Will 2021 be the year when VR technology makes its broad breakthrough? Virtual Reality hasn’t quite come as far as we once expected it to at this point. For those old enough to remember, there was a lot of talk about VR twenty years ago. Back then, it often seemed like we would all be spending our free time in a virtual world within just a few years. Actually, as you know, it has not turned out that way. Partly because the technology is still a bit too expensive to be of interest to a wider public. At least if you want an experience that is better than what you get in the cheapest options.
That said, there are plenty of good VR headsets out there today, and they don’t have to cost a fortune. But if you want the absolute best, there are no shortcuts, then it costs a penny. Here we’ll take a look at the best options for PC, console and standalone.
Best VR for PC: Valve Index
The Valve Index is considered by many to be the absolute best VR headset you can buy today. But you can cough up a penny if you want it. The headset, which can be used by those who play on a PC, costs just over €1,000 at the time of writing. If you want to play in a virtual reality, though, it doesn’t get much better right now. The so-called “screen door effect” (that is, when the lines separating individual pixels become visible) is almost non-existent and the sound quality is top-notch. The downside? You need a gaming PC with reasonably good performance to get the most out of this option.
Best VR for console: Playstation VR
Playstation’s virtual reality helmet is the best option for consoles. Why? Above all because there is no other console that offers the same range of games in VR. With that said, we are referring here to the alternative that exists for the Playstation 4, and considering that the Playstation 5 was recently released, that console will slowly die now. That being said, the VR option for the Playstation 5 will most likely be a good buy. We don’t know exactly what the new console is for yet. As is well known, the capacity of new video game consoles shows itself over time. Most likely, VR for PS5 will be at least as good a purchase, especially considering that it is possible to play titles from PS4 on PS5 as well. Playstation’s VR headset currently costs around SEK 3,000.
Best ‘standalone’ VR: Oculus Quest 2
With the Oculus Quest 2, you can either play games developed specifically for them. You can easily download the games directly to the device. In other words, you don’t need a computer to play. However, with the help of a USB cable, you can also play from the PC. The only downside, many feel, is that you have to have a Facebook account to play. Regardless, the Oculus Quest has very high performance for the price of around SEK 5,000.
