Beginner's Guide To VR: FAQ And Everything You Need To Know-MobileStreet

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Beginner's Guide To VR: FAQ And Everything You Need To Know

What is VR headset (virtual reality headset)?
A virtual reality headset is a heads-up display (HUD) that allows users to interact with simulated environments and experience a first-person view (FPV). VR headsets replace the user’s natural environment with virtual reality content, such as a movie, a game or a prerecorded 360-degree VR environment that allows the user to turn and look around, just as in the physical world.
Although virtual reality has been around for years, the tethered hardware to experience it has traditionally been expensive, bulky and power-hungry. Today, mobile VR headsets, which are basically goggles that will hold a smartphone, have allowed VR apps to spread into the consumer market. The goal of each type of VR headset is to provide the viewer with an experience that is so real, the headset itself is forgotten.
VR apps for both mobile and tethered apps incorporate technology such as gaze tracking, IR sensors, gyroscopes and accelerometers to move the user’s point of view in a natural manner. Mobile apps often include stereo sound, while tethered apps may feature surround or even 3D sound. Development challenges for all VR apps and headsets include eliminating latency to reduce viewer disorientation, headache and nausea.
Types of VR headsets:
Oculus Rift - a computer-based system that reignited interest in virtual reality when the Oculus VR startup launched a successful Kickstarter campaign. Rift works with positioning technology that lets the user move physically through 3D space and has Touch controllers.
Microsoft’s Hololens - a standalone VR headset. The system features 3D spatialized sound, Wi-Fi, a Kinect-like camera with a 120-degree spatial sensing system, a fleet of gyroscopes and accelerometers and a transparent screen for each eye.
HTC Vive - plugs into a powerful gaming PC for its performance. Dual base stations allow users to move freely through a 15' X 15' area. The system was developed collaboratively with Portal, a video game software company.
PlayStation VR - works with PlayStation 4 rather than a PC. The system duplicates the headset VR display on a TV.
Samsung Gear VR - a smartphone container that uses the phone's processing power. The system, which works with high-end Samsung Galaxy models, was developed in collaboration with Oculus VR.
Google Cardboard - a low-cost, smartphone container made of plain cardboard. There are a number of inexpensive headsets based on the original open source model.
Apple Glasses: Everything We Know So Far
Apple's first headset will support both AR and VR capabilities, technology that's usually referred to as "mixed reality." Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are similar technologies, but their potential applications vary significantly.
Virtual reality refers to a full immersive experience in a virtual world, while augmented reality refers to a modified view of the real world. With a VR experience, the real world is largely shut out to focus on an entirely virtual experience, but augmented reality overlays virtual elements on your real-world view.
Google Glass, a Google product that's now largely defunct, is an example of a head-worn augmented reality device, while the Oculus and PlayStation VR are examples of head-worn virtual reality devices. Apple is working on both of these technologies, but the initial product will be more similar to the Oculus than Google Glass.
Virtual reality is singularly focused on immersive content consumption because it makes the wearer feel as if they're actually experiencing what's going on in the simulated world through visual, tactile, and audio feedback. Virtual reality is linked to gaming right now, but it also has the potential to recreate real world experiences for educational or training purposes.
Augmented reality doesn't hinge on immersive content and while less exciting because it's augmenting reality instead of replacing it, it has a wider range of potential applications and it is the technology that Apple ultimately seems to be most interested in. Apple's headset will support both AR and VR, which is called mixed reality, and it's something we've seen in products like Microsoft's HoloLens.
Mixed reality merges real-world content and virtual content to produce new environments where physical and digital objects can be viewed and interacted with together. In practice, we don't quite yet know what exact kind of experience Apple's headset will provide, but we can count on immersive games, more interactive FaceTime and chat experiences, and new learning tools.
Design
Apple's AR/VR headset will look similar to some other VR headsets on the market, featuring a design that's not too far off from the Facebook Oculus Quest virtual reality headset. Several of the design details have been revealed in rumors, and The Information even saw a prototype so we have a good idea of what to expect.
The headset will use fabrics and lightweight materials to ensure a comfortable fit. It has been described as having a "sleek, curved visor attached to the face by a mesh material and swappable headbands." The renders below from designer Ian Zelbo are based on these headset descriptions.
A band in the back that's made of a material similar to an Apple Watch band will hold the headset on the wearer's head, and a soft mesh will make the fit comfortable against the front of the face. Headbands are swappable, and come with size adjustment options.
One headband allegedly features spatial audio technology like the AirPods Pro for a surround-sound like experience, while another provides additional battery life while on the go. The headset would also be able to respond to the wearer's eye movements and hand gestures, while one prototype of the headset also featured a physical dial on the visor's side.
The design blocks out peripheral vision to prevent light from leaking into the wearer's field of view, and it's possible there will be an outward-facing visor for showing graphics to others.
Current headset prototypes are said to weigh around 200 to 300 grams, but Apple is aiming to reduce the final weight to 100 to 200 grams if technical problems can be solved, which would make the headset lighter than existing VR devices.
Display
Rumors suggest the AR/VR headset will have two to three displays. There will be two high-resolution 4K micro OLED displays with up to 3,000 pixels per inch. Sony is expected to supply the display modules that Apple will use, though Apple may also use some OLED displays from Samsung.
Micro OLED displays are built directly on to chip wafers rather than a glass substrate, which results in displays that are thinner, smaller, and more power efficient. They allow for pixel sizes in the range of four to 20 micrometers, compared to 40 to 300 micrometers with standard OLED panels, plus they have a faster microseconds response time, making them ideal for augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) applications.
The AR/VR headset will also include an outer, external display that will be a standard OLED display supplied by LG Display. The standard OLED display will be a simple exterior indicator display that does not require the higher-quality micro-OLED technology used for the dinner display.
Apple is using "Pancake" lenses that will allow for a thin and lightweight design. Pancake lenses are more expensive than the Fresnel lens technology used for other VR headsets, but will result in a much thinner device.
Because of the close fit of the headset to the face, users will not be able to wear glasses, so there may be an option for prescription lenses to be inserted over the screens.
Cameras
The headset will feature more than a dozen optical cameras for tracking hand movements, mapping the environment, and projecting visual experiences. One of the headset's marquee features is said to be lifelike avatars that have accurate facial features captured by the included cameras.
Eight camera modules will reportedly be used for see-through augmented reality experiences for the user, while another six modules will be used for "innovative biometrics." One camera will also be available for environmental detection.
There will be a set of eye-detecting cameras that will allegedly allow users to "read small type" and see other people standing in front of and behind virtual objects. The headset will be able to map surfaces, edges, and dimensions of rooms with accuracy.
Apple is also rumored to be adding two downward-facing cameras to capture leg movement specifically, which will be a unique feature that will allow for more accurate motion tracking.
Control Methods
Apple is exploring several input methods for the AR/VR headset, including hand gestures, eye-tracking, and input from a wearable device connected to the headset.
An advanced eye-tracking system is said to provide an intuitive visual experience that interacts seamlessly with the external environment, plus it will facilitate controls with eye movements. Iris recognition will be included as part of the eye-tracking system, which could be an authentication method.
There will be four 3D-sensing modules for detecting hand gestures and nearby objects through spatial detection, and the headset will also feature voice control and support for Siri commands. It will also detect skin and it might be able to monitor expression.
Apple is working on multiple control methods, including a "thimble-like device to be worn on a person's finger."
Iris Scanning
For privacy and security, the AR/VR headset will integrate an iris scanner that can read the pattern of the user's eye, allowing for an iris scan to be used in lieu of a password and for payment authentication.
Iris scanning on the AR/VR headset will be akin to Face ID and Touch ID on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac. It could allow two people to use the same headset, and it is a feature that is not available on competing headsets like Meta's new Quest Pro.
Processors
Two Mac-level M2 processors will be included in the AR/VR headset for unprecedented computing power in a wearable device, with Apple using the same chips that debuted in the MacBook Air. Apple will reportedly adopt a 96W power adapter to charge the headset due to the powerful chips.
There will be a high-end main processor along with a lower-end processor for managing the sensor-related aspects of the device. One of these chips could be a 4-nanometer chip, which is the latest TSMC technology, and the other is a 5-nanometer chip. The headset will not be reliant on an iPhone or Mac for processing power, and it will feature independent power and storage.
Apple has completed work on the SoCs for the AR/VR headset, and will optimize for wireless data transmission, compressing and decompressing video, and power efficiency for maximum battery life, though they do not have a neural engine like some of Apple's other chips.
Naming
Trademark filings have suggested that Apple could call the mixed reality headset that's in the works the "Reality Pro" or the "Reality One." Apple has trademarked those names in addition to "Reality Processor," so it sounds like we could get reality-themed naming.
Apple has trademarked these names in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Costa Rica, and Uruguay using shell companies.
realityOS Operating System
The AR/VR headset is expected to run a new operating system called "realityOS," which stands for Reality Operating System. Hints of the rOS naming have been found in Apple source code, so this is likely to be the name that Apple will go with.
Apple wants to create an App Store for the headset, with a focus on gaming, streaming video content, and video conferencing. It has been described by Bloomberg as an "all-encompassing 3-D digital environment" designed for gaming, media consumption, and communication. Apple may be planning to work with media partners to create content that can be watched in VR, and there could be a VR FaceTime-like experience with Animojis and other features.
When FaceTiming someone, instead of seeing their actual face, you might instead see a 3D Memoji-character version of them. The headset would be able to read facial expressions and features, matching that in real time for a lifelike chatting experience. SharePlay, the feature introduced in iOS 15, may also be heavily integrated, and the headset is expected to integrate with existing Apple services like Apple TV+ and Apple Arcade.
A recent rumor of unknown reliability has indicated that Apple is working on a new version of the Messages app that could feature a new home view and chat rooms specifically for virtual and augmented reality chat features.
Apple has filed trademarks for "realityOS," the name expected for the AR/VR headset. The trademark filings were submitted in December 2021 and feature foreign filing deadlines of June 8, 2022, but that date is a legal requirement and unrelated to WWDC.
WiFi 6E
Apple's upcoming mixed reality headset will offer WiFi 6E support, which is the latest WiFi specification. Apple is said to be planning to implement WiFi 6E to provide a high-end, immersive experience with solid wireless connectivity. WiFi 6E has all of the benefits of WiFi 6 but adds 6GHz spectrum in addition to the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands for increased bandwidth and less interference between devices.
Development Troubles
Apple's AR/VR headset could be facing yet another delay, as Apple is facing development issues that need to be overcome. According to Bloomberg, Apple has pushed back the release plans for the headset several times now. Apple originally planned to launch the headset in 2021 and ship it in 2022, and then delayed that until the 2022 WWDC.
Now it's unlikely that we're going to get a glimpse of the headset at this year's Worldwide Developer Conference because Apple has yet to solve several problems. With the high-powered processor inside, the headset is overheating, and there are also problems with the camera and the software.
At least one of the chips designed for the headset is on par with the M1 Pro from the latest MacBook Pro models, and the thermal demands of the chip are causing problems with heat dissipation.
Apple is considering delaying the launch of the AR/VR headset until late 2022 or 2023, and the company's supply chain partners have been told that it is unlikely to be released until 2023. Apple is, however, pushing vendors to have units available by the end of 2022.
With the delay, Apple is planning to focus on the headset during the 2023 Worldwide Developers Conference. Apple will encourage developers to start building augmented and virtual reality apps for the "rOS" App Store.
Development History
Apple has been working on augmented and virtual reality technologies for a long time now, and the company has a huge team of employees developing headworn AR/VR products. It's believed that in the future, AR/VR devices will replace the iPhone, something that could happen as soon as 10 years from now.
The iPhone is Apple's most profitable and important product, so that AR/VR headset technology will replace the iPhone gives us some idea of how key it is to Apple's future.
Rumors suggest that the original headset design included a fan and powerful processors, but the device was too heavy. Early designs also would have required the headset to use the processing power of a connected iPhone or Mac, but Apple has changed the design and added high-end chips to the headset itself.
Early prototypes were described as having an 8K display for each eye, and there was one rumor that said the headset would connect to "dedicated box" using a high-speed short-range wireless technology called 60GHz WiGig. The box would be powered by a custom 5-nanometer Apple processor that's "more powerful than anything currently available." The box apparently resembles a PC tower, but it "won't be an actual Mac computer."
Internal disagreements shaped and changed Apple's goals for its AR headset over time, and rumors suggest that Apple did not go with the "box" design because former Apple designer Jony Ive did not want to sell a device that would require a separate, stationary addition for full functionality.
Ive wanted a headset with less powerful technology that could be embedded directly in the device, but the leader of the AR/VR team, Mike Rockwell, wanted the more powerful device. It was a standoff that lasted for months, and Tim Cook ultimately sided with Ive, changing the direction of Apple's headset design.
Pricing
Pricing on the headset could start somewhere around $3,000, which will make it much more expensive than an iPhone. To start with, it won't be aimed at general consumers, but will instead be positioned as a device for developers, content creators, and professionals.
Apple expects to sell just one headset per day per retail store, and it has told suppliers that it expects sales of seven to 10 million units during the first year of availability.
Apple was rumored to be targeting WWDC 2022 as the unveiling date for the AR/VR headset, but due to the issues outlined above, it's now looking like the earliest we might see the headset is late 2022, with 2023 perhaps being even more likely.
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes the headset will see a January 2023 announcement with a launch to follow, and Bloomberg's Mark Gurman recently said that while Apple was targeting mid-2022 for an unveiling, that's now been pushed back to the end of the year or 2023.
According to DigiTimes, Apple in February 2022 finished key production tests (EVT 2) for its AR/VR headset, ensuring that prototype units are able to meet Apple's design goals and specifications. DigiTimes believes that the headset will enter mass production in the August-September timeframe, with a launch to happen before the end of the year, but that is not in agreement with the other rumors that we've heard of delays and a 2023 launch.
Beginner's Guide To VR: FAQ And Everything You Need To Know
We often get asked, both in professional and personal settings, where the best place is to start with VR.
[This guide was first published in December 2019. It was updated and re-published on November 2020, January 2021 and most recently in May 2022]
Some people have a basic understanding of the technology but aren’t up to date with the current products available on the market. Conversely, some people are aware of the major headsets but still struggle with some of the technology’s concepts and terminology.
With this guide we want to cover all the basics. We’ll explain basic VR concepts, terminology and most of the major headsets on the market. If you don’t know where to start with VR, you will now.
For further reading, be sure to check out our New to VR? section of the site.
What is VR?
VR, short for virtual reality, allows people to be fully immersed in a fabricated environment. This is usually (but not always) delivered through head-mounted hardware that tracks a person’s movements. These VR headsets consist of a screen (or two display panels, one for each eye) housed in a frame (or headset) strapped or fitted to your head. A pair of lenses are typically fixed between the panels and your eyes, blocking the outside world, to make it appear as if what you see through the headset is your entire world.
Critically, all headsets track your movement so the image you see adjusts accordingly. Some headsets, however, track more movement than others.
In most cases, VR experiences will also have a method for you to control or select things within the simulated environment. Sometimes you’ll have a controller in each hand to control aspects of the experience. In some cases, the controllers deliver virtual representations of your hands to manipulate the environment and objects within it in ways similar to the real world.
Basic Terminology and Concepts
So you have the basic premise of VR down, but you still have some terms or concepts that need clearing up. We can help with those.
FOV (Field of View)
FOV is short for field of view. In the context of our eyes, our field of view is everything you can see at any given moment.
In the context of VR headsets, the field of view refers to everything you can see in the virtual world at any given moment while using the headset. The types of VR headsets available for consumers at the time of this writing have a field of view which is smaller than what you can see with your eyes, meaning that the VR environment doesn’t fill, or match, your eyes’ field of view when using the headset.
This is why you often have a black “border” when using VR, around the lenses you’re looking through. This is just the space around the lenses on the inside of the headset. If the field of view of the headset is wide enough, though, the border can make it seem like you’re looking through a pair of goggles into the virtual world — making it easy to forget that the limit exists. Field of View can be measured in different ways and device manufacturers may not accurately represent how much you can see relative to other headsets.
Degrees of Freedom
When talking about movement and tracking in VR, people often refer to “degrees of freedom”, or DoF. More degrees of freedom means that more of your physical movements will be tracked by the headset and mapped onto your simulated representation.
The two most common terms you’ll see when reading about degrees of freedom are 3DoF and 6DoF (3 and 6 degrees of freedom, respectively). Headsets that only provide 3DoF will only track your head’s movements (roll, pitch, yaw) but not its position in space (x, y, z coordinates). 6DoF is able to track both your head’s movements and its coordinates in a physical space.
The GIF below is a great visual explanation:
Most VR headsets these days provide full 6DoF positional tracking. A lot of older mobile and standalone headsets, many of which are discontinued or being phased out, use 3DoF, such as Google Cardboard, Google Daydream, Gear VR, and Oculus Go.
Tracking Types
Every VR headset needs a way to track the movement of the person wearing the system.
The most common form of tracking currently is called “Inside Out” tracking. This system typically relies on cameras built into the headset to track movement from the inside of the headset, outwards. Advanced simultaneous location and mapping (“SLAM”) algorithms monitor features of the physical environment surrounding the person wearing the headset. The Meta Quest, Oculus Rift S, HTC Vive Cosmos, and all Windows Mixed Reality headsets (like the HP Reverb G2, Samsung Odyssey, Lenovo Explorer, Acer HMD, etc.) are all examples of headsets that use inside out tracking.
There’s also “Outside In” tracking. This can take different forms, but involves external hardware that’s not built into the headset itself. With the original HTC Vive and Valve Index headsets, for example, this hardware is called “lighthouses” — little black boxes mounted in the corners of the room. Older systems, like the original Rift released in 2016, used modified cameras placed in your room to achieve outside in tracking.
There are pros and cons to each tracking type. Inside out tracking can operate more easily without setup or mounting hardware. Outside in tracking, however, can sometimes be extensible to fill in gaps where head-mounted hardware might not be able to “see” occasional body movements. The term “occlusion” typically refers to blocking the view of something and, when it comes to tracking movements, popular systems need to have direct line of sight to “see” what they are tracking. Both inside out and outside in tracking systems can be occluded in various ways because our bodies have so many different ways of moving. Depending on the use case, however, and inside out or an outside in system may be preferable.
If you want to read more detail about tracking types and get into the nitty gritty and specifics, check out this article.
Controllers
There are several different ways of interacting with simulated content.
Headsets like the Meta Quest 2 and HP Reverb G2 come with two controllers, one for each hand, which are also tracked in 6DoF with the inside out tracking system.
PlayStation VR features multiple input systems. In most cases, the best option is using a pair of PlayStation Move controllers. Some PSVR content requires the Move controllers but not all of it does. For games that don’t require Move controllers you can use the standard PS4 DualShock controller that comes with the console.
The Valve Index Controllers strap around the knuckles and palm and allow full release. There’s a large grip area on these controllers and they detect finger movements and can detect some of the pressure provided by your grip, which makes them unlike other controllers currently available. These controllers are tracked via external lighthouses and can be bought alongside the Index headset. They can also be purchased separately and combined with other non-Index headsets that use the lighthouse tracking system, such as HTC Vive or Pimax.
Facebook’s Quest 2 and original Quest both include native controller-free hand tracking which eliminates the need for the Touch controllers in certain situations. Some other headsets also track hand movements but Quest is a popular system and the update allows the built-in cameras to fully track your hands and finger movements with fairly high accuracy. It is unlikely that hand and finger tracking will replace the Touch controllers, however, for every game and experience, because haptic feedback, physical buttons, and quicker tracking of controllers can make a meaningful difference for many games and apps.
Roomscale, Seated, and Standing
There are generally 3 different types tracked volumes with some software tailored for each play area size: roomscale, seated, and standing.
Roomscale VR is all about setting a boundary or play area and being able to freely and physically move around that area in the game. The idea of roomscale games is being able to physically move around your space to interact with the simulated environment and objects inside of it. So-called “guardian” or “chaperone” boundaries show up to reveal when the physical world approaches.
Seated and standing are quite similar in that the user is meant to stay roughly in the same place and use various different movement options to simulate movement instead of psychically moving through a space. Some software developers tailor their virtual worlds to work in multiple ways but a small subset of experiences may only work in roomscale, seated, or standing modes.
Movement in VR
There are a couple of different types of simulated movement options for VR software. Simulating movement for people wearing VR headsets can sometimes make people feel nauseated.
Teleport is a common method of movement and it is often the most comfortable option for the widest range of people. Typically, teleport is invoked with the press of a button on a controller and then the player selects a spot to which they can immediately teleport. When used in combination with roomscale tracking, this movement option typically allows for traversal of large simulated volumes in a generally comfortable way. Some users, however, complain that teleport is less believable and “breaks immersion” because we can’t teleport in the real world. In response to this, some VR software developers work to explain why teleportation is a part of the narrative of their virtual world, such as a wizard using a spell in the image above.
Smooth locomotion is the movement type similar to traditional video games where you press on a stick and you “move” in the direction you pushed the stick. This can be jarring for some folks and can make some people feel nauseated in a matter of seconds or minutes.
To combat feelings of discomfort provided by simulated movement in a virtual world software developers are constantly working to provide combinations of existing systems or comfort settings that allow the player in VR to tailor the experience to their liking. One common comfort option that can help decrease discomfort is to restrict the FOV into the virtual world while moving, creating a sort of “tunnel vision”.
Motion Sickness
People wearing a VR headset can sometimes feel discomfort. experience motion sickness or nausea. In most cases, becoming nauseated while wearing a headset can happen seated or standing experiences where movement in the game does not match your physical body movement.
Some people can build a resistance and higher tolerance level for more intense experiences — sometimes known as finding your “VR legs” — but some developers and long-time VR enthusiasts who spend hundreds of hours in VR headsets are still entirely susceptible to discomfort as a result of the mismatch between smooth locomotion and their body’s senses. You can read our article on 7 ways to overcome motion sickness for more information.
There are many factors that can influence your susceptibility to discomfort in a VR headset, such as the field of view of the visuals, the frame rate of the display and software, headset weight, and even how well you slept or what you ate and how much.
IPD
IPD is a fairly common term you’ll come across if you’re researching and reading about VR headsets. It is an abbreviation that stands for “interpupillary distance” – aka the distance between the center of your two pupils.
Depending on the optical design of a headset, varying IPDs between people can affect how well certain headsets feel when worn. If the lenses and displays aren’t well aligned in front of a person’s pupil the images might appear blurry. In the worse cases, this might increase the chance of getting a headache or feeling nauseated.
Some headsets will offer a physical adjustment for IPD. This moves the lenses and display panels to place them more directly in front of the pupils of a wide range of people. Other headsets don’t allow you to physically adjust this but may offer a software adjustment to compensate for this variability in people.
Depending on the distance between your pupils you might find a headset with physical adjustment could be a must. Headsets without physical adjustments are often tailored toward the average distances between eyeballs and thus many people may not need a headset with physical adjustment.
Types of VR
There are a couple of different types of consumer-oriented VR equipment available. These can be grouped as standalone VR, PC VR and console VR.
Standalone VR
Standalone VR is any VR headset that works completely by itself without the need for any other pre-existing equipment or technology. The entire experience is run from the hardware worn on your head and it does not require being connected to any other external equipment.
The best example of this is Meta Quest 2, which delivers pared-down versions of PC VR games in a portable, standalone device that requires no other equipment. With standalone VR like the Quest, everything you need to experience VR comes with the device itself — though some games require the Oculus Touch controllers to be held in your hands to interact.
PC VR
PC VR is any headset that requires a constant connection to a nearby PC. The PC in question will also need high specifications that meet the requirements for VR. A few examples of PC VR headsets include the Oculus Rift S, Valve Index, HTC Vive, Pimax, and Windows Mixed Reality headsets like the HP Reverb G2 and Samsung Odyssey+.
The advantage of PC VR is that the beefy PC specifications can provide great graphical fidelity, much higher than standalone VR. However, the constant connection to a PC often means that your headset needs to remain wired to the PC at all times. There are some wireless options available for PC VR but those typically require more hardware connected to your PC and a battery pack worn somewhere on your body. Corded PC VR requires the player to manage a cord hanging from your headset to the PC. That may provide less freedom as compared with a wireless standalone headset as the wire can be a frequent reminder that you might get tangled if you turn around too much.
If you don’t already own a gaming PC that meets the required specifications, PC VR can quickly become a very expensive option.
Console VR
Console VR currently only consists two headsets: PlayStation VR and Nintendo Labo VR for the Nintendo Switch.
PlayStation VR is an add-on VR system for the PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5. The PSVR headset is an additional purchase that connects to your PlayStation 4 and, similar to PC VR, requires a constant tethered connection to the console to operate. It uses the PlayStation camera, sold with the headset and wired to the console for tracking. Through backwards compatibility, the system also works on PS5 and even sees some visual and performance improvements on there. Some PlayStation VR games also require an additional purchase of PlayStation Move controllers to be played. Sony is developing a PSVR successor, PSVR 2, set for release exclusively for PS5 — exact release date TBD.
Nintendo Labo VR for the Nintendo Switch is a build-able, cardboard headset shell that you can slip the original full-size Nintendo Switch into, allowing you to play certain games in a VR mode. It does not have a headset strap, so you are required to hold the headset to your face. Many of the experiences with Labo VR are, simply put, extremely underwhelming and not really worth your time.
Buying Recommendations: Choosing A Headset
Meta Quest 2/Oculus Quest 2 | Standalone + PC VR (~$300) [Amazon Link]
Meta Quest 2 (formerly Oculus Quest 2) is one of the most versatile headsets available on the market.
For $299, you get a full standalone headset that requires no other equipment, with a selection available of some of the best experiences and games on any platform.
However, the big trade-off for the Quest 2 is that you need to log in to a Facebook account to use the headset — for now, at least.
The headset was introduced in 2020 with a mandatory Facebook login policy. For existing Oculus users, merging your Oculus and Facebook accounts together is the only option. On a Quest 2, all your content, and your access to the headset, will be dependent on your Facebook account. If you want to get rid of your account for reasons outside of VR, all of your content will go with it.
However, that’s about to change. At Connect 2021, Meta (formerly Facebook) announced changes to the mandatory Facebook requirement — from sometime in 2022, Meta will make a “broader shift” so that you will be able to login to your Quest headset with an account other than your personal Facebook account. Users will even be able to unlink their Facebook account from their headset and keep all their purchases.
For now though, any Quest 2 headset still requires connection and login via Facebook — while Meta says they are still working on the login changes, there’s still no set date for their arrival.
If you’re okay with Facebook login for now, then the Quest 2 has some huge benefits. You can take it anywhere, use it anywhere and let anyone else try the headset in a matter of seconds. The Quest 2 provides the least friction of any headset available at the moment.
But that’s not all – if you do have a VR-ready PC, you can use Oculus Link to connect the Quest to your computer via USB C and enjoy any experiences a Rift can run on your Quest while you remain tethered. You can even try Air Link to play PC VR content wirelessly, streamed from your VR Ready PC to your Quest over your local network. The Quest offers the best of both worlds.
That being said, because the Quest is a standalone headset, all of the components are in the headset itself. This makes the headset front heavy and not super ideal for long play sessions. The Quest 2 is a bit lighter and smaller than its predecessor, but we’ve found that the optional Elite Strap offers the best and most comfortable experience over the standard Quest 2 strap.
Pros: Full standalone 6DoF headset and controllers, no existing equipment required, portable, Oculus Link/Air Link gives you access to the best of both standalone VR and PC VR.
Cons: Still front-heavy despite Quest 2 improvements, not comfortable for everyone, inside out tracking is less accurate than outside in, requires Facebook login to use (for now).
Quest 2 is available starting from $299. Refurbished Quest 2 models are also available for the cheaper price of $249 — we think that’s one of VR’s best deals.
Read our Quest 2 review for more information, and check out this list of best Quest games. You can also check out our Quest 2 buying guide.
Valve Index | PC VR (~$1,000) [Steam Page]
The Valve Index is Valve’s first solo VR headset (the original HTC Vive was a collaboration between Valve and HTC) and offers what many consider to be a near sublime VR experience for a very high price.
The Index offers a series of fine adjustments to the HMD’s optics that allows it to maximize its field of view as well as a new type of controller that straps to the hand and allows full release. The field of view and the refresh rate on the Index beat out all other headsets on this list, however, in 2022 the screen resolution falls behind the Quest 2 and the Reverb G2. It uses lighthouse sensors for outside-in tracking and all around offers one of the best consumer VR headsets – if you can afford it.
The full Valve Index kit, including the headset, the two controllers and the two lighthouse sensors, costs $1,000. The big question, for most people, is whether the huge quality-of-life improvements and features are enough to make the Index worth another $600. For some, opting for a cheaper, more portable headset with PC VR capabilities, like Quest 2, might be a more affordable option for minimal trade-offs when it comes to flexibility, field of view and refresh rate.
Pros: Amazing optics and fitting flexibility, Index controllers provide increased hand and environment interactions, and it’s one of the best headsets on the market.
Cons: Extremely high price, resolution falls behind other headsets in 2022, and lighthouse sensors restrict portability.
Read our full Index review for more information, and check out this list of the best SteamVR games. You can also check out our buying guide for the HTC Vive (which has a lot of stuff that still applies for the Index) for recommendations on accessories and more.
PlayStation VR | PS4 (~$350+) [Amazon Link]
The PSVR system is a good option for someone who already owns a PlayStation console and wants an easy way to use VR with the hardware they already own. If you don’t want to shell out for a Quest 2 at $300, then you might be able to find a PSVR bundle for a similar price.
The PSVR system has one of the best VR libraries available, with some fantastic exclusives. However, it also has some technological limitations. A lot of the PSVR system uses very old hardware and peripherals, and it shows. The tracking, which uses a PlayStation camera sitting below or above your TV, is not up to par with other more modern tracking systems. The headset offers a screen and visuals that are woefully old in VR years, and the system as a whole won’t offer the same graphic fidelity in games as other systems.
PSVR is at the end of its life cycle and PSVR 2 is on the way. It was originally released for PS4, and is still compatible with PS5 through backwards compatibility (and a free camera adapter), but you might have trouble finding a bundle for sale this late in the headset’s life.
If you don’t already own a PS4 or PS5 (or even if you do), waiting for PSVR 2 or buying another headset is likely the easier, cheaper and better option if you want to future-proof your VR experience.
Pros: Good for existing PS4 and PS5 owners, great library of content with fantastic exclusives, PS Aim Controller is great for games that support it.
Cons: Hardware and tracking method is woefully out of date in 2022, device is at the end of its life cycle and hard to buy, no analog stick on Move controllers, lower graphical fidelity than other options.
PSVR bundle availability varies – the Iron Man VR bundle, which includes PSVR hardware and the aforementioned game, is available for $420.
HP Reverb G2 | PC VR (~$600) [Amazon Link]
The Reverb G2 is a good second-generation headset that finds itself in a tricky position. It’s by no means perfect, but it sits smack bang in the middle of the PC VR price range — at $600, it’s more than a $300/$400 Quest 2and less than a full Index kit at $1000.
At launch, the G2 that originally released was a great headset with subpar controllers (and controller tracking). However, the recently-updated model, featuring both hardware and software changes, should have improved some of these problems.
The headset does have the best screen on the consumer market right now, with higher resolutions than both the Quest 2 and the Index. In terms of visuals, it’s best in class. It also has great off-ear speakers (the same ones found in the Index, thanks to a collaboration between Valve and HP). We haven’t had a chance to test the updated model ourselves yet, so we can’t speak from experience as to how good the changes really are. However, there are still situations where we would recommend the headset anyway — given the high visual fidelity of the screen, it’s perfect for simulators, especially ones that use external peripherals instead of VR controllers. For those who don’t want to associate themselves with Meta and Facebook, the G2 offers a cheaper PC VR experience than the Valve Index.
Pros: Comfortable, best visuals on the market, cheaper than an Index, perfect for simulators and other niche use cases.
Cons: Can’t compete with Quest 2 in terms of reliability and price, controller tracking was inconsistent on original model (but newer model may offer improvements in that area).
The HP Reverb G2 is available from $600.
There you have it! This is our absolute beginner’s guide to VR.
Looking for more beginner’s guides like this one? Check out the New to VR? section of our site.
[When you purchase items through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission from those sales.]

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What is VR headset (virtual reality headset)?
A virtual reality headset is a heads-up display (HUD) that allows users to interact with simulated environments and experience a first-person view (FPV). VR headsets replace the user’s natural environment with virtual reality content, such as a movie, a game or a prerecorded 360-degree VR environment that allows the user to turn and look around, just as in the physical world.
Although virtual reality has been around for years, the tethered hardware to experience it has traditionally been expensive, bulky and power-hungry. Today, mobile VR headsets, which are basically goggles that will hold a smartphone, have allowed VR apps to spread into the consumer market. The goal of each type of VR headset is to provide the viewer with an experience that is so real, the headset itself is forgotten.
VR apps for both mobile and tethered apps incorporate technology such as gaze tracking, IR sensors, gyroscopes and accelerometers to move the user’s point of view in a natural manner. Mobile apps often include stereo sound, while tethered apps may feature surround or even 3D sound. Development challenges for all VR apps and headsets include eliminating latency to reduce viewer disorientation, headache and nausea.
Types of VR headsets:
Oculus Rift - a computer-based system that reignited interest in virtual reality when the Oculus VR startup launched a successful Kickstarter campaign. Rift works with positioning technology that lets the user move physically through 3D space and has Touch controllers.
Microsoft’s Hololens - a standalone VR headset. The system features 3D spatialized sound, Wi-Fi, a Kinect-like camera with a 120-degree spatial sensing system, a fleet of gyroscopes and accelerometers and a transparent screen for each eye.
HTC Vive - plugs into a powerful gaming PC for its performance. Dual base stations allow users to move freely through a 15' X 15' area. The system was developed collaboratively with Portal, a video game software company.
PlayStation VR - works with PlayStation 4 rather than a PC. The system duplicates the headset VR display on a TV.
Samsung Gear VR - a smartphone container that uses the phone's processing power. The system, which works with high-end Samsung Galaxy models, was developed in collaboration with Oculus VR.
Google Cardboard - a low-cost, smartphone container made of plain cardboard. There are a number of inexpensive headsets based on the original open source model.
Apple Glasses: Everything We Know So Far
Apple's first headset will support both AR and VR capabilities, technology that's usually referred to as "mixed reality." Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are similar technologies, but their potential applications vary significantly.
Virtual reality refers to a full immersive experience in a virtual world, while augmented reality refers to a modified view of the real world. With a VR experience, the real world is largely shut out to focus on an entirely virtual experience, but augmented reality overlays virtual elements on your real-world view.
Google Glass, a Google product that's now largely defunct, is an example of a head-worn augmented reality device, while the Oculus and PlayStation VR are examples of head-worn virtual reality devices. Apple is working on both of these technologies, but the initial product will be more similar to the Oculus than Google Glass.
Virtual reality is singularly focused on immersive content consumption because it makes the wearer feel as if they're actually experiencing what's going on in the simulated world through visual, tactile, and audio feedback. Virtual reality is linked to gaming right now, but it also has the potential to recreate real world experiences for educational or training purposes.
Augmented reality doesn't hinge on immersive content and while less exciting because it's augmenting reality instead of replacing it, it has a wider range of potential applications and it is the technology that Apple ultimately seems to be most interested in. Apple's headset will support both AR and VR, which is called mixed reality, and it's something we've seen in products like Microsoft's HoloLens.
Mixed reality merges real-world content and virtual content to produce new environments where physical and digital objects can be viewed and interacted with together. In practice, we don't quite yet know what exact kind of experience Apple's headset will provide, but we can count on immersive games, more interactive FaceTime and chat experiences, and new learning tools.
Design
Apple's AR/VR headset will look similar to some other VR headsets on the market, featuring a design that's not too far off from the Facebook Oculus Quest virtual reality headset. Several of the design details have been revealed in rumors, and The Information even saw a prototype so we have a good idea of what to expect.
The headset will use fabrics and lightweight materials to ensure a comfortable fit. It has been described as having a "sleek, curved visor attached to the face by a mesh material and swappable headbands." The renders below from designer Ian Zelbo are based on these headset descriptions.
A band in the back that's made of a material similar to an Apple Watch band will hold the headset on the wearer's head, and a soft mesh will make the fit comfortable against the front of the face. Headbands are swappable, and come with size adjustment options.
One headband allegedly features spatial audio technology like the AirPods Pro for a surround-sound like experience, while another provides additional battery life while on the go. The headset would also be able to respond to the wearer's eye movements and hand gestures, while one prototype of the headset also featured a physical dial on the visor's side.
The design blocks out peripheral vision to prevent light from leaking into the wearer's field of view, and it's possible there will be an outward-facing visor for showing graphics to others.
Current headset prototypes are said to weigh around 200 to 300 grams, but Apple is aiming to reduce the final weight to 100 to 200 grams if technical problems can be solved, which would make the headset lighter than existing VR devices.
Display
Rumors suggest the AR/VR headset will have two to three displays. There will be two high-resolution 4K micro OLED displays with up to 3,000 pixels per inch. Sony is expected to supply the display modules that Apple will use, though Apple may also use some OLED displays from Samsung.
Micro OLED displays are built directly on to chip wafers rather than a glass substrate, which results in displays that are thinner, smaller, and more power efficient. They allow for pixel sizes in the range of four to 20 micrometers, compared to 40 to 300 micrometers with standard OLED panels, plus they have a faster microseconds response time, making them ideal for augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) applications.
The AR/VR headset will also include an outer, external display that will be a standard OLED display supplied by LG Display. The standard OLED display will be a simple exterior indicator display that does not require the higher-quality micro-OLED technology used for the dinner display.
Apple is using "Pancake" lenses that will allow for a thin and lightweight design. Pancake lenses are more expensive than the Fresnel lens technology used for other VR headsets, but will result in a much thinner device.
Because of the close fit of the headset to the face, users will not be able to wear glasses, so there may be an option for prescription lenses to be inserted over the screens.
Cameras
The headset will feature more than a dozen optical cameras for tracking hand movements, mapping the environment, and projecting visual experiences. One of the headset's marquee features is said to be lifelike avatars that have accurate facial features captured by the included cameras.
Eight camera modules will reportedly be used for see-through augmented reality experiences for the user, while another six modules will be used for "innovative biometrics." One camera will also be available for environmental detection.
There will be a set of eye-detecting cameras that will allegedly allow users to "read small type" and see other people standing in front of and behind virtual objects. The headset will be able to map surfaces, edges, and dimensions of rooms with accuracy.
Apple is also rumored to be adding two downward-facing cameras to capture leg movement specifically, which will be a unique feature that will allow for more accurate motion tracking.
Control Methods
Apple is exploring several input methods for the AR/VR headset, including hand gestures, eye-tracking, and input from a wearable device connected to the headset.
An advanced eye-tracking system is said to provide an intuitive visual experience that interacts seamlessly with the external environment, plus it will facilitate controls with eye movements. Iris recognition will be included as part of the eye-tracking system, which could be an authentication method.
There will be four 3D-sensing modules for detecting hand gestures and nearby objects through spatial detection, and the headset will also feature voice control and support for Siri commands. It will also detect skin and it might be able to monitor expression.
Apple is working on multiple control methods, including a "thimble-like device to be worn on a person's finger."
Iris Scanning
For privacy and security, the AR/VR headset will integrate an iris scanner that can read the pattern of the user's eye, allowing for an iris scan to be used in lieu of a password and for payment authentication.
Iris scanning on the AR/VR headset will be akin to Face ID and Touch ID on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac. It could allow two people to use the same headset, and it is a feature that is not available on competing headsets like Meta's new Quest Pro.
Processors
Two Mac-level M2 processors will be included in the AR/VR headset for unprecedented computing power in a wearable device, with Apple using the same chips that debuted in the MacBook Air. Apple will reportedly adopt a 96W power adapter to charge the headset due to the powerful chips.
There will be a high-end main processor along with a lower-end processor for managing the sensor-related aspects of the device. One of these chips could be a 4-nanometer chip, which is the latest TSMC technology, and the other is a 5-nanometer chip. The headset will not be reliant on an iPhone or Mac for processing power, and it will feature independent power and storage.
Apple has completed work on the SoCs for the AR/VR headset, and will optimize for wireless data transmission, compressing and decompressing video, and power efficiency for maximum battery life, though they do not have a neural engine like some of Apple's other chips.
Naming
Trademark filings have suggested that Apple could call the mixed reality headset that's in the works the "Reality Pro" or the "Reality One." Apple has trademarked those names in addition to "Reality Processor," so it sounds like we could get reality-themed naming.
Apple has trademarked these names in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Costa Rica, and Uruguay using shell companies.
realityOS Operating System
The AR/VR headset is expected to run a new operating system called "realityOS," which stands for Reality Operating System. Hints of the rOS naming have been found in Apple source code, so this is likely to be the name that Apple will go with.
Apple wants to create an App Store for the headset, with a focus on gaming, streaming video content, and video conferencing. It has been described by Bloomberg as an "all-encompassing 3-D digital environment" designed for gaming, media consumption, and communication. Apple may be planning to work with media partners to create content that can be watched in VR, and there could be a VR FaceTime-like experience with Animojis and other features.
When FaceTiming someone, instead of seeing their actual face, you might instead see a 3D Memoji-character version of them. The headset would be able to read facial expressions and features, matching that in real time for a lifelike chatting experience. SharePlay, the feature introduced in iOS 15, may also be heavily integrated, and the headset is expected to integrate with existing Apple services like Apple TV+ and Apple Arcade.
A recent rumor of unknown reliability has indicated that Apple is working on a new version of the Messages app that could feature a new home view and chat rooms specifically for virtual and augmented reality chat features.
Apple has filed trademarks for "realityOS," the name expected for the AR/VR headset. The trademark filings were submitted in December 2021 and feature foreign filing deadlines of June 8, 2022, but that date is a legal requirement and unrelated to WWDC.
WiFi 6E
Apple's upcoming mixed reality headset will offer WiFi 6E support, which is the latest WiFi specification. Apple is said to be planning to implement WiFi 6E to provide a high-end, immersive experience with solid wireless connectivity. WiFi 6E has all of the benefits of WiFi 6 but adds 6GHz spectrum in addition to the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands for increased bandwidth and less interference between devices.
Development Troubles
Apple's AR/VR headset could be facing yet another delay, as Apple is facing development issues that need to be overcome. According to Bloomberg, Apple has pushed back the release plans for the headset several times now. Apple originally planned to launch the headset in 2021 and ship it in 2022, and then delayed that until the 2022 WWDC.
Now it's unlikely that we're going to get a glimpse of the headset at this year's Worldwide Developer Conference because Apple has yet to solve several problems. With the high-powered processor inside, the headset is overheating, and there are also problems with the camera and the software.
At least one of the chips designed for the headset is on par with the M1 Pro from the latest MacBook Pro models, and the thermal demands of the chip are causing problems with heat dissipation.
Apple is considering delaying the launch of the AR/VR headset until late 2022 or 2023, and the company's supply chain partners have been told that it is unlikely to be released until 2023. Apple is, however, pushing vendors to have units available by the end of 2022.
With the delay, Apple is planning to focus on the headset during the 2023 Worldwide Developers Conference. Apple will encourage developers to start building augmented and virtual reality apps for the "rOS" App Store.
Development History
Apple has been working on augmented and virtual reality technologies for a long time now, and the company has a huge team of employees developing headworn AR/VR products. It's believed that in the future, AR/VR devices will replace the iPhone, something that could happen as soon as 10 years from now.
The iPhone is Apple's most profitable and important product, so that AR/VR headset technology will replace the iPhone gives us some idea of how key it is to Apple's future.
Rumors suggest that the original headset design included a fan and powerful processors, but the device was too heavy. Early designs also would have required the headset to use the processing power of a connected iPhone or Mac, but Apple has changed the design and added high-end chips to the headset itself.
Early prototypes were described as having an 8K display for each eye, and there was one rumor that said the headset would connect to "dedicated box" using a high-speed short-range wireless technology called 60GHz WiGig. The box would be powered by a custom 5-nanometer Apple processor that's "more powerful than anything currently available." The box apparently resembles a PC tower, but it "won't be an actual Mac computer."
Internal disagreements shaped and changed Apple's goals for its AR headset over time, and rumors suggest that Apple did not go with the "box" design because former Apple designer Jony Ive did not want to sell a device that would require a separate, stationary addition for full functionality.
Ive wanted a headset with less powerful technology that could be embedded directly in the device, but the leader of the AR/VR team, Mike Rockwell, wanted the more powerful device. It was a standoff that lasted for months, and Tim Cook ultimately sided with Ive, changing the direction of Apple's headset design.
Pricing
Pricing on the headset could start somewhere around $3,000, which will make it much more expensive than an iPhone. To start with, it won't be aimed at general consumers, but will instead be positioned as a device for developers, content creators, and professionals.
Apple expects to sell just one headset per day per retail store, and it has told suppliers that it expects sales of seven to 10 million units during the first year of availability.
Apple was rumored to be targeting WWDC 2022 as the unveiling date for the AR/VR headset, but due to the issues outlined above, it's now looking like the earliest we might see the headset is late 2022, with 2023 perhaps being even more likely.
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes the headset will see a January 2023 announcement with a launch to follow, and Bloomberg's Mark Gurman recently said that while Apple was targeting mid-2022 for an unveiling, that's now been pushed back to the end of the year or 2023.
According to DigiTimes, Apple in February 2022 finished key production tests (EVT 2) for its AR/VR headset, ensuring that prototype units are able to meet Apple's design goals and specifications. DigiTimes believes that the headset will enter mass production in the August-September timeframe, with a launch to happen before the end of the year, but that is not in agreement with the other rumors that we've heard of delays and a 2023 launch.
Beginner's Guide To VR: FAQ And Everything You Need To Know
We often get asked, both in professional and personal settings, where the best place is to start with VR.
[This guide was first published in December 2019. It was updated and re-published on November 2020, January 2021 and most recently in May 2022]
Some people have a basic understanding of the technology but aren’t up to date with the current products available on the market. Conversely, some people are aware of the major headsets but still struggle with some of the technology’s concepts and terminology.
With this guide we want to cover all the basics. We’ll explain basic VR concepts, terminology and most of the major headsets on the market. If you don’t know where to start with VR, you will now.
For further reading, be sure to check out our New to VR? section of the site.
What is VR?
VR, short for virtual reality, allows people to be fully immersed in a fabricated environment. This is usually (but not always) delivered through head-mounted hardware that tracks a person’s movements. These VR headsets consist of a screen (or two display panels, one for each eye) housed in a frame (or headset) strapped or fitted to your head. A pair of lenses are typically fixed between the panels and your eyes, blocking the outside world, to make it appear as if what you see through the headset is your entire world.
Critically, all headsets track your movement so the image you see adjusts accordingly. Some headsets, however, track more movement than others.
In most cases, VR experiences will also have a method for you to control or select things within the simulated environment. Sometimes you’ll have a controller in each hand to control aspects of the experience. In some cases, the controllers deliver virtual representations of your hands to manipulate the environment and objects within it in ways similar to the real world.
Basic Terminology and Concepts
So you have the basic premise of VR down, but you still have some terms or concepts that need clearing up. We can help with those.
FOV (Field of View)
FOV is short for field of view. In the context of our eyes, our field of view is everything you can see at any given moment.
In the context of VR headsets, the field of view refers to everything you can see in the virtual world at any given moment while using the headset. The types of VR headsets available for consumers at the time of this writing have a field of view which is smaller than what you can see with your eyes, meaning that the VR environment doesn’t fill, or match, your eyes’ field of view when using the headset.
This is why you often have a black “border” when using VR, around the lenses you’re looking through. This is just the space around the lenses on the inside of the headset. If the field of view of the headset is wide enough, though, the border can make it seem like you’re looking through a pair of goggles into the virtual world — making it easy to forget that the limit exists. Field of View can be measured in different ways and device manufacturers may not accurately represent how much you can see relative to other headsets.
Degrees of Freedom
When talking about movement and tracking in VR, people often refer to “degrees of freedom”, or DoF. More degrees of freedom means that more of your physical movements will be tracked by the headset and mapped onto your simulated representation.
The two most common terms you’ll see when reading about degrees of freedom are 3DoF and 6DoF (3 and 6 degrees of freedom, respectively). Headsets that only provide 3DoF will only track your head’s movements (roll, pitch, yaw) but not its position in space (x, y, z coordinates). 6DoF is able to track both your head’s movements and its coordinates in a physical space.
The GIF below is a great visual explanation:
Most VR headsets these days provide full 6DoF positional tracking. A lot of older mobile and standalone headsets, many of which are discontinued or being phased out, use 3DoF, such as Google Cardboard, Google Daydream, Gear VR, and Oculus Go.
Tracking Types
Every VR headset needs a way to track the movement of the person wearing the system.
The most common form of tracking currently is called “Inside Out” tracking. This system typically relies on cameras built into the headset to track movement from the inside of the headset, outwards. Advanced simultaneous location and mapping (“SLAM”) algorithms monitor features of the physical environment surrounding the person wearing the headset. The Meta Quest, Oculus Rift S, HTC Vive Cosmos, and all Windows Mixed Reality headsets (like the HP Reverb G2, Samsung Odyssey, Lenovo Explorer, Acer HMD, etc.) are all examples of headsets that use inside out tracking.
There’s also “Outside In” tracking. This can take different forms, but involves external hardware that’s not built into the headset itself. With the original HTC Vive and Valve Index headsets, for example, this hardware is called “lighthouses” — little black boxes mounted in the corners of the room. Older systems, like the original Rift released in 2016, used modified cameras placed in your room to achieve outside in tracking.
There are pros and cons to each tracking type. Inside out tracking can operate more easily without setup or mounting hardware. Outside in tracking, however, can sometimes be extensible to fill in gaps where head-mounted hardware might not be able to “see” occasional body movements. The term “occlusion” typically refers to blocking the view of something and, when it comes to tracking movements, popular systems need to have direct line of sight to “see” what they are tracking. Both inside out and outside in tracking systems can be occluded in various ways because our bodies have so many different ways of moving. Depending on the use case, however, and inside out or an outside in system may be preferable.
If you want to read more detail about tracking types and get into the nitty gritty and specifics, check out this article.
Controllers
There are several different ways of interacting with simulated content.
Headsets like the Meta Quest 2 and HP Reverb G2 come with two controllers, one for each hand, which are also tracked in 6DoF with the inside out tracking system.
PlayStation VR features multiple input systems. In most cases, the best option is using a pair of PlayStation Move controllers. Some PSVR content requires the Move controllers but not all of it does. For games that don’t require Move controllers you can use the standard PS4 DualShock controller that comes with the console.
The Valve Index Controllers strap around the knuckles and palm and allow full release. There’s a large grip area on these controllers and they detect finger movements and can detect some of the pressure provided by your grip, which makes them unlike other controllers currently available. These controllers are tracked via external lighthouses and can be bought alongside the Index headset. They can also be purchased separately and combined with other non-Index headsets that use the lighthouse tracking system, such as HTC Vive or Pimax.
Facebook’s Quest 2 and original Quest both include native controller-free hand tracking which eliminates the need for the Touch controllers in certain situations. Some other headsets also track hand movements but Quest is a popular system and the update allows the built-in cameras to fully track your hands and finger movements with fairly high accuracy. It is unlikely that hand and finger tracking will replace the Touch controllers, however, for every game and experience, because haptic feedback, physical buttons, and quicker tracking of controllers can make a meaningful difference for many games and apps.
Roomscale, Seated, and Standing
There are generally 3 different types tracked volumes with some software tailored for each play area size: roomscale, seated, and standing.
Roomscale VR is all about setting a boundary or play area and being able to freely and physically move around that area in the game. The idea of roomscale games is being able to physically move around your space to interact with the simulated environment and objects inside of it. So-called “guardian” or “chaperone” boundaries show up to reveal when the physical world approaches.
Seated and standing are quite similar in that the user is meant to stay roughly in the same place and use various different movement options to simulate movement instead of psychically moving through a space. Some software developers tailor their virtual worlds to work in multiple ways but a small subset of experiences may only work in roomscale, seated, or standing modes.
Movement in VR
There are a couple of different types of simulated movement options for VR software. Simulating movement for people wearing VR headsets can sometimes make people feel nauseated.
Teleport is a common method of movement and it is often the most comfortable option for the widest range of people. Typically, teleport is invoked with the press of a button on a controller and then the player selects a spot to which they can immediately teleport. When used in combination with roomscale tracking, this movement option typically allows for traversal of large simulated volumes in a generally comfortable way. Some users, however, complain that teleport is less believable and “breaks immersion” because we can’t teleport in the real world. In response to this, some VR software developers work to explain why teleportation is a part of the narrative of their virtual world, such as a wizard using a spell in the image above.
Smooth locomotion is the movement type similar to traditional video games where you press on a stick and you “move” in the direction you pushed the stick. This can be jarring for some folks and can make some people feel nauseated in a matter of seconds or minutes.
To combat feelings of discomfort provided by simulated movement in a virtual world software developers are constantly working to provide combinations of existing systems or comfort settings that allow the player in VR to tailor the experience to their liking. One common comfort option that can help decrease discomfort is to restrict the FOV into the virtual world while moving, creating a sort of “tunnel vision”.
Motion Sickness
People wearing a VR headset can sometimes feel discomfort. experience motion sickness or nausea. In most cases, becoming nauseated while wearing a headset can happen seated or standing experiences where movement in the game does not match your physical body movement.
Some people can build a resistance and higher tolerance level for more intense experiences — sometimes known as finding your “VR legs” — but some developers and long-time VR enthusiasts who spend hundreds of hours in VR headsets are still entirely susceptible to discomfort as a result of the mismatch between smooth locomotion and their body’s senses. You can read our article on 7 ways to overcome motion sickness for more information.
There are many factors that can influence your susceptibility to discomfort in a VR headset, such as the field of view of the visuals, the frame rate of the display and software, headset weight, and even how well you slept or what you ate and how much.
IPD
IPD is a fairly common term you’ll come across if you’re researching and reading about VR headsets. It is an abbreviation that stands for “interpupillary distance” – aka the distance between the center of your two pupils.
Depending on the optical design of a headset, varying IPDs between people can affect how well certain headsets feel when worn. If the lenses and displays aren’t well aligned in front of a person’s pupil the images might appear blurry. In the worse cases, this might increase the chance of getting a headache or feeling nauseated.
Some headsets will offer a physical adjustment for IPD. This moves the lenses and display panels to place them more directly in front of the pupils of a wide range of people. Other headsets don’t allow you to physically adjust this but may offer a software adjustment to compensate for this variability in people.
Depending on the distance between your pupils you might find a headset with physical adjustment could be a must. Headsets without physical adjustments are often tailored toward the average distances between eyeballs and thus many people may not need a headset with physical adjustment.
Types of VR
There are a couple of different types of consumer-oriented VR equipment available. These can be grouped as standalone VR, PC VR and console VR.
Standalone VR
Standalone VR is any VR headset that works completely by itself without the need for any other pre-existing equipment or technology. The entire experience is run from the hardware worn on your head and it does not require being connected to any other external equipment.
The best example of this is Meta Quest 2, which delivers pared-down versions of PC VR games in a portable, standalone device that requires no other equipment. With standalone VR like the Quest, everything you need to experience VR comes with the device itself — though some games require the Oculus Touch controllers to be held in your hands to interact.
PC VR
PC VR is any headset that requires a constant connection to a nearby PC. The PC in question will also need high specifications that meet the requirements for VR. A few examples of PC VR headsets include the Oculus Rift S, Valve Index, HTC Vive, Pimax, and Windows Mixed Reality headsets like the HP Reverb G2 and Samsung Odyssey+.
The advantage of PC VR is that the beefy PC specifications can provide great graphical fidelity, much higher than standalone VR. However, the constant connection to a PC often means that your headset needs to remain wired to the PC at all times. There are some wireless options available for PC VR but those typically require more hardware connected to your PC and a battery pack worn somewhere on your body. Corded PC VR requires the player to manage a cord hanging from your headset to the PC. That may provide less freedom as compared with a wireless standalone headset as the wire can be a frequent reminder that you might get tangled if you turn around too much.
If you don’t already own a gaming PC that meets the required specifications, PC VR can quickly become a very expensive option.
Console VR
Console VR currently only consists two headsets: PlayStation VR and Nintendo Labo VR for the Nintendo Switch.
PlayStation VR is an add-on VR system for the PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5. The PSVR headset is an additional purchase that connects to your PlayStation 4 and, similar to PC VR, requires a constant tethered connection to the console to operate. It uses the PlayStation camera, sold with the headset and wired to the console for tracking. Through backwards compatibility, the system also works on PS5 and even sees some visual and performance improvements on there. Some PlayStation VR games also require an additional purchase of PlayStation Move controllers to be played. Sony is developing a PSVR successor, PSVR 2, set for release exclusively for PS5 — exact release date TBD.
Nintendo Labo VR for the Nintendo Switch is a build-able, cardboard headset shell that you can slip the original full-size Nintendo Switch into, allowing you to play certain games in a VR mode. It does not have a headset strap, so you are required to hold the headset to your face. Many of the experiences with Labo VR are, simply put, extremely underwhelming and not really worth your time.
Buying Recommendations: Choosing A Headset
Meta Quest 2/Oculus Quest 2 | Standalone + PC VR (~$300) [Amazon Link]
Meta Quest 2 (formerly Oculus Quest 2) is one of the most versatile headsets available on the market.
For $299, you get a full standalone headset that requires no other equipment, with a selection available of some of the best experiences and games on any platform.
However, the big trade-off for the Quest 2 is that you need to log in to a Facebook account to use the headset — for now, at least.
The headset was introduced in 2020 with a mandatory Facebook login policy. For existing Oculus users, merging your Oculus and Facebook accounts together is the only option. On a Quest 2, all your content, and your access to the headset, will be dependent on your Facebook account. If you want to get rid of your account for reasons outside of VR, all of your content will go with it.
However, that’s about to change. At Connect 2021, Meta (formerly Facebook) announced changes to the mandatory Facebook requirement — from sometime in 2022, Meta will make a “broader shift” so that you will be able to login to your Quest headset with an account other than your personal Facebook account. Users will even be able to unlink their Facebook account from their headset and keep all their purchases.
For now though, any Quest 2 headset still requires connection and login via Facebook — while Meta says they are still working on the login changes, there’s still no set date for their arrival.
If you’re okay with Facebook login for now, then the Quest 2 has some huge benefits. You can take it anywhere, use it anywhere and let anyone else try the headset in a matter of seconds. The Quest 2 provides the least friction of any headset available at the moment.
But that’s not all – if you do have a VR-ready PC, you can use Oculus Link to connect the Quest to your computer via USB C and enjoy any experiences a Rift can run on your Quest while you remain tethered. You can even try Air Link to play PC VR content wirelessly, streamed from your VR Ready PC to your Quest over your local network. The Quest offers the best of both worlds.
That being said, because the Quest is a standalone headset, all of the components are in the headset itself. This makes the headset front heavy and not super ideal for long play sessions. The Quest 2 is a bit lighter and smaller than its predecessor, but we’ve found that the optional Elite Strap offers the best and most comfortable experience over the standard Quest 2 strap.
Pros: Full standalone 6DoF headset and controllers, no existing equipment required, portable, Oculus Link/Air Link gives you access to the best of both standalone VR and PC VR.
Cons: Still front-heavy despite Quest 2 improvements, not comfortable for everyone, inside out tracking is less accurate than outside in, requires Facebook login to use (for now).
Quest 2 is available starting from $299. Refurbished Quest 2 models are also available for the cheaper price of $249 — we think that’s one of VR’s best deals.
Read our Quest 2 review for more information, and check out this list of best Quest games. You can also check out our Quest 2 buying guide.
Valve Index | PC VR (~$1,000) [Steam Page]
The Valve Index is Valve’s first solo VR headset (the original HTC Vive was a collaboration between Valve and HTC) and offers what many consider to be a near sublime VR experience for a very high price.
The Index offers a series of fine adjustments to the HMD’s optics that allows it to maximize its field of view as well as a new type of controller that straps to the hand and allows full release. The field of view and the refresh rate on the Index beat out all other headsets on this list, however, in 2022 the screen resolution falls behind the Quest 2 and the Reverb G2. It uses lighthouse sensors for outside-in tracking and all around offers one of the best consumer VR headsets – if you can afford it.
The full Valve Index kit, including the headset, the two controllers and the two lighthouse sensors, costs $1,000. The big question, for most people, is whether the huge quality-of-life improvements and features are enough to make the Index worth another $600. For some, opting for a cheaper, more portable headset with PC VR capabilities, like Quest 2, might be a more affordable option for minimal trade-offs when it comes to flexibility, field of view and refresh rate.
Pros: Amazing optics and fitting flexibility, Index controllers provide increased hand and environment interactions, and it’s one of the best headsets on the market.
Cons: Extremely high price, resolution falls behind other headsets in 2022, and lighthouse sensors restrict portability.
Read our full Index review for more information, and check out this list of the best SteamVR games. You can also check out our buying guide for the HTC Vive (which has a lot of stuff that still applies for the Index) for recommendations on accessories and more.
PlayStation VR | PS4 (~$350+) [Amazon Link]
The PSVR system is a good option for someone who already owns a PlayStation console and wants an easy way to use VR with the hardware they already own. If you don’t want to shell out for a Quest 2 at $300, then you might be able to find a PSVR bundle for a similar price.
The PSVR system has one of the best VR libraries available, with some fantastic exclusives. However, it also has some technological limitations. A lot of the PSVR system uses very old hardware and peripherals, and it shows. The tracking, which uses a PlayStation camera sitting below or above your TV, is not up to par with other more modern tracking systems. The headset offers a screen and visuals that are woefully old in VR years, and the system as a whole won’t offer the same graphic fidelity in games as other systems.
PSVR is at the end of its life cycle and PSVR 2 is on the way. It was originally released for PS4, and is still compatible with PS5 through backwards compatibility (and a free camera adapter), but you might have trouble finding a bundle for sale this late in the headset’s life.
If you don’t already own a PS4 or PS5 (or even if you do), waiting for PSVR 2 or buying another headset is likely the easier, cheaper and better option if you want to future-proof your VR experience.
Pros: Good for existing PS4 and PS5 owners, great library of content with fantastic exclusives, PS Aim Controller is great for games that support it.
Cons: Hardware and tracking method is woefully out of date in 2022, device is at the end of its life cycle and hard to buy, no analog stick on Move controllers, lower graphical fidelity than other options.
PSVR bundle availability varies – the Iron Man VR bundle, which includes PSVR hardware and the aforementioned game, is available for $420.
HP Reverb G2 | PC VR (~$600) [Amazon Link]
The Reverb G2 is a good second-generation headset that finds itself in a tricky position. It’s by no means perfect, but it sits smack bang in the middle of the PC VR price range — at $600, it’s more than a $300/$400 Quest 2and less than a full Index kit at $1000.
At launch, the G2 that originally released was a great headset with subpar controllers (and controller tracking). However, the recently-updated model, featuring both hardware and software changes, should have improved some of these problems.
The headset does have the best screen on the consumer market right now, with higher resolutions than both the Quest 2 and the Index. In terms of visuals, it’s best in class. It also has great off-ear speakers (the same ones found in the Index, thanks to a collaboration between Valve and HP). We haven’t had a chance to test the updated model ourselves yet, so we can’t speak from experience as to how good the changes really are. However, there are still situations where we would recommend the headset anyway — given the high visual fidelity of the screen, it’s perfect for simulators, especially ones that use external peripherals instead of VR controllers. For those who don’t want to associate themselves with Meta and Facebook, the G2 offers a cheaper PC VR experience than the Valve Index.
Pros: Comfortable, best visuals on the market, cheaper than an Index, perfect for simulators and other niche use cases.
Cons: Can’t compete with Quest 2 in terms of reliability and price, controller tracking was inconsistent on original model (but newer model may offer improvements in that area).
The HP Reverb G2 is available from $600.
There you have it! This is our absolute beginner’s guide to VR.
Looking for more beginner’s guides like this one? Check out the New to VR? section of our site.
[When you purchase items through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission from those sales.]

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