Table of Contents
Virtual reality is taking over the gaming world and we are excited about it. And while it is available for mobile and for some gaming consoles (namely the PlayStation), we think virtual reality for PC is the most well-developed and fully immersive virtual reality experience you can get. In this article, you’ll read more about the benefits, the tech, and the games that are currently available.
The Benefits of Experiencing Virtual Reality on The PC
While there are definitely some great reasons to have a gaming console and to enjoy virtual reality on it, the PC offers some distinct advantages that even the best gaming system can’t compete with:
- More frequent tech upgrades. When a new gaming system comes out, it is the top of the line at that moment. But there are usually a few years between systems and virtual reality tech is going to develop rapidly in those few years. While your PC gaming friends are able to easily upgrade and incorporate the latest tech as it comes out, you’re going to be stuck with what is becoming more and more outdated.
- Better virtual reality headsets. Even if we just look at the tech right now, PC still comes out ahead because the two best headsets available are meant for the PC. We’ll talk more about those below.
- Versatility. You can use a variety of different controls with virtual reality on the PC so you get to decide whether you prefer the keyboard, the gamepad, or the motion controllers. PCs are almost more customizable to your tastes in general. Consoles generally mean sticking with whatever controls they give you.
We don’t want to totally discredit gaming systems. They are still great and worth the money. And they do have some perks of their own. For example, they are complete, fully functional systems right out of the box. A great gaming PC usually needs to be custom built or you need to a pay a lot more money.
That leads to a second perk of the gaming console. They are more affordable. They can offer top of the line tech at cheaper prices because they are exclusively built as gaming machines. Your PC also has to handle a whole lot of other tasks on top of gaming.
So if price and convenience are bigger priorities over the ability to always have the best possible gaming experience, a gaming system will be great for you. Otherwise, you’ll want to go for a PC.
The Best Virtual Reality Headset For PC
There are two major contenders in the VR headset market right now and they are the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive. We have reviewed them and even compared them side by side already so we’ll just run through the main points here:
· In terms of tech, the Rift and Vive are pretty much on par. The main difference is that the Vive comes with more sensors so that you can still be tracked while standing up and moving around the room. This is technically possible with the Rift but you would need to buy extra sensors to do the same.
· In terms of games, the Rift offers fewer games but what they do have tend to have richer stories and more complex game play (and better usage of the virtual reality functionality). The Vive has an enormous selection of games that are definitely fun but the stories and play are usually simpler compared to the Rift.
· In terms of price, the Vive is more expensive but it does already come with motion controllers for your hands while the Rift has not yet released motion controllers. They will be released soon, though, and when they are, the Rift bundle that includes will still be cheaper than Vive.
Deciding Between The Rift And The Vive
They both offer some very impressive virtual reality games for pc and both are working hard on putting out more games that are designed with virtual reality in mind so that they can take full advantage of the new technology.
Basically, they are both very strong systems and you will be getting the best experience no matter which way you go so the ultimate decision comes down to which selection of games you prefer, how important having motion controllers immediately is for you, and how significant of a factor the price will be.
So if motion controllers are extremely important to you and you aren’t willing to wait until Oculus Rift releases their Oculus Touch, you’ll want to choose the Vive. If you are willing to wait, you can save some money without sacrificing quality by going with the Oculus Rift.
Whichever way you go, the virtual reality experience on the PC is going to be the best possible experience of this new technology. The devices for the PC incorporate the most advanced tech available and are much more versatile as you’ll be able to buy new gadgets and gear as it becomes available.
Final Word
Basically, you will get your money’s worth with either a Rift or a Vive. These two are the most powerful and advanced virtual reality glasses for PC right now. The key difference will come down to gameplay. So we recommend digging a little deeper into what kind of games are available for each headset and deciding which overall selection is more suited to your personal tastes and gaming style.
Another key difference right now is whether or not having the motion controllers is a high priority for you. The Rift will have its own motion controllers very soon but if you want to use that kind of system right away, you’ll have to go with the Vive.
