Thinking about expanding beyond the limits of traditional video games on your console or PC? Virtual reality headsets are finally moving into the mainstream, thanks to falling prices as well as an increased availability of games & apps. Check out some of our favorite VR headsets available during the holiday season.

Be aware that sale son these devices typically pop up during Black Friday sales. In addition, some companies will bundle packages of games together with discounts up to 50 percent off.

Best Wire-Free Experience: Oculus Quest 2

Hands down, the Oculus Quest 2 is one of the best VR experiences to introduce new users to the entertainment value of virtual reality games. Available in two storage size options (128GB and 256GB), the Quest 2 is an all-in-one virtual reality headset that doesn’t require PC connectivity. It comes with two touch controllers (powered by AA batteries), a spacer in case you have glasses and offers 1,832 by 1,920 resolution (per eye).

Battery life is a bit short, at 2.5 hours. However, an hour of playtime is probably the average length of time before the headset gets to heavy to wear. There are a number of accessories you can add to your Quest 2 to make it more comfortable to wear, in addition to extending the battery life by several hours.

During Black Friday 2020, a couple of the Oculus headsets were discounted between $20 to $50 and a few discounted game bundles hit the Oculus store. Look for similar discounts this year.

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Best VR for Console Gamers: PlayStation VR

Ideal for anyone that already owns a PS4 or PS5, the PSVR system has a large catalog of games and one of the highest refresh rates at 120 Hz. Downsides include one of the lowest resolution headsets on this list, 960 by 1,080 resolution (per eye) and a limited userbase for multiplayer games.

Games can be somewhat expensive, but sales occur significantly more often than games on the Oculus store. Some players have mentioned issues with motion controller tracking and issues sealing out light.

On the flip side, this is one of the least expensive VR headsets and often comes bundled with games. During Black Friday 2020, many bundles were discounted as low as $199. In addition, Sony is offering 3 free VR games with a PlayStation Plus subscription.

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Best VR for PC Gamers: Valve Index

While tethered to a PC, the Valve Index offers one of the best visual experiences due to a 120Hz refresh rate (and a 144Hz experimental mode). The Valve Index also offers some of the most comfortable to wear headsets and is compatible with some lower-tier graphics cards.

The Rift S offers 1,440 by 1,600 resolution (per eye) as well as 37.5mm off-ear speakers. Look for sales on the Valve Index  around Black Friday, but it will still be expensive compared to an Oculus headset.

It’s also the only headset with access to Half-Life Alex, one of the most impressive VR games on any platform.

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Best Headphones for VR: Logitech G333 VR Gaming Earphones

If you are looking for a good set of earbuds for your VR headset, the Logitech G333 are ideal for a few reasons. The short cable length keeps the cable away from your arms when swinging the controllers. It also comes with three options for silicone tips and and and aluminum housing.

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2021 Gift Guide: Best VR Gear for Escaping into Virtual Reality

If you have been interested in the standalone Oculus Quest headset, Oculus just announced a new model of the popular VR system which will be sold for $100 less than the previous model on the October 13 release date.

The 64GB Oculus Quest 2 is priced at $299 and the 256GB version is priced at $399. By comparison, the first generation headset was $399 for the 64GB model and the 128GB model was $499. Effectively, you can 4x your storage size at the same price of a 1st gen 64GB model.

Other upgrades include a jump from 4GB to 6GB of internal RAM and a faster Snapdragon processor. The Quest 2 comes with a higher resolution LCD display (1832 x 1920 per eye) versus the original OLED display (1600 x 1440 pixels per eye). The new screen is capable of a higher refresh rate (90Hz versus 72Hz), but the LCD may have less contrast / deep blacks than the previous OLED technology offers.

One downgrade is a shift from the manual IPD lens slider to a slider that only has 3 positions. Battery life hasn’t changed much, offering just 2 to 3 hours of play before having to recharge the headset. Battery life in the controllers has improved though. Oculus claims that the AA battery in each controller will last 4 times longer as the previous generation.

If you are upgrading from the original Quest, all your games and software will transfer over to the new VR headset. Keep in mind that a Facebook login is now required to use the Quest headsets, a new requirement that Oculus implemented this year.

In addition to the announcement of the Quest 2, Oculus also announced that the company will be discontinuing the PC-driven Rift lineup of VR headsets since the Quest 2 will be able to connect to a PC via USB-C cable to take advantage of higher resolution, complex games. Sales of the Rift S will be halted during Spring 2021 and consumers will have to look to HTC and Valve for PC-specific innovations in VR headsets.

Price Drop: Oculus Quest 2 debuts at $299, $100 cheaper than previous gen

So you just got an Oculus Quest and you are working through the campaign in Beat Saber, right? Unfortunately, that headset starts to feel really heavy after 30 minutes to an hour of playtime. This is specifically due to wire free design, putting all the electronics in the front of the headset causing a front-heavy feeling when wearing it.

If that bothers you, the good news is there are tons of after-market products to make wearing the Quest significantly more comfortable. Here’s a round-up of our top seven favorite products to ramp up the comfort on your Oculus Quest.

Studioform Creative Deluxe Strap

This strap goes over the top of the Oculus Quest headset and transfers the weight load off your cheeks / around the eyes. The weight load is pushed back, shifting it to the lower back of your head as well as the top of your forehead. The material is soft and the strap is well made.

The Deluxe Strap sells for about $20 on sale. It also ships from New Zealand, so be prepared for a bit of a wait on shipping. If that’s too steep or you want faster shipping, there are a couple options on Amazon. You can also DIY a solution with a sock like this user did on Reddit -> LINK

Check out Studioform Creative Deluxe Strap

VR Face Silicone Cover & Face Pad

If you want a more comfortable feel on your cheeks and around the eyes, check out this replacement for the stock foam that clips into the headset. The VR Face face pad offers more cushion than the stock headset as well as a material that’s sweat-proof, ideal for playing high intensity games like Beat Saber.

The black version usually sells for around $16, but you can find color options in red and blue on Amazon as well as versions that include silicone covers for your Oculus controllers (if those are slipping out of your hand). If you are looking for more expansive options, check out the VR Cover option at $29.

Check out VR Face Silicone Cover

VR Cover Head Strap Foam Pad

If you find the main head strap (that wraps around your head) uncomfortable, VR Cover offers foam padding that wraps around the head strap. Available in 10mm and 17mm foam padding options, the foam relieves pressure and provides a more snug fit; ideal when moving around quite a bit. You can find it for $19 usually at VR Cover.

Check out VR Cover Head Strap

Magnetic Prescription Lens Adapter

If you are a glasses wearer, fitting your glasses into the Quest can often be uncomfortable and usually a tight fit. You also run the risk of scratching the lenses inside the quest with your glasses. Instead, just take off your glasses and use these prescription lens adapters. You can find the adapters under $30 on Etsy.  (If you want to stick with your glasses, check out these lens protectors.

Check out the Prescription Lens Adapter

VRNRGY Power Pack

Another way to pull the weight off the front of your face is to provide a balanced counterweight on the back of the headstrap. While there’s a good option from Studioform Creative that lets you adjust the weight load, check out the VRNRGY Power Pack.

The 7,000 mAh batteries in the Power Pack provide either six hours of gaming time or eight hours of video streaming time. That’s a significant improvement over the 2 to 2.5 hours of battery life provided by the internal batteries in the Quest.

The Power Pack is currently back-ordered & only ships to the U.S. for the time being, but can be found on sale for $35. Alternatively, you can rig up a portable battery on the back of the Quest for similar charging (like the Anker PowerCore 5000).

Check out the VR Power Pack 2

Mamut Touch Controller Grips

If you want more a more comfortable grip when holding the Quest controller, check out the Mamut Touch controller grips. This replaces the wrist straps on the stock controllers with a new design. Mamut provides a strap that wraps around the back of your hand and keeps the controllers attached.

This product could be ideal for anyone that frequently drops the controllers or lets the controllers slip out of their hands when playing intense VR games. The Mamut Touch Grips typically sell for about $38. If you want cheaper options (without the back of the hand strap), check out these options on Amazon.

Check out the Mamut Touch Controller Grips

HTC Vive “FrankenQuest” Mod

If you want to step up the audio quality of your Quest as well as comfort, consider replacing the entire head strap on the Quest with the HTC Vive Deluxe Audio Strap. This modification is detailed here on Reddit. In addition to the $99 HTC rig, you will also need to purchase some Velcro strips and D-rings to fit everything in place.

Check out the HTC Vive Deluxe Audio Strap

Make your Oculus Quest more comfortable to wear with these 7 products

For all the people that are depressed they have to do their online shopping on a boring ole website, Walmart is looking into creating a virtual reality Walmart in which customers can presumably wander and shop.

According to the patents, the customer would put on VR goggles and gloves before entering the virtual reality program. They would enter a three dimensional simulation of a Walmart store and be able to wander the aisles looking for something to buy.

When they found something they wanted, the customer would “grab” the item and the order would be placed. After the credit card on file was charged, the order would be fulfilled by an automated distribution center and sent to the customer’s address.

Of course, a customer would have to have all this VR gear at their home as well as a computer strong enough to handle the tech. It also sounds significantly more time consuming than finding what you want on Walmart’s website and making a purchase.

There’s no information in the patent regarding multi-person capability of this VR Walmart world. It’s possible multiple people could shop the same VR Walmart instance or employees of Walmart could pop up in the virtual space to answer questions. (Someone should probably register peopleofVRWalmart.com right away)

These patents are likely a response to Amazon exploring a similar virtual storefront. Both companies often file patents that simply don’t go anywhere. For instance, Amazon filed a patent for giant floating warehouses in the sky and Walmart filed a patent for a drone that flies to your location in a Walmart store to answer questions.

Walmart eyes virtual reality online shopping in two new patents