The Best VR Glasses 2019: Which Should I Buy?

2023 Author: Sheila Hailey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-25 04:29

• The leader: HTC Vive Pro
• Cheaper alternative: The Oculus Rift S
• Best stand-alone VR glasses: Oculus Quest
• For PS4 players: The PlayStation VR

The leader: HTC Vive Pro

HTC Vive Pro - introduction

The currently best technical VR glasses on the market is the HTC Vive Pro. The device has a very good image quality with a resolution of 1440 x 1600 pixels per eye at a 90 Hz refresh rate and a field of view of 110 degrees.

The movement tracking of the HTC Vive Pro using external sensors has also turned out very well. However, the sensors are not included in the scope of delivery and must be purchased separately.

A large selection of VR content is available for the HTC Vive Pro thanks to the SteamVR store. The integrated headphones offer a good sound and the wearing comfort of the VR glasses can be rated as pleasant and better than the predecessor HTC Vive. Only the design of the device is a bit bulky.

For the technical finesse of the HTC Vive Pro, however, a proud price of around 950 euros is currently due for the starter kit including motion sensors. You should also keep in mind that a powerful PC is required for operation. If the price does not matter, the HTC Vive Pro is technically the best device currently available on the VR glasses market.

Advantages: Very good picture quality, good sound, high wearing comfort, good movement tracking

Disadvantages: high price, high PC hardware requirements

HTC Vive Pro starter kit at Saturn

Price comparison at Idealo *

Cheaper alternative: The Oculus Rift S

In contrast to the HTC Vive Pro, the Oculus Rift S does not require any external sensors. Nevertheless, the “Oculus Insight” technology enables movement in space. Very good touch controllers are included with the device and the resolution is 1280 x 1440 pixels per eye with a repetition rate of 80 Hertz and a field of view of 110 degrees.

Unfortunately, the integrated speakers of the Oculus Rift S do not offer particularly good sound. Although it is possible to connect other headphones to the device, additional cable clutter is accepted. The VR glasses, on the other hand, are very comfortable to wear.

The Oculus Rift S is currently available for around 450 euros and is therefore much cheaper than the HTC Vive Pro. Of course, the technical level of the Vive Pro is not reached by the Rift S, but the technical data are solid and the device is definitely an alternative if you are not willing to pay the high price of the Vive Pro. However, you also need a powerful PC for the Oculus Rift S.

Advantages: good image quality, high wearing comfort, downward compatible to the predecessor, no additional sensors necessary, good controller

Disadvantages: Low sound quality of the built-in speakers, high PC hardware requirements

Oculus Rift S at Saturn

Price comparison at Idealo *

Best stand-alone VR glasses: Oculus Quest

As stand-alone VR glasses, the Oculus Quest does not require a PC, and no external sensors are required. As with the Oculus Rift S, tracking technology allows movement in space.

Due to the lack of computing power of a connected PC, the Oculus Quest does not offer as technically sophisticated content as the Oculus Rift S or HTC Vive Pro, the quality of the Oculus Quest is more of a smartphone level.

The image quality of the VR glasses is a very good 1440 x 1600 pixels per eye with 72 Hertz refresh rate and a field of view of 100 degrees. The Oculus Quest comes with the same high-quality controllers as the Oculus Rift S and there is a good game selection for the device.

As with the Oculus Rift S, the quality of the built-in speakers is not convincing.

The price of the Oculus Quest is currently roughly the same as that of the Oculus Rift S at around 450 euros. However, you naturally do not need a PC with good hardware for the Quest. So if you don't necessarily value high-end VR content, you can be well served with the Oculus Quest.

Advantages: good image quality, high wearing comfort, good movement tracking, good controller

Disadvantages: No graphically demanding games possible, mixed sound quality, relatively high price

Oculus Quest at Saturn

Price comparison at Idealo *

For PS4 players: The PlayStation VR

PlayStation VR in the test

For PlayStation 4 owners and those who want to become one, the PlayStation VR glasses are ideal for getting started in the virtual reality world.

The device does not exactly have an outstanding resolution with 960 x 1080 pixels per eye, but the PlayStation VR scores with an impressive 120 Hertz frame rate, which together with the 100-degree field of view leads to an overall solid graphics performance. However, these cannot compete with high-end glasses like the HTC Vive Pro.

Furthermore, the PlayStation VR is very comfortable to wear and there is an extensive range of software for virtual reality glasses. The PlayStation camera is required for movement tracking of the device, which unfortunately is not part of the standard scope of delivery. If you also want to record the movement of your arms while playing, you also need the PlayStation Move controller.

For a bundle with the PlayStation VR glasses including a mandatory camera and a number of high-quality games, you currently pay around 300 euros:

PlayStation VR at Saturn

Price comparison at Idealo *

Advantages: Comprehensive range of games, affordable price, high wearing comfort

Disadvantages: Low image resolution, a lot of wiring required, only works with PlayStation 4

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Buy VR glasses: what you should know

Different types of VR glasses

VR glasses can be roughly divided into three categories: there are those that are paired with computers, stand-alone variants and glasses that work with an inserted smartphone. The PlayStation VR occupies a special position, which only works with the PlayStation 4 console.

VR glasses coupled with a computer or console are the most powerful because the necessary calculations take place on the PC or the console. Accordingly, there is the most graphically demanding content among these models. However, the corresponding PC hardware is of course also necessary for this, for which you should estimate about 800 euros if a powerful PC is not already available. In this context, one should also take into account the minimum requirements of VR glasses that can be found out at the respective manufacturer.

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The advantage of stand-alone VR glasses is, of course, that they do not require any additional hardware, so there is no tangle of cables and you can possibly save the costs of a powerful PC. Conversely, the reproducible contents of the stand-alone VR glasses are not graphically as demanding as with PC-bound devices.

With smartphone VR glasses, a smartphone acts as a display and provides the necessary hardware power. These types of VR glasses only work with certain smartphones. Of course, you should inform yourself about the compatibility beforehand, you may have to buy a suitable smartphone first, which of course increases the financial outlay. However, the smartphone glasses themselves are cheap and technically are at the level of the stand-alone VR glasses.

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Movement in space

Another question is whether you can move around the room with the respective VR glasses or not. This is usually the case with more expensive models, but movement tracking may not necessarily be possible, especially with low-priced devices such as smartphone VR glasses. Some models like the HTC Vive Pro require additional sensors for spatial tracking, others like the Oculus Rift S and the Oculus Quest are already integrated in the device.

If you choose a device to be connected to the PC, the freedom of movement in the room can also be disturbed by the necessary cables. Wireless adapters are now also available, but they do not yet work reliably with every PC.

technical requirements

A good resolution of the glasses is also important for the VR experience, this should ideally be at least 960 × 1080 pixels per eye. The refresh rate should be at least 60, better 90 Hertz, and the field of view 100 degrees or higher.

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Motion sickness

For some people, so-called "motion sickness" can also be caused when moving in space. These are symptoms of nausea, which are caused by the unusual perception of virtual reality for the human organism. This phenomenon can occur especially with fast game content. If possible, you should test whether you are susceptible to it before buying glasses.

"Problem group" glasses wearers

Another important aspect is the comfort of wearing glasses: Not all devices fit glasses into the housing of the VR glasses without problems. Problems arise in this regard, particularly with smartphone VR glasses. Therefore, glasses wearers should try out the respective VR glasses before buying.