Apr 21, 2023 10:00 AM

The Best VR Headsets

Diving into virtual reality is easier than ever—but here are a few key things to know.

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Meta Quest Pro VR headset and controllers

4 / 10

Virtual reality was supposed to be the next big thing back in 2016 when the original Oculus Rift and HTC Vive launched. It was the tech whose time had finally arrived. Or so we thought. As it turned out, VR was still a little too expensive and perhaps too alienating to take over the gaming world. Then there was the hype about the “metaverse,” and now we're seeing companies that invested heavily in VR starting to jump ship, so keep that in mind when you're looking at investing in a new headset.

Still, VR can be a cool way to experience certain games, art experiences, and even sex tech. For those interested, here are the best headsets we've tried.

Updated March 2023: We've added guidance on the Meta Quest Pro and PSVR 2.

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Tethered or Wireless VR?

Before we dive deep, there's one question you need to answer: Do you want a tethered or wireless headset? Tethered VR gives you more graphical detail because you're hooked up to a PC. The disadvantage is that you're, well, hooked up to a PC. There's no getting around the fact that cables are awkward to deal with, especially when you can't see them. You'll likely trip on them at some point too. But if you're looking for absolutely top-of-the-line graphics, and you already shelled out for a great gaming PC or laptop, then you'll want to go tethered.

For most people, myself included, wirefree VR is a much better option. It's more comfortable, you don't have to worry about getting tangled up in your own cables, and it's totally portable. You can bring this kind of VR headset to any room in the house without having to lug around a PC. Plus, in the case of the Meta Quest 2, you can plug it into a PC if you want the extra graphical horsepower. Below, we feature both kinds of headsets. Take a look.

Photograph: Meta
Best Overall (With a Big Caveat)
Meta Quest 2
The Meta Quest 2—the successor to the Oculus Quest, originally called the Oculus Quest 2—delivers great resolution in a lightweight body. It was built to be completely wirefree, but you can plug it into a powerful gaming rig with a single USB-C cable and experience the kind of ultrahigh-definition VR you can only get from dedicated PC hardware. It's also great for work. With Horizon Workrooms, you can set up your own little space away from the office and even invite coworkers to hang out and collaborate. It has the best-in-class app store, full of games and apps purpose-built for the Quest 2.
Unfortunately, the Meta Quest 2 has gotten a price hike, which is concerning. I've never seen a game console or device go up in price after being on the market for a few years–unless it comes with some kind of upgrade, like the Nintendo Switch OLED. It's troubling and doesn't speak well of Meta's confidence in the platform. There are other drawbacks too. Namely, the company behind it all is Meta (aka Facebook). You might not like that, given Facebook's less-than-stellar history of managing user data (not to mention how that data is used). If you're in the market for a VR headset, the Meta Quest 2 is still our top pick. Just try not to buy too many things from the Meta Store; stick to purchases on a more stable marketplace, like Steam (which supports the Quest 2).
On the plus side, you no longer need a Facebook account to sign into the Meta ecosystem. Sort of like on Instagram, you'll be able to sign in with a Meta account that is completely separate from the Facebook social network. This is the account you'll use for purchasing games and managing your library. For social aspects that were once paired with Facebook, you can create—alongside your Meta account—a Meta Horizons account. This is the one you'll use to connect with friends and share content on Facebook and Instagram. This is good news, but I'd still advise caution. The data is all going to the same place, so if you have hangups about Facebook, it might be a good idea to skip the Horizons side of things.
Supports room-scale VR, can operate with or without a PC, and comes with two controllers.
$399 at Amazon
$400 at Target
$400 at Best Buy
Photograph: Sony
Best for Console
Sony PSVR 2
The PSVR 2 is slightly more expensive than the PS5 you need to run it, but if you can get past that hurdle, it's worth the price. 2K screens in each eye deliver crisp detail, which is especially worthwhile in Sony's collection of high-end games. The headset is comfortable and even usable with glasses. The new eye-tracking feature is impressive, allowing you to select menu items or track objects by looking directly at them, instead of pointing with a controller.
The library of games is still somewhat limited, since it doesn't support any previous PSVR games, but there's already quite a few that are worth checking out, like Horizon: Call of the Mountain, a special VR-only game set in the Horizon universe. In this game, you climb perilous cliffs and fire a bow and arrow in an environment that's so realistic it's almost uncomfortable. Just don't look down.
$550 at PlayStation Store
Photograph: Meta
The Luxury Pick
Meta Quest Pro
If you’re looking for a top-shelf VR experience, the Quest Pro is one of your best options right now. The Quest Pro improves on the Quest 2 in just about every way. It’s much comfier to wear, the head straps are easier to manage, the internal displays are more vivid and higher resolution, and the headset itself features face-tracking. That means your in-game avatars will have facial expressions that match your own with surprising accuracy. It also features a full-color passthrough mode, which is great for popping in and out of VR or making the most of mixed-reality apps like virtual desktop setups.
$999 at Amazon
$999 at Walmart
Photograph: Vive
Best for Casual VR
HTC Vive Flow
The Vive Flow is an interesting VR headset, in part because it's not really a VR headset. It's more like a pair of giant, super-thick VR glasses you can slip on to meditate in a virtual space, watch a movie or show, or socialize with friends or colleagues virtually. It's nice for short and casual jaunts into VR. You'll need a 10,000-mAh battery pack and a USB-C cable to power it, but it supports inside-out tracking, so there's no need for any external sensors. It's not as powerful as the Quest 2 or Pro, so high-fidelity experiences are off the table for the moment, and it's controlled via your Android smartphone—if you have an iPhone, you're out of luck. You can check if your smartphone is supported here. It works with a limited number of apps on HTC's Viveport store.
It helps that it's super lightweight and portable enough to throw into a carry-on and use to watch movies on a flight. The design is by far my favorite out of any VR headset—it's comfy to wear, you don't have to mess with any head straps, and you can put it on even with your hair up in a bun or a ponytail. If you don't care about beating your friend's high score in Beat Saber, you'll still feel plenty immersed with this pair of comfy VR goggles.
Room-scale, inside-out tracking, tethered to a battery pack.
$499 at Vive

Photograph: Vive
Best for Virtual Work
HTC Vive Focus 3
The Vive Focus 3 is first and foremost designed for business use. It's important to say that because it costs a whopping $1,300. It uses inside-out tracking like the Quest, so you don't need to set up external sensors or anything. It's well built and feels comfy on the head, though it's quite bulky compared to the Quest, likely to accommodate the bigger battery that allows for 12 to 15 hours of continuous use. You can even swap the batteries out when they die.
However—and this is a big however—it's not for gaming. Not really. You can use it for gaming, with a link cable and SteamVR, but it doesn't simultaneously charge, so it's still relying on the battery. I wasn't even able to get games to render at the Focus 3's full 5K resolution. This is mostly for commercial and business VR applications—conference rooms, presentations, previewing 3D models in real space, that kind of thing. We included it in this list because it is a really good headset. It's great at all the things it sets out to do. If you need a headset for 3D or AR work, this is the one.
Supports room-scale VR, can operate with or without a PC, and comes with two controllers.
$1,300 at Amazon
$1,300 at Adorama
$1,300 at Vive Store
Photograph: Steam
Another VR Headset
Alternatives and Upcoming Gadgets
Valve Index for $999: We haven't tried the first VR headset from Valve, but the Index is another high-end option with a display resolution comparable to the Cosmos Elite. Unlike HTC's headset, the Index does support inside-out tracking right out of the box and uses USB-C. It supports room-scale VR, requires a PC, and comes with two controllers and two base stations.
Photograph: Vive
Headsets to Avoid
Not Worth Your Money
VR's been around long enough that there are some headsets on the market that are either obsolete or are a little too expensive and cumbersome for what you get. We think our above picks will serve most people well, so avoid the following (unless they're steeply discounted).
HTC Vive: One of the original VR headsets, the Vive was good when it came out but doesn't quite stand up to modern offerings like the Quest 2.
HTC Cosmos Elite: I reviewed this headset in 2020. You need to manually set up the base stations, the controllers are bulky and awkward to use, and there are so many cables and dongles (including three power adapters) that it just feels like work. You need to hook it up to your gaming PC, allowing you to play SteamVR games. It's visually spectacular, but the clunky design makes it hard to recommend.
Oculus Rift & Rift S: When the Quest 2 rolled out, Meta (then Oculus) agreed it was time to retire the Rift and Rift S. The Quest 2 does everything they did and way more.
Google Daydream: This smartphone-powered VR headset didn't live long. It's now obsolete, like many of Google's projects.

Photograph: Logitech
Earbuds for VR
Logitech G333 Earbuds
VR gets pretty sweaty. You have a tiny computer box stuck to your head with two screens inside, all of it generating its own heat, and then there's the heat your body generates while you're exploring ancient ruins. It builds up pretty quickly, especially once you throw some headphones on for immersive audio. That's why I've come to appreciate the Logitech G333 VR earbuds. They're just regular earbuds, but the cord is extra short on one side (where it plugs into the headset), so you're not covered in loose cables. You get pretty great audio, and your ears stay cool.
$30 at Amazon
$27 at Walmart
Photograph: Polyarc
Great Games and Apps to Try
Great VR Games to Try
Now that you have a headset in mind, all you need are some games to check out. In my experience, the best VR games are the ones built around short sessions—the kind of game it's easy to pick up and put down, since everyone has different tolerances for VR. Some people can play for more than an hour, while others need a break after 15 minutes. Not every game is flexible in that way, but these are. Check out our Best Meta Quest 2 Games roundup for more.
Vader Immortal: This game takes you on a multi-episode adventure in the Star Wars universe as a smuggler captured by the Empire. It's immersive, full of memorable characters, and the environments are absolutely gorgeous. Available on all VR platforms.
Moss: Moss puts you in the shoes of a kindly forest spirit guiding an adorable mouse knight through her dangerous adventures. Unlike most VR games, this one is designed to be played while stationary, standing, or sitting. Available on all VR platforms.
Superhot: Stylish, with a pulse-pounding soundtrack, Superhot plays like a cyberpunk action movie. You go from stage to stage, fighting faceless polygon men in slow motion. Time only moves when you move, so you can control the flow of the action and dance out of the way of bullets and projectiles. Available on all VR platforms.
Beat Saber: There's not much to say about this game. It's Guitar Hero with lightsabers, and I mean that in the best way. Beat Saber is a rhythm game, but instead of pushing buttons to match the notes, you slice them in half with glowing laser swords, and it's one hell of a workout. Available on all VR platforms.
Half-Life: Alyx: If you're looking for a slower, more story-oriented game, then Half-Life: Alyx is worth a try. And no, it's not Half-Life 3. This game takes place between Half-Life and Half-Life 2, and it puts you in the shoes of Alyx Vance as she tries to keep the alien Combine from acquiring a superweapon. It plays a bit like a survival horror game, with scarce weapons and ammunition, but there are plenty of puzzles to keep things from getting monotonous. Available on desktop-based VR platforms only.
Horizon Workrooms: It's not as fun as helping a cartoon mouse navigate ancient ruins in a haunted forest, but Horizon Workrooms is a surprisingly pleasant VR workspace. It syncs with your desktop, so you can have your PC screen right there in VR; you can even have a little window through VR and into the real world in order to see your keyboard and mouse. It can be a fun way to mix things up if you're working from home, and it's a pretty enjoyable workspace if you want to hang out with your coworkers remotely for a while. It's available only on Meta Quest headsets.
Photograph: Sonny Costin/Oculus
Finding Room for VR
Space Exploration
One of the limiting factors for VR has always been space. Where do you set it up? How much room do you need? Early on, you saw photos of room-scale virtual reality setups, or people pushing their furniture to the edge of their living room. But with headsets like the Meta Quest 2, you can do VR in basically any room of your home.
The key to making space for VR is finding somewhere comfy and familiar. For me, that's usually my living room. I just put the headset on and find an area where I can stretch my arms out without hitting anything and go from there. Sometimes it's helpful to lay out a yoga mat, so I can keep track of where I am in space. You could say that VR only requires as much space as you'd need for a yoga routine.
Finding room for VR isn't so much about physical space as it is about finding how it fits into your life. For me, that's as a game console. I've tried keeping my VR headset plugged in beside my PC, but that usually just means I forget about it and never use it. I prefer hanging it off the back of my TV stand, plugged in, charging, and just as easy to hop in and out of as any other game console. In particular, the Meta Quest 2 is a lot like the Nintendo Switch: a great home console, but also something you can easily grab and take to a friend's house without having to wrestle with wires.

Jaina Rodriguez Grey is a product writer and reviewer at WIRED covering coffee, sex tech, and gaming. Previously, she was a legal researcher for Thomson Reuters and a tech reporter for Digital Trends. She currently resides in Portland, Oregon with her partner and a pet rabbit named Lola.

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