The requirements for the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive are nearly identical, and if one VR headset works with a system, you can expect the other one to, as well.įor either headset, you need a PC with at least an Intel Core i5-4590 CPU and Nvidia GeForce GTX 970 or AMD Radeon R9 290 GPU. You need a pretty powerful computer to use either VR headset.

Winner: Tie (personal preference) System Requirements Both headsets also include built-in microphones for voice communication and commands. Which is the better option is a matter of taste, but I found the Rift's headphones to be easier to use the Vive's headphone jack adds another wire to worry about while using the headset, and actually getting a pair of headphones to sit comfortably on your head alongside the Vive can be difficult.

Headphones provide the sound for both the Rift and the Vive. The Rift has built-in on-ear headphones, while the Vive has a 3.5mm headphone jack for use with either the included earphones or your favorite pair of headphones. Video is almost always paired with audio, even though it's easy to forget that when most of the focus is an eyeball-saturating picture that virtually puts you somewhere else. And, frankly, both headsets offer identical video and motion-sensing performance. Both headsets have built-in motion sensors and work with external beacons/sensors to track head movement accurately. It's also where the Rift and the Vive are the most similar.īoth headsets display a 1,080-by-1,200-pixel picture for each eye with a 110-degree field of view and a 90Hz refresh rate. It's simply the most important part of virtual reality. VR depends on a head-mounted display that can fill your field of view with an image and accurately track every small movement you make while looking around.

The core of any VR system is the headset itself.

Oculus rift usb 2 vs usb 3