VR is at a weird, uncomfortable phase of its evolution. It’s not quite the next big thing, nor is it a dead parrot. And yet, the leaders in the industry have announced a new generation of headsets, each of which pushes the medium in a very different direction. The situation has left both would-be adopters and die-hard fans scratching their heads as to where they should spend their well-earned (or dubiously earned) scratch.
So I might as well pay off that click-baitish headline. You’ve got three options: The Oculus Rift S, Oculus Quest, or the surprise HMD: Valve Index. As with the childhood game, these choices are a bit subjective, so bear in mind that this is all firmly IMHO.
Let’s break it down.
I’m going to KILL:
Oculus Quest. Yes, that runs completely at odds with the rest of the internet, which is convinced that Quest is just the screen-strapped-to-your-head that you’ve been looking for. I have no desire to buy this guy, and here’s why…
VR has had two big problems from the beginning: accessibility, and content. Half the internet was complaining about the expense and the difficulty of setup involved with first gen VR, because it cost more than many computers, and it was my favorite kind of gadget (TRANSLATION: for normal non-tech nerds, it was a long arduous slog to get working).
The other big “oh-my God, VR is doomed” argument has been that there’s “no killer app.” VR has no Halo, no mobile Safari, no VisiCalc. Some of the games were great, but most were either arcade style titles lacking depth, or demo titles lacking length.
Killer App… Get it?
Personally, the cost and setup were minor inconveniences for me. Obviously, I’d love all my favorite things to cost $20 or less, but as someone who’s got just enough disposable cash to buy a big gadget every year or so, I was able to justify buying an expensive headset. Similarly, I really did enjoy setting up all of HMD’s thus far, and you’re only going to have to set it up once.
TL;dr: My personal gripe with VR has been the lack of AAA epic scale adventures.
Which brings me back to Quest. I want to love this HMD. It’s a marvel of engineering, shoving a VR capable PC INSIDE the headset strapped to your face. Reviews suggest it works better than anyone could possibly expect it to work. The problem is, if you look at the launch lineup, there’s a conspicuously large hole where all the existing “deep” VR games should be; there’s no Elite Dangerous, Skyrim, Lone Echo, or even epic fan experiences like Bridge Crew. In fact, there isn’t a single VR game I actually play regularly that has been ported to (or announced for) Quest. Why? Because it’s only just barely capable of rendering contained arcade style experiences like Beat Saber, Robo Recall, and Space Pirate Trainer.
And if you’re holding out hope that optimization and developer wizardry will fill the gap, there are other problems. Quest runs a down-scaled rendering of these games on a 75hz refresh screen, and has a battery that can barely scratch two hours when brand new. If anyone could make a bingeable AAA title for Quest, your battery’s going to die and you’re going to start feeling just a little bit queasy before you can make the most of the experience. That’s assuming it will even fit on the default 64GB unexpandable internal storage.
In five years, the Quest line will undoubtedly be the Xbox/Playstation/Switch of the VR ecosystem. Right now, it’s a $400 arcade in your house. For some, that’s actually really cool. But it’s not what I’m after.
I’m going to F…
Oculus Rift S. In the context of this odd metaphor, Rift S is the HMD I might play around with, but it wouldn’t be the one I’d stick with (and it’s not the one I’ve ordered).
As a successor to the original Rift (the Gremlin’s formerly recommended HMD for most people), Rift S is a bit of a disappointment. On the one hand, it’s much easier to setup than its predecessor, and its got a sharper screen. On the other, its got subtly less accurate tracking, its screen refresh rate is lower than the first rift, its built-in headphones put out lower quality sound, and the distance between the lenses isn’t adjustable, meaning that those who’s eyes are not the “average” distance apart will have a less sharp, gently distorted view.
Even worse, the big picture for Oculus as a company has shifted downhill. The Rift S was farmed out to Lenovo to build, and Oculus axed the much more advanced “Rift 2” that was rumored to be in the works (along with the man rumored to be its architect). AND, Oculus appears to be pushing hard to make all of its future titles compatible with both Quest and Rift, meaning that the future of Rift exclusive titles may be more of the arcade-like experiences that so many people have been complaining about. In short, PC VR isn’t Oculus’s focus anymore, and I never recommend buying into an ecosystem captained by a company who’ve taken their hands off the wheel.
I’m going to MARRY:
Valve Index. Obviously.
A little backstory here. Most people credit Oculus with pioneering modern VR, but it was actually early engineering work at Valve that provided the proofs of concept in tracking and rendering which have lead us to the headsets we have now. While HTC built the Vive and Vive Pro, Valve did all the R&D that made it possible. Then, as Valve often does, they disappeared into a cave and didn’t talk about (or release) anything VR related for years.
Now, they’ve stepped in to do what they arguably should have done from the start: build their own VR headset, and some AAA games to go with it. Their hands are back on that wheel, and they’re steering the ship in a pretty cool direction.
Index has a few obvious drawbacks. It’s very expensive, and it’s no easier to setup than the original Vive. Those Valve VR titles are also, at this time, still without release dates, titles, or really any information beyond the fact that they will someday exist. Like Neo, I choose to believe.
In the mean time, we get a pretty epic headset. New optics, a different display type and higher refresh rates give Index unprecedented visual clarity, field of view and “presence.” Plus, the built-in audio system appears fit for an audiophile like me (they’re actually using SPEAKER DRIVERS next to your years!!)
Index isn’t for everyone, but for a VR die-hard such as myself, it’s the HMD I’m committing to for the long haul.