The Ultimate VR Headset Buyer's Guide - The Verge

Design Cheap

The absolute simplest form of virtual reality is made out of nothing but a pair of plastic magnifying lenses and a sheet of cardboard, using a standard smartphone as a screen. Most people refer to this now as "Google Cardboard," but the idea was around for years before Google branded it. And Google only just started selling its own Cardboard sets — it's put most of its efforts toward a set of best practices that manufacturers can follow to get an official "Works with Google Cardboard" stamp of approval. Not all low-end headset makers follow them, but the most easily available sets are Cardboard-compatible, which means they’re guaranteed to work well with similarly certified Android and iOS VR apps.

Cardboard-compatible headsets, some made of plastic or even aluminum, are easy to get. But they offer limited interactivity, most suited for watching 360-degree video. And they’re not meant to be used for long periods of time — among other things, Google’s standard forbids head straps. Cardboard boxes are unsurprisingly pretty uncomfortable, but even more ergonomic plastic versions like the Mattel View-Master are only fun to hold up for about five minutes at a time.

Up-front price Cheap

Especially if you go to tech-oriented conventions or live in a major city, you can probably find a Google Cardboard for free. A lot of companies partner with Google or other manufacturers to make branded headsets, like Verizon’s Star Wars Cardboard giveaway. You can also order some cardboard and plastic lenses, print a pattern from Google’s site, and make your own. Google recently started selling basic Cardboards for $15 apiece. Beyond that, Google’s site links to several Cardboard-compatible options from companies like Dodocase and Knox Labs. Customizations and special materials can drive up the price, but they're mostly in the $20 to $30 range, including models made of more durable plastic.

Google Cardboards can be made from plastic or even aluminum

Hidden costs Cheap

More than two-thirds of American adults own a smartphone, and that’s all you need to use Google Cardboard. This is good for anyone who doesn’t want to upgrade to a brand-new device. It’s also great for any iPhone users, even if Google tends to delay pushing new Cardboard features to the iOS version of apps like YouTube. Apple has mostly ignored virtual reality so far, so there’s no telling when the iPhone might get a high-quality mobile experience like that of a Gear VR. The downside is that especially if your phone is a couple of years old, there’s no guarantee it can handle Google Cardboard apps well. And you’ll generally get lower-quality, laggier performance than on the Gear VR or a high-end headset.

Space needs Cheap

While not all Google Cardboard-style headsets are easily portable, the most portable headsets are Google Cardboards. The basic Cardboard shape folds into a stackable box, and the smallest design is barely larger than a pair of eyeglasses. The best-known Cardboard experiences are live-action shorts that couldn’t use motion tracking even on a high-end headset, so the lack of it isn’t much of an issue. On the other hand, making a Cardboard-style headset more portable usually involves making it less comfortable, as well as significantly worse at shutting out the rest of the world. And even if you can take them anywhere, all headsets usually work best on a spinning chair.

Controllers Cheap

To be considered fully Cardboard-compatible, a headset needs to have exactly one input. That doesn't necessarily have to be a button; the simplest headsets on the market are just boxes and lenses with a hole for one finger or thumb, letting you tap the screen directly. The buttons on headsets that do have them are usually little levers that press the screen for you. What can you do with one button? Mostly select options on a menu, or perform simple and relatively slow actions in a video game. Some Cardboard apps do away with using it altogether — you can stare at a menu for a second or two to select it, or move your head to change direction in a video game.

If an app needs more than one button, it's not for Cardboard

Availability Cheap

The simplest VR headsets aren’t just the cheapest, they’re also the most widely available. Over a dozen Cardboard-compatible headsets are on sale through Google’s site, and others — like a more sophisticated version of the already excellent View-Master Cardboard design — are on their way. Literal cardboard headsets have a limited lifespan, but they’re easily replaceable.

Likewise, it’s easy to find apps for Cardboard, even if the range of experiences is limited. Vrse, Jaunt, Ryot, IM360, and other apps offer VR video, and there are a few individual apps worth checking out, like clever thought experiment Cardboard Crash and the Brickbreaker-esque game Proton Pulse. On Android, Google has even made its entire YouTube library viewable through Cardboard — 360-degree videos play in full virtual reality, and normal ones play on a VR simulacrum of a big-screen TV. And as Google pushes further into the space, more options could be available in the coming months.