The Difference Between VR Headsets: Vive, Oculus, Hololens, Playstation, Primax

Way back in the 1990s when we used to go to the movies such as Jurassic Park and put on multicolored 3D paper glasses, this was the ultimate movie experience. This was the cutting-edge technology that immersed us in the content and made it come alive. Fast forward twenty years and this is still very much a developing technology, but the VR headsets are much more advanced. There are different types of VR headsets ranging from cheap to high end, but still providing a quality experience nonetheless.

In this article we will compare and contrast several VR headsets: the Vive, Oculus, Hololens, Playstation, Primax so that you can decide what is the best VR headset for you.

HTC Vive

This is one of the expensive headsets on the market today with a price tag of $799. You can walk around with it on in the area of 5×5 meters thanks to the best in class trackers. Also, you will be able to enjoy the widest selection of content on the Steam online store and you can make it wireless thanks to TPCast and its’ features, and it is one of the highest resolution VR headsets out there.

On the downside, you will need a powerful computer that is VR ready and it can be difficult to install. But, as we said before, once you get it up and running, you can enjoy the widest content selection possible.

Oculus

Oculus got its’ start via crowdfunding on Kickstarter and was bought by Facebook in 2014 for $2 billion. The Oculus Rift is the main rival of the HTC Vive. When we compare Oculus vs Vive we notice that Oculus is cheaper, with the Rift priced at around $400 it offers full-scale tracking of 2.5×2.5 meters which is less than the HTC Vive. Prior versions came with Xbox controllers, but today it comes with its own controller called Touch which many experts consider to be the most ergonomic.

The only drawbacks that we see are that it also requires a very powerful computer just like the HTC Vive and the sensors are not wireless which could restrict movements. If you are on the fence about what to get, the Oculus Rift or the HTC Vive, we recommend getting the Vive. The reason is that when we compare the Rift vs Vive head to head, the only real advantage of the Rift has is the price. However, it would not make sense to spend $400, the price tag of the Rift, on a product that you won’t have a chance to enjoy a whole lot of content. $400 is still a lot of money and you are getting a watered-down product which you may regret buying once you see all the limitations.

Oculus also offers some products worth mentioning. They offer a cheaper headset called the Oculus Go which costs about $200. It is a very portable all in one solution that does not require a PC. But, if you are in the market for something really amazing, you can buy the Oculus Quest which is the first, all in one gaming system designed for VR. There is no computer required, no wires, just the headset itself and controllers.

Hololens

The Microsoft Hololens brought to us the era of mixed reality i.e. AR mixed with real-world objects. Instead of being a headset like Oculus or HTC, it is a pair of fairly heavy glasses. When it went on sale to developers originally in 2016, it was priced at $ 3000, but there was never a consumer edition of the product. Therefore, Hololens remained more of a commercial product. Hololens 2 is expected to come out soon. It should be a lot less clunky than its predecessor and will not need to be connected to a PC. It is expected to have the newest Kinect sensor and it promises to be more efficient since it will be combined with Azure AI for enhanced speed.

PlayStation VR 

PlayStation VR was unveiled in 2016 and is geared towards PlayStation owners. It is moderately priced at around $400 which immediately made it popular among users. However, it is not only the price that makes it cheaper than the competition. Also, you do not have to buy an expensive VR-ready computer which can cost more than the device itself and as we saw earlier, the virtual reality cost is quite high. However, there are some drawbacks:

• There is a low-resolution quality
• Narrow field tracking
• The controllers are not very comfortable

But if you just looking to try out VR for the first time, this could be a great choice if you already have a PlayStation console.

Primax

The Primax was developed by a Chinese startup and is an 8K virtual reality headset. It raised more than $4 million dollars on Kickstarter and offers a high-resolution display of 3840 x 2160 pixels and an impressive 200-degree field view. This is one of the most exciting virtual reality headsets to come out in a long time.

It has a 5K version that has a CLPL display and a very solid 2,560 × 1,440. The $700 price tag is well worth it for the quality that you are getting.

Regardless of which headset of technology you are developing for, you can hire VR developers from Skywell Software to get your project up and running and delivered to the users on time.