Oculus Rift was released back in 2016 and it was the most awaited release of the year. Its been two years now and Oculus has released Oculus Go which is more like a wireless version of the Rift.
Oculus Go is wireless and does not require any PC setup like the Oculus Rift, so basically it is like a wireless version of the Oculus Rift. If you have always digressed from buying the Rift because you did not own a compatible PC then the Oculus Go might be a good option.
Oculus Go is completely wireless and does not require any PC or phone to be powered. It is a standalone device which lets you enjoy VR without any tethering. This is the basic difference between the two VR headsets.
If you are wondering which VR headset is better than the other then do check out our complete detailed review where we compare each and every feature of the two VR headsets.
Table of Contents
Design and Display
The Oculus Rift has a great overall design, the headset is comfortable to wear and it weighs around 470 grams which is pretty lightweight in comparison to the Oculus Go.
Oculus Go is definitely the heavier one in this case and looking at the overall design and comfort of the headset, you would definitely want to go with the Rift.
However, just because the Rift is expensive does not make it outperform on every single feature. Considering the display on the two VR headsets, you would find out that the Oculus Go is a little better than the Oculus Rift.
To be precise, the Oculus Go has a 2560 x 1440 fast-switch LCD display and the Oculus Rift, on the other hand, has a 1080 x 1200 OLED display per eye for an effective resolution of 2160 x 1200.
This makes the resolution a bit better on the Go, however, due to the LCD, the display is going to be slightly harsh and not as smooth as the Oculus Rift, but overall both of them have their own advantages and downsides.
The Oculus Go is a completely standalone headset that means it has lesser wires and is more portable and easier to use in comparison to the Oculus Rift.
The Oculus Rift comes with attached headphones in order to give you a better sound experience while the Oculus Go has a headphone jack and you can insert your own headphones.
Refresh Rate and Field Of View
The Refresh rate on the Oculus Go is between 60-72 Hz and on the Oculus Rift, it is 90 Hz. You are not going to find a difference in most of the games but there might be a few that would show some slight differences.
Overall, I felt the experiences were good anyway and the Motion sickness was at a minimum with both the VR headsets. The Oculus Go could have done better with the numbers, but overall it was something that can be tolerated.
A mixed Reality headset that has aced the field of combating motion sickness is the Samsung Odyssey and it is probably the most pleasant headset when it comes to dealing with nausea while playing a VR game.
The Field of View on the Oculus Go is 101 degrees while that on the Oculus Rift is 110 degrees. Although there is a small difference it felt pretty much the same. You are just going to notice a slight change but overall the experience is going to turn out immersive.
Tracking and Controllers
The tracking and controllers on these two VR headsets are good but the Touch controller on the Oculus Rift gives a more interactive experience in comparison to the Controller on the Oculus Go.
The controllers on the Oculus Rift have full tracking so basically, you can lean, jump and move a bit and your movements are still going to be tracked making your experience completely immersive.
The Oculus Go comes with something that is called the inside out tracking and this makes things a lot easier as the controllers are tracked with the software inside the headset.
This means there is no camera setup as required with the Oculus Rift. It is basically a headset on the Go and reduces a lot of the tasks that you have to do in the case of the Rift.
PC Specifications
Oculus Rift requires a beefy PC which can run the VR headset. So, consider buying the Oculus Rift if you have a PC or laptop with the following specs-
The Oculus Go, on the other hand, is a wireless headset so it does not require any PC or mobile phone to run the Virtual Reality world.
If you are going to use the Oculus Go then all you need to do is charge the battery and you are good for 2-3 hours of gameplay.
The battery life of the Oculus Go could be much better but as of now it is just 2-3 hours which is average and it does take some time to recharge again.
So, if you are in the middle of the game while on the Go and the battery dies down on you, you might have to wait for it to charge up all again in order to resume your game.
Games on the Oculus Rift and Oculus Go
Both the VR headsets are pretty good and even though the Oculus Go is a latecomer you can see some really good VR titles on this headset. They are almost the same as the Rift and a few from the Samsung Gear VR.
So if you are having any thoughts that there might not be enough content on the Oculus Go, then you do not have to worry as you can find thousands of games and apps that are compatible with the Go.
Most of the Rift titles are compatible with the Go, so you can be assured that there is enough content present and more to come making this headset a success.
If you are interested in on the Go VR headset then you should definitely check out the Oculus Go.
Conclusion
If you have a powerful PC and are okay with having a tethered VR headset, then the Oculus Rift is probably one of the best VR headsets that we can have out there.
The Oculus Rift is double the price of the Oculus Go, so if you are looking for something that would be an entry level VR experience then Oculus Go is the best.
You do not require any PC specifications and neither do you need any phone to run the Oculus Go as it is a standalone headset without the need for any wires or cameras needed to be attached.
The Oculus Rift, on the other hand, requires a particular set of PC specifications and if you have them then you can go for a more immersive experience in comparison to the Oculus Go.
The tracking on the Rift is amazing and overall, one can conclude that it really depends on what features you want to go for among the two VR headsets.
If you have any experiences with this headset, then let us know in the comments down below!
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