Choosing the right VR headset isn’t like most other major tech purchases. If you’re buying a smartphone, TV, or laptop, you have dozens or even hundreds of models to choose from. When it comes to VR headsets, however, there are only a handful of good options out there. Still, VR headsets are expensive, so it’s important to make sure you get the perfect model for you. In this guide, the expert product reviewers at BGR will share all the ins and outs of the best VR headsets on the market.
Our top picks
- Best overall VR headset: Meta Quest 3
- Best budget VR headset: Meta Quest 2
- Best VR headset for non-gamers: Apple Vision Pro
- Best VR headset for PlayStation users: PlayStation VR2
Thanks to more than 200 hours of combined testing, we’ve picked the best VR headsets for each different type of user in 2024. Feel free to check out each of those models on your own to see if they might suit your needs. Or, if you want our expert input to see which VR headset might suit your specific needs, keep reading for a deep dive into each of the VR headset options listed above.
1. Best overall VR headset: Meta Quest 3
Pros: Best VR gaming experience hands-down, decent price
Cons: Mixed reality experience needs improvements
If you want the best VR headset for most people, the answer is fairly simple: it’s the Meta Quest 3. Period. Full stop.
Anyone who has spent any amount of time shopping for a VR headset knows that there isn’t much competition out there right now. The HTC VIVE XR Elite is a decent option, and the newer 2024 version of the VIVE XR Elite is set to be released in July. Even with HTC’s upgrades, however, neither headset can really compete with the Meta Quest 3.
First of all, the Meta Quest 3 VR headset costs much less money than the VIVE XR Elite models. Prices start at $499.99 for the 128GB Meta Quest 3, while the VIVE XR Elite starts at $1,000. You can also get the Meta Quest 3 with 512GB for $649.99.
Powered by the Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chipset, the Quest 3 has double the graphics performance as the previous-generation Quest 2. It also has what Meta calls a 4K+ Infinite Display and better 3D audio than the previous model. In our tests, the graphics on the new 4K+ display really wowed us.
In VR mode, the Meta Quest 3 is unbeatable. The graphics are fast and smooth, and the new upgraded displays make a huge difference in terms of visual quality. The Quest 3 is much more immersive than other VR headsets in this price range.
When it comes to mixed reality, the Quest 3 does a good job of mixing the real and virtual worlds. Video passthrough isn’t great, but it’s good enough to get the job done.
Crucially, Meta has a library of more than 500 apps and games for the Meta Quest 3. After all, what’s the point of getting a VR headset if there aren’t tons of games and apps to keep you busy? The gaming experience is terrific on the Meta Quest 3 VR headset. In fact, other headsets really don’t even come close as far as gaming is concerned.
You also get 2.2 hours of usage per charge or even more battery life if you enable the special Battery Saver mode. That’s class-leading battery performance for a VR headset that doesn’t need to be tethered to a PC or even an external battery.
The Meta Quest 3 isn’t perfect by any stretch of the imagination. It has some issues when you’re using it in mixed reality mode that BGR reviewer Christian de Looper found to be very annoying. Plus, there’s still a shortage of apps in some categories, though it still has the biggest app catalog of any full-featured VR headset out there.
Despite this model’s shortcomings, however, the Meta Quest 3 is still the best in the business. And to be perfectly honest, it’s the best by a wide margin because nothing else really comes close.
Read BGR’s Meta Quest 3 review to learn everything you need to know about this awesome VR headset.
2. Best budget VR headset: Meta Quest 2
Pros: Price
Cons: Resolution isn’t great, no video passthrough means no mixed reality
When the Meta Quest 3 was first announced, many people thought that the Meta Quest 2 might be discontinued. Thankfully, Meta made a much better decision. Instead of discontinuing the previous-generation Quest 2, Meta kept it in the company’s VR headset lineup at a new, lower price.
That means you can now pick up a Meta Quest 2 VR headset for just $199.99, making it the best budget model you can get.
At that price point, there really isn’t any meaningful competition to the Quest 2. You can get headsets that transform your smartphone or your Nintendo Switch into head-worn gaming devices, but they don’t offer good user experiences at all. If you want to slap a Switch onto your face, go right ahead — but you shouldn’t expect to enjoy anything that even approaches the VR experience you get with the Meta Quest 2.
Meta’s Quest 2 VR headset features decent display resolution and graphics performance, plus above-average head tracking. You also get access to the same extensive library of 500+ games and apps.
Again, we cannot stress enough how much of an advantage Meta has over its rivals because of its game and app library. From popular games and movie streaming apps to social apps, fitness apps, and more, you’ll find tons of content to keep you busy.
One thing the Quest 2 doesn’t have compared to the newer Quest 3 model is video passthrough. That means you won’t be able to experience mixed reality like you can on the Quest 3. If MR doesn’t interest you and you only want to focus on VR, however, the Quest 2 is the perfect low-cost option.
Read our earlier Meta Quest 2 coverage to learn more about this impressive low-cost VR headset.
3. Best VR headset for non-gamers: Apple Vision Pro
Pros: Incredible visual experience, plenty of power
Cons: Price is insane, not good for gaming
Does the Apple Vision Pro count as a VR headset? Yes, yes it does.
While VR certainly isn’t the only focus of the Vision Pro, it offers tons of immersive VR experiences. Apple calls it a “spatial computer,” and that’s because the focus isn’t primarily on VR, per se. Instead, Apple tried to focus largely on productivity and mixed reality with the Vision Pro. This is very important to keep in mind if you’re considering a Vision Pro purchase; Apple’s Vision Pro does handle VR, but that’s not the focus.
When it comes to gaming, the Vision Pro is a non-starter for now.
There are tons of games that you can play on the Vision Pro, and you’ll find them in the Vision Pro app store. But the vast majority of them are iPad and iPhone games as opposed to VR games. That means you’ll play them on a small virtual screen that hovers in the air in front of you. As for true VR games that are immersive, they’re currently few and far between.
With that in mind, it’s safe to say that the Vision Pro is currently a great VR headset if your focus is on a different type of entertainment: movies and TV shows. With the Vision Pro, you can transform any space into a massive movie theater. Forget the 65-inch TV in your living room, you can now have a 65-foot TV anywhere you go. Imagine watching a movie on a theater screen during your next flight.
There are also use cases for VR when it comes to productivity on the Apple Vision Pro. Instead of staring at your office walls while you work, you can instantly transform your surroundings into a beach, a jungle, a mountaintop, and so on.
Apple’s Vision Pro is by far the most powerful and feature-rich headset on the market right now. However, as we’ve explained, that doesn’t necessarily make it the best. When it comes to gaming, the Vision Pro doesn’t come anywhere close to matching the Meta Quest 3 or even the Quest 2. The discrepancy has nothing to do with capabilities, of course, but instead with the libraries of games that are available on each platform. If you’re not worried about gaming, however, then the Vision Pro is tough to beat.
Of course, there’s one more problem with Apple’s headset that many people will find difficult to overcome: the price. The Vision Pro starts at an astronomical $3,499, which makes it the most expensive consumer-grade VR headset you can buy.
BGR’s in-depth Apple Vision Pro review has all the info you need to learn more about this pricey option.
4. Best VR headset for PlayStation users: PlayStation VR2
Pros: Easy to use, works on PS5
Cons: Lower quality VR experiences compared to other models, requires PlayStation console
Sony’s PlayStation VR2 headset has received criticism over the years for being underpowered. However, that doesn’t change the fact that it is one of the best options out there, especially if you already have a PlayStation console.
Part of the appeal of this VR2 headset is that it does not require a high-end gaming PC to run games. It needs a PS5, as most gamers are aware, but you probably already have one if you’re considering a PSVR2 purchase. Sony has also partnered with many developers to bring several VR exclusives to its platform, which helped make it a hit among gamers.
Setup for PlayStation VR2 is extremely simple, and it connects directly to the PS5. Furthermore, some of the experiences have been updated to provide better performance on newer consoles.
PlayStation VR2 makes use of the PlayStation Move controllers, as well as the default PS5 controllers. It’s fairly comfortable, though the wires are a bit short. If you want to experience virtual reality and you’re already locked into the PlayStation ecosystem, then PlayStation VR2 could be a really solid option.
Why should you trust us?
If you stop to really think about the current state of VR headsets, it’s a bit shocking. The first VR headset for consumers emerged all the way back in the 1980s from VPL Research. Sega VR then debuted in the early 1990s, and the Forte VFX1 VR headset appeared shortly after that. Yet here we are all these years later, and there really aren’t very many good options out there for VR headsets.
Then again, perhaps the limited number of options out there right now is a good thing. If you’re shopping for a new VR headset, it’s not like shopping for a laptop or a smartphone, where you have countless options to choose from. There are only a handful of widely available VR headsets out there right now, and even fewer virtual reality headsets that are actually worth buying.
In this guide, we told you about the best VR headsets you can get right now. The expert product testers here at BGR have thoroughly reviewed every popular VR headset that’s currently on the market. As a result, we’re well-positioned to tell you the ins and outs of each model. No matter what your priorities are in your next VR headset, we’ll tell you all about the model that’s best suited for your needs.
