With the release of the new Oculus Rift, the question that comes to every virtual reality enthusiast is that that which VR they should buy, the new Oculus Rift, PlayStation VR or the Samsung Gear VR? Well, to sort out this confusion, here is a short description about each one of these VR’s followed by the comparison and our verdict on which one of these you should go with.
Starting off with the Oculus Rift, it was fairly recently acquired by Facebook for $2 billion and the change in ownership is definitely showing as the new Oculus is available for pre-order.
The price that the VR will be selling for $599 and the headset comes with a limitation of only one device per customer. According to the official website, shipping will commence in May 2016. The users will receive a wireless Xbox One controller and adapter to enhance the overall gaming experience. The device is compatible with Windows 10, making it easier for the buyers to play their existing games without any difficulty.
The PlayStation VR previously went by the codename of Project Morpheus and is designed to be fully functional with the PlayStation 4 video gaming system. Sony has hinted a release date in the first half of the year 2016. In CES 2016, Sony’s Chief Executive Officer commented that developers are working on 100 or more titles that are specially designed for this virtual reality headset.
The Samsung Gear VR is a headset that has been developed by Samsung in collaboration with Oculus VR and is compatible with Samsung Galaxy devices, in particular, the Galaxy Note 5 or the Galaxy S6/ S6 Edge/ S6 Edge Plus. The Galaxy devices, which are sold separately act as the display and the processor to the headset, making their presence a must, thus operating the headset.
So, without any further ado, let’s jump on to the comparisons of these VR’s.
Design
The dimensions for both the Oculus Rift and the PlayStation VR have not been revealed to the public yet, so we cannot obviously have a clear win here. As for the Rift development kit 2, the dimensions are 1.3 x 14.7 x 7 inches and the Gear VR measures 201.9 x 116.4 x 92.6 mm, so the winner depending on these specifications is the Samsung headset as it looks very trendy.
Display
Both the Oculus Rift and the PlayStation VR feature an OLED display with the of 2160X1200 and 1920×RGB×1080 pixels respectively. As for the Samsung Gear VR, it sports a 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution Super AMOLED display.
The refresh rate on the Rift is 90 Hz, the PlayStation VR packs a 120 and 90 Hz refresh rate, whereas the Gear VR cones with a 60 Hz refresh rate.
The clear winner in this category is the Oculus Rift as talking of the refresh rate, it wins over the quad HD display on the Gear VR, whereas, in terms of resolution, it wins against the Sony VR.
Required Hardware
For the Oculus Rift, you will need a PC with Windows 7 SP1 or newer, 8GB of RAM or more, Intel i5-4590 equivalent or greater and Nvidia GeForce GTX 970/AMD 290 or higher. For the Gear VR, one of the aforementioned Galaxy smartphones will be necessary for operation. Lastly, for the Sony VR, as of now, it is known that it will be made for the PlayStation 4, so if Sony is really planning to do that, they will be at a disadvantage.
Here, the winner can’t be announced, as according to the needs and availability of the hardware, the preference will vary, so this round will be called a tie.
Connectivity
The Oculus Rift requires HDMI 1.3 output, three USB 3.0 ports, and one USB 2.0 port, whereas the Gear VR will need a MicroUSB connection to Galaxy Note 5, S6, S6 Edge, S6 Edge+ and the PlayStation VR connects via an HDMI and a USB connection.
Availability and Pricing
The Oculus is up for pre-order and the shipping will start on March 28, 2016. As for the pricing, the device will sell for $599 and is limited to one headset per user. The Samsung Gear VR is already available in the market, retailing for $99, which doesn’t include the price of the phone. The price and availability of the PlayStation VR are still to be announced though it is known that the device will release in the first quarter of this year.
The Verdict
As of now the clear winner is the Oculus Rift, but depending on the needs and availability of hardware, the final choice will vary. For people who own a Samsung Galaxy device, the Samsung VR is a good choice as it is pretty cheap and good for those who have not yet experienced a VR device.
The final verdict on the Sony PlayStation VR is yet on hold, as the final announcement of its specs and features will make us compare it even better and deeper with the other devices.
At this point, we would conclude with the observation that the price of the Oculus Rift may be an issue for it, as Sony is yet to announce its VR. They might cut corners to conquer the PlayStation only compatibility of their headset. It is very important for the Rift to stand up amongst the competition like night and day and prove that it is worth the $599 price tag.