Oculus Headset Ultimate Comparison Table: Every Oculus Headset Compared

Since kicking off the current VR revolution Oculus have released a range of headsets and each have their pros and cons. You may be wondering which VR headset you should get and what you’ll need to get it to work.  Thanks to the range of headsets available VR is now accessible for pretty much anyone, whether you be a hard core gamer or a VR virgin. In this post I’m going to take you through every Oculus VR headset so you can decide which is the best one for you.

Oculus VR Headsets Comparison Table

SpecsOculus QuestOculus Rift SOculus GoOculus Rift
Image
Max Field of View100°115°100°110°
Max Resolution2560 x 14402560×14402560 x 14402160×1200
Screen TypeOLEDFast-switch LCDFast-Switch LCDDual AMOLED
Pixel Density538ppi456ppi
Refresh Rate72Hz 80 Hz60Hz90Hz
SensorsAccelerometer,
gyroscope,  5 x Internal Cameras
Accelerometer,
gyroscope, 5 x Internal Cameras
GyroscopeAccelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer
Tracking6DOF Inside Out Tracking (wireless)6DOF Inside Out Tracking (wireless)3DOF Orientation Tracking6 DOF Constellation camera optical 360- degree IR LED tracking
ControllersSecond Gen Oculus Touch x 2Second Gen Oculus Touch x 2Go PointerOculus Touch x 2
WirelessYesNoYesNo
Weight570g610g468g470g
SoundInternal Speakers & Headphone JackInternal Speakers & Headphone JackInternal Speakers & Headphone JackInternal Speakers & Headphone Jack
Extra RequirementsNone8GB RAM, Nvidia GTX 1050Ti or AMD Radeon RX 470None8GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050Ti / Radeon RX 470 or greater.
PriceCheck Price on AmazonCheck Price on AmazonCheck Price Check Price on Amazon

What Makes a Good VR Headset

If you are new to the world of VR you may not be aware of what makes a good  headset. Let’s take a look at what the common features are and what you should be looking for.

3DOF or 6DOF

 

Probably the most importing acronym you should learn when looking to buy a VR headset is the difference between 3DOF and 6DOF. the “DOF” refers to “degrees of freedom” and indicated how much you can interact with the VR world. 6DOF headsets are usually considered the full VR experience as you can interact in every sense with the world by moving in any direction. 3DOF headsets are usually limited to tracking just head movements and a single controller and offer a less immersive experience. 6DOF headsets are much more expensive and are primarily designed for gaming whereas a 3DOF headset is best for watching video.

Screen Type

Many headsets utilize AMOLED screens which are considered superior to LCD screens thanks to their ability to display darker blacks, however LCD screens usually have higher pixel density. In reality you shouldn’t worry too much about the screen type as other features like pixel density and resolution have more of an impact on the visuals.

Pixel Density and Resolution

The resolution of the screen will largely determine how sharp the image displayed is. A higher resolution headset will result in a more immersive experience as the VR world will look more realistic; lower resolution headsets will reveal pixelation which may break immersion.

Refresh Rate 

The refresh rate of a headset will impact how smooth moving objects appear on screen. This is more important when playing high action games with fast moving players.

Other features will depend on the headset, but in terms of quality of experience the above features are probably the most important. Let’s take a closer look at each Oculus headset, their strengths, weaknesses and what they are primarily designed for.

Oculus Quest

The Quest is the latest headset from Oculus and the first to allow full wireless 6DOF VR experience. As I mentioned previously, 6DOF allows the user to fully interact with the VR world and offers what most consider to be the true VR experience. The Quest’s lack of wires is thanks to a new tracking ststem developed by Oculus which features 6 internal cameras and a mobile processor within the headset itself.

While the Quest’s wireless credentials make it the most accessible VR experience ever, the lack of computing power means that it cannot display the more complex textures available for wires headsets. For some games the graphics are reduced and there are a few not available at all to Quest users.

Thankfully the vast majority of the most popular VR games, like beatsaber for example, are available on the Quest and a huge library of VR experiences continues to grow rapidly. The Quest features a high resolution OLED screen which easily competes with more expensive headsets, with the only downside being a rather low refresh rate which may result in some blurriness when viewing fast moving objects.

The Quest comes with two second generation Oculus controllers which allow for more accurate tracking and easy interaction with the VR world. Oculus have prices the Quest at the lowest point possible (likely making a loss on each headset sold) because they want as many people to try it as possible. If you are looking for your first full VR headset it’s hard to recommend anything else. You won’t be getting the absolute highest image quality, but you will get a very easy to use VR headset that doesn’t require anything else to work.

PROS:
  • Wireless
  • High Resolution Screen
  • Second Gen Controllers
  • Huge Library of Games and Experiences

CONS:
  • Limited Memory
  • Some Games Feature Reduced Textures
  • Low Refresh Rate

Check Price on Amazon

Oculus Rift S

The Rift S is the most powerful VR headset developed by Oculus. The Rift S represents an upgrade from the original Rift, however it’s a modest improvement rather than a complete overhaul. The Rift S features the widest field of view, joint highest resolution screen and highest quality screen of any Oculus headset. One thing to note is the Rift S oddly features a lower refresh rate than the original. Oculus claims that this is compensated for with overall improvements to the screen. You also get the second generation Oculus controllers and no memory limit.

The Rift requires a wired tether to a laptop or desktop to work which itself will need a reasonably powerful graphics card and 8GB or RAM to work. If you have all of this then you’ll be able to experience all the VR games at their highest graphical setting. There’s no doubt that the Rift S provides the most immersive VR experience of any Oculus headset. While the price and requirements for the Rift S are higher than other Oculus options, the reward is the best VR experience Oculus has to offer.

PROS:
  • Best Overall VR Experience
  • High Quality Screen
  • Access to All Oculus VR Games
  • Second Generation Controllers

CONS:
  • Requires Wired Connection
  • Requires Powerful Desktop/Laptop
  • Most Expensive Option

Check Price on Amazon

Oculus Go

The Oculus Go is the cheapest and easiest to use of the headsets we are looking at today. Developed by Oculus as a gateway into VR for those not sure if it’s worth the time and expense, the Go has proved to be a popular choice. The Go is a 3DOF headset which means you don’t have the same ability to interact with the VR world as with 6DOF headsets. The headset can’t detect movement other than the turn of your head. The headset can also track the Go controller which allows you to point and select.

While this limits the type of VR games available to Go users you still have a surprisingly larger amount of VR experiences to choose from. The Go is best when viewing 360 videos, watching YouTube, Netflix or playing more basic games. The screen is reasonably right quality considering the price of the headset with only the 60hz refresh rate being the low point. You Go is completely wireless so you can easily pick up and play without a laptop or desktop.

The Go is perfect for anyone who wants a taste of the VR experience, particularly if you are mostly interested in watching videos in a VR space. For anything more advanced you’ll need to look at the other Oculus options which all feature much more advanced tracking and games.

PROS:
  • Great Quality Screen
  • Cheap and Easy To Use
  • Internal Speakers
  • Huge Library of VR Experiences

CONS:
  • Only 3DOF
  • Can’t Play Many VR Games

Check Price on Amazon

Oculus Rift

The headset that kicked off the current VR craze. It wasn’t perfect but it still to this day provides a pretty mind blowing VR experience when used with the right software. The Rift can usually be found at quite a low price as it’s been available for a few years now. You’ll find a lower resolution screen compared to the newer Rift S and Quest and slightly less accurate tracking, but most other features remain the same. The Rift has access to the entire Oculus store and you can play anything from Skyrim to Beatsaber.

This 6DOF headset requires the same wired desktop connection as the Rift S and uses the first generation controllers, but this is justified by the lower price. While the rift is showing its age it’s certainly still worth a look if you don’t want to break the bank with the latest headsets.

PROS:
  • Highest Refresh Rate
  • Reduced Price
  • Access to All Oculus VR Games

CONS:
  • Lower Resolution Screen
  • First Generation Tracking and Controllers

Check Price on Amazon

 

See Also: Ultimate VR Headset Comparison Table

The 360 Guy

The 360 Guy

Owner of threesixtycameras.com. Writer, photographer and videographer. You can see my YouTube channel for guides of how to shoot 360 video. I've written for The Times, Digital Photography School and Sunday Express. 

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