While both the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive are considered complete bundles, the Rift is ahead in terms of fit and finish. Oculus also announced that the Rift bundle (headset and Touch controllers) is now at an all time low of $399. This makes the Rift significantly more attractive than the Vive and with the uncertainty behind HTC, we can no longer suggest the Vive as a viable second option.
There is word in the industry that HTC is also about to bow out of the VR business and is looking for a buyer for its VR technology, so spending money on a new Vive right now isn't something we recommend—unless you can score one for an obscenely low price. But keep in mind that support might end up being nonexistent.
The real issue with VR however is content—and we haven't seen major breakthroughs yet this year. Gaming content has improved since a year ago, and there are some excellent titles to play with. Oculus also just launched its new dashboard, which allows interactive interface to the Windows desktop. The company is putting more resources into developing content and experience than any other company in the VR space, so we feel solid about an investment into a Rift headset.
Keep in mind, though, that the gaming ecosystem for VR is still in its infancy. Developers are still trying to learn best practices and more investment in content is required for VR to really take off. Despite this, Oculus is inspiring confident in its product by continuing to push R&D.
We can pretty much thank Oculus for making VR a reality. With Facebook snapping up the startup for $2 billion, Oculus has a huge war chest for pushing VR forward. They're investing in game development and research to help the present and future of VR thrive. The Rift headset is the most polished VR headset on the market today, and really demonstrates how far along we've come in bringing VR to the mainstream, but we're not quite there yet, and neither is Oculus.
NEED TO KNOW
Resolution: 2160x1200 (1080x1200 per eye)
Refresh rate: 90 Hz
Tracking: 360 degrees, full space
FOV: 110 degrees
Controller: Xbox One controller
Sensors: 3D head tracking sensor
Price: $399 with Touch controllers
Oculus's Touch controllers significantly improve the Rift's usability and sense of immersion. Oculus took a heaping long time to release the Touch controllers but when you use them, you immediately feel like they're a refined and well thought-out finished product. Compared to the clunkier Vive controllers, the Touch controllers are miles ahead in terms of comfort.
The Rift headset is the best example of a finished consumer product that we have, besting the HTC Vive in terms of finish. The Rift wears lighter than the Vive but is marred by a smaller face frame. It fits tighter around your eyes, and is a pain in the butt to use if you wear glasses.
Most games made for the Rift essentially limit you to a static position and expects that most of your VR experiences will be chair-bound. As if to drive that point home further, Oculus includes both an Xbox One controller as well as the Touch controllers when you order. With the included extra sensor (you can add a third), you're now able to do roomscale tracking, which was previously only done well on the Vive. This brings the overall Rift experience on par with the Vive, and with the new price drop from Oculus, it's hard to ignore.
Touch controllers are comfortable and natural.
The Touch controllers were more comfortable to hold and felt more natural in the hands than the Vive wands. Oculus now fully bundles the Touch controllers with the Rift headset for $399. You'll still need a third sensor though if you want proper rear tracking—for example if you turn around.
Wearing comfort is an area where the Rift has the Vive beat There have been more iterations of the Rift headset than there were of the Vive, and it shows. Fit and finish are top-notch, and you can comfortably strap yourself in for several hours.
In terms of content,
Oculus has a major leg up on HTC with a bigger library of games and more coming. Although more games are on the way, big hitting titles are still in development. Despite delay however, Facebook's huge investments into developers only mean that the company is in VR for the long haul.
Price made all the difference
Right now there are two major players for VR headsets for the PC. No one else has demonstrated products that are consumer ready other than HTC and Oculus. There's Sony with its PSVR headset, but that isn't for the PC (at least until modders get their hands on it).
While both headsets previously held close positions in our hearts, Oculus made all the difference by bundling its headset with the Touch controllers and dropping the price significantly. This was the deciding factor in choosing the Rift as our new preferred headset. Circling news of HTC bailing out of the VR space also made recommending the Rift a no-brainer. Anyone who's buying a VR headset today should only buy a Rift.
Facebook is also definitely pushing more content for the Rift. There still aren't many compelling games available for either platform but with Facebook's massive war chest funding development of VR titles, the Rift gives us more confidence. We also expect that eventually, nearly all VR games will be made to work on both. If you're concerned about content, the safe bet is to spend your money on regular ol' PC games for the next few months and watch for more development on the content side.
