The year 2016 has been big for VR world and we have seen the best VR(Virtual Reality) gaming headsets. With all the three major contenders out there, choosing the right VR headset could be a little difficult but you definitely should jump into the VR pool and experience at least one of them. The Virtual Reality concept has taken gaming to a whole new level. Now, you can actually interact with the characters of the game making VR the most amazing experience one could gift themselves.
A few VR headsets that were the best headsets of 2016 are-
1. Samsung Gear VR
The year 2016 had the launch of a newer version of Gear VR which was lighter and had a much better FOV than its predecessor. Samsung Gear VR is developed by team Oculus, the same minds behind the Oculus Rift. The VR experience on this headset is amazing and out of the world.
This is one of the best smartphone VR headsets which only needs a smartphone to take you into the VR world and is free from all the PC connections that you see in the Vive or the Oculus Rift. Gear VR has taken smartphone VR quality to the next level and made it a really difficult competition for other companies to compete with the quality that the Gear VR provides its VR enthusiasts.
The Gear VR has limited compatibility and after the sad launch of Galaxy Note 7, the only tech that was safe to keep was the new version of Gear VR. Gear VR can be used with Samsung Galaxy franchise phones, however, do check the compatibility of your phone before you go and get a Gear VR for yourself. The Gear VR is priced at around $99 and it is worth all the money. Amazon has special offers all the time on this product and you may end up getting it for $50.
If you have a Samsung Galaxy phone and are looking for a VR headset then the Gear VR should be a perfect choice. It has been on the Amazon BestSellers list for a year and is one of the best quality smartphone-based VR headsets we have in the market.
Recommended: Samsung Gear VR Review
2. Google DayDream View
After the successful launch of Google Cardboard, which was like the introduction to VR, developers at Google came up with the Google DayDream View which is VR at the next level. It has limited phone compatibility but it does give one of the best VR experiences. If asked to compare, I would any day prefer Gear VR because of the content and better VR experiences. Daydream VR is a newer member, so I’m hoping that there would be many updates in the upcoming years.
Limited to the Google Pixel phone when launched, the Daydream VR now is compatible with few other handsets and the list is going to only increase with time. Google assures that soon all the phones would be Daydream compatible and that would be the time when the Daydream might beat the Gear VR in the smartphone VR headset race.
The Google Daydream VR is priced at around $79 and should be the second best VR headset by the end of 2017(It isn’t now because of the limited phone compatibility). It comes with a remote controller which helps you navigate when you have your VR headset on. The DayDream VR is one of the best VR launches and future improvements might make this VR headset one of the best that we have in the market.
For Pixel phone users this is the best mobile phone smartphone VR headset and you should dive in and get a better taste of the VR world. This VR headset is promising and can’t wait to see the range of its smartphone compatibility increase in 2017.
Recommended: List of Phones compatible with DayDream VR
3. Freefly VR headset
Freefly VR is a smartphone-based VR headset and is one of the best that we have seen in the year 2016. The VR quality and immersive experience on this VR headset are way better than any of those cheap Chinese VR headsets that you find on Amazon. It has a pretty good FOV and a nice set of content.
The reason why this VR headset is interesting to me is because of the various experiments were done with them which involve syncing it with a drone and viewing everything from the Drone’s camera in VR! That is something interesting if done real-time. However, looking at the possibilities even the Homido VR headset has a great way of syncing to your PC games which means it is a PC VR headset and can be used as a smartphone-based VR headset.
The Freefly VR is a tad bit expensive but thanks to the offers on Amazon, you could find the price of this product drop down from a whopping $129 to a $ 59.70, this is pretty reasonable for a VR headset of this quality. If you want to know more about the specifications of the Freefly VR headset then read the Freefly VR headset review.
4. Oculus Rift
Moving on to a PC VR headset, Oculus Rift needs a computer with some beefy specs in order to help you experience the best quality VR world. Oculus Rift is one of the best VR headsets available in the market and if you want to experience the best immersive VR then you should definitely go for it.
Initially, the consumer version of Oculus Rift was just released with the headset but now with the Oculus Touch included the entire VR experience is much more immersive and amazing. You can interact with the objects in the VR world and the full 360-degree tracking gives you an amazing experience. There is more to VR than what you get in the smartphone-based VR headsets and that addition is all present in the Oculus Rift.
The Oculus Rift is a big hit and is priced at $599 and the Oculus Touch is $200, they come up to the cost of the HTC Vive but it is worth it. Anyone who has experienced gaming on the Oculus Rift would never want to try any other VR headset! It is a whole new world and with the plethora of content you have on the official Oculus site, you will never run out of new games. In the case you want to know more about the specifications and other features of the Oculus Rift then read the Oculus Rift VR headset Review.
5. PlayStation VR
This is another console based VR headset and it was out on October 13, 2016. This VR headset had was received with all enthusiasm by all the PS4 addicts and was sold out in a few minutes on various online stores. Although they did not run out of the VR headset but they did create a lot of excitement and most of the PlayStation console owners had their minds hooked onto it.
The PlayStation VR is another VR headset with motion controllers and is one of the best choices if you are a PlayStation addict. Although the quality might not be as good as the Oculus Rift or the HTC Vive but still, it is not a bad choice for someone who just wants to get into VR gaming through their PS4. There are many PS4 fans out there and this VR headset is fit for them, however, if you are too much into getting the top notch quality then the Oculus Rift or the HTC Vive should be the ones you should go for.
The PlayStation VR headset costs around $399 and the additional move controllers and camera cost around another $150. The total is way less than the Rift, in the case you want to know more about the PlayStation VR headset then read the Sony VR headset review.
6. HTC Vive
The Vive is one of the best VR headsets that we have and it was the first PC VR headset that was a complete package. The development of this VR headset happened alongside the Oculus Rift but the consumer version of the Vive proved that the Rift developers slacked when it came to developing the Oculus Touch. The Vive is the creme de la creme of the VR headset world!
The content on the Vive is pretty great and steam VR has plenty of options. Both Oculus and Vive have almost the same quality of content which can be given the overall rating of great. You have the motion controllers which would help you interact in the VR world and make the entire experience more immersive. If you have pretty huge hands then the controllers of the Vive would me more comfortable than the Oculus Touch (to be honest, if you are a true gamer then you should give least fucks to this aspect :P).
The HTC Vive is priced at around $799 and it worth all the money. It is as good as the Oculus Rift and it really stands out compared to the other VR headsets. If you want hands down quality VR experience then there is no reason for you to avoid the Vive. The Oculus and the Vive both provide the same top notch quality VR and if you want to know more about their specs and requirements of your desktop in order to make it VR friendly then read the HTC Vive Complete review and the Oculus Rift VR headset review.
Here is a compiled list of the best VR headsets we have seen in the year 2016, the top three are the best mobile VR headsets and the next we have are the PC VR headsets which are the top notch quality VR experience providers. In the case I missed any of your favourites mention them in the comment section below and also add a small description if possible on why you think they were one of the best VR headsets of 2016.
Hi Shrey,
Great reviews on the headsets, I personally have one of the cheaper units not featured here but my brother has the Samsung Gear VR and I can definitely say it is by far the best.
I am going to just save a little bit to buy it for my S4 as I have seen how amazing it is first hand.
Are there any specific apps you would recommend with the Gear VR?
Great reviews!
Yeah there are a few games and apps that I have recommended for the Gear VR here. Check them out and let me know if you liked them?
Thank you for posting this article of the different VR headsets. I’m very interested in getting one, but have been on the fence of which one to get.
I’ve got a PS4 and while the PS VR headset is very tempting, it’s just a little too pricey for me at the moment. I do have some of the requirements as I have the PS4 as well as the PS Camera I just need to get the move controllers.
I’m really leaning much more towards Samsung’s Gear VR as it is one of the cheaper options and I have a Galaxy S7 Edge that I believe would work with it. I will definitely check out Amazon to see if there are any special deals going on for it.
Yeah! You should definitly do that and check out the deals they have for Gear VR on amazon because they go real cheap sometimes!
Hello Shrey,
I just share this post on my Google Plus Page. I have to admit, I am not a tech-savvy person. That being said, it’s nice to discover things which I did not realize in recent times, like the last year’s launch of Oculus Rift. I think Google has entered later than Samsung in phone industry which implies that some of Google’s product including the VR has not been established yet. Well, let’s see what Google brings this year. Thank you posting a useful update by the way!
Hi Tar
I’m glad that you found this post helpful! VR is a new emerging technology and hopefully we would see more of it in the year 2017!
I am looking at either the Rift or Vive. I am not sure what one to buy. I am swing toward the Rift because of the new touch controller. And I am going to purchase Star Trek Bridge Crew. I have the rig to run vr. Which one would you recommend? Thanks.
Yes, I would recommend the Rift for the same reason i.e. they have amazing touch controllers! I think you should go for the Oculus Rift!
You can purchase the game once you decide on the VR headset but I would definitely say that Oculus Rift is a better choice.
Here is the list of recommended games on the Rift, so check it out if needed!
Thanks 🙂