Finding the Best VR Headset for Your Budget A Buyer s Guide

Buying Guide: The Best VR Headsets in 2023

Jump to:

Best PC VR headsets | Best standalone VR headsets | Best console VR headsets

The Best PC VR Headsets in 2023

PC VR is where youll find the highest quality visuals and the most ambitious VR games like Half-Life: Alyx. Of course, youll need a reasonably powerful gaming PC to plug your headset into. See this article for the specs your PC needs to handle VR headsets.

The Best Overall: Valve Index $1,000

If youre looking for the very best overall PC VR headset, Valve Index is our pick. Its pricey compared to the rest, but has an excellent balance of quality, performance, and comfort. Thats why we called it the enthusiasts choice in our full review of the headset.

Pros

Things to love about Index are its excellent tracking performance, wide field of view, quality controllers, great audio, and range of ergonomic adjustments that make it easy to dial in a comfortable and clear fit.

Index is one of the only headsets that offers an eye-relief adjustment. This lets you bring the lenses as close to your eyes as comfortable, allowing you to maximize your field of view; it also makes the headset easier to adjust for glasses. Index has a physical IPD adjustment which ranges from 58mm to 70mm, making it easy to align the lenses with the width of your eyes for the sharpest visuals.

Cons

But Index isnt perfect. Compared to other headsets on the market, the external tracking system is more work to set up, typically requiring two tracking beacons mounted on opposite corners of a room, stuck on a tripod, placed up high on a shelf, or screwed into your wall. They also need to be plugged into their own power outlets. And while Index has cameras on the front for a pass-through view, it isnt as quick or useful as weve seen on other headsets. Its resolution is on the low-end compared to the latest headsets, and did we mention the price tag of $1,000? You can get it cheaper though if you already have SteamVR Tracking base stations from an old Vive headset.

Valve Index Specs

Content Compatibility

Valve Index is officially compatible with the SteamVR library where the vast majority of VR content is available. If youre looking to play content thats exclusive to the Oculus PC library (likeLon Echo II) you can use the free but unofficial Revive mod to play Oculus PC content on Valve Index. It may take some tweaking for performance and controller inputs, but for the most part Oculus content will play reasonably well on Index.

While Valves Index has great all-around performance, HPs latest Reverb G2 is the headset you want if resolution is your most important consideration. Reverb G2 should be on your radar especially if youre thinking of picking up a VR headset for seated PC VR games like driving and flight simulatorsfind out why in our full review.

HP has also released a slightly updated version of the headset (which we call the Reverb G2.1) that makes some small but noticeable improvements. Read more about Reverb G2.1 here.

Pros

When it comes right down to it, G2s defining feature is its class-leading resolution of 2,1602,160, which can look downright amazing with the right content. Thanks to a collaboration between Valve and HP, G2 also borrows the excellent headphones of Valves Index headset and brings improved controllers compared to previous WMR headsets. Not to mention the headset has inside-out tracking which makes it easier to use thanks to no external trackers. And who can argue with it being nearly half the price of the full Valve Index kit?

Cons

Although it boasts improved controller ergonomics compared to prior WMR headsets, Reverb G2s controller tracking still has more latency and less reliability than its peers, along with less detailed (and somewhat noisy) haptics. The controllers will get you through most games just fine, but if you plan to primarily play competitive or fast-paced games, the controllers on other headsets tend to deliver better results. As for field of view, G2 is similar to most of its peers but loses out compared to Index. The pass-through view also isnt as useful as some other headsets because of its odd flashlight implementation.

HP Reverb G2 Specs

Content Compatibility

HP Reverb G2 works natively with the Windows Mixed Reality store, but very few VR applications are available there. Fortunately a free and official plugin from Microsoft also makes it compatible with SteamVR content.If youre looking to play content thats exclusive to the Oculus PC library (likeLone Echo II) you can use the free but unofficial Revive mod to play Oculus PC content on Reverb G2.

For the Ultra Enthusiast: Varjo Aero $2,000+

If you have cash to spare, and especially if youre looking for the ultimate VR sim setup, Varjo Aero could be a great fit.It has the most impressive visual clarity weve seen from any consumer-available headset, thanks to a very high resolution display and unique lenses. It alsohas some other nice-to-have features not found on most other headsets. But itll cost you far more than other headsets. For a deep dive, check out our full Varjo Aero review.

Pros

If you can even put a headset thats this expensive in the same category as other consumer VR headsets, Varjo Aero easily has the sharpest, most immersive image thanks to its2,880 x 2,720 (7.8MP) per-eye resolution. On top of that, the headset uses aspheric (rather than Fresnel) lenses, which means it doesnt suffer from the glare and god-rays that plague most other headsets. Aero also has two features that arent available on most headsets: automatic IPD adjustment and eye-tracking. The lattercan be used for foveated rendering and some other useful stuff, but most applications today dont support it.

Cons

Aeros biggest downsides are its price, lack of integrated audio, and some image distortion. The headset alone costs $2,000, and if you dont already have SteamVR Tracking base stations and controllers, youll need to shell out an additional $580 to get them. And lets not forget in order to really get the most from the headset, youll need a PC capable of pushing all those pixels at high framerates; if you dont already have a beast of a PC, this one might not be the best choice (Varjo recommends at least an RTX 3070 or RTX 2080 and Aero does not support AMD GPUs).

As for the lack of integrated audioyoull need to plug headphones or earbuds into the headsets 3.5mm aux port, which means another wire to deal with and another thing to put on and take off every time you use the headset. And while the Aeros image is incredibly sharp, it does suffer from distortion near the edges of the lens which can bother some people more than others.

Varjo Aero Specs

Content Compatibility

Varjo Aero is officially compatible with the SteamVR library where the vast majority of VR content is available. If youre looking to play content thats exclusive to the Oculus PC library (likeLone Echo II) you can use the free but unofficial Revive mod to play Oculus PC content on Varjo Aero. It may take some tweaking for performance and controller inputs, but for the most part Oculus content should work on Aero.

Although Quest 2 is a standalone headset (which means games run directly in the headset without plugging into a PC) it also has a feature called Oculus Link which gives you the option to run PC VR games by plugging into a PC. And if you have a modern router (Wi-Fi 5 or Wi-Fi 6), you can even do this wirelessly with Air Link feature.

Pros

Along with the useful passthrough feature, high resolution display, and great controllers, Quest 2 is a pretty great all-around headset. The hard-to-beat price makes it a great value, especially considering the fact that the headset also runs standalone VR games from the Meta Quest store. Meta has also consistently released software updates to improve the headsets performance and features.

Cons

Unfortunately the cable that comes with Quest 2 isnt long enough to work well for Oculus Link, and we cant recommend the official cable because of its crazy $80 price tag. Thankfully you can get 26 feet worth of Oculus Link cable for $34. Or if you have a Wi-Fi 5 or Wi-Fi 6 router you can use Air Link to play PC VR games wirelessly.

And, as we found in our full review, we werent big fans of Quest 2s soft headstrap, so wedrecommend dropping the extra $50 for the Elite Strap accessory [Amazon] if youre serious about playing PC VR games. The built in audio is convenient, but we wish it was higher quality.

Meta Quest 2 Specs

Content Compatibility

Without being plugged into a computer, Quest 2 can only play games from the Meta Quest library. If you plug into a computer via Oculus Link, youll have access to everything in the Oculus PC and SteamVR libraries as well. That means that Quest 2 is compatible with the vast majority of top VR content out there, as long as youve got a powerful PC to plug the headset into.

The Best Standalone VR Headsets in 2023

Standalone VR headsets are fully self-contained and dont need to plug into anything. They generally offer high ease-of-use thanks to their all-in-one nature and lack of tether. With their low overall cost (thanks to not needing a high-end PC) standalone headsets are a great way to take your first step into VR.

Quest 2 is an upgrade over its predecessor in almost every way, though its worth noting that you need a Facebook account to use the headset. It comes in a 128GB and 256GB version.

Pros

With an impressive resolution, powerful Snapdragon XR2 processor, useful passthrough view feature, and great controllers, theres a lot to like about Quest 2. Whats more, if you ever decide to upgrade to PC-powered VR, Quest 2 can plug into your computer and be used like a PC VR headset. When it comes to overall value, no other standalone headset is in the same ballpark right now. And another nice thing about the headset: it keeps getting better with each update.

Cons

Theres a few things we wish were better though. As we found in our full Quest 2 review, the included soft headstrap just isnt that comfortable, which is why we recommend the Elite Strap ($60 on Amazon)or Elite Battery Strap ($120 on Amazon) accessories if youre a serious VR user.

The hidden built-in speakers are convenient but we wish they were more powerful for better immersion (luckily theres a 3.5mm headphone jack if you want to use your own headphones). And while Quest 2 has a pretty strong game library, since its a standalone headset you wont be able to play any of the big PC VR games likeHalf-Life: AlyxorAsgards Wrath unless you have a powerful PC to plug into.

Meta Quest 2 Specs

Content Compatibility

Meta Quest 2 is compatible with all content in the Meta Quest library. If you have a gaming PC (or get one in the future), you can plug it into your PC to play content in the Oculus PC library and the SteamVR library.

For the Ultra Enthusiast: MetaQuest Pro $1,500

Although Meta is heavily marketing Quest Pro as a mixed reality headset, Quest Pro is also essentially a better Quest 2 in almost every way. While the upgrades are nice, they wont justify the extra $1,000 in cost for anyone but hardcore VR users; we explain why in our full Quest Pro review.

Pros

You can think of Quest Pro as a more compact Quest 2 with better visual clarity, better controllers, a better passthrough view, and some neat new features like face-tracking. Although the resolution is the same as Quest 2, the lenses are better which makes the image a bit sharper and improves clarity by eliminating glare caused by Quest 2s less sophisticated lenses. The new controllers are self-tracking, which means they wont lose tracking when theyre out of sight of the headset and theyre more compact. An included charging dock for both the headset and the controllers is also a nice touch which means your headset will always be charged and updated when youre ready to play.

Cons

Given that Quest Pro is being pushed as a mixed reality headset, Meta opted for an open-front design which means youll be able to see the outside world more easily. This is nice for when youre using the passthrough view, but for VR applications it can be less immersive. The headset includes some snap-on blinders that close off some of that outside view for more immersion, but youll have to drop an extra $50 for the full light blocker if you want maximum immersion from the headset.

Additionally, Quest Pros lack of top-strap makes the headset less comfortable for some than it could be and its battery life is pretty short at 12 hours. And finally, the headsets most unique features, like full face-tracking and better passthrough for AR applications, are rather underutilized at this stage in the headsets life.

Quest Pro Specs

Content Compatibility

Meta Quest Pro is compatible with all content in the Meta Quest library. If you have a gaming PC (or get one in the future), you can plug it into your PC to play content in the Oculus PC library and the SteamVR library.

Yup, our value pick for standalone headset is the same as our Best Overall pick: Quest 2! But if youre brand new to VR and are just looking for a taste, you can probably hold off on the Elite Strap accessory and save yourself $60 in the meantime. If you find yourself using the headset often you can always add the strap later.

See the Quest 2 section above for thoughts and details on Quest 2.

The Best Console VR Headsets in 2023

If you know anything about VR, youll already know what were going to say! PlayStation is the only console maker that currently supports a VR headset (sorry Xbox fans). And unfortunately only Sonys own headsets work with its consoles.

But at least that makes things easy. If youre using PS4, the original PSVR is the best (and only) headset that will work with the console.

If youre using PS5, the soon-to-launch PSVR 2 is the obvious choice. Even though the original PSVR is technically compatible with PS5 (if you get a special adapter), PSVR 2 is a big improvement across the board and will be the only headset to support the latest generation of VR games and content on PS5.

Our Take

PSVR launched in late 2016 and was a great headset for its era, including a handful of excellent exclusive VR games that you wont find anywhere else. However, the headset is officially past its prime in 2023 and feels last generation in resolution, tracking, and controllers compared to whats available elsewhere in the VR landscape.

Its hard to recommend buying the six year old PSVR today. Its becoming increasingly difficult to find new units at reasonable prices. Bundles are typically priced at $350, but good luck finding those in-store or online anymore. Ebay has a number of pre-owned optionsalongside unreasonably expensive new in-the-box units, so choose wisely.

Thats certainly because Sonyis planning to launch its next-gen PSVR 2 on February 22nd.

PSVR Specs

Content Compatibility

PlayStation VR is only compatible with select VR content in the PlayStation storeand does not support PSVR 2 games. However, its back-catalog includes a handful of excellent exclusives not available on PSVR 2 like Astro Bot Rescue Mission and Blood & Truth. You can also use the headset to play non-VR PS4 or PS5 content in a theater mode through the headset, but with relatively low resolution its not something youre likely to do often. The vast majority of PSVR titles are also backwards compatible with PS5.

Launching in February, PlayStation VR 2 will finally bring an upgrade to Sonys VR platform, but it will only be compatible with PS5. Priced at $550, its more expensive than something like Quest 2, but if youve already got a PS5 youre likely to get a higher-fidelity VR experience thanks to the game console being far more powerful than the standalone Quest 2.

PSVR vs. PSVR 2 Specs

Content Compatibility

PSVR 2 is unfortunately not backwards compatible with PSVR games. That means it only supports games in the PlayStation store that are specifically marked with PSVR 2 support.