HOLIDAY LIST: Best VR headsets of 2015

Virtual reality (VR) looks like it is ready, as a technology, to finally make it to the mainstream. With the help of great smartphone technology, VR headsets are now common – due mainly to the push of Google to make the technology more accessible to the market. Now, this holiday season of 2015, we break down for you the best VR headsets you can get for your money. Take note, though, that most of these will require a compatible smartphone for you to enjoy the technology to the fullest.

HTC Vive

With the HTC Vive headset passing through FAA recently, we might finally get a peek at what is possibly the best VR headset that will be available on the market. Most tech pundits have been really impressed with the VR experience that the HTC Vive gives, this in cooperation with gaming outfit Valve. The design of the headset is bulky but gives you impressive features. Motion sensors and a very clear display has made this headset the favorite of most tech blogs, saying that this just might be the future of gaming.

Samsung Gear VR

Made with Oculus technology, the Samsung Gear VR is not the highest quality VR experience around – but it is one of the easiest to get up and running. The original Gear VR only supported the Galaxy Note 4, but it has since been updated to accommodate Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge. Particularly when partnered with the Galaxy S6 – while it is a smaller screen – the pixel density of the flagship phone (577ppi) gives you the best viewing experience on the Gear VR. Get yours for USD$199 – steep, but that’s the “buy in” price for new technology.

Carl Zeiss VR One

Like the Gear VR, the Carl Zeiss VR One uses a smartphone as its display – but the advantage here is that it will take an iPhone 6 or a Galaxy S5, giving you more flexibility if you happen to own that particular iOS device. You will be constrained somewhat by the amount of content and apps available for the VR One, but that doesn’t mean you won’t enjoy it. The plus side, you can get the Carl Zeiss VR One at half the price of the Gear VR – at USD$99.00.

Homido VR

If you want to dabble in VR and get the experience at the level of Google Cardboard (which is, for cheap) – Homido VR is probably the best Google Cardboard headset you can get. It upgrades your Google Cardboard experience so that you don’t have to hold the VR mechanism with your hands, and it will accept any 5-inch Android smartphone with a 1080p resolution like the Nexus 5 or the LG G4. You can get the Homido VR for a measly USD$80, which is a small price to pay to enjoy VR technology. It might not be the best around, but it certainly keeps you enjoying the VR tech.

Google Cardboard

The essence of the Google Cardboard project is to make VR technology available to the masses, and that is exactly what it has done. It has made the headset “open source” – that is, if you have enough DIY skills, you can actually make the headset yourself. If you don’t want to do that, a number of manufacturers are selling pre-made Google Cardboard headsets for cheap as well. But the real kick of this device is that if you have the will and the skills (and an Android phone for display), you can actually jump on the VR bandwagon for free.