The Best VR Headsets of 2021

The XR (extended reality) scene began to gain tracking between 2020 and 2021. This is more true in the VR (Virtual Reality) sector than in any other. With immersive technology finding commercial success, companies – big and small – have scrambled to corner the VR hardware market with their headset brands.

2021 is probably the year in which the newest VR headsets found their way onto the market. Everyone from tech heavyweights like Hewlett Packard (HP,) to newcomers like Lynx are all hard at work, trying to stake a claim to a unique corner of the market.

Here, Bizznerd takes a look at the best that 2021 had to offer, in terms of VR headsets. We did not just go for the highest sales, which would speak – mostly – to popularity, but we looked at functionality as well. Without any further chit-chat, here are the best VR headsets of 2021.

5 Valve Index

The Valve Index is a class-leading piece of VR equipment, with its 2880 x 1600 at 120 Hz AMOLED display and individual finger tracking. Its sole letdown is its price, too restrictive for most consumers. Valve’s display system gives the Quest 2 and Vive Pro a decent run for their money, with a superior refresh rate of 120Hz as a standard feature. The 144Hz upgrade is still an experimental feature though. In addition to that, it offers an impressive 130° field of vision, which completely trumps competitors. The Valve Index would be higher up the list – at the top position – except, it’s the price (one could buy three Quest 2’s for its price) which makes it out of reach for the average consumer. More of an aspirational device for many.

4 HTC Vive Cosmos

The HTC Vive Cosmos has quite a lot going for it as a VR headset. With crisply accurate hand tracking, it fits comfortably and has the bonus of a conveniently modular design. The gripes that one might have with the device is that it is a tethered Head Mounted Display system, requiring connection to a PC. It also has a lower screen resolution than it should, for the price it fetches. The modular design seems to be the best selling point if you ask us. It offers the convenience of customizing one’s device with upgrades that they believe would be most beneficial to their immersive experience.

3 HP Reverb G2

On paper, this is a phenomenal headset. A 4K display system, at a lower price point than most competitors. The device also boasts a 114° Field of View in its 4320 x 2160 pixel, per eye, lenses. The only way this bad boy doesn’t trump the Quest 2 is its refresh rate, which equal’s Meta’s top-selling Quest 2 HMD system, at 90Hz. What lets this device down is the most sites tracking system, rather limited without – additional cost causing – base stations.

2 HTC Vive Pro 2

Then we have our runner-up, the HTC Vive Pro 2. This beast boasts a 4896 x 2448 display system, delivering a refresh rate of 120Hz. The LCD-based visual delivery system offers a 120° FoV, which is just awesome. The downside, however, is that this device – though it offers incredibly accurate hand tracking – requires a headset and tracking devices, which include a pair of controllers, and a pair of satellites. Which will set one back a cool 1,300 dollars. The headset alone will cost $799.

1 Meta Quest 2

Taking number one is the Meta – formerly Oculus – Quest 2, which stole the show in 2021. The 1832 x 1920 (per eye) display offers a 90 Hz (upgraded to 120HZ display, and a 100° FoV). Technically, it has drives that knock its abilities into the ground, but Quest 2 delivered the most consumer-friendly devices of the lot. Offering a competitive piece of VR technology, at a very consumer-centric price, the device became the go-to headset for consumers, new and old, to VR.