Virtual reality has come a long way, and VR headsets are now more exciting and accessible than ever. These devices transport you to entirely new worlds, whether youre slaying dragons in VR gaming, exploring distant planets or even attending virtual meetings. Theyre designed to immerse you in lifelike visuals and interactive experiences, making them perfect for gamers, tech enthusiasts and even people looking for creative new ways to stay connected.Theres a wide variety of options to suit every need. Standalone headsets like the Meta Quest 3s dont require a powerful PC or console they work independently to deliver amazing virtual reality experiences. On the other hand, advanced devices like the Apple Vision Pro take things to the next level with cutting-edge features and high-end visuals. Youll also find tethered systems that pair with gaming PCs or consoles for even more detailed graphics and performance, as well as lightweight head-mounted displays for simple, portable VR. If youre searching for the best VR headset for gaming, productivity, or just some casual fun, these are the headsets to consider right now. Table of contents Best VR headsets for 2025 How we test VR headsets Other VR headsets we've tested VR headset FAQs Recent updates Best VR headsets for 2025 How we test VR headsets I tend to judge VR headsets on a few basic criteria: Ergonomics, immersion and controls. It's not that hard to shove a mobile display into a plastic headset and strap some cheap elastic headbands onto it. But it takes skill to craft something that's well balanced and doesn't feel uncomfortable after 30 minutes. My test for ergonomics is fairly simple: How long can I wear a headset until I start to feel discomfort? For the most ergonomic devices, like the Quest 3, that could easily be an hour or two. But heavier PC hardware often feels cumbersome after just 15 minutes you wont find headsets guilty of that in this guide. Immersion, meanwhile, comes from having the highest resolution screens with fast refresh rates, like a 120Hz refresh rate, so everything looks sharp and smooth. Field of view is also a major element, as it describes how well VR screens can cover what you see. Having a narrow field of view makes it feel like youre looking through a pair of binoculars, and limits your sense of presence, or the idea that youre actually transported to a virtual world. A wide field of view, on the other hand, can make it seem like youre actually flying over the globe in Google Earth. We look at a few popular video games, like Superhot, Beat Saber and Pistol Whip, on every headset to judge how immersed we feel and how enjoyable the gaming experience is overall. The best controllers fit naturally in your hands and offer accurate tracking. The industry has basically adopted the design of Metas excellent touch controllers, but we're also seeing intriguing leaps forward like Valve's finger tracking gamepads. We judge controllers based on how easy they are to hold, how they hold up to sweaty gameplay sessions and how easily headsets can track their position in space. However, its important to look at a virtual reality headsets specs as a whole. Depending on what youre looking for from a VR headset, youll want to consider factors like your PCs CPU and graphics card if you plan to use the headset to play the best VR games. You might not need a super powerful PC, but you should check the minimum requirements for the headset youre looking to purchase. If youre not looking to invest in a VR headset solely for gaming, features like head tracking allow you to explore your environment just by simply moving your head in the simulator. This often results in a more immersive and realistic experience. Other VR headsets weve tested HTC Vive Focus Vision The Vive Focus Vision is a sleek premium standalone VR headset that can also deliver solid PC VR. But its also running aging hardware, its riddled with software issues and its expensive compared to the Meta Quest 3. Meta Quest Pro As great as the Meta Quest 3 is, the Quest 2 is still a very good entry-level VR headset, and its worth considering if its on sale below its current $250 list price. The Meta Quest Pro, on the the hand, is an expensive boondoggle best ignored. HTC Vive Pro 2 Outside of Metas hardware, the HTC Vive Pro 2 remains a fantastic PC headset, but its far more expensive than the Valve Index, which is more comfortable and offers better audio. VR headset FAQs How do VR headsets work? At the most basic level, a VR headset is simply a high quality screen that youre holding up to your face. For a wired headset, the actual work of rendering a game is done on either a PC or game console. For completely wireless devices, like the Meta Quest 3, that work is handled right on the headset. They rely on either external sensors, or sensors built into the headsets, to map your physical space. While you can use a traditional gamepad or keyboard and mouse in VR, they typically use motion tracking controllers to immerse you in their 3D environments. What VR headset is best for full body tracking? While were still waiting for a truly great haptic VR bodysuit to arrive, you can still achieve accurate body tracking with most Steam VR-compatible PC headsets. The Valve Index and HTC Vive Pro 2 both rely on room-tracking sensors that can map your body more effectively than the built-in sensors on competitors. You can also add HTC Vive Trackers to wrist and leg straps, as well as belts, for even better coverage. The Meta Quest 3 doesnt have any easy body tracking solutions, but you can add Vive trackers when its plugged into your PC to mimic a Steam VR headset. Only a few experiences, like VRChat, take advantage of full body tracking at the moment. Currently there arent any body tracking solutions for the PlayStation VR and VR2, but were intrigued by the companys Mocopi body trackers, which were really announced in Japan. What VR headsets are better than Oculus? Oculus is the previous name for Metas VR hardware. Currently, Meta only supports the Quest 3, Quest 3S and Quest Pro, all of which are wireless headsets. As we explain above, PC VR headsets can generally achieve better quality virtual reality, since they rely on more powerful graphics hardware. What VR headsets work with Xbox? Currently, Microsofts Xbox consoles dont support any VR headsets. Recent updates November 2024: Added the HTC Vive Focus Vision to the "others we tested" section. October 2024: Updated our "best cheap VR headset" top pick to be the Meta Quest 3S.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/best-vr-headsets-140012529.html?src=rss