Best VR headsets to buy in 2021 – CNET [CNET]

Editors’ note: A new version of the Quest 2 doubles the storage of the $299 model to 128GB, and includes a silicone cover for the foam face piece after a voluntary recall of the foam covers earlier this year due to facial irritation concerns with a small subset of customers. Existing Quest 2 owners can order a free silicone cover.

Over the last year and a half, where people were more distant from each other than ever, virtual reality took on a different meaning. VR has potential for the future, too, but at the moment it remains a fascinating outlier in most people’s tech lives. It isn’t a must-have social gathering spot or workplace yet. But: It’s become a great place for games. The Oculus Quest 2 has become an excellent home VR console go-to for the VR enthusiast, and it’s one of my favorite places to play games. But VR is also still in flux, the technology ever-evolving. So, too, are the philosophies of the VR technology companies that make the headsets.

The Quest 2 remains our top pick, especially with a recent increase in storage to 128GB on the $299 model. But you do need a Facebook account to use it.

Right now, VR tech might be in a bit of a lull, which means it’s probably a safe time to buy. There is an Oculus Quest Pro in the works, and a PlayStation VR 2, but neither should be arriving this year. 

VR games are better than ever: from Valve’s VR masterpiece Half-Life: Alyx to Star Wars: Squadrons and lots more on PCs, and plenty of Oculus Quest and PlayStation VR games, too. But you still have to decide whether you want a headset that plugs into your PC or console, or choose a standalone option like the Quest (which can double as a PC headset, too). 

More changes will come. Companies such as Qualcomm (which makes the chips inside most self-contained VR headsets, including the new Quest 2) are building new chips that point to a wave of better stand-alone headsets at lower prices — including ones that plug into your phone. The more expensive and business-targeted Vive Focus 3 shows where more premium standalone VR headsets could evolve.

Meanwhile, the mobile VR headset and phone-based VR headset — like the Samsung Gear VR and Google Daydream — is basically dead. A good number of the current iPhone, Android and VR app options don’t even work with the old mobile VR goggles. If smartphone-based VR comes back, the mobile headset will more likely be in the form of small headsets that plug into phones via USB-C for VR content, VR gaming and other uses.

If you’re a PC gamer, a solid gaming PC-connected VR headset offers the most versatile collection of software for an immersive VR experience and lets you use that headset for creative and business tools. Note that a more powerful VR system will still be largely tethered to a desktop or laptop and a PC VR headset may require external sensors, so they may not be the best option for everyone.

And what about console gaming? The aging PlayStation VR is still fun if it’s on sale and you have a PS4, mainly because there are loads more great VR game options for this device than you’d think. But keep in mind that the PlayStation 5, while it works with PSVR, needs the older PS4 controller and PS4 camera in order to work. You might want to wait for the next-gen PSVR 2 (which won’t be here this year).

Augmented reality headsets and mixed-reality headsets aren’t ready for everyday use yet, so a solid VR headset is your best bet for escaping to other worlds in the meantime. Read on to figure out which offers the best VR experience for you. We update this periodically, but note that prices are subject to change.

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