Best VR Headsets for Racing in 2023
The problem with today's VR headsets is there is no perfect one anyone can point to for VR racing. There are many options out there. All have amazing features for us to fawn over, yet they all have comprises we must acknowledge. Here are a few of the options out there as of now.
Quest 2
Best for getting into VR
$399 1832×1920 120hz 100° fov
This headset gives you everything you need in a powerful and price attractive package. The resolution is high enough that screen door effect is no longer an issue. 120hz delivers buttery smooth performance to your eye balls. The fov, while not the highest available, more than gets the job done.
Added bonus, disconnect the cable and you have a huge catalog of other VR games and experiences you can take anywhere. This thing is so versatile, it is truly an amazing tool for experiencing all that is available in the realm of VR.
All these great features do come at a cost.
First is the USB/air link connection. Instead of a solid connection straight from your video cards display port, you have the video image being compressed and then sent to the headset either via your Wi-Fi or a USB cable. This results in artifactting and a more generally fuzzy or blurry image, especially when looking of in the distance. The image is still more than serviceable, but at the end of the day it's a compromise.
Second is the battery. With a USB connection it will trickle charge as you game. You can expect about 4 hours of life running 90hz, with a full charge while connected to a USB cable that's capable of also charging while in use. 120hz is amazing but drops that time down to about 2 hours. All this assumes you had the foresight to fully charge the thing prior to sitting down to race. There has been more than one time I've sat down to race, only to realize my 20% battery charge is not gonna see me through to the checkered flag.
Being tied to Facebook and a product of the meta empire is a non-trivial issue for many. This is a valid and understandable concern that can only be weighed on a personal basis. It's a deal breaker for some, not so much for many others.
The included headstrap is simply painful to wear. Just a terrible creation. Luckily there are other straps you can buy and easily install. Not a huge issue, but just be warned you will want to factor in the price of a new headstrap into the price of this thing. Minimun of $50.
Personally I've found performance while using steamvr to suffer. I've experienced lower frame rate, stuttering, and a more grainy image that isn't present while using other headsets on the same PC. I suspect it's a product of running the oculus software on top of steamvr, but am unsure. This is a non issue for running games outside VR such as iracing.
Meta Quest 2: Immersive All-In-One VR Headset | Meta Store | Meta Store $399
Reverb G2
Great resolution. The perfect step up
$599 2160×2160 90hz 114° fov
This thing is pretty ideal for most serious VR racing game fans. The resolution here is the main selling feature. It simply delivers a beautiful image. For anyone moving from a quest 2, this thing will knock your socks off! Not only are you getting a better resolution, but you will instantly see the benefit of being wired into your video card. You will see a crispness you didn't even realize you were missing. Not to mention no need to worry about your batteries charge.
114° fov is a solid option. Not the best, but far from the worst.
Using windows mixed reality will give you some grief. You will have to do some tinkering to get the ease of use in an ideal state. It doesn't require much work, and a bit of googling will get you sorted. Be aware it's not as plug and play as anyone would like.
The 90hz limit is the biggest downfall. We'd love a 120hz or even a 110hz option. There are, however, few machines out there that would be capable pushing this kind of resolution at anything above 90hz.
Controller tracking. Not something often mentioned in racing games because it doesn't really matter. But. This headset is known to have terrible controller tracking. They've done updates to make it better. It's still bad. This should only be a deterrent if you're planning to use the headset outside of any racing or flight sim games.
Valve index
The best VR headset! But, a lot of money for poor resolution
$999 1440×1600 144hz 130° fov
Look at that refresh rate! 144hz in a 130° fov world is something to behold. This is such an ideal experience for sim racing, it's my goto. Having base stations to track your headset means there's never any 'floating' around the cockpit. You are solidly situated in place. And once you run through the initial setup, this thing is plug and play. No tinkering needed. It just works. And gaming outside of racing, this thing has best in class controllers. You won't find better PCVR controllers.
It's a thousand dollars! That's not a thing to ignore for sure.
At 1440×1600, we have to talk about screen door effect. Something that we shouldn't be taking about in 2023, but there it is. And it's ugly. It's sad as everything else about this headset is just perfect.
Valve Index® - Upgrade your experience - Valve Corporation (valvesoftware.com) $999
More recently we are getting great feedback about the Pimax Crystal and the Varjo Aero. Both are stellar choices at a premium price. Just know going in, these are hobbyist headsets. It's not going to be a plug and play experience, you will have to tinker with them. I'm not the one to tell you which is better as I haven't had a chance to try them. There are plenty of opinions out there for those brave enough to sort through them all: