Oculus Rift

Upon release, the Oculus Rift felt like a game-changer. One of the first VR headsets to prove that VR could be a highly immersive and enjoyable experience – one that even people with the right PC set-up could experience at home.

The Oculus Rift comfortably produces an immersive, crisp virtual reality experience that will continue to improve with the development of new software, which has been steadily coming out on both the Oculus store and SteamVR. Now that the Rift costs two-thirds of its original $600 price and includes the Oculus Touch controllers and second external sensor that enables whole-room VR, it earns our Editors' Choice for PC-based VR headsets.

As with any first-gen product, there are a few flaws with the Oculus Rift. The imaging technology still isn't perfect, and it requires a significant amount of powerful gaming hardware. The price is understandable, given that it's leading us into an entirely new form of computing. But it's also hard to champion the Rift completely when few people can afford it. It's the very definition of elite technology. Hopefully in a few years, when the hardware gets cheaper, VR will have something for everyone. Right now, though, the important thing is that it actually exists.

Oculus has made some strides since 2018, with the phone-friendly Oculus Go and the stand-alone Oculus Quest headset—but neither of them require a PC to use. High-end, PC-based VR was being replaced. At least, that's what I thought. I was mistaken.

The original Oculus Rift review was divided into five sections: The Eyes, The Hands, The Room, The Doors, The Future. For the most part, these corresponded to the different parts of what make up a VR experience. The visuals (displays), hand interfaces, room tracking, software and then a conclusion looking at what comes next.