As Oculus Rift is no longer supported by the company, you might be looking for alternatives. Oculus Rift was one of the best VR headsets. In this post, we will help you to find the best Oculus Rift alternatives.
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 has announced to end support for Oculus Rift. it is no longer available on the official website.
We have done a lot of research as there are many VR headsets available in the market. We came up with the 12 best Oculus Rift alternatives that will be a perfect fit for you.
So, without wasting time, let’s start with the Best Oculus Rift Alternatives.
Best Oculus Rift Alternatives
We know it’s difficult to find a replacement for something that has made its name in the market with its product quality. So, here we begin with the list of best Oculus Quest alternatives that can be seen as the replacement.
1. Oculus Quest 2
The Oculus Quest 2 is one of the best VR headsets available for both beginners and seasoned VR veterans alike. It is the upgraded VR headset of the Oculus company and the best Oculus Rift alternative. In fact, we’d go so far as to say it’s a must-have device if you’re looking for a top-tier VR system that doesn’t require the additional wires, huge expense, or added fuss of a PC-based VR setup, like the HTC Vive or now-discontinued Oculus Rift S.
Related: Oculus Quest 2 Vs Oculus Rift | Are Both The Same?
2. PlayStation VR
PlayStation VR (PSVR) is Sony’s virtual reality system. It requires a PlayStation console to work. The PSVR head unit shares a lot in common with PC-based VR systems like HTC Vive and Oculus Rift. However, it uses a PS4 console instead of a VR-capable computer. It is also a good alternative to Oculus Rift.
3. Avegant Glyph
Another one on the list of the best Oculus Rift Alternatives is Avegant Glyph.
The Glyph uses a totally different display technology. According to Avegant, there are no screens here: instead, it projects light off 2 million micromirrors in the headset, then directly into your retinas. That sounds terrifying, but the idea isn’t much different from DLP, a TV technology popular in the early days of HDTV that’s still used in projectors. But in this case, the projector’s going in your eyes.
This isn’t a virtual reality headset like Samsung Gear VR, although you might think it looks like one. It’s a head-mounted display with headphones that can plug into most video sources via HDMI. Head-mounted displays, or wear-on-your-head cinemas, go back years. We’ve reviewed a handful at CNET, such as the Sony HMZ-T1. They’re usually bad. The screens feel like compromises: small, dim, or uncomfortable.
4. Altergaze
Altergaze is a new virtual reality interface that uses your smartphone power to deliver a high-quality mobile VR experience. Apart from the lenses and screw, it is completely 3D printed, made to fit any smartphone, and very customizable. It can be used either as a handheld or headset device.
Altergaze aims to aid virtual reality in becoming mainstream by using 3D printing for crowd-manufacturing. If you are a 3D printer owner, be sure to check out Update 8 and take the survey regarding the process of becoming an Altergaze manufacturer.
Related: Watch YouTube VR On Oculus Rift | About The YouTube VR App
5. Durovis Dive
Take your mobile device and turn it into a Virtual Reality headset! Dive 5 is the original VR headset for mobile devices. It is a rugged nylon viewer for mobile devices featuring two adjustable lenses which project an image of the virtual scene into each eye. Using it, you experience a stereoscopic view that spans most of the visual field. Combined with Dive head-tracking software, this creates a fast and responsive VR experience using the gyroscope sensors of the device.
In addition, Dive 5 offers a magnetic switch for click input which is fully compatible with both Dive and Cardboard apps. Dive 6 Limited Developer Edition is the next iteration of our Dive line-up. It is the successor to Dive 5. This edition enables interested developers to start the development of phone-based positional tracking applications on Google Tango-based phones such as Lenovo Phab 2 Pro and ASUS Zenfone AR which are available on the market today.
6. Samsung Gear VR
Next on the list of the best Oculus Rift Alternatives is Samsung Gear VR.
A virtual reality headset accessory for Samsung smartphones. Introduced in 2014, the Gear VR has its own accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, and proximity sensors but derives its content directly from the phone (initially the Galaxy Note 4). Developed with Oculus VR from the company that makes the Oculus Rift headset, the Gear VR provides a 96-degree panoramic view for movies and games and includes focal adjustments for nearsighted and farsighted people. It connects to the smartphone via Micro USB.
Related: Oculus Rift Accessories | Virtual Reality Accessories That You Must Have
7. Freefly VR
The Freefly beyond is the perfect gift for those who love mobile gaming. With refined usability, the Freefly beyond makes virtual reality more interactive, more social, more immersive, and even easier to use, whilst the dual Crossfire™ triggers allow for high-end action-packed 3D gaming experiences. With the Freefly beyond you can play with friends in amazing virtual worlds no matter where you are, surrounded by awe-inspiring 3D visuals thanks to its crystal clear cinematic lenses.
8. Razer OSVR
Talking about the best Oculus Rift Alternatives and not mentioning Razer OSVR? Not possible!
Razer’s part of a larger partnership to try to wrangle all of virtual reality under one open-source roof: it’s called OSVR, or Open-Source Virtual Reality Consortium. The whole OSVR umbrella aims to support software plug-ins (Unity 3D, Unreal 4 Engine, and HeroEngine), input hardware (Sixsense and Leap Motion, among others), and other VR devices ranging from Oculus’ DK 2 hardware and the Totem headset from Vrvana.
The OSVR dev kit will have its own development software, but at CES there are other companies already exploring working with OSVR, including the gesture-controlled Nod Ring and Leap Motion. So far, OSVR supporters include Razer, Leap Motion, Nod Labs, SensoMotoric Instruments, Virtuix, YEI, Sixense, Bosch, Hillcrest Labs, Pebbles Interfaces, and a handful of software developers: Gearbox, Untold Games, and others.
Related: Oculus Quest 2 Vs Quest 1 | Is It Worth An Upgrade?
9. HTC Vive
First launched in 2016, the HTC Vive was one of the earliest premium VR headsets available to consumers. And, for a long time afterward, it was the king of consumer VR tech.
That’s because, for a good few years, it felt far ahead of many of its competitors and was easily one of the best VR headsets. This made it difficult to describe the experience of stepping into virtual reality to someone who hadn’t already tried VR themselves. Even those who had had a taste of VR back in 2016 were likely only experiencing it via the cheaper mobile VR hardware like the Gear VR, Google Daydream View, or Google Cardboard, which served as a great gateway into VR, but couldn’t be compared to what you’d experience with an HTC Vive strapped to your face.
Fast-forward to 2021 and a lot has changed. Now, there are multiple VR headset options you could buy right now, from the super high-end experience of the Valve Index (if you can find one) through to the best option for PlayStation lovers, the PSVR and the standalone, extremely convenient Oculus Quest and, more recently, the Oculus Quest 2.
10. StarVR
Next on the list of the best Oculus Rift Alternatives is StarVR.
The StarVR One is essentially what we imagine the future of VR would be if you took what Oculus and Valve started and simply made it better and better every year.
It turns out that the world is going in a different direction with devices like the Quest 2 and a greater focus on extended reality rather than pure virtual reality, nonetheless the StarVR One is an utter beast of a headset, boasting the sorts of specifications that are surely next-generation in a parallel universe where VR just kept going on its old track.
Related: Oculus Quest 2 Vs HTC Vive | Which One To Choose
11. Fove VR
Way back in 2016, long before the HTC Vive Pro Eye or Varjo, Japanese startup FOVE launched the first commercial eye-tracking headset. Since then the company (like many) has steered towards more commercial applications – especially in the medical industry – announcing today the launch of its v1.0 software update.
While eye-tracking hasn’t entered the consumer field, the technology has been making great strides when it comes to enterprise use cases, from foveated rendering to user analytics. In the medical realm, the technology can aid the diagnosis of eye conditions or dizziness for example.
There are three editions of the FOVE0 headset, split only by the installed software. For medical researchers, there’s the new FOVE Pro software upgrade, offering the ability to measure eye torsion as well as measuring the contours of the eye. A new system has been implemented to allow calibration of one eye at a time, ideal for those who work with patients with strabismus or amblyopia.
12. Sulon Q
The last oen on the list of the best Oculus Rift Alternatives is Sulon Q.
The Sulon is Bob’s Country Bunker of headsets: it does both kinds of digital reality, augmented and virtual. And it’s a cord-cutter, doing it all “tether-free” – no wires, no external controllers, no tracking systems. “Wear and play” is the phrase that the Sulon people like to bandy around. It basically means that the Sulon is an AMD-powered PC you wear on your head, one that even comes with Windows 10 pre-installed.
Related: Oculus Quest 2 Vs Valve Index | Which One Is The Best?
Wrapping UP
Here we end our post on Oculus Rift alternatives. These 12 VR headsets are the best available options in the market. You can choose anyone among them according to your budget. Some of them run on your smartphone as well.
Keep exploring our website to know more about VR headsets.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Is Oculus Rift Outdated?
In short, yes. The Rift line of headsets hasn’t been the main product focus for Oculus (and their parent company Facebook) for a good few months, given the announcement that Rift S stock was no longer going to be replenished back in April.
Q2. Is Vive Better Than Oculus Rift?
Both headsets are a few hundred dollars less expensive than they were when they launched. The Rift is $399, down from $599, while the Vive is $499, down from $799. Since both now feature motion controls and whole-room VR in the box, the Oculus Rift is the better value.
Q3. Is the Oculus Dead?
In light of the company’s rebrand from Facebook to Meta, incoming CTO Andrew Bosworth revealed that the Oculus brand will be retired, with products like Oculus Quest 2 to be renamed Meta Quest 2 from early 2022.
