HTC VIVE Cosmos Elite

Overall, the HTC Vive Cosmos Elite is a good choice for those in search of a reliable virtual reality experience. If you can get past a few little issues, like game selection problems and the cable for the headset, there’s a lot to love about this device. For affordable, high-definition virtual reality, the HTC Vive Cosmos Elite checks a lot of boxes.

Should you buy the HTC Vive Cosmos Elite? It's a tricky one to recommend for the money, but ultimately comes down to what your expectations are. The launch price of $899 doesn't match up comfortably with the first-generation controllers and base stations—even if they do work fine. The headset itself is good, and there's a lot of attention to the user experience here as far as setup is concerned. Still, for only $100 more, you can get the Valve Index, and that still has the edge for now.

Of the two HTC Vive Cosmos headsets currently available, the Cosmos Elite is the far better of the two. Even though it uses the original Vive’s controllers and lighthouse base stations, it feels more precise in its tracking and therefore more practical use for most games and apps. That being said, at $899, it’s a lot of money to spend upfront and, because it still uses old hardware, it doesn’t feel quite as modern or robust as the industry-leading Valve Index.

If you’re coming into VR completely fresh and you want a powerful, PC-based headset that will run any VR game at good settings and you have the space, it’s very easy to recommend the Vive Cosmos Elite. No other headset has its build quality and comfort and if you can get past the space required to use it to its full potential, it’s an excellent headset. The controllers can sometimes be a bit of a pain to sync and we found them losing battery a bit faster than we’d hoped, but they’re ideal for the types of gaming experiences you’ll have in VR. However, it’s an expensive piece of tech, and that’s not including the PC you’ll need to accompany it.

If you are looking for a high-end VR experience, the HTC Vive Cosmos Elite fits that bill. This headset provides one of the most interactive and immersive virtual reality experiences we have seen to date, all while being very convenient and easy to operate — once you have completed the initial installation process. It also can be a little uncomfortable for marathon gaming sessions but, all in all, we think it's compelling high-end headset. Its price is high, though, and it's worth considering other models in this price range before jumping into the Vive Cosmos Elite.