4 Affordable Virtual Reality Headsets For Beginners

At least some form of virtual reality has been around for quite a long time, but it was often extremely cost-prohibitive. There are still expensive VR setups, to be sure, with Apple's $3,499 Vision Pro coming early in 2024, but some people simply don't want to spend that kind of money on a mostly unknown product. We're not talking about Apple's product specifically, mind you; a majority of people simply have never experimented with VR and aren't ready to plunk down hundreds or thousands of dollars for something they're not even sure they want.

Fortunately, as the technology has evolved, companies have devised ways to make a simple headset much cheaper. As many are surely aware, Google came out with a cardboard headset called Google Cardboard (appropriately) that you could cut out and assemble yourself and just use your smartphone as the viewer. While extremely popular, especially in the months after it was unveiled at only $10, it simply wasn't as much of an immersive experience as you could get with higher-priced headsets.

If you're a beginner to VR and just want to get an idea of what's on offer without breaking the bank, many mid-range headsets are much more affordable, but still give you a great experience. While they're not as high-tech as the top-tier rigs, they might be just the thing to get you excited for VR so that maybe one day you'll feel good about making a bigger investment.

If you're looking to get in on the ground floor of VR you can start with a cardboard headset that was made to mimic Google Cardboard. The Topmaxions 3D VR Virtual Reality headset is a dead ringer for the now discontinued Google Cardboard and it'll give you roughly the same experience. For under 10 dollars, you'll be able to view VR videos and experiences from YouTube and your smartphone's app store. It offers a place to slide your smartphone in, then secures your phone in place with a Velcro strap. It also has a strap to secure it to your head.

There is a ton of VR content to be found around the web, but the reality is a cardboard headset is not going to be very comfortable on your face for extended periods. You're also not going to be able to play any games (there are no controllers or external sensors to track your movements) and you'll be limited to viewing 360 content. In other words, you get what you pay for. Still, if you just want a taste of what a virtual reality experience might be like, this is an extremely affordable option.

For a step up from cardboard headsets, several more durable plastic headsets also use your phone as the viewer. Amazon lists several headsets that fit this description, but one that stands out on this lower rung of VR headsets is made by a company named Tsanglight. The Tsanglight VR Headset has padding in the strap and for the areas around your eyes, and a nice design to distribute the weight of it on your head. It also has headphones for 360-degree sound, which makes it much more immersive than cheaper options. You're going to need to pay a little more, but at just under $65 it's a much better setup than what you'll get with cardboard.

This headset also has a controller, but you'll have to pay extra. If you buy the headset and controller it will be just under $80. The remote is not necessary for people who are only interested in watching movies and other VR experiences rather than controlling them.

If you're looking for a headset to try out the best VR games, this is not the headset you want. Still, for experiencing things like skydiving, scuba diving, and other VR videos, this is an affordable option with some useful features.

The Meta Quest 2 goes well beyond the headsets that just offer the visuals of virtual reality letting you play games and interact with the entire experience. What's unique about the Meta Quest 2 is that it is a self-contained rig that doesn't require your computer, your gaming console, or your phone. It offers a huge library of games to play and, if you do have a PC you can connect to, you can get thousands of hours of VR experiences online.

The Meta Quest 2, which is normally $299 is now just $250 with the price being lowered because the Meta Quest 3 was just released. But don't be fooled; while the Meta Quest 3 improves on just about everything, the Meta Quest 2 is still a very solid virtual reality headset in its own right. It is perfect for both beginning and advanced users and lets you experience all that virtual reality has to offer. In other words, if you can afford the $250 price tag, this is the headset to get if you want the full experience.

The PlayStation VR 2 rig is another great option for the full virtual reality experience and while it's a bit more expensive, it's still not in the top-tier of headsets that can be $1,000 or more. Even so, you'll need to already have a PlayStation to use it and that would cost much more if you had to buy both. If you've already got one, the PlayStation VR 2 will run you around $550 so it's not prohibitively expensive as far as VR headsets go.

What's great about PS VR2 is that it's obviously backed by an enormous gaming console company. That means you'll get the latest games and top-tier titles all from the PlayStation store, which is easily accessible and it's likely you already have an account there. It's got built-in eye-tracking sensors, two hand-held controllers with haptic feedback, and 4K OLED screens that offer a 120Hz refresh rate. One drawback is you're kind of stuck in the PlayStation universe and won't be able to access all the PC VR content and games. Still, If you have a PlayStation already, it's a great option with better specs than VR headsets that are much more expensive.