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Virtual reality has been proclaimed the next big thing for decades now. I remember playing a rudimentary VR boxing game at an arcade was back in the early 1990s, where I would have to try and punch the polygons off a virtual enemy.
It was not great.
Fortunately for us, technology has rapidly evolved in the past three decades. Today’s virtual reality headsets are far better than those of yesteryear.
Today’s models offer far superior graphics, and immersive controllers that give you fine control over the virtual world.
The headsets themselves are lighter than before, with access to a wide range of games and apps to join the “metaverse”.
Whether you’re looking to pick up your first VR headset, or looking to upgrade an existing model, we’ve done the research to discover what the best VR headsets in Australia are right now.
We consolidated the recommendations of 10 of the top ranking sites in Google offering virtual reality headset recommendations and counted them up to determine that these five headsets are the best you can buy right now.
These are the best VR headsets in Australia right now:
Meta Quest 3
9/10 sites recommend
Back in 2014, global social giant Facebook bought the innovative virtual reality company Oculus for about US$2 billion.
That purchase has become the foundation of Facebook’s (now Meta’s) future strategy, with the brand focused on building products and platforms for the metaverse that take advantage of VR headsets.
This year, Meta launched the Meta Quest 3, and it wasted no time climbing to the top of this list.
Powered by the Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 processor, it offers better graphics, faster loading times and better performance than the Meta Quest 2.
With integrated stereo speakers, you get a 3D spatial audio experience, plus a huge 2064 x 2208 resolution for each eye, which is about 30% better than the Quest 2.
There’s no doubt that this is the best VR headset for most people on the market right now.
Meta Quest 2
8/10 sites recommend
The Meta Quest 2 may no longer be the top product in Meta’s lineup, but it’s still a great option for VR newcomers thanks to its ability to be used with or without a computer.
It uses the 6 Degrees Of Freedom (6DOF) tracking system, which tracks both your head and body position to translate your position into the virtual world without any external sensors.
With a resolution of 1832 x 1920 for each eye and able to work with glasses, the Meta Quest 2 is currently recommended by 10/10 of the sites we referenced for this guide.
PlayStation VR2
8/10 sites recommend
The latest console VR headset to launch in Australia, the PSVR2 is a virtual reality solution targeting the mass-market.
Connecting to a PlayStation 5 console, the PSVR2 uses dual OLED screens at 2000 x 2040 resolution to immerse you in its gaming worlds.
The headset and controllers use Sony’s six-axis tracking system, as well as IR cameras for tracking each eye.
The big sell here though is the simplicity, setting up doesn’t require a super-powerful PC and dedicated tracking hardware. You just connect it to your PS5 and go from there.
Valve Index
7/10 sites recommend
Having conquered the PC gaming store with Steam, Valve turned its sights to the VR headset space and launched the Valve Index in 2019.
Perhaps more exciting was the fact that in 2020 Valve bundled it with Half-Life: Alyx the first Half-Life game since 2007’s critically acclaimed Half-Life 2.
The Valve Index uses a 1440×1600 LCD for each eye, with off-ear headphones so you can be immersed in the world without losing your connection to this one.
You do need to tether it to your high-power gaming PC and will need tracking devices installed in your play area for it to work effectively. But the end result is worth it for passionate VR gamers.
Technically Valve doesn’t sell the Index in Australia, but it can easily be purchased through Amazon and EB Games, so we have included it in this list.
HP Reverb G2
7/10 sites recommend
HP partnered with both Valve and Microsoft to develop the Reverb G2 VR headset.
The G2 offers 2160 x 2160 resolution for each eye and off-ear spatial audio for a truly immersive experience.
The headset has four integrated cameras to track position and movement, and works with both Microsoft Mixed Reality and Steam VR platforms.
Setup is as simple as plugging the headset into your PC via both a DisplayPort and USB connection.
HTC Vive Pro 2
6/10 sites recommend
HTC was a pioneer of early Android smartphones, but these days it is perhaps better known for making VR headsets in Australia.
The Vive Pro 2 is a premium VR headset for the passionate gamer. The headset offers an impressive 2448 × 2448 pixels per eye, and is loaded with sensors to track your position.
Setup requires a couple of base stations to be mounted above your head height and a dedicated Link Box connecting your headset to your gaming computer, so it maynot be ideal for people without a lot of space to play.
But if you can fit it in and afford it, the results are sure to impress.
How we chose the best VR headsets in Australia
Review sites – including this one – are subjective by nature. Everybody has a different opinion of what is best.
So to try and counter the fact that every best guide on the internet has a different opinion of what is best, we approached our list by combining the results of some of the top sites recommending VR headsets on the market today.
To determine this list, we followed the same journey most consumers would follow: we went to Google.
We searched for “Best VR headset” and identified 10 of the top results. It’s important to note that Google results can change often. The full list of sites we referenced is outlined below:
We listed out all of the VR headsets listed on each site, tidying up any slight differences in spelling for consistency.
We calculated how often each product was mentioned across those 10 guides. The more frequently a product is mentioned, the more agreement there is between experts reviewing these products.
We set a minimum of five mentions across all 10 guides to be eligible for inclusion here.
Before we created this page we took some time to remove products that are either unavailable, or difficult to find in Australia.
We also leveraged our own experience with products to ensure that we wouldn’t be recommending any product that doesn’t deliver.
Full list of products considered for this guide
| Meta Quest 3 |
| PlayStation VR 2 |
| Meta Quest 2 |
| Valve Index |
| HP Reverb G2 |
| HTC Vive Pro 2 |
| Meta Quest Pro |
| PlayStation VR |
| HTC Vive XR Elite |
| HTC Vive Cosmos Elite |
| HTC SteamVR Base Station 2.0 |
What to look for when choosing the best VR headset
Whether you’re after one of the models listed above or something completely different, the decision factors you need to consider when buying a new VR headset are the same.
Tethered? Or standalone?
Virtual Reality headsets come in lots of different shapes and sizes, but most of them can be broken into one of two camps: Tethered or standalone.
As you might expect, tethered headsets require a cable to connect you to a PC or console to be able to work, while standalone models have enough grunt to run VR experiences without a dedicated computer.
The catch with standalone models is that the experience may not be quite as good.
Tracking
VR Headsets put you in a virtual world. In order for the experience to feel immersive, the headset needs to track your movement so it can mirror that in the virtual world.
There are two main ways that happens. Outside-in tracking use external devices or base stations to create a boundary that you play in. It’s typically more accurate and responsive, but requires a more detailed setup.
In some cases, you may need to wall mount the base stations around your room, which can be difficult and expensive to get right.
Inside-out tracking, meanwhile, uses cameras and other sensors on the headset itself to track your position. It may not be as accurate, but it can work extremely well and is much easier to setup.
The minimum requirements
Many VR headsets don’t just work on their own. They require external hardware like a gaming PC or console to work.
As you might expect, virtual reality can be quite intensive, so the minimum requirements should always be considered before buying a VR headset.
If you are running a Mac, or an older PC, your computer may not be up to the challenge of operating your VR headset. That means you will need to upgrade your PC.
Alternatively, some devices like the PSVR2 require you to have a PlayStation 5 to use it.
Make sure you know what you need before you get started.
Tech specs
Tech specs can be a little daunting, but for virtual reality headsets it’s worth looking at them to help you understand what the device can do.
In particular, this is useful when considering the graphical prowess of the headset.
Here are some of the features to look for.
Resolution per eye
Some headsets offer two dedicated LCD or OLED screens inside – one for each eye. You want to make sure that each has a reasonably high resolution.
If it doesn’t, using the device may look like you’re playing games looking through a flyscreen, as your eyes are close enough to make out the individual pixels.
Refresh rate
Refresh rate is important for VR gaming in particularly. A higher refresh rate makes motion seem smoother, which you will be thankful for if you tend to get motion sick.
Field of view
Sticking a VR headset on your head may transport you into another world, but there are limitations. A small field of view will mean you have black bars on the sides of your vision.
That said, a wider FOV can have a bigger impact on those who suffer from motion sickness.
Play location
Before you commit to battling zombie armies in your VR headset, you need to know you aren’t going to kill yourself by tripping and falling through a glass coffee table.
VR typically needs a fair amount of space to be setup properly. At a minimum, you should have a space measuring 2 metres x 2 metres.
If you don’t have enough space for that, enjoying VR is going to be hard.
Software
You know you want to play games on your VR headset. But some games are only available on some platforms.
Think about the games you want to play, and let that determine the headset you choose to buy.
Price
You can technically pick up “VR headsets” that cost a few bucks and let you use your smartphone to experience virtual reality.
Without fail, these experiences are disappointing. If you are going to do VR, you need to do it properly.
Then again, that can get expensive. Consider your budget and buy the right model based on what you can afford.
Update history
- 9 March 2023 – First Published
- 5 July 2023 – Update the number of recommendations for products.
- 24 November 2023 – Updated the number of recommendations for products. Added Meta Quest 3.
