Choose Your Reality: a Head-to-Head Comparison of the Latest and Upcoming AR/VRs But before you get your cards or cash out, you need to know what will be the perfect fit for you, and this article will be your guide to uncovering the best AR/VR/MR products the market has to offer.
By Paromita Gupta •
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Whether you are a tech enthusiast or a gaming geek, augmented reality and virtual reality headsets are something you'll wish to get your hands on, no matter the price one has to pay. But before you get your cards or cash out, you need to know what will be the perfect fit for you, and this article will be your guide to uncovering the best AR/VR/MR products the market has to offer.
Just to set the standard specifications straight, a good basic AR/VR headset should have around 100 degrees Field of view, a refresh rate of between 90Hz and 120Hz, minimum storage of 64GB, and six Degrees of Freedom.
1. VIVE XR Elite
HTC's VIVE XR Elite is an all-in-one XR headset and is priced at $1,099. Perfect for users wanting to get into mixed reality, i.e. where virtual elements appear in your living room/play space while you can still see the regular world. It is backed by a full-colour RGB passthrough camera, a hand-tracking feature, spatial accuracy, and a depth sensor to deliver accurate movements. Sadly, glasswearing enthusiasts will have to give this a pass.
2. Apple Vision Pro
Arriving in early 2024, this AR/VR headset is being marketed as a spatial computing device by Apple. Vision Pro will compete with PS VR2 in providing an eye-tracking system. It will be armed with custom micro-OLED, real-time 3D mapping, and head and hand tracking. It is also claimed that Apple will be providing custom lenses to users based on prescription. The device will be powered by Apple's most advanced spatial audio system. The con? A whopping $3,499.
3. PS VR2
PS VR2 boasts of IR camera for eye tracking per eye, iconic haptic triggers, and an OLED display, giving a more immersive experience to users at $549. The headset is also eyewear-friendly, giving the user a good fit. However, a con finds the shape of its 15-foot-long USB-C cable, which needs to be connected to a PS5 system (another con). The device's mesh capabilities, in theory, give a mixed reality experience, much like Meta Quest 2. This, hands down, is the best choice for existing and potential PS5 users.
4. Meta Quest 3
Yes, while Meta has generously slashed Quest 2's price to $299.99, we'll still encourage you to wait till fall to get a good deal with Quest 3 at $499.99. Much like its predecessor, it will be a fullycontained device meaning no system is required for it, and it will be glass compatible. Touted as Meta's 'Most Powerful Headset Yet', the company stated that users will "get smoother performance and incredibly crisp details in immersive games." It also has an edge of having a 40 per cent slimmer optic profile compared to Quest 2 and wins the race when it comes to storage in the market.
