Best VR Headsets for 2020

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Virtual reality is slowly but surely making its way to the top. After a lot of enthusiasm and hype since the launch of Oculus Rift in 2012, VR has died out a bit. But we are seeing a quick resurgence in popularity again, especially with new VR games coming to life such as Half-Life: Alyx.There are still some issues with VR headsets; namely, they tend to cause nausea after prolonged use. Additionally, some systems require a lot of wiring, although there are some portable options available. And some editions of VR headsets might not fit everyone’s budgets.

But we can probably say that VR is the future of gaming and the future of our society. There are three main types of VR headsets:

Wired.
Standalone.
Mobile.

We’ve taken a look at each of them and analyzed which ones are the best for 2020. If you’re looking to dip your toes into VR, here are some of the best VR headsets for 2020.

Best VR Headsets for 2020

The Best Option for PC: Valve Index VR Full Kit

The first VR is also the most recent entry. It’s the Valve Index VR, which was developed by Valve in the hope of becoming the go-to VR headset. Have they achieved their goal?

In many ways, yes, although the newest addition doesn’t come without faults. Valve Index is probably the best VR experience for PC at the moment. Valve has plenty of experience in the VR field already. They already developed the tracking system behind HTC Vive, and now they come to the table with Valve Index.

Valve Index has the widest FOV options out of all the VR headsets up to now. This brings a much more realistic experience that is also customizable. Additionally, the audio is exceptional. You’ll feel the world around you alive when you use this headset. The controllers are fantastic, as they are equipped with the latest, pressure-sensitive controllers. These give you the control you need for a better experience.

Many people will find this set quite expensive, though. If you buy the full set, it’s the most expensive on the market. It also requires a lot of wiring. But in the end, if you’re looking for the best VR experience for PC at the moment, Valve Index is the way to go.

Pros:

Adjustable FOV sliders.
Exceptional audio experience.
Futuristic controllers with sensitivity to pressure.
Realistic experience.

Cons:

Expensive.
Not wireless.

The Best Standalone VR Headset: Oculus Quest

Oculus Quest is probably the best choice when it comes to price, versatility, and performance. It’s a standalone device that doesn’t require any wiring at all. This also means you don’t need an expensive PC or smartphone to run it. You get the premium experience right out of the box, without additional costs and external factors.

It comes with a Snapdragon 835 processor and a 1440 x 1600 OLED display. Once you get the set ready, you’ll be experiencing the VR experience in a matter of seconds. All you need are some apps from the Oculus store, and you’re ready to go. The Oculus library comes with an impressive array of apps to choose from.

The biggest shortcoming of this headset is that it only lasts for about 2-3 hours before it needs charging. This means that after every session of using the set, you’ll need to charge it again. There’s also some minor leakage at the bottom of the headset, although that’s not a lot of leakage, and it doesn’t ruin the experience.

Pros:

A flawless standalone experience.
Impressive display.
Easy to use, highly portable.

Cons:

The battery only lasts for 2-3 hours.

VR Headset with the Best Display: HTC Vive Pro

One of the best VR headsets for 2020 is the HTC Vive Pro headset. It’s certainly a worthy alternative for the Valve Index, and it has some advantages over it. First of all, the display. It’s perhaps the best display on the market at the moment. It features Dual-LED Amoled displays with a 2880 x 1600 resolution. This allows for a very smooth visual experience, brighter colors, a high refresh rate, and a 130-degree FOV.

The HTC Vive Pro is also very versatile. You can combine the headset with Valve Index’s controllers, giving you a nice option if you want. If you already own an HTC headset, you can only buy the new controllers from the Valve Index package to get the best of both worlds. There’s also an option to go wireless, as you can buy a wireless adapter separately.

The HTC Vive Pro is still quite an expensive package. But if you’re looking for performance and a quality display, you can’t go wrong.

Pros:

Amazing Dual-LED Amoled display.
Great performance.
Versatility.

Cons:

Quite expensive.

Budget VR Headset: Oculus Rift S

If you’re working on a budget, then the Oculus Rift S is certainly the one to satisfy your needs. The best thing about this headset is that it comes with support for both Oculus apps and PC VR apps. So the Oculus Rift S is very similar to the Oculus Quest, only that it doesn’t come with wireless support.

But for the money asked, the Oculus Rift S is certainly worth a consideration. It has a 2560 x 1440 resolution and impressive refresh rate of 80Hz, so you still get a good performance out of it. You’ll get a very stable performance out of this headset.

The downside is that it’s not wireless. If you want a wireless option, then the Oculus Quest is the one to go with. But for a budget-friendly option, the Oculus Rift S represents a no-brainer.

Pros:

Budget-friendly.
Great performance.
Access to the Oculus app library.

Cons:

Not wireless.

For Playstation Lovers: Playstation VR

The Playstation VR brings the virtual reality experience to PlayStation lovers. if you own Playstation 4, then this package will bring you everything you need: a flawless VR experience with some interesting games to go with it. There is a decent library of games currently VR-ready for the Playstation 4. And the best thing about it is that the VR will be ready for PS5 if you’ll upgrade in the future. This was confirmed by Mark Cerny, the lead architect for PS5, in an interview with Wired.

Perhaps the biggest downside of this set is the low resolution. But for the money asked, this headset will bring an excellent VR experience to your Playstation.