Jul 1, 2024 12:00 PM

The Best VR Headsets

Diving into virtual reality is easier than ever—but here are a few key things to know.

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Meta Quest Pro VR headset and controllers

4 / 10

Virtual reality has been “right around the corner” for more than a decade. A lot of lofty promises have been made by everyone from indie startups to Apple about how the future of computing is going to involve strapping screens to our eyeballs. As it turns out, VR is still primarily best-suited for video games, and, occasionally, some highly specialized work. The “metaverse” never happened, but there's still some fun to be had.

Best of all, there's never been a better time to get into VR. Mixed reality headsets like the Meta Quest 3 have reached relatively reasonable prices. VR can be a cool way to experience certain games, art experiences, and even sex tech. For those interested, here are the best headsets we've tried.

Updated July 2024: We added Meta Quest 3 and Apple Vision Pro and removed HTC Vive Focus 3.

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Tethered or Wireless VR?

Before we dive deep, there’s one question you need to answer: Do you want a tethered or wireless headset? Tethered VR gives you more graphical detail, because you’re hooked up to a PC. The disadvantage is that you’re, well, hooked up to a PC. There's no getting around the fact that cables are awkward to deal with, especially when you can't see them. You'll likely trip on them at some point. But if you're looking for absolutely top-of-the-line graphics, and you already shelled out for a great gaming PC or laptop, then you'll want to go tethered.

For most people, wirefree VR is a much better option. It's more comfortable, you don't have to worry about getting tangled up in your own cables, and it's totally portable. You can bring this kind of VR headset to any room in the house without having to lug around a PC. Plus, in the case of the Meta Quest 3, you can plug it into a PC if you want the extra graphical horsepower. Below, we feature both kinds of headsets. Take a look.

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Photograph: Meta
Best Overall
Meta Quest 3
The Meta Quest 3 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is a massive improvement over its predecessor in almost every category—save price. It has improved specs across the board—slightly higher resolution, a faster processor, more RAM, and the option for up to 512 GB of internal storage—but the biggest change is mixed reality upgrade. The previous model, the Quest 2, had external-facing cameras for orienting itself in the world and a pass-through feature that lets you see the room you're in to avoid obstacles. But the Quest 3 takes it several steps further, making immersive AR core to the experience.
For starters, the pass-through cameras can now show you a color image instead of black and white. It's also slightly higher-resolution, so it's easier to tell what you're looking at. It still feels a bit like you're looking at a 2000s-era YouTube video of your own living room, but it's worlds better than not being able to see your surroundings at all.
This tech enables some innovative new games and experiences. One of my favorites, PianoVision, is designed to help you learn the piano by overlaying helpful information and even piano rolls onto video of your actual, physical keyboard. It turns practicing the instrument into a Guitar Hero–like experience, and it's something that wouldn't be possible with VR alone.
The downside: The Meta Quest 3 is more expensive than the Quest 2 ever was (even after the latter's midlife price hike). Starting at $500, it's on par with buying whole game consoles, so it's not quite an impulse buy, but if you're looking for the best stand-alone VR headset with the widest library of games and apps that support both VR and mixed reality, the Quest 3 is the headset to beat.
It's also worth keeping in mind that the company behind it all is Meta (aka Facebook). You might not like that, given Facebook’s less-than-stellar history of managing user data (not to mention how that data is used). If you're in the market for a VR headset, the Meta Quest 3 is still our top pick. Just try not to buy too many things from the Meta Store. Stick to purchases on a more stable marketplace, like Steam (which also supports the Quest 2).
Supports room-scale VR, pass-through mixed reality, can operate with or without a PC, and comes with two controllers.
~~$500~~ $429 at Amazon
$500 at Best Buy
$500 at Meta
Photograph: Meta
Best VR Headset on a Budget
Meta Quest 2
The Meta Quest 2 was our previous top pick. While its successor has outclassed it in every way, this one remains a strong budget contender, especially if all you want is a relatively inexpensive headset to play Beat Saber on. It was built to be completely wirefree, but you can plug it into a powerful gaming rig with a single USB-C cable and experience the kind of ultra high-definition VR you can only get from dedicated PC hardware. It has the best-in-class app store, full of games and apps purpose-built for the Quest 2.
The Meta Quest 2 received a surprising price hike for a while, but now that the new model has been out for a while, the headset has been dropped to a downright bargain base price of $200. That's a huge benefit for players who just want a foothold into the VR market, but it also puts the Quest 3 in an awkward place. The new headset is, objectively, better in every way than the Quest 2, and it can play a wide variety of apps and games that the Quest 2 can't. But you'll have to decide whether playing with an infinite amount of Lego bricks on your coffee table is worth an extra $300.
Supports room-scale VR, can operate with or without a PC, and comes with two controllers.
$300 at Amazon
$300 at Target
$300 at Best Buy

Photograph: Sony
Best for Console
Sony PSVR 2
The PSVR 2 is slightly more expensive than the PS5 you need to run it, but it brings a lot to the table to justify its price. It has one of the most comfortable, adjustable headbands I've used in a VR headset, and it even works well while wearing glasses. The new eye-tracking feature is impressive, allowing you to select menu items or track objects by looking directly at them, instead of pointing with a controller. It's so immersive that, when playing one of the platform's breakout games, Horizon: Call of the Mountain, I felt like I was maintaining genuinely awkward eye-contact with NPCs.
It's worth pointing out that the game library for the PSVR 2 is relatively meager compared to other platforms in terms of sheer number of titles. However, there are several titles like Horizon, or the VR version of Resident Evil Village that are excellent games that you can only get on the PSVR 2. Sony also purportedly made a PSVR 2 to PC adapter, which is not currently available. While we never recommend buying a product based on its potential value in the future, it is worth keeping an eye on what PC developers can do with such powerful hardware once you don't need a PS5 to use this headset.
Supports room-scale VR, (currently) requires a PS5 to operate, and comes with two controllers.
$550 at Amazon
$550 at PlayStation Store
$549 at Walmart
$550 at Best Buy
Photograph: Meta
The Luxury Pick
Meta Quest Pro
If you’re looking for a top-shelf VR experience, the Quest Pro is one of your best options right now. The Quest Pro improves on the Quest 2 in just about every way. It’s much comfier to wear, the head straps are easier to manage, the internal displays are more vivid and higher resolution, and the headset itself features face-tracking. That means your in-game avatars will have facial expressions that match your own with surprising accuracy. It also features a full-color passthrough mode, which is great for popping in and out of VR or making the most of mixed-reality apps like virtual desktop setups.
$1,028 at Amazon
$979 at Walmart

Photograph: Apple
Best for … Whatever Apple Is Doing
Apple Vision Pro
It's hard to argue that Apple's $3,500 Vision Pro headset (5/10, WIRED Review) isn't the best at … something. The headset's 3K micro-OLED panels per eye are impressively crisp and clear, and visionOS does a better-than-expected job of operating entirely without controllers. Instead, the headset relies on eye tracking and hand gestures to navigate the interface, and even (ostensibly) accomplish work.
Unfortunately, the Vision Pro isn't great at, well, almost everything else. Reviews editor Julian Chokkattu struggled to use the headset for typical work, reviewer Brenda Stoyler found it put up barriers between her and her boyfriend, and senior writer Lauren Goode watched tear-jerking movies in the headset and ended up with soggy face cushions. Oh, and did I mention this thing is $3,500?
I'd be remiss if I didn't at least discuss the Apple Vision Pro here, but I can't honestly say I recommend it for anything in particular. There's very little the headset does that other devices can't do for a tenth of the price. Additionally, Apple is reportedly cutting its already conservative sales estimates, no small number of users are returning their headsets, and used Vision Pros are popping up on eBay for distinctly un-Apple-like steep discounts. So even if you want to buy one just because you're curious and have cash to spare, consider buying used.
$3,499 at Apple
Photograph: Vive
Best for Casual VR
HTC Vive Flow
The Vive Flow is an interesting VR headset, in part because it's not really a VR headset. It's more like a pair of giant, super-thick VR glasses you can slip on to meditate in a virtual space, watch a movie or show, or socialize with friends or colleagues virtually. It's nice for short and casual jaunts into VR. You'll need a 10,000-mAh battery pack and a USB-C cable to power it, but it supports inside-out tracking, so there's no need for any external sensors.
It's a few years old at this point, and it wasn't even as powerful as its contemporaries like the Quest 2 or Pro even when it was new. But its design is super lightweight and portable enough to throw into a carry-on and use to watch movies on a flight. If you're looking for a powerful headset, this probably won't be the one for you, but the form factor at least makes it interesting enough to take a look.
That said, the HTC Vive Flow cost $500 when it came out and it still costs $500. For that much, you could just as easily pick up a Quest 3. So, unless you're really into the glasses-style form factor, this might be another good one to buy used.
Room-scale, inside-out tracking, tethered to a battery pack.
$499 at Vive

Photograph: Vive
Headsets to Avoid
Not Worth Your Money
VR has been around long enough that there are some headsets that are either obsolete or are a little too expensive and cumbersome for what you get. We think our picks above will serve most people well, so avoid the following (unless they're steeply discounted).
HTC Vive: One of the original VR headsets, the Vive was good when it came out but doesn't quite measure up to modern offerings like the Quest 2.
HTC Cosmos Elite: Reviewer Jaina Gray reviewed this headset in 2020. You need to manually set up the base stations, the controllers are bulky and awkward to use, and there are so many cables and dongles (including three power adapters) that it just feels like work. You need to hook it up to your gaming PC, allowing you to play SteamVR games. It's visually spectacular, but the clunky design makes it hard to recommend.
Oculus Rift & Rift S: The Quest 2 is still a solid budget pick, but you don't need to reach any further back in Meta's product line than that. The Quest 2 does everything these headsets did and way more, and the Quest 3 has only added even more powerful features.
Google Daydream: This smartphone-powered VR headset didn't live long. It's now obsolete, like many of Google's projects.
Photograph: Logitech
Earbuds for VR
Logitech G333 Earbuds
VR gets pretty sweaty. You have a tiny computer box stuck to your head with two screens inside, all of it generating its own heat, and then there's the heat your body generates while you're exploring ancient ruins. It builds up pretty quickly, especially once you throw some headphones on for immersive audio. That's why our team has come to appreciate the Logitech G333 VR earbuds. They're just regular earbuds, but the cord is extra short on one side (where it plugs into the headset), so you're not covered in loose cables. You get pretty great audio, and your ears stay cool.
$60 at Amazon

Photograph: Polyarc
Great Games and Apps to Try
Great VR Games to Try
Now that you have a headset in mind, all you need are some games to check out. Some of the best VR games are the ones built around short sessions—the kind of game it's easy to pick up and put down, since everyone has different tolerances for VR. Some people can play for more than an hour, while others need a break after 15 minutes. Not every game is flexible in that way, but these are. Check out our Best Meta Quest Games and Best PS VR2 Games roundups for more.
Vader Immortal: This game takes you on a multi-episode adventure in the Star Wars universe as a smuggler captured by the Empire. It's immersive, full of memorable characters, and the environments are absolutely gorgeous. Available on all VR platforms.
Moss: Moss puts you in the shoes of a kindly forest spirit guiding an adorable mouse knight through her dangerous adventures. Unlike most VR games, this one is designed to be played while stationary, standing, or sitting. Available on all VR platforms.
Superhot: Stylish, with a pulse-pounding soundtrack, Superhot plays like a cyberpunk action movie. You go from stage to stage, fighting faceless polygon men in slow motion. Time only moves when you move, so you can control the flow of the action and dance out of the way of bullets and projectiles. Available on all VR platforms.
Beat Saber: There's not much to say about this game. It's Guitar Hero with lightsabers, and I mean that in the best way. Beat Saber is a rhythm game, but instead of pushing buttons to match the notes, you slice them in half with glowing laser swords, and it's one hell of a workout. Available on all VR platforms.
Half-Life: Alyx: If you're looking for a slower, more story-oriented game, then Half-Life: Alyx is worth a try. And no, it's not Half-Life 3. This game takes place between Half-Life and Half-Life 2, and it puts you in the shoes of Alyx Vance as she tries to keep the alien Combine from acquiring a superweapon. It plays a bit like a survival horror game, with scarce weapons and ammunition, but there are plenty of puzzles to keep things from getting monotonous. Available on desktop-based VR platforms only.
Horizon Workrooms: It's not as fun as helping a cartoon mouse navigate ancient ruins in a haunted forest, but Horizon Workrooms is a surprisingly pleasant VR workspace. It syncs with your desktop, so you can have your PC screen right there in VR. You can even have a little window through VR and into the real world in order to see your keyboard and mouse. It can be a fun way to mix things up if you're working from home, and it's a pretty enjoyable workspace if you want to hang out with your coworkers remotely for a while. It's available only on Meta Quest headsets.
Photograph: Sonny Costin/Oculus
Finding Room for VR
Space Exploration
VR takes up a lot of space, but where do you set it up? How much room do you need? Headsets like the Meta Quest 3 make it easier to use VR in basically any room of your home (or even sitting on your couch!) but for some games, you might need to move some furniture around.
The key to making space for VR is finding somewhere comfy and familiar like your living room. You'll need plenty of space to stretch out your arms without hitting anything, and preferably room to take a step or two without tripping over furniture. Keep in mind that you can bump into things even if they're not at arm level! One helpful trick to keep you centered is to lay out a yoga mat, so you can tell when you've left the play area.
It's also helpful to consider what types of games or apps you plan to use. Some activities, like watching a movie or trying to accomplish work, can be done in a sitting position on a couch or in a chair. Some headsets, like the Meta Quest 3, will even have different virtual boundaries for standing and sitting positions, to help keep you oriented no matter what you're doing.

Eric Ravenscraft is a product writer and reviewer at WIRED, based in Austin, Texas. He's guided readers on how to use technology for nearly a decade for publications including Lifehacker, OneZero, and The New York Times. He also streams on Twitch for WIRED occasionally and can be found on YouTube... Read more

Product Writer and Reviewer