VR/MR Headset Review

Preferred VR Headset

My ideal VR headset would be the powerful Valve Index VR Headset assuming that money wasn’t a factor due to its high-end price.

Valve Index VR Headset

This beast of a headset has a display with 1440×1600 per-eye resolution, a 120 Hz refresh rate (with experimental 144 Hz mode) and an approximately 130 degrees FOV. It also has motion controllers with individual finger tracking as well as built-in speakers with excellent audio meaning there is no need for secondary headphones.

Although this headset’s specs make it one of the best VR headsets on the market, its steep price tag, difficult initial set up, and restricting PC-tethered experience makes the high-end headset unwelcoming to casual gamers and newcomers to the VR ecosystem. Having used this headset in a VR arcade recently, I was extremely amazed at how immersive the experience felt so I undoubtedly have to choose this headset as my favorite. If I ever purchased the headset, I would personally be comfortable with the tethered experience; however, I could always just set up a pulley system to hold the wires within my room to avoid accidental tangling if necessary. If I was planning to spend a long time in VR and had the money, I would definitely get this headset since it is extremely comfortable, offers amazing visuals, and the device’s battery life would never be a concern like with standalone headsets.

Preferred MR Headset

My ideal MR headset would be the sophisticated Microsoft Hololens 2 MR Headset, although it is pretty much an enterprise exclusive.

Microsoft Hololens 2 MR Headset

Being lightweight and well-designed, the Hololens 2 headset is an expensive premium product designed with a strong enterprise-focus. With a larger FOV and a more comfortable fit than its predecessor, it is mainly useful for visualization and training purposes within the workplace. If I had the resources and had to choose an MR headset, I would definitely pick this powerful headset due to its intelligent visual overlay and eye/hand tracking. Although this product will probably never make it into the hands of low-budget consumers, I believe that this product has a lot of potential to greatly improve the training process within businesses.

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