October 2021
VR Headsets: Aggregated Ranking Report
This report contains an aggregate consensus of VR Headset rankings posted by key online experts, as of October 2021.
At a glance - October 2021 Ranking
| Rank | Change | Price | VR Headset |
CNET
|
PC Gamer
|
PCMag
|
Tom's Guide
|
TechRadar
|
Forbes
|
WIRED
|
Tom's Hardware
|
BestReviews
|
Pocket-lint
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
- | $366 |
Oculus Quest 2
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
2
|
|
2
|
- | $1500 |
Valve Index
|
3
|
2
|
3
|
5
|
1
|
2
|
-
|
2
|
-
|
-
|
|
3
|
- | $338 |
Sony PlayStation VR
|
4
|
-
|
2
|
3
|
3
|
5
|
-
|
-
|
3
|
5
|
|
4
|
- | $649 |
HP Reverb G2
|
2
|
4
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
3
|
-
|
4
|
5
|
3
|
|
5
|
- | $515 |
Oculus Rift S
|
-
|
6
|
-
|
2
|
4
|
-
|
3
|
-
|
-
|
4
|
|
6
|
+1 | $798 |
HTC Vive Pro 2
|
-
|
3
|
4
|
-
|
-
|
6
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
|
7
|
-1 | $899 |
HTC Vive Cosmos Elite
|
-
|
5
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
2
|
-
|
1
|
-
|
We ranked Oculus Quest 2 #1 in October 2021 because:
- 10 independent experts mentioned it in their “best VR Headsets” rankings.
- Out of those, 7 experts ranked Oculus Quest 2 as #1.
CNET
The best standalone VR
|
Pros
Self-contained and wireless
great touch controllers
comfortable design for gaming
doubles as PC VR headset.
|
Cons
Requires Facebook account.
|
PC Gamer
The best VR headset
|
Pros
Oculus Link tethering
Improved graphics
Great price
|
Cons
Mandatory Facebook login
Fiddly strap
|
PCMag
Best for a Cable-Free Experience / Editors' Choice
|
Pros
No cables required
Sharp display
Powerful processor
Accurate motion tracking
Optional PC tethering with accessory cable
|
Cons
Short battery life
|
Tom's Guide
Best VR headset overall
|
Pros
Seamless all-in-one VR system
Can connect to PCs
Capable of room-scale VR
Large library of apps
|
Cons
Controllers aren’t rechargeable
Requires Facebook account
|
TechRadar
The best standalone VR headset
|
Pros
Incredibly immersive experiences
Comfortable weight
Easy to use
|
Cons
Requires Facebook account linking
Can still cause motion sickness
|
Tom's Hardware
Best VR Headset
|
Pros
Amazing resolution
Much more powerful than original Quest
|
Cons
White picks up dirt and grime
Poor controller ergonomics
|
BestReviews
Best bang for the buck
|
Pros
Affordable. Comfortable headset. Expansive library of games. Ergonomic controllers. Captivating 3D sound. Simple setup. Smooth visuals. PC-compatible.
|
Cons
Users are required to log in to a Facebook account to use this VR headset.
|
We ranked Valve Index #2 in October 2021 because:
- 7 independent experts mentioned it in their “best VR Headsets” rankings.
- Out of those, 1 expert ranked Valve Index as #1.
CNET
Best PC VR to explore the future of VR controllers
|
Pros
Amazing futuristic controllers
high-quality headset
works with Vive hardware.
|
Cons
Expensive
requires room setup and tethering cable
|
PC Gamer
The best VR headset for a premium experience on a gaming PC
|
Pros
Best in class hardware
Comfortable to wear
Virtually no SDE
|
Cons
Setup is awkward
Limited support for finger-tracking
|
PCMag
Best for Revolutionary Controllers / Editor's Choice
|
Pros
Immersive, finger-tracking controllers
High, 120Hz refresh rate delivers smooth motion
Lots of VR software available on PC via SteamVR
|
Cons
Expensive
Occasionally frustrating tethered design
|
Tom's Guide
The best controls and tracking in VR
|
Pros
Great build quality
Smartly designed controllers
Future expansion options
|
Cons
No charging cable in the box
Heavy
|
TechRadar
The best VR headset
|
Pros
Widest field of view
'Knuckle' controllers great for tracking
|
Cons
Requires a high-end GPU
Still expensive compared to competition
|
Tom's Hardware
Best VR Headset for PC
|
Pros
RGB subpixel array eliminates screen-door effect
Wider FOV than comparable headsets
Excellent audio quality
|
Cons
Very heavy
Less comfortable than the HTC Vive Pro
Cushions are glued on
|
Methodology: combine opinions of key experts
Identify Experts
We identify key publishers and experts that consistently review and recommend VR Headsets.
Capture Rankings
For each publisher we find a currently recommended "top 10" list of VR Headsets, it must be updated in the last 9 months.
Aggregate Rankings
We put all those lists together and aggregate them. The more frequently a product is recommended, the higher it is in our ranking
Experts chosen for October 2021 ranking
CNET
PC Gamer
PCMag
Tom's Guide
TechRadar
Forbes
WIRED
Tom's Hardware
BestReviews
Pocket-lint
We ranked Sony PlayStation VR #3 in October 2021 because:
- 7 independent experts mentioned it in their “best VR Headsets” rankings.
CNET
Still worth it for the games
|
Pros
Plenty of games
lower price
works with many PS4 controllers like the DualShock and Move.
|
Cons
Resolution isn't cutting-edge
Sony hasn't yet made great VR controllers that match the competition, but a new version may be coming next year.
|
PCMag
Best for PlayStation Gamers / Editor's Choice
|
Pros
Immersive VR experience.
Works with non-VR apps and games.
Motion control support.
Low cost of entry compared with PC-based headsets.
|
Cons
Requires PlayStation Camera, which is not included.
Slightly less powerful than its main competitors.
Some motion-tracking hiccups when playing in brightly lit rooms.
|
Tom's Guide
The best VR headset for consoles
|
Pros
Good gaming library
Fairly easy setup
Relatively affordable
|
Cons
Camera can be very exacting
Could be visually sharper
|
TechRadar
The best VR headset for consoles
|
Pros
Affordable
Near PC-quality performance
Good selection of games
|
Cons
Lacking required accessories in box
Poor job sealing out light
Spotty motion controller tracking
|
BestReviews
|
Pros
Large library of critically acclaimed games and experiences. Works with PS5 and PS4 consoles. Wide field of view. Integrated microphone. Immersive 3D audio. Pretty OLED display.
|
Cons
PSVR doesn't work with a PC.
|
We ranked HP Reverb G2 #4 in October 2021 because:
- 6 independent experts mentioned it in their “best VR Headsets” rankings.
CNET
The highest-resolution PC VR headset
|
Pros
Really sharp high-res display
great audio
comfortable design
|
Cons
Mediocre controllers
|
PC Gamer
The best VR headset from the Windows Mixed Reality group
|
Pros
Easy setup and long cable
Accessible physical IPD Toggle
No screen door effect
|
Cons
FOV below average
Limited tracking volume
|
Tom's Hardware
Best VR Headset Image Clarity
|
Pros
Lightweight
Incredible display resolution
|
Cons
Tracking is a huge letdown
Narrow field of view
|
BestReviews
|
Pros
Screen resolutions of 2160 x 2160 pixels per eye afford exceptional picture quality. The lenses can be adjusted to different eye distances. Near-field speakers create more realistic audio than headphones.
|
Cons
Tracking cameras require appropriate lighting for best accuracy. Expensive.
|
We ranked Oculus Rift S #5 in October 2021 because:
- 5 independent experts mentioned it in their “best VR Headsets” rankings.
PC Gamer
The best VR headset for a massive library of games
|
Pros
Excellent resolution and refresh rate
Great, deep library of games
Inside out tracking
|
Cons
Lower fidelity image quality
80Hz is a little low
|
Tom's Guide
Best VR headset for PC
|
Pros
Built-in room tracking
Great game library
Included touch controllers
|
Cons
Not a huge upgrade over original Oculus Rift
PC required
|
TechRadar
The best VR headset for PCs
|
Pros
No external tracking stations
Improved visuals
|
Cons
Reduced refresh rate
Prone to crashing
|
We ranked HTC Vive Pro 2 #6 in October 2021 because:
- 4 independent experts mentioned it in their “best VR Headsets” rankings.
- Out of those, 1 expert ranked HTC Vive Pro 2 as #1.
PC Gamer
The best display in a mainstream VR headset so far, but it'll cost you.
|
Pros
Awesome display
Precise tracking
Mature tracking
|
Cons
Ridiculously expensive
Takes time to setup
Gets hot in use
|
PCMag
Best for the Highest-Resolution VR
|
Pros
The best resolution for VR gaming
Smooth motion tracking
Works with Valve Index controllers
|
Cons
Expensive
Doesn't include necessary base stations or controllers
|
We ranked HTC Vive Cosmos Elite #7 in October 2021 because:
- 3 independent experts mentioned it in their “best VR Headsets” rankings.
- Out of those, 1 expert ranked HTC Vive Cosmos Elite as #1.
PC Gamer
HTC goes back to base stations for improved accuracy
|
Pros
High resolutions displays
Accurate tracking
Includes Half-Life: Alyx and Viveport Infinity
|
Cons
First-gen controllers and base stations
Not massively innovative
|
BestReviews
Best of the Best
|
Pros
Immersive graphics. Accurate motion controls. Optimized for premium VR PC gaming. Detailed 2880 x 1700 resolution. Crystal-clear stereo audio. Comfortable fit.
|
Cons
Expensive
|