While there’s a lot to digest when diving into the world of VR, here we aim to make that a little simpler by explaining all you need to know about virtual reality.
Virtual reality is the next big thing in technology, with the likes of the HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and PlayStation VR now readily available to buy in the UK, but which is best? What about mobile VR? What about games and experiences?
While there’s a lot to digest when diving into the world of VR, here we aim to make that a little simpler by explaining what virtual reality is, along with an explanation of the best VR headsets currently available.
We also talk about the benefits of mobile VR, and, of course, the best VR games and experiences available.
Read next: HTC Vive review | PlayStation VR review | Oculus Rift review
The big question is “What is virtual reality?” (and “Why should I care?” but we’ ll come to that below) and put simply, it could be the ‘next big thing’ and not only for gaming and entertainment. The possibilities for virtual reality stretch far beyond gaming in your front room, with theorised uses everywhere from social networking to education. But before we go any further – what exactly is virtual reality?
Let’s get technical for a second. Simply put, virtual reality is an interactive 3D image connected to a computer (or a smartphone) that users can manipulate to create the illusion of being in a virtual world.
Three-dimensional environments coupled with 3D sound and precise head (and sometimes body) tracking effectively tricks your brain into thinking that the virtual world is real, and as such can provide a more immersive and personal experience than simply playing a game or watching a movie on TV.
Depending on the manufacturer, the virtual reality experience can vary greatly. Some manufacturers like Oculus offer only the standard head tracking where you’ ll be able to look around the virtual environment, but not physically walk around or interact with it.
Some manufacturers like HTC and Valve have taken it a step further, creating a system where your whole body can be tracked, allowing users to walk around their favourite virtual worlds and interact with it thanks to bespoke handheld controllers.
It’s worth bearing this in mind – while all virtual reality headsets will offer the ability to view virtual three-dimensional worlds, some offer better levels of immersion than others.
Read next: Best gaming PCs for VR
The biggest decision you’ re likely to make in terms of virtual reality is which headset to buy. The headset you choose will have an impact on not only the quality of your virtual experience, but also the number of virtual reality games and experiences available to you.
Let’s talk about the ‘big three’ virtual reality headsets on sale at the moment – the £549 Oculus Rift, £759 HTC Vive and £349 PlayStation VR. The Oculus Rift and HTC Vive are both designed for use with PC, while the PlayStation VR is, as the name suggests, unique to Sony’s PlayStation 4 system, which brings with it both benefits and drawbacks.
Sony has a background in both gaming hardware and software, putting it in a unique place in the market. The company has ample gaming resources from the hugely successful PlayStation line-up, and claims that there are 230 developers working on projects for the PlayStation VR headset.
This means that there should be a wide variety of games and experiences made available throughout 2017. It also has a number of platform exclusives, like the hugely popular Robinson: The Journey.
However, while PlayStation VR has a range of VR content available, it may not necessarily run as well as its PC-powered counterparts. The likes of the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive run on gaming PCs that are usually a lot more powerful than the PlayStation 4 and can cost upwards of £800-1000, whereas the PS4 costs around £200-350 depending on the variation.
While we found the PlayStation VR to offer decent quality graphics when run on a standard PS4, the PS4 Pro offers enhanced graphics for supported VR experiences so despite being a mid-range headset, users can fork out a little more for a more high-end VR experience.
With that being said, there isn’ t exactly a lack of content being developed for the HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and other PC-based VR headsets coming to market.
There are many big-budget games being released in 2017 with virtual reality support, along with those already on the market that offers the functionality.
Depending on the PC that you have, games have the potential to look a lot better when run on a high-end PC than when compared to its console counterpart, although this depends in part on the game/experience you’ re playing.
So if there is a lot of VR content being developed for the PC platform, which is the better choice for you? The Oculus Rift or the HTC Vive? It depends on a number of things, including your budget and space.
The Oculus Rift is priced at £499 and thanks to a partnership with Microsoft, works with Windows 10 instinctively, providing a plug ‘n’ play experience that can’ t be matched by the HTC Vive. The Oculus Rift provides head tracking, allowing users to look around their virtual environments, but requires a (provided) Xbox One controller or Oculus Touch controllers (sold separately) to move around and interact.
The £759 HTC Vive, on the other hand, comes with two handheld controls that can be used in a number of situations along with two base stations that track your position within a physical space and translate this into virtual movement. They aren’t as advanced as the Oculus Touch controllers, but they come bundled with the kit.
Put simply, you can physically walk around a virtual environment, reach out and interact with something, providing something as true to life as is possible at the moment.
Read next: Best VR headsets to buy in the UK
Developers around the world are producing virtual reality content for both the PC and PS4, which should provide users with a multitude of games and experiences once they get their headsets.
It’s worth noting that games and experiences are two different entities when it comes to virtual reality – while games provide users with something similar to the traditional game setup, an experience is slightly different.
Experiences are all about just that, the experience. With this being said, experiences like ‘The Blu’ transport you to a shipwreck at the bottom of the ocean with fish swimming overhead, and Everest (obviously) provides the experience of climbing ‘Mount Everest’ .
It’s also worth mentioning that both the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive come with free games to get you started, although these vary depending on when you order. The PlayStation VR headset doesn’ t come with any full games, but instead features a demo disc showcasing some of the best VR games and experiences available for Sony’s platform.
Now we’ ve got that out of the way, we’ ve created a number of articles highlighting some of the best games available for each platform. Browse through each, and see which (if any) appeal to you most. The range of content available should play a big part in your VR headset buying decision, and shouldn’ t be taken lightly.
Read next: Best VR accessories for HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and PlayStation VR
Now that VR headsets are readily available around the world, manufacturers have started working on accessories. While there isn’t a huge range of VR accessories at the moment, more are appearing all the time.
Take VirZoom for example. It’s a VR-enabled exercise bike that launched in 2017, providing a way for gamers to get fit while gaming. While the games aren’t incredibly detailed, it’s enough to distract you from the fact you’re exercising and encourages you to go faster, be it to beat an F1 car you’re driving or to build up speed to take off on the back of your pegasus.
It’s an incredible accessory for VR owners, and there we’ve got a feeling that many other VR accessories will appear throughout 2017. If you’re interested in finding out more about what’s available, take a look at our choice of the best VR accessories.
If you thought that the only way to experience VR was via a premium headset, you’ d be wrong. Mobile VR is also up and coming in 2017, providing virtual reality on a budget by utilising your smartphone display and internals.
Google Cardboard is a great example of this, as Google provides users with a ‘headset’ made from cardboard which acts as a holder for your smartphone. Simply open one of the many VR apps available on either Google Play or the App Store, slot your smartphone into the headset and get ready to experience VR on a budget.
Of course, using a smartphone as a display and a computer won’ t provide the same level of VR as is produced by a £1000+ PC or a £300 console, but it provides users with some idea of what to expect from VR without forking out for an expensive headset.
