5 headsets as your gateway to virtual reality this holiday

Although still quite expensive and with relatively limited content offers, virtual reality headsets are gaining ground in the mainstream among gamers and tech buffs.

Here are some top holiday gift ideas for tech-savvy users looking to step into virtual reality.

HTC Vive
This headset is the market reference in virtual reality, although it needs to be hooked up to a fairly powerful PC to enjoy the best of its abilities. The fruit of a partnership between the Taiwanese manufacturer and video games developer Valve, it comes loaded with all the technology needed to transport users into parallel worlds. It ships with wireless handheld controllers for moving around and interacting with certain objects when possible. The HTC Vive is priced from $599 (over P30,000) and is available at vive.com.

Oculus Rift
The Oculus Go, a cheaper model aimed at making VR a little more accessible, may be landing in 2018, but sector pioneer, the Oculus Rift, is still available to shop this holiday. The headset has two adjustable AMOLED screens plus a built-in microphone and audio system for full immersion in 3D worlds. Again, it requires a relatively powerful PC to get the best performance. It ships with a pair of handheld controllers. The Oculus Rift is priced from $399 (over P20,000) and is available from oculus.com.

Sony PlayStation VR
Principally aimed at PlayStation 4 gamers, this headset has two HD screens and a near-100 percent field of view. It’s a little cheaper than the sector’s pioneers, but requires an add-on camera to work, sold separately or bundled with the headset. It’s compatible with around 100 games, including “Gran Turismo Sport”, “Final Fantasy XIV” and “Resident Evil 7”. The Sony PlayStation VR headset is priced from $299 (over P15,000). For retailers, visit playstation.com.

HP Headset
Microsoft has teamed up with various manufacturers, including HP, to roll out a series of more accessible VR headsets designed to integrate with its new Windows Mixed Reality platform. This headset, complete with motion controllers, offers a particularly high-res image (2880 x 1440 pixels) and a field of view up to 105 degrees. The HP Headset is priced from $449 (almost P23,000) and is available from store.hp.com.

Google Daydream View
Considerably cheaper than competitor models, this relatively basic headset is designed to work with an Android smartphone or, in a more limited capacity, with an iPhone. It’s above all an exclusive gateway to Google’s Daydream platform, a virtual reality ecosystem promising access to spectacular content, from 3D videos on YouTube and Google Play Movies, to navigating Street View. The headset comes with a controller which has a trackpad, a gyroscope and an accelerometer. The Google Daydream View is priced from $99 (over P5,000) and is available from store.google.com. JB

source: technology.inquirer.net

Oculus Rift closes in on Vive after summer sale

Facebook’s virtual reality headset, the Oculus Rift, enjoyed a surge in ownership among computer gamers in August, after a mid-year price cut took effect in July.


The Oculus Rift increased its market share among VR headset owners using PC gaming service Steam, according to the Steam Hardware and Software Survey for August 2017.

The monthly survey showed that the Oculus Rift accounted for 43.8 percent of VR headsets associated with users’ computers.

That figure represents an increase of 8.1 percent on July, when Rift ownership would have been registered at 35.7 percent, observes GamesIndustry, an upward trend that has the Rift closing in on the higher-spec HTC Vive, which was developed in partnership with Valve itself.

Both the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive were launched in 2016, and both have received price drops in 2017.

For the duration of a July and August promotional sale, the Rift was priced at $399 (over $20,000) before returning to $499 (over $25,000) in September.

The Vive, whose higher price is offset by gains in room-scale movement tracking, was reduced in price from $799 (nearly $41,000) to $599 (over $30,000) towards the end of August.

As RoadToVR notes, growing awareness of Steam compatibility among Rift users and the launch of HTC’s competing Viveport service could have contributed to the change in percentage share, but the primary driver is thought to have been that Summer of Rift price drop.

Oculus VR was purchased by Facebook for $2.3 billion in 2014, and partnered with Samsung over screen technology for the former and a Gear VR visor for devices in the latter’s Galaxy range.

Sony launched a $399 (over $20,000) PlayStation VR for PlayStation 4 consoles late on in 2016, with Google’s Daydream arriving the same month along with the company’s Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones.

Microsoft and a selection of tech partners are preparing the Windows VR line for October 2017, with entry-level prices set at $399 (over $20,000) and scaling upwards accordingly. JB

source: technology.inquirer.net

Google Daydream View VR headset up for pre-orders

The Google Cardboard VR viewer gave consumers a relatively affordable gateway into the VR experience. Now Google is upping the ante as it opens the Daydream View VR headset for pre-orders.


A little more commercial-looking, the Daydream headset is draped in breathable fabric and has three colors to choose from. It also comes with a handheld controller for a more immersive experience. Google recommends using it with Daydream-ready phones like the Pixel handsets to get the most out of the headgear.

Priced at $79, the Daydream View VR headset is available for pre-order in the US, UK and Germany. Units will start shipping by November.  Alfred Bayle

source: technology.inquirer.net