Is the Rift s worth it?
Is the Rift s worth it?
Hi
I'm considering trying VR for the first time and want to purchase a headset. There are mixed reviews about the Rift, but the quest seems to have more positive feedback. Should I wait and save money to get the Vive instead? My PC can handle it, so I’m not worried about performance issues. Just curious if the new Rift is a good choice for someone new to VR.
It was a bit of a mixed experience with the new Rifts I got at work for Christmas. Playing it was enjoyable, and watching movies on it was fun, but the games felt average. Most of the free games were quite similar. Another downside was the space it required—almost a whole room would be needed to play comfortably. If you decide to keep it after trying it for a few days, it’s worth considering; otherwise, just return it. There are many free demos and software available to explore.
Quest is a VR console offering a curated selection of games, though Oculus has expressed strict quality standards. Currently, there isn’t a wide range of polished titles available. It stands out for being completely standalone and wireless. The Rift S offers the best value for money among PC options, similar to WMR headsets, and its additional cameras help offset tracking limitations compared to Windows headsets. Unless you prefer a wireless experience, it’s wise to skip the Vive/Pro at this stage. Build quality concerns, especially sweat damage, are common, and the price for the Pro model is high. HTC support has also been poor since the Vive launch. The Valve index could be a better choice when it becomes available in the summer sale. It shares the Vive’s tracking system, wider field of view, higher refresh rate, same resolution as the Vive Pro, improved controllers, but mounting the lighthouses to walls or poles adds extra effort compared to setting up a Rift S.
If money isn’t a concern, simply purchase any VR headset you desire. However, be cautious—VR won’t impress you for long unless you spend a lot of time in it. The longer you use it, the more likely you are to feel discomfort or nausea. My headset has remained in pristine condition since early 2017, kept in its original packaging. Back then, most VR games outside the premium titles had problems, either because they were experimental and developers stopped making them or because certain games simply don’t function well in VR. In my opinion, VR is just a novelty. Game prices are inflated because developers receive very little compensation for their work.