Virtual reality has come a long way in recent years. What was once a niche novelty is now a thriving industry with headsets to suit every budget and use case. As someone who has been excited about VR‘s potential for a long time, I‘m happy to say there has never been a better time to jump in and see what all the hype is about. Here are four reasons why you should seriously consider buying a VR headset today.
- Mind-blowing immersive gaming
Let‘s start with the most obvious and compelling reason – the incredible gaming experiences only possible in virtual reality. If you‘re a gamer, you owe it to yourself to try modern VR gaming. The level of immersion is hard to put into words.
Strapping on a headset transports you to another world where you aren‘t just controlling an avatar on a screen, but feel physically present in the game environment. The sense of scale and depth as you crane your neck to look up at towering structures or vast landscapes is awe-inspiring. In a space dogfighting game like Star Wars: Squadrons, you‘ll grip your flight stick as you frantically swivel your head to track enemy ships screaming past your cockpit. In a horror game, you‘ll feel your pulse pounding as you inch down a dark hallway, jumping at every creak and shadow.
This new paradigm has also given rise to completely original games that simply couldn‘t exist on a traditional screen. Games like Beat Saber have you slashing blocks flying at your face to the rhythm of thumping music. Half-Life: Alyx redefines first-person shooters with gameplay built around the VR experience, as you physically reach out to manipulate objects, load weapons, and interact with the world in a natural way.
Other games are finding clever ways to use virtual space, creating massive yet intricate game worlds or using "room-scale" gameplay where you physically walk around your play area. Even familiar genres like racing and flight simulators take on a new level of realism and fun when you can freely look around the cockpit and feel the sense of speed and motion.
- Your own personal movie theater
Gaming may be VR‘s killer app, but it‘s far from the only use case. Another major reason to own a VR headset is the ability to watch movies and videos in a virtual theater environment.
Most headsets come with apps that place you in a photorealistic movie theater, complete with rows of seats and a giant screen. It may sound gimmicky, but in practice it feels impressively close to the real thing. You get the scale and viewing experience of a real theater, without the hassles of traveling to a cinema or bothering the people around you.
This is great for watching 3D movies, which work perfectly on VR headsets with their stereoscopic displays. The 3D effect really pops and there‘s no dimming from 3D glasses. Even regular 2D content benefits from the focused, distraction-free environment. You can also enjoy your content in unique virtual environments like a spaceship or medieval castle.
The private theater experience really comes in handy when traveling or if you don‘t have access to a big screen at home. Pop on your headset and you can watch on a "100-inch screen" from your cramped airplane seat or bed without bothering your partner or seat mates.
- Hanging out and socializing in VR
The third big draw of VR headsets is the social experience. As the technology has matured, more and more people are meeting up to hang out and interact in virtual reality.
VR is an amazing way to feel present with friends and family no matter where they are in the physical world. Major headsets like the Quest 2 make it easy to jump into virtual spaces together, where you can chat, watch shows, play games, and more with customized avatars. The freedom of movement and spatialized audio make conversations feel much more natural than a video call.
There are also apps dedicated to socializing and meeting new people in VR. For example, AltspaceVR hosts regular live events like stand-up comedy, karaoke, and quiz shows. VRChat lets you explore countless user-created worlds and activities. You can attend virtual conferences, take fitness classes, and even go on VR dates.
It may sound strange at first, but virtual socializing can form genuine connections and communities. It‘s a great way for people who are isolated or far from loved ones to interact. Recent advancements in tracking and expression capture also make interactions feel more lifelike and engaging.
- Education and learning
Finally, VR has immense potential as an educational tool. The ability to engage with concepts and environments in an interactive 3D space is a game changer for visual learners.
Virtual field trips can transport students to distant historical sites or geographical wonders, with additional information accessible at a glance or with voice commands. Imagine walking around ancient ruins as your teacher explains their history and virtually reconstructs the original buildings before your eyes.
For STEM fields, VR allows you to visualize and manipulate system models, molecular structures, architectural designs, and more. Hands-on learning takes on new meaning when you can pick up and examine a beating virtual heart or step through the layers of a jet engine.
VR is also perfect for practicing high-stakes skills and procedures. Medical students can hone their techniques on virtual patients. Pilots can drill emergency scenarios in a simulator pod. Football quarterbacks can even get extra reps reading defenses in VR.
The educational ecosystem in VR is still developing, but I expect to see rapid growth in the coming years. Some museums are already building impressive VR tours and curriculums. VR will never fully replace in-person instruction, but it‘s an incredibly powerful supplement.
Which VR headsets are best?
If those use cases have convinced you (and they should!), you may be wondering which VR headsets are actually worth buying. The good news is that you have more great options than ever before.
At the top of my list and the list of most critics is the Meta Quest 2. This is an extremely user-friendly all-in-one headset, meaning the computer is built in and no external sensors are required – just put it on and you‘re in VR. It has an excellent display, great tracking, and intuitive touch controllers. Best of all, it starts at just $299, making it the best value in VR today.
The Quest 2 also gives you the flexibility to connect it to a gaming PC for even higher quality PCVR games, or use it wirelessly in any room of your house. With the largest content library and a thriving community, you can‘t go wrong with the Quest 2.
For PlayStation 5 owners, the brand new PlayStation VR2 is a fantastic option. It‘s pricey at $549 and of course requires a PS5, but the specs are incredible. We‘re talking a 4K HDR OLED display, advanced haptics in the headset and controllers, and eye tracking. The exclusive games like Horizon Call of the Mountain are jaw-dropping graphical showcases. If you already have a PS5 and want the highest fidelity VR gaming, the PSVR 2 is well worth the investment.
If you‘re a diehard PC gamer with a beefy rig, the Valve Index is still the gold standard for PCVR. The Index boasts best-in-class audio, huge field of view, and the most precise tracking. The knuckle controllers strap to your hands to detect individual finger motions. It‘s the most premium VR experience you can get at home… with a price to match at $999.
Finally, for professionals or anyone interested in augmented reality as well as virtual reality, the Vive XR Elite is an intriguing option. This sleek standalone headset includes high-res passthrough cameras, letting you see the real world with virtual elements mixed in. It‘s great for VR but can also handle productivity and enterprise mixed reality applications.
Conclusion
With so many great headsets and such compelling reasons to own one, I truly believe that VR‘s time has arrived. Whether you want to experience gaming like never before, watch movies on a giant virtual screen, hang out with people from around the world, or learn in exciting new ways, a VR headset is an amazing tool.
As the technology continues to improve and more people get on board, the future is looking bright for VR. We‘re still in the early days of this new medium and the possibilities are endless. If you‘ve been curious or on the fence, now is the time to see what you‘ve been missing. I hope this article has inspired you to take the plead and add a VR headset to your tech arsenal. Trust me, you won‘t regret it.
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