2016 is looking like it could be a big year for Virtual Reality as the technology becomes ever more accessible. The Google Cardboard frame which allowed users to turn their smart phone into a VR headset was a fun and affordable toy, however the VR revolution is beginning in earnest next year. We have gathered five of the top VR headsets, set for release in 2016.

Oculus Rift VR Headset with Oculus Touch hand controllers

Scheduled for release in the first quarter of 2016, the Oculus Rift headset is the eagerly anticipated VR headset from Facebook-owned Oculus VR LLC. This headset also pairs with Oculus Touch, hand controllers which allow for gesture recognition, finger pose recognition, hand presence and haptic sensations. However the Rift headset requires a powerful computer system to support its system which could raise the total cost significantly.

Price: £240          

 

Sony Playstation VR (Formerly Project Morpheus)

This fittingly named headset is primarily a gaming tool, however the creators cryptically promise that its capabilities will extend beyond that. Due to be released in the first half of 2016, Sony has already announced a number of Playstation VR games, including 100-Foot Robot Golf and Eagle Flight. This headset requires the PS4 to work, and as such is more an accessory than a stand-alone device.

Price: Around £300

 

Microsoft HoloLens

Hopefully available sometime in 2016, even a vague release date has not been forthcoming for this headset. The Microsoft HoloLens fuses virtual and augmented reality, allowing users to place virtual items into the real world viewed  through their headsets. Suitable for gaming, streaming, designing and video calling, this headset also allows you to hear the holograms even when they’re behind you. However the headset’s graphics have been criticised for making all the virtual content appear in a box and superimposed on the background, rather than attached to it.

Price: Expected to be around £2000

 

HTC Vive

HTC recently announced that the Vive headset would be going on sale in April 2016. The HTC Vive is focused both on high-end gaming and videos.  Questions have been raised about whether Vive will actually have a significant software library available by the time of the lunch. This is due to the limited timeframe between shipping the Vive to developers, and making it available to purchase.

Price: Around £500

 

 

AVEGANT Glyph Beta

These headsets are far more discreet than any of the others featured here. Designed to look like chunky headphones, these VR headsets reportedly offer a crisper image than the Oculus Rift (considered to be the benchmark for VR headsets.) The headset can also produce 3D without needing special glasses; it simply projects the image onto your retinas, which is apparently less unpleasant than it sounds. The headset works for playing games, however is best suited to watching video, due to its small (45°) field of view.

Price: £400