There has been buzz about virtual reality for years, but 2016 is the year the medium goes mainstream. If you've been living in a cave lately, VR is an immersive experience in which your head movements are tracked in a 3D environment.
This means you can transport yourself into 360° environments and look around as you please...
...and it takes gaming to a whole new level of immersion.
While there isn't an abundance of VR content available yet, there's enough to get started, and plenty more and better content is certainly on the way. So if you're ready to dive in to the virtual playground, and wondering where to get started, look no further. Here are 6 VR headsets to suit any budget - and all are available on Baopals.
From ￥7,240.40
What differentiates HTC Vive is the freedom to roam around a room. HTC Vive uses IR sensors mounted on walls to map your location in the physical space, integrating this into the virtual space. You'll also need a big enough play space to make the most of it, or go all-out with a VR treadmill. Whether you're climbing Everest or fighting your way through a haunted house, you'll be blown away by the HTC Vive.
￥7,356.95
First launched as a Kickstarter project and then acquired by Facebook, Oculus Rift is one of the most exciting VR systems you'll find. The headset is loaded with sensors, offering a display for each eye and integrated headphones. It comes with a camera for additional movement detection and currently ships with an Xbox One controller - the awesome-looking Oculus Touch controllers don't have an official release date yet, but are expected near the end of 2016 and will ship with around 30 new games.
￥594.95
The Oculus-powered Gear VR 3 is the most popular mid-range VR headset, and for good reason. You're getting software optimization, a decent touch-control system on the side of the headset, and a lot of attention to detail, including a dedicated app store. The downside, of course, is you'll need one of Samsung's Galaxy phones to use it.
￥848
Since the core technology of a phone-powered VR headsets is essentially lenses - Optics specialist Zeiss entered the foray with its own virtual reality headset. The advantage of the VR One is compatibility - converting an iPhone or Android device into an immersive 3D experience. You'll just need the appropriate-sized tray to slide your phone into the headset. With a 100° field of view, detachable straps, and room for eye glasses worn within, the VR One provides a quality and comfortable virtual experience.
CHEAP VR HEADSETS
￥46.82
Popping a smartphone into a cardboard container and then strapping it to your head may sound like a joke, but Google Cardboard works surprisingly well for how cheap it is, and has us excited for Google's upcoming more advanced VR set, Daydream.
￥68.90
The VR Box is one of the top-selling VR headsets to come out of China. It's similar to Google Cardboard, but plenty more comfortable, since, well, it isn't made of cardboard. The optical adjuster on top allows you to move each lens forward, backward, left and right allowing you to get optimal focus. There aren't controls on the headset itself, so it ships with a small hand controller.
It won't be too long before virtual reality is a part of daily life. VR is still in its infancy, so there's no harm in waiting for the new headsets and content that are sure to come before the year is out. But if you're an early adopter wanting a piece of this super-cool tech, the options above are solid.
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