Sony PlayStation VR

While the motion tracking trails its PC VR counterparts, Sony's PlayStation VR otherwise crams a solid and satisfying virtual reality experience into an existing PS4 game console.

PlayStation VR is an affordable introduction to quality VR. Many of the experiences aren't as crisp as the ones found on the Oculus Rift or HTC Vive, but, for a system that uses a PS4 instead of an expensive PC gaming rig, we're not complaining. Plus, a recent price reduction makes it even more appealing.

Graphics-intensive, device-tethered virtual reality has been chugging along for a solid year, but it's still a fairly expensive novelty with few must-have experiences on any system. That said, the PlayStation VR offers the best balance of price, power, and features we've seen in the category yet. At $700 including a PS4, its total cost of entry is significantly less than the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive ($1,500 to $2,000 each, including the necessary VR-ready PC). It also packs far more graphical power than any of the phone-based VR headsets like the Samsung Gear VR. We're still not sold on VR as a necessary investment for every gamer, but so far the PS VR is the best value of the big names out there, and our Editors' Choice.

Overall, what’s great about PlayStation VR is that it fits into a popular, user-friendly system. But that also sets certain expectations that other headsets don’t have. Oculus and HTC can ask people to set up precisely calibrated personal holodecks without a second thought, because PC gaming is already a somewhat solitary activity that goes hand-in-hand with ridiculous hardware setups. PlayStation VR’s natural habitat is an all-purpose entertainment space that you might share with any number of people, including ones who couldn’t care less about VR. Like the PlayStation itself, PSVR feels best as something you can kick back and enjoy without rearranging your living room into a VR cave.

The battle for VR supremacy just got a lot more interesting. The $399 Sony PlayStation VR is an easy entry to gamers intrigued by virtual reality, but not wealthy enough to shell out $1,000 or more. For your money, you're getting a headset that's comfortable enough to wear for long periods of time and pretty easy to set up.