the best VR headsets of 2020

What the best VR-bril is largely depends on your gaming set-up. Do you have a powerful VR-PC? Then it might be wise to choose a VR PC-headset. However, if you don't have a computer at all, you might be better off choosing a standalone VR-bril, such as the Oculus Quest. The available space also plays a role in determining the best VR-bril for you. A headset that uses external sensors, like the Valve Index, typically requires more free play space than a VR-bril with built-in sensors (inside-out tracking). On this page, we highlight all the VR-brillen released in 2020 and outline the voor- and disadvantages of each headset.

As of 2020, the HTC Vive Pro is still considered the gold standard of what virtual reality is capable of. Its high resolution of 2880 x 1600 pixels combined with the bright colour display of the dual-OLED screen provides a stunning and smooth virtual reality experience. Using SteamVR base stations, you can accurately track an area up to 10m x 10m.

The HTC Vive Pro Eye is an upgrade of the HTC Vive Pro, primarily aimed at business VR-gebruikers. The Vive Pro Eye uses new eye-tracking technology, allowing the direction of your gaze to be tracked within the VR-bril. This ensures that the area you're looking at can be rendered in extra sharp detail, while the remaining parts of the image can be rendered less sharply. This results in a clearer and better image quality, particularly noticeable when focusing on details in a VR-omgeving.

The HP Reverb G2 is a product of collaboration between HP and Steam. These two parties combine the best of both worlds in this new headset. With a crystal-clear display of 2160 x 2160 pixels per eye (as with the original HP Reverb), revamped touch controllers, and an improved design, the HP Reverb G2 is at the pinnacle of VR-hardware.

Due to the close collaboration between HP and Valve, the HP Reverb G2 allows you to seamlessly switch between Windows Mixed Reality and SteamVR-applicaties. This is a dream come true for both VR-ontwikkelaars and avid gamers. The HP Reverb G2 has also received an upgrade in terms of inside-out tracking. With the 4 built-in cameras, you can enjoy reliable tracking without the hassle of setting up external sensors.

The HTC Vive Cosmos offers a high resolution of 2880 x 1700 pixels. The built-in LCD-scherm ensures that the distance between individual pixels is reduced. This minimises the 'screen-door-effect', providing an excellent kijk-ervaring. The Vive Cosmos uses inside-out tracking, meaning the cameras are built into the VR-bril. These cameras ensure that the headset can accurately determine the position of the headset and the controllers in space.

The Vive Cosmos Elite offers the same hardware-specificaties as the Vive Cosmos but uses external sensors. This gives the Vive Cosmos Elite a more precise tracking system and allows for wireless use of the headset. The Vive Cosmos Elite comes as a complete package with SteamVR base stations and HTC Vive-controllers.

The PSVR is somewhat older VR-headset, but it offers a great addition to the PlayStation 4. The resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels looks good, and the VR-spellen runs smoothly before your eyes. A major advantage of the PSVR is that there are a number of exclusive VR-spellen available for it, such as Resident Evil 7 VR and Farpoint. Well-known Steam-spellen like Beat Saber and Superhot VR are also well-playable on the PlayStation VR. The headset is therefore highly recommended if you already have a PlayStation 4.

In 2020, Pimax VR is launching several new models of VR-brillen, which can be of interest to every VR-liefhebber. Pimax's VR-brillen stand out from other VR-brillen due to their very high resolution and spectacular wide field of view (FoV). Ranging from the instap-model (Pimax Artisan) to the high-end model (Pimax Vision 8K X), the field of view extends from 140º to 200º. This is significantly wider than comparable VR-brillen on the market. This wide field of view is particularly beneficial when playing simulatie-spellen, such as Assetto Corsa or X-Plane 11.

The Oculus Rift S offers a high-end VR-ervaring at a relatively low purchase price. This makes the Oculus Rift S a very good VR-bril for beginner VR-liefhebbers. The Rift S sits comfortably on the head and provides excellent accessibility for users. You simply put on the headset and can start playing immediately, without having to set up a complicated set-up with sensors. The resolution of 1280 x 1440 pixels per eye is good but not exceptional. The Rift S is characterized by its high user-friendliness, especially for new players.

The Valve Index features a high image quality of 1440 x 1600 pixels per eye, good built-in headphones, and a very comfortable fit. However, what really sets the Valve Index apart are the new Index knuckle controllers. These controllers allow for individual finger tracking. This provides very enjoyable effects in certain games, such as physically grasping an object. The Valve Index uses external SteamVR-basisstations. With these base stations, you can accurately track an area up to 10m x 10m. All Valve hardware is compatible with HTC Vive Pro hardware, so it's possible to interchange certain components.

The HP Reverb offers the highest resolution of any PC VR-bril on this list. With a resolution of 2160 x 2160 pixels per eye, the screen-door-effect is kept to an absolute minimum. The HP Reverb uses inside-out tracking, making it very easy to use. The headset only requires two cables to be connected to a computer and comes with an extra-short cable for direct connection to a VR Backpack PC. Due to the extremely high resolution, the HP Reverb is recommended for playing simulatie-spellen and for use in business environments.

The Oculus Quest has a built-in Snapdragon 835 processor. Thanks to this powerful processor, VR-games can be played entirely wirelessly and without the help of a computer. The built-in inside-out tracking ensures that you can set up the VR-bril and start playing immediately anywhere. The headset and controllers have 6 degrees of freedom (DoF), meaning you can walk, turn, and jump in a VR-spel without any issues.

The HTC Vive Focus Plus is a standalone headset designed for business VR-markt. The headset features the powerful Snapdragon 835 processor and has a resolution of 1440 x 1600 pixels. The 6 DoF controllers make the headset suitable for playing VR-games, but it is also very useful for walking around in self-created VR-applicaties. The Vive Focus Plus comes standard with Vive Wave software. With this software, HTC makes it easy to start with VR-software development.

The Vive Focus Plus comes standard with the Vive Advantage Service. This is a licence that allows the headset to be used in a commercial environment and offers extended warranty for business use.

Oculus Go offers the perfect entry point for anyone looking for their first VR-ervaring. The Oculus Go features a Snapdragon 821 processor, which is less powerful than its competitors. However, what makes the Oculus Go very pleasant is its very small size and light weight. This makes the Oculus Go perfect for watching VR-video's or giving a brief VR-demonstratie.For this reason, the Oculus Go is widely used in business environments where no VR-spelletjes games are played, but where users want to view an image or video in virtual reality.