The VR-system is becoming more mainstream in gaming nowadays, giving players an experience that’s quite unforgettable. However, it seems that most VR-systems are awfully pricey, so we’ve compiled a list of five budget headsets that’ll give players an authentic experience whilst not spilling the innards of your wallets.
In no particular order…
5. Oculus Go – $199
The Oculus Go is easily one of the best VR-systems you can go for, not just because of its great comfort and convenience, but because of its price. At $199, the Oculus will serve you as one of the easiest systems to use, easily pulling in even the average consumer.
The large library of VR apps will also help to keep you busy and you won’t need a powerful computer or give up usage of your phone to use this. However, the Oculus falters when it comes to its battery life. In saying that, the Oculus Go is worth your attention mainly due to its simplicity added with the comfort of the device.
The motion controller is also included in the box, the lightness and the small size of it makes it a very easy controller to navigate with your hand. This is very much the go-to VR-system when you’re wanting something not pricey.
4. Playstation VR – $260
PSVR is a great place to start if you’re wanting to introduce yourself to the world of VR. In many ways the PSVR is a game-changer, having sold over 4.2 million units, and 21.9 million games worldwide as of 3 March 2019.
The PSVR introduces players to the excitement of virtual reality while providing games that’ll definitely change the way you view and play games forever. The system will run with both Android and iOS systems. Sony is very serious about virtual reality right now as they become more familiarized with the fact that VR inclusion will become a selling point for anyone who’s interested in buying a console.
The HDR support, great audio and the overall comfort of the PSVR make it one of the best VR systems out there right now. The price, while more expensive than the Go, is definitely justified by the library of amazing games. Right now, you can find the PSVR Doom bundle for $260. The bundle includes a camera, the headset and a DOOM VFR Blu-ray disc. If you’re not a fan of DOOM, there is also a Skyrim bundle which ups the price to $349.
3. Homido VR – $80
The Homido VR headset won’t attract people who are wanting a grand VR-system, but an affordable one that does the job. This is essentially a watered-down version of Google Cardboard, but it doesn’t mean it’s bad. In fact, it’s pretty good for the price of $70-80.
The unit is very light with the body consisting mainly of plastic and the elastic straps can be adjusted to fit you well. Any device that has a 5-inch 1080p resolution will do the job, but the headset will work with any Android/iOS device.
At the end of the day, the VR experience you’ll have with the headset depends mainly on the competence of your phone. Assuming that your phone is powerful enough to run VR games/apps, the Homido will work fine. Homido VR won’t give you the best experience, but it’s very affordable compared to a lot of VR-systems out there.
2. Merge VR – $99
The Merge VR-system is aimed and suited for kids. The body consists of durable and flexible foam that, for the most part, is comfortable. The design of the Merge VR will remind you of a 90’s movie convincing you a prop they’re using comes from the future.
It’s not a bad design by any means, it’s just very plastic-y. Moving away from the design, the headset is able to connect to both Android/iOS devices and even provides a library of educational games and videos that kids can access. Of course, if that’s not your niche, you can also play the games/videos you desire from your phone.
Unfortunately, the Merge Start only consists of 56 programs that you can use which isn’t a large number of programs to be using, especially if it’s for a child. The Merge VR will use the power of your smartphone regarding the display, processing power and battery. Being priced at $99, the Merge VR headset might seem a little steep but the simple use, as well as a flashy design aimed towards kids make it worth considering.
1. Lenovo Mirage Solo – $399
The Lenovo Mirage Solo is awfully simple to use, not demanding a beastly PC or even place your phone inside it. Turning it on is pretty much all you need to do in regards to setting it up, after that you just use Google’s Daydream controller and bam, you’re set.
The Mirage Solo will run with your Android/iOS device. Instead of focusing on being a complex piece of machinery, the Mirage solo focused on ambition. By creating a method within the headset that understands your movement and translate it into virtual movements.
The mirage carries inside a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset, 64GB of storage, 4GB of RAM, a 5.5-inch LCD screen and a microSD slot. The specs of this VR headset easily makes it one of the best right now at the price of $399. That Snapdragon chip allows higher speeds for games and apps that require a substantial amount of power.
However, the decision to go with an LCD screen rather than OLED is pretty controversial. Due to its faster refresh and better display, the OLED is usually preferred over an LCD screen.
Regardless, Lenovo opted to run a QHD which runs perfectly. The design here is slick but also provides comfort that allows you to wear it for a long period of time, even with glasses on. The price of $399 is rather steep but the design, specs and the simplicity of the Mirage Solo make it a worthy option.
Those are our top five picks for a budget VR-system. Let us know down in the comments what VR-system you use!
