partnership doesn't necessarily mean that all design cues or quality will be carried over verbatim. Having not seen one in person yet, I can only make my assumptions based on the pictures and articles that have been written (hence, the "seems to carry over" comment).
 
I'm looking into VR for Half Life: Alyx. I don't have Facebook but can create a throw-away account if needed for the Oculus Rift S (where I'm leaning) or the Link. Reviews say Valve Index is best for HL:A but screw the pricing and eBay gouging. May wait for Reverb G2.
 
Benzino said:
I'm looking into VR for Half Life: Alyx. I don't have Facebook but can create a throw-away account if needed for the Oculus Rift S (where I'm leaning) or the Link. Reviews say Valve Index is best for HL:A but screw the pricing and eBay gouging. May wait for Reverb G2.
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Read post #6
 
Ive read that the Oculus Quest/Quest2 can hook to a PC to play PCVR games... accurate? My kids played a VR game at a Dave and Busters type place and they keep asking me if I can get one for my computer...
 
Tengis said:
Ive read that the Oculus Quest/Quest2 can hook to a PC to play PCVR games... accurate? My kids played a VR game at a Dave and Busters type place and they keep asking me if I can get one for my computer...
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Yes you are correct. You can either use a USB-c cable as part of Oculus Link or wireless using Virtual Desktop. Will the quality be as good as a dedicated PC VR? No but it was good enough for me. The facebook log in restrictions on the quest 2 are really bumming me out however.
 
GreenOrbs said:
Yes you are correct. You can either use a USB-c cable as part of Oculus Link or wireless using Virtual Desktop. Will the quality be as good as a dedicated PC VR? No but it was good enough for me. The facebook log in restrictions on the quest 2 are really bumming me out however.
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Is the USB C cable a hinderance? Virtual desktop seems like it wouldnt be all that great for latency and such. The main thing is that the price is appealing for something that will probably get used a bunch and then collect dust....
 
Just preorderd a Quest 2 on target.com this morning. Befrugal stuck a employee discode in for 10%off. Coulnd't resist. Hope it goes through.

Had a PSVR, so I am happy to have better tracking and wireless options. Really want to use for PCVR. Excited for Star Wars Squadrons. 90 vs 120hz doesn't seem a huge deal at this point. Many will notice the difference of course. I guess it depends how fast paced everything is.
 
Tengis said:
Is the USB C cable a hinderance? Virtual desktop seems like it wouldnt be all that great for latency and such. The main thing is that the price is appealing for something that will probably get used a bunch and then collect dust....
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USB C is just like any other cable for VR-- any cable is a hinderance compared with wireless. Virtual desktop is fine on latency if you have the combination of a strong PC wired in directly to a quality router (especially if you can use the 5 GHz band exclusively for the Quest). My router has 2 separate 5 GHz channels and it works great (30-35 ms latency). Regular games like Alyx and Skyrim etc work just fine. I did end up buying Beat Saber natively on the quest because the latency was too high for expert/expert+. Its actually playable at hard difficulties with Virtual Desktop.
 
Sux Quest 2 didn't add wireless link support. Now that the bandwidth is tweaked low enough to work over USB2 its not very much so wireless should be pretty easy. Maybe they will add it later. Also pretty upset NV appears to have ditched USB-C ports on new cards.

Now that Q2 is coming what are people's take on it vs G2? Close to same res, 90Hz on both (eventually), larger fov on G2, pretty powerful internal components on Q2 for portability, and Q2 $200 cheaper. Hopefully we get a screen comparison video soon and if they are close to equal I think I have to stay in the Quest family and wait for a better PCVR.
 
Daleon said:
Sux Quest 2 didn't add wireless link support. Now that the bandwidth is tweaked low enough to work over USB2 its not very much so wireless should be pretty easy. Maybe they will add it later. Also pretty upset NV appears to have ditched USB-C ports on new cards.

Now that Q2 is coming what are people's take on it vs G2? Close to same res, 90Hz on both (eventually), larger fov on G2, pretty powerful internal components on Q2 for portability, and Q2 $200 cheaper. Hopefully we get a screen comparison video soon and if they are close to equal I think I have to stay in the Quest family and wait for a better PCVR.
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Few people have had the opportunity to try both G2 and Quest so far. Tested has some discussion here on reddit as they have been able to review both items.
(https://www.reddit.com/r/oculus/comments/iu08j8/tested_oculus_quest_2_review/).

As for wireless support the guy who made Virtual Desktop says the new wireless chip in it will increase performance substantially. (https://twitter.com/VRDesktop/status/1305442634412953601)
 
GreenOrbs said:
Few people have had the opportunity to try both G2 and Quest so far. Tested has some discussion here on reddit as they have been able to review both items.
(https://www.reddit.com/r/oculus/comments/iu08j8/tested_oculus_quest_2_review/).

As for wireless support the guy who made Virtual Desktop says the new wireless chip in it will increase performance substantially. (https://twitter.com/VRDesktop/status/1305442634412953601)
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Nice, was hoping for a wifi performance boost. I think if they do get Link working to where its as good or better than Rift S connection then combining everything into a single platform no matter if you are wireless or connected will be a game changer.
 
The Quest 2 seems to be a decent headset. Improvement in nearly all areas over the Quest.

I have a Rift S, but, am considering pre-ordering a Quest 2.
 
reaper12 said:
The Quest 2 seems to be a decent headset. Improvement in nearly all areas over the Quest.

I have a Rift S, but, am considering pre-ordering a Quest 2.
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I pre-ordered for in store pickup at BB but haven't made up my mind if I'm okay with the Facebookening. I don't have and don't want a Facebook account. Conflicted.
 
MavericK said:
https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2020...he-299-oculus-quest-2-as-your-next-vr-system/

FWIW. Honestly sounds like a lot of steps backwards in many areas (strap, IPD adjustment, etc.)
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The only thing that really bothers me from a hardware standpoint is the IPD thing as a downgrade. If you have a quest 1, you will want to set the IPD to one of the 3 presets to see if having an IPD that is slightly off will be a dealbreaker. Some people will be more sensitive to this than others so it could be a big problem.

In terms of the strap, yes its a cheaper crappier strap but then the headset is $100 cheaper than the original. They then offer a good strap as a $50 upgrade which is fair in my opinion. A lot of people used aftermarket straps and faceplates anyways like the Vive deluxe audio strap and VRcover faceplates. At the $300 price, you can do a Q2 + Vive DAS for the same price as the Q1.
 
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