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Simple question for the community... what's the best value in VR today? Phone/VR headset combo? Or something like the Vive or Rift? What has the most bang for the buck in terms of getting setup and running quick with SOLID VR?
I'd have to lean towards the Gear VR but I don't want to influence anyone.... lol
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For SURE phone headset combo. It's the best mid range option. Depending on your phone choice will determine which way you should go. Samsung fan, samsung phone then obviously you get the GearVR. Now not just any Samsung phone will do it HAS to be a flagship, Note, SG, and the later models only! You DO have a nice selection, and if you are looking to save a few dollars you can get S6 or Note 5, rather than an S8.
Another good option is the Google Daydream View, it supports a few phones too, and a GOOD inexpensive model is the Axon 7. Other phones are the Pixel line, Moto Z line, Huawei Mate 9 Pro & Porsche, and the Asus Zen Phone AR (coming soon). App and game availability is better with the GearVR, BUT has vastly improved with the Daydream View in recent weeks!
So yes phone/headset combo is my recommendation!
I think I go for the Phone+Headset combo, but only if it's High end like GearVR or Daydream, so far adding the Nolo VR you can use it in the computer with Room Scale and Steam compatibility, that's a lot cheaper and with a lot of features, being smartphone is one the ViVE or the Rift won't have ever, Also is kind of cheaper, a PC able to handle VR starts in prices of $500 and the headsets are usually over $400 while the Moto Z + Daydream + Nolo VR should be around $700.
But if money is not a problem and because we can aim to the stars when we are dreaming, PC + ViVE/Rift, the PC with two powerful Graphics Cards (1080ti or something).
Value is a tough one, but I'd probably say PlayStation VR right now.
A Galaxy S8 ($849 unlocked in the US) with a Gear VR + Controller ($120 in the US) is $969 before tax.
A PlayStation 4 ($249 in the US) with a full PSVR bundle ($529) is $778 before tax.
While it's true you get a lot of things that are not VR by having a phone as nice as the Galaxy S8, the same can basically be said for a PlayStation 4 as a home entertainment and video streaming system. It's really a matter of what you want out of the other things you do when not in VR. When in VR, the PSVR experience is clearly better.
You can buy a PS4, PSVR, and a new Moto G5 Plus for roughly the same price as a new Gear VR setup today. Also, you'd have a pretty badass all around setup.
I'll second Russell's PSVR mention. High-quality, comfortable HMD, lots of games; only thing I find lacking are the Move controllers.
I'm gonna disagree with Russell and Cale. As much as they'd be right if you bought everything outright, most people in the US don't buy their phones outright. We get them subsidized. As such, it's only at most $100 down upfront, with the rest on essentially a payment plan. Plus there's the fact that you can have warranty plus insurance on it, which means for almost nothing, instant replacement if it breaks.
A lot of people don't buy the ESP plans at Best Buy or extended warranties at other places for consoles, so it costs more to get a replacement if needed.
Depending on their willingness to 1) buy outright or 2) use a high interest store credit card, the phone option wins out in immediate value. Granted, it costs more in the long run due to the way the carriers break up the payments, but it's very cheap up front.
Now, if you mean which one *provides* more value, rather than which one costs the least, I'd say it'd be a toss-up between the Rift and the Vive: the one has AAA titles and the other has the best roomscale.
Also a cell phone is almost a necessity but a gaming system is not AND a cell phone IS a mini gaming system these days. I think the phone VR combo is the better value. I of course would go Google Daydream and you can do that on the cheap too with an Axon 7!
Yeah you can't go with a much cheaper option than S8 with the GearVR too, the S7 has already fallen in price a bit and I'm sure it will continue to. Even the S6 would work just fine although you're going to want a cooler so the price difference might not be worth it at this point.
The problem with this question lies in what ones goal is with VR really. If you are looking for an immersive and interactive gaming experience its between the Rift, the Vive, and the PSVR. Of which then you get into what sort of gaming hardware do you already have? If you are talking a complete VR system then the PSVR/PS4 Pro will be cheaper than anything in the PC realm unless of course you just need a new video card then it gets harder to suss out especially with some of the bundles and discounts floating around lately.
Phone VR is good if you want to watch media and see what this VR thing is about (an important point) and some light gaming (though this expands daily I still think you get better gaming experiences on the other front) and a lot cheaper. People already have a smart phone. So you just need a google cardboard thing which can be had at next to nothing now days and away they go. Of course improved experiences with more expensive phones and headsets.
I would say the best general VR lies with the Phone/VR combo. if you are looking at just raw cost of entry.
A Gaming System is a necessity too!
LOL
Well I think it's like the algorithm I always share here, it depends of several factor, for mortals like most of us it's simple the Phone+HDM, but for those without money problems, a Powerful Laptop + HMD could be the option to go, a computer is these days a necessity too, so if you all about gaming or maybe another task that will have the benefits of having a gaming-like specs that can be the option, but that for me mean selling like one of my lungs and one of my kidneys, because who needs two anyways!