What VR headset should I get?

[carrot1401]

Right, I'm a bit lost with what headset to get and need some advice. Bit of a rundown of specs and requirements:

I have a beefy PC (5800x3D/4090) and play mainly sim racing games (iRacing/rFactor 2) which will be the primary use
I have only a small standing play area (1.8m^2) if I want to try other things
I prefer having a wired decent connection to reduce lag, although wireless for other things would be a bonus
As I have a PS5 I was waiting patiently on the PSVR2 PC adaptor but they're dropping a lot of features for PC, so doesn't seem worth it?
Budget wise was originally £500-£600 so well into Quest 3 area, but also aware of things like Primax are a lot more, but are they a lot better?
I wear glasses so will either need to be comfortable or more likely factor in buying some lenses for headset (not sure this can be done with Primax Light?)

Please feel free to ask any other questions if it will help nail down a recommendation!

 

[carrot1401]

Do you see yourself playing mainly sit down games like racing sims, flight sims etc? Or do you want to play a lot of room scale games like FPS shooters, sports games, beat saber, games where you move around a lot.

Probably the former

 

[carrot1401]

With u mainly being a simmer, something like a Pimax Light may offer a very good experience. Note, Pimax aren't the best choice for VR newcomers, sometimes their setup and general use can require some tinkering. A Quest 3 is probably the easiest to get to grips with, will offer good a simming experience but probably not as good as a Pimax Light, it's very versatile (can play any type of VR game, wifi or cabled, plus MR games). I wouldn't discount the PSVR2 considering you have a PS5, Gran Turismo is supposed to be ace in VR.

Thanks for this, I don't mind tinkering a bit to get the best out of something. I do it with my Steam Deck often to get the best out of it! What I don't understand about the Pimax Crystal Light is do I need just the headset, or the headset with lighthouse faceplate (and invest in some basestation stuff!?!?). Does the lighthouse tracking make it better? Do I need it?

 

[carrot1401]

It isnt the best headset out there, but if it were me looking at my 1st VR headset i would be looking at the quest 3. I dont have one, i have a quest pro (which for a few things may be slightly better for PCVR so it is still a contender if you are happy to go 2nd hand)............ but a quest 3 is the easy answer.

you can go higher end PCVR but you are not doing so for under £600.

I am not sure how well the quest 3 works outdoors. the quest 1 and my quest pro both work outside, but my quest 2 will not!. however once you do garden scale VR it really is something else!.

Happy to go over for the Primax if it's worth it and not bothered on garden scale VR as my garden isn't very big! Just need to work out if Crystal Light extra cost is worth it over the Quest 3...

 

[carrot1401]

If you are going to mainly playing sim games and your budget is between £500 and £600 then there isn't a lot of options. The PSVR 2 might be your best choice and hope that they unlock more features later on down the line. The added benefit of getting the PSVR 2 is that you will be able to use it on your PS 5 as well.

That said, the Pimax Crystal light does look interesting. But the good version with the local dimming and controllers is going to push you a good bit over your budget.

If the jump in budget is justifiable I can do it. I don't need the quest 3 battery and wifi, I want a good looking VR for sim racing

 

[carrot1401]

If you are going to go Pimax Crystal light.. i'd wait for the real reviews before stumping up over £800..

the other consideration is, have you actually done VR sim racing? (i've not read every post so apols if this has already been asked / answered!)

but it doesn't suit everyone, so i would be looking to at least try it for a small outlay, before dropping huge amounts.

I managed not to throw up playing Trackmania Turbo on PSVR back in the day which I count as a success! I also use to own a Rift S many years ago and played DiRT Rally a bit. Got rid because I found the overall graphical quality (resolution) too low for my liking.

 

[carrot1401]

Is trackmania the one with all the crazy tracks with loops and jumps and stuff??

You should be fine then

Yeah it's now a balance betwen ~£400 Quest 3 (second hand, sometimes a bit cheaper), around the same for PSVR 2 (which includes the new adaptor, but have to wait 2 months) or double for the Primax Crystal Light.

 

[carrot1401]

Yeah I’ve got this far now I’m probably going to wait til next month; got car mot and service to pay for first!