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Best VR Headset of 2024

Our top picks for VR headsets this year, including the Meta Quest three and Quest 2, Sony PSVR 2 and thoughts on the Apple Vision Pro, all tested by CNET.

- Nearly 20 years writing about tech, and over a decade reviewing wearable tech, VR, and AR products and apps
What's one of the best VR headset overall?

VR is remodeling, and that’s solely partially due to Apple. The phrases "VR" and "AR" are being folded together into mixed reality thanks to a wave of VR headsets that even have passthrough cameras to blend the digital and actual. Essentially the most affordable combined reality headset you should purchase right now's the Meta Quest 3: at $500, it’s $250 costlier than the Quest 2, however $3,000 cheaper than the Apple Vision Pro.

The Quest 3 has a newer, fasterSnapdragon XR2 Gen 2 processor that has better graphics and a better-res display than the Quest 2, better lenses and redesigned controllers, and it can even mix the digital and real world with passthrough shade cameras, but Apple's headset beats it on display and digital camera fidelity. The Quest platform has plenty of facet benefits: it has tons of of games and creative/productiveness apps, has several great fitness applications for efficient cardio workouts, can hook up with PCs and may even double as a work gadget if in case you have some endurance. It also has hand monitoring that works with out controllers, but controllers are included to provide you with two choices for enter. The Quest 3 may even play iPhone 15 Pro-shot "spatial" 3D movies, too.

The Apple Vision Pro is an amazing piece of tech and a bleeding-edge high-end blended reality headset that additionally runs iOS and 1000's of iPad apps, works with out controllers using eye and hand monitoring and can run multiple apps at the same time, along with being a virtual MacBook monitor. The 4K micro-OLED shows are beautiful, and movies and photos look improbable. Apple’s machine requires a tethered battery pack, is only made to work within Apple’s ecosystem and doesn’t have many unique apps but at launch that do greater than act as floating 2D screens. The Vision Pro could very nicely be the start of a complete new chapter in headsets, and may turn into the perfect product in this entire category over time, but not right now for most individuals. At its current value and software program limits, you’re higher off waiting and attempting a free demo as a substitute. The Quest three is a far cheaper ticket to discover comparable ideas in the meantime at an enormous low cost.

At CNET, we have been testing and reviewing VR/AR headsets because the arrival of the unique Oculus Rift prototypes. We've covered nearly every massive moment within the industry for properly over a decade and have demoed each headset we might get our hands on, as well as reviewed all the most important products in the market. Our comparative understanding of the panorama, and likewise what's coming, lets us value the current by way of the long run.

Best VR headsets of 2024

The Quest three appears like the best VR headset of the second. But it surely might not be something you want just yet.

Meta Quest 3

Best mixed reality VR headset for $500

- Crisp high-res displays
- Improved new processor
- Mixed reality with better colour cameras
- Smaller controllers with higher haptics
Don't love

- Costlier than Quest 2
- Few distinctive apps and games at launch
- Straps and consolation nonetheless aren't great
- Still solely 2-3 hours battery life
Meta's upgraded VR sequel to the Quest 2 looks like a notable revamp, with improvements across the board: a barely smaller design, higher, clearer lenses, the next-res show, smaller controllers with better haptics and better-res shade cameras that can combine the real world and the virtual collectively. This "mixed actuality" is comparable in spirit to what Apple's Vision Pro will do but in a decrease-res form for lots much less cash.

Though the Quest 3 has great upgrades, it does not really change the equation much on the general approach the headset and software program function. Quest apps and the OS are largely the identical, and mixed reality is usually a gimmick for the second that is only featured in a handful of latest video games and apps, although seeing your surroundings with the headset on (and even checking messages on your telephone) is too much easier now. The headset's consolation stage is not any better, and hand tracking still is ok however not good.

The Quest three is more likely to be the best VR headset in its worth class for the next few years, however the software program still hasn't caught up. For that purpose, the Quest 2 remains to be in all probability good enough for many. Its excellent display high quality and improved wireless connectivity might make it a very good selection for Pc VR players: it works as a related Pc headset just like other Quest fashions do.

- Display: LCD, 2,064x2,208 pixels per eye
- Eye tracking: No
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2
- Works with glasses: Yes

Meta Quest 2

Best reasonably priced VR headset

- High-res show
- Great self-contained gaming experience
- Doubles as Pc VR headset
- Works properly with a handful of health apps
Do not like

- Only 2 to three hours of battery life
- Not designed for younger kids
The Quest 2 continues to be the most reasonably priced and versatile VR headset of the second. It would not require a gaming console or Pc (although it is advisable pair it with a phone to set it up). The newly announced Quest 3 seems like the higher product, though it prices more ($500), and we have not reviewed it but.

Meta will support the Quest 2 with future software proper now, however the Quest 3's extra advanced processor will make it extra future-proof. For that cause alone, the Quest 3 seems to be value the extra money. But for those who need an reasonably priced possibility for families, the Quest 2 remains a superb pick.

The base model's 128GB of storage is loads for storing dozens of games and apps, though keep in mind there is no manner to add more storage after purchase. Meta additionally now allows accounts to bypass Facebook logins, though a new Meta account remains to be required. Meta has also added higher parental controls for youthful gamers.

The Quest 2 jogs my memory of the Nintendo Switch for its versatility and fun, and it has a rising library of surprisingly effective health apps. The Quest 2 can also connect with a Pc to run extra superior apps from Steam or Meta's personal app library, utilizing a single USB-C cable or wirelessly.

- Display: LCD, 1,842x1,920 pixels per eye
- Eye monitoring: No
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2
- Works with glasses: Yes
Read our Meta Quest 2 review.

Sony PlayStation VR 2 digital reality headset

PlayStation VR 2

Best excessive-end console gaming VR headset

- Vivid, excessive-res OLED display
- Comfortable fit
- Excellent controllers
- Realistic vibrations
- Powerful graphics potential
Do not like

- Expensive
- Must be cabled to PS5
- Included earbuds are just Ok
- Doesn't work with old PSVR games
- Game library needs extra exclusives
The PSVR 2 is expensive ($550), and wishes a PlayStation 5 to even work. It's tethered, not wireless. Its HDR OLED show, graphics high quality, built-in eye monitoring and fantastic advanced controllers -- which have the same vibrations and adaptive power-suggestions triggers because the PS5 DualSense controllers -- give this headset a premium really feel that makes its finest games carry out at a special degree. It may very well be a landing spot for high Pc VR games, but right now it already has some exclusives like Gran Turismo 7, Resident Evil Village and Horizon: Call of the Mountain.

The PSVR 2 lacks any social metaverse-type software program so far and feels more like a headset designed to just launch and play VR video games. Many of the video games for this headset are ports of titles you may get on units like the Quest 2 instead. As more video games roll out which might be optimized for this hardware, the PSVR 2 might rapidly stand out from the standalone VR pack. You might want to wait and see what occurs except you're prepared to jump in and trust Sony now.

- Display: OLED, 2,000x2,040 pixels per eye
- Eye tracking: Yes
- Requires tethering to PS5 to work
- Works with glasses: Yes
Read our PlayStation VR 2 evaluation.

The Apple Vision Pro

Best standalone VR/AR computer

- Amazing micro-OLED display
- A mostly fluid hand-eye management interface
- Blends the real and digital worlds impressively
- iOS support folds in tons of familiar apps for work
- Playing again personal 3D recollections feels transporting
Don't like

- Extremely costly
- Hand-eye interface is not at all times good
- Not many VisionOS optimized apps but
- External battery and cord required to be used
- Doesn't work over glasses
Apple stands alone in the class of "standalone mixed actuality laptop headset" because, actually, nothing else on the market does precisely what the Vision Pro does. Most VR headsets to date have focused on games and individual immersive inventive and work apps to discover concepts in blended actuality. Apple’s Vision Pro takes a really different path by folding in almost all of iOS. Having familiar Apple companies and thousands of iOS apps floating in digital workspaces feels like a future where our present devices and VR/AR finally dovetail.

The Vision Pro additionally has a phenomenal micro-OLED show that plays movies extremely well. The hand/eye monitoring feels futuristic too and, at its best, it’s way more of a mouse/trackpad substitute than Meta’s hand monitoring on Quest. Its blended reality capabilities are one of the best we’ve ever seen, with passthrough cameras which can be the best quality of any standalone device.

The Vision Pro wants extra apps to make the most of its potential and lacks lots of the video games and health experiences that Quest affords. As a work system, as soon as among the early software quirks are ironed out, it’s obtained incredible promise -- it can act as a surprisingly nice virtual monitor for Macs, too. As a fancy travel house theater for someone with $3,499 to spend, it’s additionally fascinating. At this price, no matter how gorgeous the experience may be, it’s a product most individuals should wait on or just try a demo of first. Keep in mind that the Vision Pro doesn’t work with glasses (you’ll need Zeiss prescription lens inserts, a separate $100-$a hundred and fifty purchase), and the headset has its personal tethered battery pack that has to be used along with the gadget, making it feel less self-contained than the Quest.

- Display: Micro-OLED, unknown particular resolution (Apple states 4K per eye)
- Eye tracking: Yes
- Processor: Apple M2
- Works with glasses: No
Read our Apple Vision Pro evaluation.

The Reverb G2 has 4 cameras (two entrance, two on the sides), and off-ear Valve-designed spatial audio headphones.

HP Reverb G2

Best Pc VR headset for larger-res gaming

- Higher-res display
- Wider discipline of view
- Great audio
Don't like

- Controllers really feel cheap
- No headphone jack
If your idea of the best VR headset is to have the most effective picture high quality in client VR, HP's Reverb G2 wins. For severe gamers (or VR racing sim followers), it is probably your best alternative. The 2,160x2,160-per-eye decision and 114-degree discipline of view are the very best at this value vary, and the lightweight, comfy headset additionally has unbelievable dropdown speakers designed by Valve. It's technically a Microsoft Windows mixed reality headset that prefers to launch into Microsoft's native Windows 10 VR ecosystem, but it surely bridges with Steam VR and works with these games and apps, too. Built-in camera-based mostly room tracking is less complicated to arrange than the Valve Index's exterior base stations however is extra susceptible to monitoring errors. The included controllers, based on Microsoft's VR controller design, feel clunkier than either the Quest 2 controllers or the Valve Index controllers. Also, the over-ear speakers are your only audio alternative; there is not any headphone jack.

It lists for $599, but it is often on sale for much less.

- Display: LCD, 2,160x2,160 pixels per eye
- Eye tracking: No
- Requires connection to Pc to work
- Works with glasses: Yes
Read our HP Reverb G2 review.

Valve Index

Still top-of-the-line Steam VR hardware platforms

Like

- Excellent SteamVR compatibility
- Good audio
- Innovative controllers
Don't love

- Requires exterior room sensors for monitoring
- Display resolution lags behind present headsets
Valve's headset is not as slicing-edge because it was when it debuted in 2020, but its Steam VR and Vive hardware compatibility, excellent audio and fancy controllers still make it hardware price considering. Valve's "knuckle" controllers are pressure-delicate and can observe all 5 fingers, making them nearly like gloves. Not all apps make the most of them, however Valve's hardware is combine-and-match compatible with the HTC Vive, which also is built on the Steam VR platform. The Index headset has excellent audio, but its display resolution is no longer nearly as good as rivals'.

The Index additionally wants external "lighthouse" bins just like the HTC Vive for monitoring, that means it's worthwhile to set these up in a room first. It isn't as self-contained because the Quest 2 or HP Reverb G2, which might track the room with in-headset cameras. It's also positively not wireless, but if you already have some older HTC Vive hardware, you may add on components of the Index to combine and match. It feels like this hardware could be due for an upgrade sooner than later.

- Display: LCD, 1,440x1,600 pixels per eye
- Eye monitoring: No
- Requires connection with Pc to work, and exterior room sensors
- Works with glasses: Yes
Read our Valve Index evaluate.

Other VR headsets we've tested

Meta Quest Pro: Last year's costly, eye-tracking-outfitted Quest headset can observe facial expressions and has a crisp show, however the less expensive Quest three already makes it obsolete with its higher graphics, cameras and display decision.

HTC Vive XR Elite: The glasses-like design of the XR Elite is a sign of the long run, but the software program and performance of this headset don't justify its value.

PlayStation VR: The original PSVR nonetheless works on the PlayStation four and 5, but it's not suitable with PSVR 2 games and hardware. It nonetheless has some great games to discover, however its lack of devoted controllers and awkward setup feels historic.

How we take a look at VR headsets

Although mainstream VR headsets have been round for practically a decade, the apps they run and the computer systems, phones and sport consoles they work with keep altering. We run key apps and software on the headsets, utilizing them mainly in standalone mode in the event that they're designed to be self-contained, or with a Pc, sport console or cellphone in the event that they're primarily meant as related peripherals.

We use the headsets for a combine of work, gaming, health and inventive makes use of, and stay attentive to the place the headsets have ache points (moments of discomfort, feelings of disconnect or sensations of nausea or distortion). Using expertise like VR can usually be a extremely subjective experience, but by being attentive to details we discover we can discover the place each product is uniquely useful.

Comparison is also key: I've looked at just about every wearable AR and VR system of the last 15 years and in addition coated a whole lot of the wearable tech, telephone and laptop landscape. How these units work as recreation consoles, health gadgets, work equipment and social tools are all key areas. We additionally assume about shows, audio, controllers and accommodations for eyeglasses.

Factors to think about when buying a VR headset

VR and AR generally feel like product classes that never quite appear to grow to be mainstream, however change is coming fast to the headset landscape.

Apple's $3,499 Vision Pro headset -- a self-contained, standalone VR/AR system that Apple is positioning as a full spatial laptop -- is the best-price device on the patron market, with a really totally different pitch than video games-centered gadgets like the Meta Quest. Its capability to run all sorts of iOS apps and have a number of apps open at once make it a singular option, and its prospects as an iOS combined reality laptop, paired with its incredible show quality and unique input technique of hand-eye tracking, may make it a promising machine for creators, researchers and anyone with a large sufficient wallet to pay for a excessive-finish private cinema on their face. It also emphasizes issues like computing and video high quality as an alternative of what are nonetheless the Quest's greatest strengths: gaming and fitness.

The Vision Pro is not the one combined actuality VR headset on the market: Expect extra on this category, which blends VR with video of your surroundings utilizing colour passthrough cameras that feels nearly like augmented actuality. The Quest three is essentially the most reasonably priced mainstream blended reality VR headset, and Apple's is probably the most expensive. Upcoming anticipated gadgets by Samsung and others must be on their approach. Qualcomm's Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chipset, which enables combined reality, extra AI functions, and higher graphics, made its debut on the Quest three however will roll out to different headsets in 2024 and past. A variant on this chip, the XR2 Gen 2 Plus, will likely be on Samsung and Google's higher-finish headset.

Samsung, Google and Qualcomm have announced a partnership for future merchandise, suggesting a mixed-actuality headset could be arriving as quickly as subsequent yr. In case you desire a phone-linked gadget, you most likely ought to wait and see how Samsung and Google's future merchandise shake out. Qualcomm's future plans for VR and AR lean on phones as a solution to energy smaller glasses, but up to now there are no of all these smaller units that we'd recommend.

Sony's $550 PlayStation VR 2 delivers a fantastic console gaming VR experience for PlayStation 5 homeowners and consists of eye monitoring like Apple's Vision Pro, however isn't wireless and is still a relatively costly accessory (it costs more than the PS5 itself). It's costlier than each the Quest 2 and Quest 3, and nonetheless needs a PS5 to work, however costs far less than a Vision Pro (though it serves a completely different goal and depends on a limited set of PlayStation VR games to even perform). Its extra limited library and features make it much less versatile than a Quest, however a enjoyable Quest alternative for anyone deep into Sony's PlayStation 5 ecosystem.

For Pc homeowners, there are a number of choices. You might use a Quest 2, Quest 3 or Quest Pro, or consider a number of existing units. The biggest previous players within the Pc VR gaming scene (Microsoft, Valve, and HTC) have been quiet on that entrance, particularly now that Microsoft has discontinued most of its blended actuality efforts. That could change once more quickly. A Pc-related VR headset can provide essentially the most versatile collection of software program for an immersive VR experience, and it additionally lets you employ that headset for inventive and business instruments.

The cost of a new VR headset goes up lately. If price is your biggest concern, the Quest 2 still provides one of the best value in VR: a completely wireless experience, with entry to an incredible library of fantastic video games.

VR headset FAQs

Should I wait to buy a VR headset?

Right now, the Quest 3 and Quest 2 are nice gadgets to attempt without spending rather a lot. The Apple Vision Pro, alternatively, is an especially expensive new product you definitely ought to wait on (but try a demo of). With a Samsung mixed reality system expected to be introduced this 12 months that might be a Google-enabled various to Vision Pro, plus possible entries from HTC and perhaps even Valve on the horizon, there might be many headsets on the way in which which might be higher than what's here at the moment. VR is a technology that's still in flux. That being stated, the Meta Quest is a secure buy proper now (although a more reasonably priced Quest 3 Lite might be coming this yr, too).

What ought to I look for in a VR headset?

It really is determined by whether or not you're connecting to a Pc or not, and whether you plan to do work with it. There are many Windows-compatible headsets, but they vary in display resolution. Higher is healthier, and so is a bigger subject of view. Headsets can refresh at as much as 120Hz now, and the faster they refresh, the more natural and clean VR movement feels. Do you desire a headset that works as an Apple providers-related laptop, like Apple's Vision Pro? For health, keep in mind that the Quest is the perfect possibility with its varied equipment, apps, and fitness app hook-ins.

For players with a PlayStation 5, the PSVR 2 is the most effective option. Also, consider the app libraries: The Quest has quite a lot of unique games, and Windows-linked headsets have numerous compatibility with work apps and experimental tools. The PSVR 2 has its own library of games that aren't backward-compatible with authentic PSVR video games.

Do any of these headsets work with phones?

The previous world of phone-primarily based VR headsets -- just like the Samsung Gear VR and Google Daydream -- are mainly useless. A superb number of the current iPhone, Android and VR app options do not even work with the outdated cell VR goggles. The Quest does have a phone app for streaming content material for a mother or father to watch and might receive telephone notifications and sync some health information for workouts, however it's still not absolutely built-in with phones. If smartphone-based mostly VR comes again, it can extra probably be within the type of small headsets that plug into phones via USB-C for VR content, VR gaming and other makes use of.

How do I care for my VR headset?

VR headsets can get dusty and grimy. Take extra care with the lenses, which ought to be cleaned gently with microfiber cloths the identical means you'd deal with glasses (however don't use liquid cleaners). A slightly damp paper towel (simply wet with a bit of water) may help clear off exteriors. It's a good suggestion to invest in a case or bag to protect the headset from mud and keep your headset coated when not in use.

Take extra care not to expose your VR headset to bright sunlight: The sun can injury VR displays if beams hit the lenses of the headset. To be protected, I keep mine in instances, flip the lenses away from home windows, and cover them with an outdated t-shirt or towel if I don't have a case.