Perhaps the biggest difference will come from the new display set-up. Despite no longer needing external tracking stations, the Rift S will still need to be tethered to your PC as it doesn’t have a GPU built-in - it's the same issue which holds back the Oculus Rift, though not as prominant. He is an avid PC gamer and multi-platform user, and spends most of his time either tinkering with or writing about tech. One of the biggest complaints we've seen stemming from new Rift S users is the lack of manually adjustable interpupillary distance (IPD). Most people with a gaming PC with dedicated graphics should have no issue with the 8GB of RAM for the Rift S (the Vive is going to run much better with 8GB as well), and for the Rift S, you also have to be sure you have a DisplayPort and USB-A 3.0 output.

If the idea of shelling out for a gaming PC doesn’t sit well with you–or if you’re the kind of person who’d rather have a portable system that you could take with you–the Oculus Quest is the better choice. By You can’t pre-order the Rift S just yet but you can.

If you do have a gaming PC, Oculus Link is currently in beta and allows you to play PCVR games through your Oculus Quest when connected to a PC. He focuses mainly on PC, laptop, and accessory coverage, as well as the emerging world of VR. In addition, the headset offers more space for users with glasses - sidestepping certain issues that would arise when wearing glasses below the original Rift. But we found the Rift S left less red marks on your face after prolonged wear. In addition, the Rift S has 3.5mm headphone jack, allowing you to plug your own headphones in if you prefer a more isolated audio experience. However, you'll likely still see more god rays with the Quest than the Rift S. Perhaps the biggest complaint many users will have about the Rift S is that IPD adjustments are handled by software.

Several people have had issues with overloaded USB drivers thanks to the sheer amount of USB inputs the previous Rift requires. The HTC Vive has proven itself since its release in 2016, bringing AMOLED dual displays with 90Hz refresh rate, outstanding tracking thanks to external lighthouse base stations, and plenty of official and third-party accessories. There are no longer headphones or earbuds hanging down off of the headband, as we saw on the Rift CV1. The Vive also has an official wireless adapter available for purchase, which removes the need for a cable back to your PC. These can also be used to see the real world around you, which is handy if you need to quickly use a keyboard and mouse or see who's tapping you on the shoulder to get your attention. The LCD display might not offer the same deep color as the AMOLED displays in the Vive, and tracking might not be quite the same (though still good), but it's more readily available than the Vive, which will no doubt be a massive deal for a lot of people.

Additionally, the Oculus Rift S has an LCD panel while the Oculus Quest has an OLED display. Recommended PC requirements are about the same across both the Rift S and Vive. The benefit of the display on the Rift S is the reduced screen-door effect (SDE) which plagues the original Rift, making a grid of lines between the pixels in the image fairly hard to ‘un-see’ if you know they’re there. There are plenty of games already on the market for the headset and the promise of forwards compatibility means you shouldn't lose out on the biggest new releases - though they may not look as good as they would on the Quest and Rift S. The Oculus Rift's setup process isn't extremely complicated, but it is a little bit fiddly - especially if you haven't used a VR headset before. Compare and see which headset is right for you. The sensors are instead attached to the headset itself, tracking the movement of the Touch controllers relative to the position of the headset. But while the Quest offers more room in terms of movement, it is a bit more stifled in terms of graphics. It’s an evolution of the hardware, absolutely, but not a radical departure from the base headset you know and love.

Speakers are embedded in the headband and don't touch your ears, so if you want better immersion and to cut out external audio completely, you can plug in third-party headphones to the devices' 3.5mm audio jacks.

For that reason and others, Oculus will phase out the original Rift in the near future. Oculus Rift S. Sony PlayStation VR. It weighs in at around 560 grams (1.2 pounds), while the original Rift weighed 470 grams (1.0 pounds). The next evolution of the Rift brings improved lenses, a display with a higher pixel count than the original, and a redesigned head strap and tracking system, but you're still tethered to a PC. Oculus Rift S. 80 points. Love flight or dogfighting games in VR? A halo headband with an adjustment dial on the back sits securely over your head, and the HMD, which can be moved in and out to get a tight fit, sits against your face. As your head moves, the images move in real-time, assuring a realistic experience. The Rift S is also in low quantity and priced well more than where it should be. Source: Facebook The Oculus Quest 2 brings the best of the Rift S and original Quest.

Graphics directly come from your pc, the headset is only a display for it. We gave the original Oculus Rift a thorough test. He is an avid PC gamer and multi-platform user, and spends most of his time either tinkering with or writing about tech. Facebook opened preorders at its F8 developer conference. If you're not wanting to take the risk however, and would rather be sure there's a good library of games already available, then the original Rift could prove a more viable option. Both headsets feature the new Oculus Insight tracking system, which works with built-in cameras and sensors on the headset itself. Please deactivate your ad blocker in order to see our subscription offer.

The Rift S's display has been changed since the Rift CV1, ditching the deep colors of dual OLED for a single LCD display with a backlight. It is becoming very hard to find, though, which will no doubt play a factor in your final decision. Unlike the Rift S, the Oculus Quest is a self-contained VR headset. The Rift S is more compact and goes for … We consider a lower weight better because lighter devices are more comfortable to carry. For long in-VR design review sessions, this could be an issue - though it should be noted that our team hasn’t experienced difficulties so far. Here are the best accessories for your Oculus Quest. NY 10036. You will receive a verification email shortly. Having worked with the Rift S for several months now, we’ve gathered all the pros and cons into one list. Thank you for signing up to TechRadar. Fortunately, there’s currently a laptop on the market that’s perfect for the Rift S and other PC-based headsets (like the HTC Vive Pro). The HTC Vive comes stock with an adjustable head strap that sort of holds the head-mounted display (HMD) against your face and can be adjusted with Velcro. The Vive, on the other hand, has a physical IPD knob on the side that offers more control, allowing for a better chance of achieving a perfect view even if your eyes have uncommon spacing. If you're worried that your current rig won't be able to handle the demands of a quality VR experience, have a look at our roundup of the best desktop PCs for VR. We don’t believe these cons outweigh the pros, but we’ve listed them here so you can be as informed as possible about the different headset options on the market: The biggest issue we've seen with the Rift S is that it’s not compatible with HDMI - only DisplayPort.

You could probably benefit from on of these HOTAS controllers. In addition to its upgraded tracking capabilities, the Rift S also offers an improvement in visual quality over the original Rift. While some users reported comfort issues with the original Rift’s headstrap, the Rift S’s “halo”-style headstrap puts comfort first and foremost. The recommended and minimum requirements are as follows: Intel i5-4590/AMD Ryzen 5 1500X or greater, Intel i3-6100/AMD Ryzen 3 1200, FX4350 or greater, NVIDIA GTX 1060/AMD Radeon RX 480 or greater, NVIDIA GTX 1050 Ti/AMD Radeon RX 470 or greater, NVIDIA GTX 970/AMD Radeon R9 290 or greater, NVIDIA GTX 960 4 GB/AMD Radeon R9 290 or greater. It has been redesigned with a halo headband, it features integrated audio, and you have access to the ever-growing collection of games from the Oculus Store (including many exclusives) and from Steam. Luckily, because the Rift S uses the same core software as the Rift CV1, system requirements haven't really changed other than the required video port. But don’t worry, we’re here to breakdown the pros and cons of each to help you decide which Oculus VR headset is best for you.

Instead, audio feels like it comes out of nowhere. Oculus is focused on making the Rift S more accessible for more people than the original Rift was. There's an Oculus headset for everyone. Heavier Weight. This makes the Rift S much easier to use in general as you won’t have to fiddle around with external sensor placement, and the increase of the cable length from 4 to 5 meters give a little extra freedom too. If you don't mind a used model, it should serve you well. Oculus Insight is still new and has a few bugs to work out, but it's a great feeling knowing you don't have to contend with extra cables and setup, and for the most part, you shouldn't notice the lack of external sensors. The Oculus Quest delivers an untethered VR experience with 6 degrees of freedom and two Touch Controllers. Find out which is better and their overall performance in the VR headset ranking. This headset brings new features that make VR games and experiences more accessible and less fuss, while still being fairly friendly to your wallet. Taken as a whole, we love the Oculus Rift S. While there are certain trade-offs that come with any new headset, the Rift S is overall an exciting step forward for the Oculus Rift line - and for computer-powered virtual reality in general. Visit our corporate site. The Oculus Rift S uses an RGB stripe design compared to the Oculus Quest's diamond pentile design. Though we appreciate the physical redesign of the Oculus Rift S in general, it is worth mentioning that it’s slightly heavier than the original Oculus Rift. Update: The Oculus Link platform, which will allow the Oculus Quest to run Rift and Rift S content using a simple USB-C cable, is now in beta. The IPD can be adjusted manually, allowing a broader range of users to find something comfortable.

The Oculus Rift S is a successor to the original Rift CV1, requiring a connected PC to power it. If you're dead set on purchasing one of Facebook's older headsets, we have a full head-to-head below. Here's a breakdown of the tech specs that make up each system. A wider field of view assures an immersive and realistic experience. An accelerometer is a sensor used to measure the linear acceleration of a device. Check out this infographic listing the pros and cons, and read on to learn more details - and why we’ve decided to recommend the headset to so many of our customers. Due to its usage of an LCD panel rather than OLED, the Rift S features: The Rift S’s physical design - which was handled by Lenovo - is more comfortable than the original Rift. Given all of these changes, it’s clear that comfort for longer gaming sessions and professional usage was a key consideration for Oculus and Lenovo.