VR headset thing - which one

[In the sticks]

So, apologies as I appreciate that there have been a number of threads on this in various guises.
One of my children is turning 11 and really wants a VR headset, which I'm probably reluctantly going to cave in on. (seeing as I can probably nick it for a bit as well)

He doesn't have a PC, only an XBOX so connectivity isn't an issue and the obvious choice to me is the Meta Quest 2. Am I on the right track or is there something better out there that I've missed? Or, are they a pile of pants and I'd be better off getting something else that he really doesn't want.

Thanks for any advice that you may want to add to this thread.

[Dave Hedgehog]

having a stand alone no wires device is tempting and its well rated, owning something supplied by meta is certainly not desirable IMO

also weedy storage that on the entry version which would just about take 1 modern AAA game


PS VR2 has OLED rather than LED at a higher resolution and larger FoV (important) with a monster processor / storage / ram unit driving it

but you need a PS and the VR unit which is expensive to buy both at once, especially if your invested in xbox

[julian64]

Honestly I would find all your mates with one and ask them to try it.

I couldn't get on with wireless and after about five minutes felt quite sick
This seemed to be the same for some wired, but I found wired better.

It took me a while to find someone with my current setup, which is a valve index and had no problems even with slew running.
The wires might seem like the most important thing to consider but in my case it really really wasn't.

[Bullett]

Excluding PC VR and Playstation, the Quest is just about your only realistic choice.

Try before you buy is good advice, some people can't handle it, also be prepared for it to be a flash in the pan. Just about the only thing ours gets used for these days is sim racing on the PC. I'm a big fan of VR and it's still gimmicky for a lot of stuff outside specific niches.

[paul99]

The Quest 2 is a good bit of kit for the cost, the games are generally not very large and you can fit a lot on the standard 128gb version. My 10 year old son has one and loves it, he mainly uses it connected to PC now as the games tend to look and run better. One thing worth investing in is the Kiwi headstrap replacement as the standard one is poor and fiddly to adjust.
One thing to note is that the Quest 3 is due at some point soon, that should have quite a few improvements as the Q2 is getting on a bit now.

Also there's the PICO 4 standalone headset, slightly better specs than the Q2 and also slightly cheaper. I gather the app store has a fair bit less content than the Meta at the moment but I'm sure that will improve.

Edited by paul99 on Wednesday 1st February 17:13

[Lucas Ayde]

I have a Quest2 and it's a pretty good package - amazing value for money at the old price and still decent even since they added £100 to the price. I think there's a Quest3 due out sometime in 2023, probably towards the end of the year.

However, the Pico4 is a very strong competitor. It doesn't have the wide range of stand-alone games that the Quest has (although it has a lot of the big ones) but the actual technical specs are a little bit better in all respects and it has superior lenses and passthrough.


If your main interest is standalone games, the Quest is still probably better. But if you see yourself using it for playing a lot of PCVR titles (you can stream them from PC wirelessly over WiFi or via USB cable) then the better specs and lenses of the Pico give it the edge.

[In the sticks]

Thanks for all the responses. In the end, went for a Quest 2 (which means that the 3 will be released next week ). Hopefully he'll like it.

[dvshannow]

I’ve just ordered a psvr2 will let you know how it is if I get one later this month it’s releasing on the 22feb

Chose is as read good things about the haptics and OLED screen, through screen vision with the cameras and ability to utilise the raw power of the ps5

GT7 supports it and the horizon game looks like a great one to play with the kids .. not so sure how much other support it will get

[Evolved]

I’ve pre ordered simply for GT7. Being the full game makes it worth while for me. The sample add on within GT on the original PSVR was amazing, and the reviews for GT7 are all glowing. Can’t wait.

[dvshannow]

Good to know , reviews so far indicate psvr2 is a quantum leap from vr1 , could be some very interesting use for the front facing cams once they sort the software - eg augmented reality drivers hands

Haptic feedback gloves will be a thing in the not too distant future and then suits . After which we’ll simply bypass the bodies central nervous system below the neck.

[julian64]

dvshannow said:

Good to know , reviews so far indicate psvr2 is a quantum leap from vr1 , could be some very interesting use for the front facing cams once they sort the software - eg augmented reality drivers hands

Haptic feedback gloves will be a thing in the not too distant future and then suits . After which we’ll simply bypass the bodies central nervous system below the neck.

I think I'm right is saying that front facing camera have been a thing on a number of VR headsets, but I have never really found anything that uses them. The feeling of having working hands/fingers is very good in the index, but again, although its more immersive to have all five digits working in VR, there isn't much that actually seems to use that beyond a simple fist.

I do think you have hit on a problem though. By far the most depressing thing about VR is the software. I regularly scan steam etc for decent games/experiences and pretty much find it stagnant. Same old games at the top of the list, some decent games where the conversion is poor.

I've played into the radius and half life with its various workshops almost exclusively over the last six months.

[Lucas Ayde]

In the sticks said:

Thanks for all the responses. In the end, went for a Quest 2 (which means that the 3 will be released next week ). Hopefully he'll like it.

I think he will. The Q3 probably won't be around until late in the year (like just in time for Christmas) and is unlikely to be such as bargain as the Q2 for the simple reason that Facebook are kind of running out of the money/will to give the VR headsets away.

Even at the current price, the Quest 2 is heavily subsidised. You can see by comparing the price with the un-subsidised Quest Pro which really isn't all that more advanced.

If you have a decent PC, make sure to try out some PCVR titles on the headset too. Cheap and plentiful as well as some really technically awesome stuff that the internal gaming hardware on the headset can't match. Virtual Desktop is well worth getting if you like the PC VR, it's easier to use and more capable than the standard Oculus Link/Air.

[Lucas Ayde]

julian64 said:

I think I'm right is saying that front facing camera have been a thing on a number of VR headsets, but I have never really found anything that uses them. The feeling of having working hands/fingers is very good in the index, but again, although its more immersive to have all five digits working in VR, there isn't much that actually seems to use that beyond a simple fist.

I do think you have hit on a problem though. By far the most depressing thing about VR is the software. I regularly scan steam etc for decent games/experiences and pretty much find it stagnant. Same old games at the top of the list, some decent games where the conversion is poor.

I've played into the radius and half life with its various workshops almost exclusively over the last six months.

Unfortunately the PCVR scene has been pretty flat since the Quest2 (and to a lesser extent, PSVR) took over the VR games market. It now just gets ports of those titles with not much enhancement.

It's simply been much more profitable to develop games targetted at those headsets, entailing much lower spec hardware and therefore not pushing the envelope of what a PC can do.

Also, Oculus developed some pretty amazing PC VR games originally but have since abandoned the PC for the Quest 2 exclusively for new titles. Check out Lone Echo 1 & 2, Asgards Wrath and Windlands. Absolutely top notch.

Hopefully PSVR2 which offers the sort of specs that a decent gaming PC would have, will push the developers to create more advanced VR games again which will also end up on the PC.

[Evolved]

Lucas Ayde said:

julian64 said:

I think I'm right is saying that front facing camera have been a thing on a number of VR headsets, but I have never really found anything that uses them. The feeling of having working hands/fingers is very good in the index, but again, although its more immersive to have all five digits working in VR, there isn't much that actually seems to use that beyond a simple fist.

I do think you have hit on a problem though. By far the most depressing thing about VR is the software. I regularly scan steam etc for decent games/experiences and pretty much find it stagnant. Same old games at the top of the list, some decent games where the conversion is poor.

I've played into the radius and half life with its various workshops almost exclusively over the last six months.

Unfortunately the PCVR scene has been pretty flat since the Quest2 (and to a lesser extent, PSVR) took over the VR games market. It now just gets ports of those titles with not much enhancement.

It's simply been much more profitable to develop games targetted at those headsets, entailing much lower spec hardware and therefore not pushing the envelope of what a PC can do.

Also, Oculus developed some pretty amazing PC VR games originally but have since abandoned the PC for the Quest 2 exclusively for new titles. Check out Lone Echo 1 & 2, Asgards Wrath and Windlands. Absolutely top notch.

Hopefully PSVR2 which offers the sort of specs that a decent gaming PC would have, will push the developers to create more advanced VR games again which will also end up on the PC.

Or will see a shift of users away from PC to PS for the VR experience. As a casual user, the PSVR2 is ideal, especially given the GT7 update announcement. So much so I’ve had to buy the PS5 just to get on board.

[dvshannow]

Let’s see , psvr2 is in an interesting space

15mm quests sold , v much aimed at casual user and little AAA software

Dedicated gaming VR rigs at least 2K and prob more to get into one plus the time spent as PC…

PSVR2 1k unless you have the PS5 already

So for 30mm people it’s 500usd entry

A lot depends on if Sony invest a stream of must have AAA titles, GT7 and Horizon and a decent start.

[Lucas Ayde]

Evolved said:

Lucas Ayde said:

julian64 said:

I think I'm right is saying that front facing camera have been a thing on a number of VR headsets, but I have never really found anything that uses them. The feeling of having working hands/fingers is very good in the index, but again, although its more immersive to have all five digits working in VR, there isn't much that actually seems to use that beyond a simple fist.

I do think you have hit on a problem though. By far the most depressing thing about VR is the software. I regularly scan steam etc for decent games/experiences and pretty much find it stagnant. Same old games at the top of the list, some decent games where the conversion is poor.

I've played into the radius and half life with its various workshops almost exclusively over the last six months.

Unfortunately the PCVR scene has been pretty flat since the Quest2 (and to a lesser extent, PSVR) took over the VR games market. It now just gets ports of those titles with not much enhancement.

It's simply been much more profitable to develop games targetted at those headsets, entailing much lower spec hardware and therefore not pushing the envelope of what a PC can do.

Also, Oculus developed some pretty amazing PC VR games originally but have since abandoned the PC for the Quest 2 exclusively for new titles. Check out Lone Echo 1 & 2, Asgards Wrath and Windlands. Absolutely top notch.

Hopefully PSVR2 which offers the sort of specs that a decent gaming PC would have, will push the developers to create more advanced VR games again which will also end up on the PC.

Or will see a shift of users away from PC to PS for the VR experience. As a casual user, the PSVR2 is ideal, especially given the GT7 update announcement. So much so I’ve had to buy the PS5 just to get on board.

The PSVR2 games will get ported to PC (Sony exclusives excepted). That's the point. At the moment, new VR games target Quest2/PSVR levels of hardware because that's where a lot of the VR sales are and the PCVR version ends up just being a port of that.

As a result most new stuff for PCVR in no way pushes what the PC can do. Games that were actually targetted at high spec PC hardware are a lot more impressive, such as the Oculus games I mentioned or things like Half Life Alyx.

So hopefully, devs will target the higher specs of the PSVR2 and this will result in PCVR versions that actually use the power on offer. Will go the other way too - PC devs can write for a powerful target spec and know that they can bring out a lucrative PSVR2 port.


For actual casual play, nothing is going to compare to the Quest 2/Pico 4 experience. Being able to simply pick up the headset and go is a massive boon if you just want a quick blast of VR.

Also the freedom of the wireless experience cannot be overestimated. Even though the PSVR2 has a considerably less bulky wired setup than PSVR1 did, it's still wired. Being able to play top notch PCVR titles with WiFi streaming to the headset is just amazing.

[Newc]

Be aware that you can be and will be identified and tracked through your VR. How much of a concern this is will vary I guess depending on your choice of VR activities. Research below says 75% accurate ID with as little as 10 seconds of, um, co-ordinated hand-eye movement data.

https://www.theregister.com/2023/02/18/vr_telemetr...

[Lucas Ayde]

dvshannow said:

Let’s see , psvr2 is in an interesting space

15mm quests sold , v much aimed at casual user and little AAA software

Dedicated gaming VR rigs at least 2K and prob more to get into one plus the time spent as PC…

PSVR2 1k unless you have the PS5 already

So for 30mm people it’s 500usd entry

A lot depends on if Sony invest a stream of must have AAA titles, GT7 and Horizon and a decent start.

Quest2 and Pico 4 are pretty untouchable for VFM ... Around £400 for an all in one system that you can quickly jump into and play .. plus you can use them in conjunction with a PC (wired or wireless) for a real high end VR experience. What makes a good regular gaming PC also makes for a good VR PC so you can take advantage of a large install base there. However, devs now target systems with the hardware capabilities of Quest2/PSVR1 so new games which really make use of what a high end PC system can do have become thinner on the ground.

Hopefully PSVR2 will popularise a decently powerful VR platform for devs to target which will lead to an abundance of new, more advanced VR titles generally.

Kudos to Sony for pushing VR. They did wonders popularising VR with PSVR1 and PSVR2 is an order of magnitude more capable. I think they should introduce PC compatibility at some point - it would be a very good option for PC users looking for a wired headset.

[dvshannow]

After the PSVR2 arriving yesterday I ca. say with conviction get that one

The quest is not in the same ballpark as this thing , just played some GT7 on it with a wheel and surpassed what I was expecting - bought a 997 GT3 and brought back some nice memories driving it

[Evolved]

dvshannow said:

After the PSVR2 arriving yesterday I ca. say with conviction get that one

The quest is not in the same ballpark as this thing , just played some GT7 on it with a wheel and surpassed what I was expecting - bought a 997 GT3 and brought back some nice memories driving it

Came here to post just this ad mine arrived and finally for set up yesterday. Wheel, seat, PSVR2 and GT7, wow. It is next level good.

The immersion, dynamics and physics that the package feeds back is amazing. I testes cars I’ve driven in real life and minus the actual feel of speed, they all ‘felt’ bang on. Such a good package, especially for a casual gamer like myself.