The 3 Best VR Headsets for Exploring a New Reality

By Mike Williams

Virtual reality is no longer just the stuff of science fiction. Today you can strap on a headset that costs less than the price of a smartphone and dive into a new world of interactive entertainment. Gaming is the standout feature right now, but there are also excellent fitness apps and virtual meeting software that makes it feel like you’re there in person, even when working from home.

If you want to get in on virtual reality, you need to choose the right VR headset. After researching and testing all the top models, we recommend the Meta Quest 2 as the best choice for almost anyone. The Quest 2 is a stand-alone device that doesn’t require a gaming computer, and it provides an excellent combination of ease of use, ecosystem and price. If you’d rather invest in a more premium, higher-resolution device, consider the HP Reverb G2 or the HTC Vive Pro 2.

For more information on VR and how we tested all the headsets, keep reading below.

Best overall VR headset

Buy Side Top Pick

Quest 2

$399 at Amazon

$400 at Meta

This set offers the best combination of price and performance. It’s light, it can operate standalone or in tandem with a PC and the visual quality is more than good enough.

Pros

Stand-alone headset doesn’t require additional hardware or wires
Lightweight
Strong ecosystem of games and apps
Can also operate together with a PC
Priced lower than the competition

Cons

Lower resolution compared with the competition
A tight fit for those with glasses
Relatively short battery life

Nothing comes close to the overall package offered by the Meta Quest 2. The stand-alone headset is light, versatile and connects to Meta’s extensive ecosystem of software. (Before mid-2022, this headset was called the Oculus Quest 2. Oculus was a VR startup that was acquired by Meta, when it was still called Facebook, in 2014; the Oculus brand has since been retired.)

The Quest 2 can operate without a desktop PC or laptop. That means all you need to begin exploring the metaverse is the headset, a Wi-Fi connection and some open space. Given its stand-alone status, you’ll get two to 2½ hours of playtime before needing to recharge via USB-C cable. While you can use a USB-C cable to connect the Quest 2 to a PC to run additional software from Valve’s Steam store—a totally optional setup—the headset can also connect to a computer over Wi-Fi, meaning you don’t have to worry about being wrapped up in any cables in the real world while you’re exploring a digital one.

The headset has four external cameras to track where you’re facing, so it doesn’t require you to place any additional sensors around your room. It also uses those cameras to track the position of the included Oculus Touch controllers or your own hands if the controllers aren’t present.

As a company, Meta has put its weight and wealth behind virtual reality (for better or worse). That’s paid off in a stronger ecosystem compared with the rest of its competition. The Oculus Quest Store is like the Apple App Store or Google Play for VR, with the widest variety of free and paid apps. If you want to have fun, there are games like Beat Saber, Among Us VR and Lucky’s Tale. If you’re looking for some VR fitness, you’ll find apps like Supernatural and Holofit. And if you just want to look at photos or watch some videos, you’ll find VR versions of familiar apps like Instagram, YouTube, Netflix and ESPN.

The Meta Quest 2 costs about $400 with 128 gigabytes of storage, including the controllers (you can upgrade to 256GB for about $100 more), and compared with its competitors, that’s a steal. Almost every other headset costs at least $1,000, and while they might have better specs on paper, none of them offer a better introductory experience.

Meta’s headset does come up short in a few areas. The standard head mount on the device is just a pair of soft elastic straps. It’s good enough to hold the Quest 2 in place most of the time, but when you’re ducking and weaving in a heated session of Beat Saber, it can slide a bit. Other headsets, like the Meta Quest Pro (more on that below), have an adjustable clamp to keep the headset in place. You can replace the included strap with Meta’s Elite Strap, which offers an adjustable clamp and ergonomic support. The audio quality leaves something to be desired, but the Quest 2 allows you to attach your own headphones via a 3.5 millimeter jack or Bluetooth for better sound.

The Wall Street Journal’s Joanna Stern has recommendations for overcoming some of the Quest 2’s bothersome shortcomings once you have invested in one.

Best midrange VR headset

Pros

Slightly lighter than the Quest
Comfortable fit and weight distribution
Great visual clarity for games and apps
Superior audio quality

Cons

Requires a separate computer
Windows Mixed Reality needs improvement
Twitchy controller tracking

If you’re willing to ditch the versatile nature of the Quest 2 for something more powerful that needs to be directly attached to a PC, the HP Reverb G2 is a great choice. It outperforms our best overall pick in technical measures like screen resolution, pixel density and field of view, but also comes at a significantly higher price. The games available for this headset can be stunning compared with the Quest 2’s exclusive titles, but they’re also available to the Quest 2 at a lower fidelity.

Choosing this model, or the HTC Vive Pro 2 we discuss below, is like an audiophile searching for the best sound system: Most of us are fine listening to Spotify on standard earbuds, but someone who values features like high-resolution audio and noise cancellation will want to invest in better hardware. If you want your games to look and sound better, choose HP‘s VR hardware.

This was the most comfortable headset we tested. The Reverb G2 headset is actually a few grams lighter than the Quest 2, and its straps are padded and ergonomic; they feel snug and comfortable once you’ve adjusted them into the correct position. The face mask on the headset itself is also padded.

The Reverb G2 has a higher visual resolution than the Quest 2, meaning the images will be sharp and crisp. It also has a pair of solid built-in speakers that can be adjusted into place, giving you audio quality that puts our top VR headset to shame. In terms of its technical specs, it sits right in between the entry-level Quest 2 and our high-end option.

The headset needs to be tethered to a desktop PC with a single cable. One end has a connector that plugs into the headset, while the PC side splits off into two tails, with USB-C for power and DisplayPort for video. Having just one cable going to the headset is a boon compared with some systems that require a Medusa’s head, but you can still find yourself getting tangled up during heavy gaming sessions.

The Reverb G2 lands next to more premium options in terms of its outright capability, with great performance for games and apps. HP and Microsoft worked together to craft the Reverb G2, so setting up the headset will drop you into Windows Mixed Reality, Microsoft’s virtual reality portal, but most of your VR experiences will be through SteamVR. This is where the Reverb experience breaks down for more casual users. Starting SteamVR after the Windows Mixed Reality portal was already open led to a slower experience more prone to crashing in our tests. We found it best to start Steam first, then open a beta application, Windows Mixed Reality for SteamVR. Even then, we still ran into some crashes here and there. Windows Mixed Reality and SteamVR simply don’t play well together 100% of the time.

While the Reverb G2 uses four external cameras to keep track of its controllers, like the Quest 2, the tracking isn’t as precise. The headset can sometimes lose sight of their position, especially when the controllers are down by your sides or somewhere behind you, out of the view of the front-facing cameras. It’s a case of great hardware and a good price tarnished a bit by the software experience.

Best high-end VR headset

Vive Pro 2 Full Kit

HTC

Vive Pro 2 Full Kit

$1399 at Amazon

$1,298 at B&H Photo Video

The Vive Pro 2 is the best VR headset currently available. It has the sharpest screens and great tracking, but it requires a lot of setup on your part.

Pros

Highest resolution for gaming
Precise motion and controller tracking
Great app support

Cons

Higher-price
Lots of cords to deal with
Requires installing included sensors for tracking

There are a number of higher-price headsets that will provide you with the best VR experience you can find. The HTC Vive Pro 2 is the top option if you’re spending $1,000 or more on VR. While you can find a base version of the Vive Pro 2 for about $800, it lacks the controllers and additional sensors needed to make the headset actually work. The full package costs about $1,400 at the time of publication. For that price, it’s the best choice for the VR connoisseur, making every game and app look and sound its absolute best.

The headset has a resolution of 2448 by 2448 pixels per eye, which is even higher than the recently released Meta Quest Pro. It has a wide field of view and a high refresh rate. It also has built-in headphones that are certified for high-resolution audio and sound fantastic. Thanks to the additional sensors, controller tracking is pinpoint, with the virtual controllers replicating their real-world counterparts almost perfectly.

HTC and gamemaker Valve worked together on the first Vive headset. While they eventually parted ways, some of that DNA remains in the Vive Pro 2. The headset is built to work seamlessly with HTC’s Viveport app store and SteamVR. In fact, the initial setup process starts with HTC’s software, but quickly transitions over to SteamVR for the rest. Viveport’s software offerings feel like a solid mix of what’s available on the Quest Store and SteamVR. The store also has a subscription service called Viveport Infinity. For $13 a month or $108 annually, the service gives users access to over a thousand games, similar to Xbox Game Pass or PlayStation Plus.

Unlike the HP Reverb G2, the SteamVR integration is excellent on the HTC Vive Pro 2. Once we got everything installed, playing games like Hitman III VR, Pavlov VR and more was a breeze. With the additional clarity of the Vive Pro 2, we also scrolled around the world on Google Earth VR, taking in the detail of Yosemite and the streets of Hong Kong. The Viveport and SteamVR catalogs lack some of the additional entertainment apps of the Oculus Quest Store, but there’s still a great deal to enjoy.

Compared with the wire-free nature of the Quest 2, or the HP Reverb G2’s single DisplayPort/USB-C cable, the Vive Pro 2 is rife with cords. Three cables run into the device’s link box, with another cable running into the headset itself. We found ourselves getting tangled up while playing and the link box did fall off its stand a few times.

The setup process also involves at least two additional sensors. The two BaseStation sensors need to be mounted at either end of your room, where they’ll both have a view of the headset itself. The package comes with mounting brackets to attach the sensors to a wall, but you can also attach them to an optional third-party stand, as they have standard threaded mounting points. Combine that with each BaseStation having to be near a wall outlet to provide power, and it’s a decent amount of effort to set everything up.

Others you should know about

The Meta Quest Pro is a premium Quest designed for productivity. It runs all existing Quest software, including games, but Meta is aiming the device more at companies using them in the workplace than casual living room users. The Quest Pro features a total of 10 sensors on the headset for tracking, with another three sensors on each controller. It also features full-color pass-through, allowing you to see the world around you while the headset remains on. Given all the technology under the hood, the Quest Pro also comes with a “Pro” price tag of $1,500.

The Valve Index stands as a great alternative to the HTC Vive Pro 2. HTC’s headset has a higher resolution, improved visual clarity and a more comfortable design, while the Valve Index features a wider field of view, better audio and a price tag around $400 less than that of the Vive Pro 2. The Index is flanked on either side by the HP Reverb G2 or the HTC Vive Pro 2; you can go more affordable and still get close to the Index, or more expensive for the full top-end of the market.

The Pico 4, made by TikTok-parent company ByteDance, looks to be an excellent update of the same stand-alone headset concept in the Meta Quest 2. It’s a lightweight all-in-one device that can be hooked to a desktop PC, but it sports the higher resolution of the HP Reverb G2, an updated processor and a larger battery. The major issue preventing it from being in this roundup is it’s not sold directly in North America.

VR headsets coming in 2023

The world of virtual reality headsets moves quickly, so there are a number of headsets coming this year that could also stand out.

Meta says it will have a new Meta Quest in 2023. In the company’s financial earnings report for the fourth quarter of 2022, it said that the “next generation” of the Quest was coming “later next year.” Even if the company simply updates our top choice with minor spec bumps like a faster processor or higher resolution display, it should prove to be a great device.

Sony‘s original PlayStation VR has been discontinued, but the PlayStation VR2 is launching on Feb. 22, 2023, for $550. The wired headset will require a PlayStation 5, which is at least $400 on its own, if you can even find one; more than two years after the console’s release, it’s still not readily available from retailers. That said, Sony is planning to release PS VR2-exclusive games, including Horizon Call of the Mountain, based on the Horizon Zero Dawn series, that we expect to appeal to serious gamers.

The HTC Vive XR Elite is coming on Feb. 15, 2023, for $1,100. The headset’s resolution is lower than that of the Vive Pro 2, but the newer model will be lighter and work as a stand-alone device. The XR Elite is meant to compete with the Meta Quest Pro, with a high-resolution RGB color camera to capture the world outside of the headset for augmented reality.

How we picked

Trust us

I’ve been writing about virtual reality ever since I got a chance to preview a prototype of the first Oculus Rift, a precursor to the Quest 2, with former Meta programmer John Carmack at the E3 videogame conference in 2012. It was an early iteration of the headset held together with duct tape, but I immediately saw the possibilities for the future. Since then, I’ve reviewed a number of virtual reality headsets for videogame websites, including the Oculus Rift, Oculus Quest, Oculus Quest 2 and PlayStation VR. I’ve also reviewed a variety of tech products, including gaming consoles and PC hardware. For this article, I spoke to three other virtual reality experts: Tetiana Dhimolea, Ph.D., digital VR content creator at YouTube channel Disco-VR and community manager at SideQuest; Mathew Olson, creator of VirtualVector, a newsletter about mixed reality; and David Jagneaux, strategic communications manager at VR game developer First Contact Entertainment.

We tested

Finding a great virtual reality headset is about more than just hardware specs. Our top choice certainly isn’t the most powerful headset out there. It’s the combination of comfort, price, ecosystem and overall flexibility that make the best models stand out. Here are the features we were looking for in our testing.

Comfort and weight:

You’ll strap a VR headset to your face for hours at a time. The devices have to be light to prevent neck strain. They also have to be comfortable, so that you’re thinking about the digital world you’re interacting with, not the face plate digging into your skin. “Of course comfort is important, because if the headset puts too much pressure on your face—specifically your nose and forehead—it can cause headaches. Physical discomfort can cause users to put down the headset even if it has the highest visual quality,” says Dhimolea.
Ecosystem:

A headset is only as good as what you have to play or watch on it. Spending hundreds of dollars or more only to access a small library of games isn’t helpful at all. You should have a variety of content to choose from. “If there are only one or two games or apps you’re looking to get into VR for, then it’s worth looking around to see if those apps are exclusive to a given platform (Meta has quite a few) or if there are specific headsets, especially for PC VR, that others highly recommend for that software,” says Olson.
Ease of use and overall experience:

A number of available VR headsets are great pieces of hardware, but they’re hard for the average person to use. Setting up the hardware is prohibitively difficult or, once it’s up and running, it requires a ton of technical knowledge to stay in working order. A VR headset should work like a smartphone, easily walking you through the process of using it.
Extras:

Does the headset let you set your interpupillary distance (IPD) in hardware or software? How easy is it to set up and put away? If it’s stand-alone, what is the battery life like?

To test these headsets, we set up each one in our room-scale testing area. For the headsets that required a PC, we attached them to our gaming PC. Once the headsets were set up, we tried out a variety of content, including games on the headset’s proprietary platform and those on SteamVR. These games included Hubris, Hitman III VR, Pavlov VR, After the Fall, BoneLab, Beat Saber and Superhot VR. We also tried nongaming applications where available, like Google Earth VR on SteamVR, YouTube VR on Oculus Store and Viveport Video on HTC Viveport. Testing took place in a well-lit room to test for light bleed around the edges of each headset’s faceplate.

Our experts

Tetiana Dhimolea, Ph.D.

, Dallas-based digital VR content creator at

Disco-VR

, community manager at

SideQuest
Mathew Olson

, creator of

VirtualVector

, a newsletter about mixed reality, in Queens
David Jagneaux

, Manteca, Calif.-based strategic communications manager at

First Contact Entertainment

, and former Meta technology communications manager, editorial