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In this article, we will look at the best enterprise virtual reality headsets you can buy in 2022. The virtual reality headset market has continuously grown, with many manufacturers entering the industry, improving on the old. Because of this, knowing which VR headset to buy is increasingly tricky compared to when it was a decision between the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift.
To make this easier, we have created an overview of the best virtual reality headsets you can buy in 2022 and why you would buy them.
We have further segmented the virtual reality headsets into three categories: PC VR, Standalone VR, and Smartphone VR, as these present vastly different use-case scenarios.
Tethered virtual reality is headsets connected to a computer to function. This means these headsets have a dedicated tracking zone from external sensors, increasing their tracking precession because of more tracking angles. Similarly, tethered PC VR can off-load processing to the computer, increasing use-cases. In other words, detailed 3D worlds can be rendered and complex interactions can be implemented. PC VR is ideal for Research & Development, Design, and stationary, complex training, and onboarding use-cases.
Standalone virtual reality is headsets that feature inside-out tracking. This means that tracking is within the headset; no designated tracking zone is needed. Similarly, standalone VR does not require being tethered to a computer to function, as all processing is within the headset. As a result, standalone VR provides freedom but is not as capable as PC VR. Lastly, standalone virtual reality is further categorized into 6 DoF and 3 DoF.
The reason is that 3 DoF, or Degrees-of-Freedom, refers to VR headsets where you need a joystick to move around the virtual world. Namely, referring to the user’s head tracking.
6 DoF features full head tracking but adds three transitional axes, enabling the wearer to move around.
Naturally, 6 DoF enables more use cases, whereas 3 DoF must be immovable VR experiences. We will clarify which headsets are 3 DoF and 6 DoF in this list.
Lastly, before we begin, we have Smartphone VR. This category is the most cost-efficient and user-friendly. The reason is that the virtual reality functionality is in your smartphone. Smartphone VR works by slotting a phone into a case with a lens. Then the phone’s embedded 3 DoF enables the wearer to experience virtual reality.
Well-respected Varjo, the leader within enterprise, extended reality, launched Varjo Aero, tapping into the prosumer market. Albeit still expensive, the headset is lower priced than Varjo’s other products and carries over features like foveated rendering, crisp resolution, and 200hz eye tracking. Namely, eye tracking is an essential feature, carrying numerous valuable use cases.
Read the full review: Varjo Aero Review
HTC was one of the earliest players within the virtual reality market, and the HTC VIVE Pro 2 shows that. The headset features one of the most immersive experiences with its impressive field of view. It is more expensive than, for example, HP Reverb G2, but is our choice because of its exceptional specifications and feature list.
With the dual 4K resolution display and an impressive horizontal FOV of 150°, the Pimax 8K X is ideal for use cases where visual detail is essential, like flight simulation or medical surgeries training and onboarding.
Speaking of HP Reverb G2. This virtual reality headset is the most affordable and best PC VR experience an enterprise can find. It features the freedom from inside-out tracking while still delivering room-scale tracking. It is our choice for the best foray into virtual reality if a substantial investment is not on the table and a focus on eye tracking is not needed.
The Pico Neo 3 Pro is our pick for interactive training, onboarding, and simulations. The headset is powered by the capable Snapdragon XR2 Platform from a partnership between Qualcomm and Pico, a compelling platform that will form an enterprise-ready VR ecosystem. And even if you need embedded eye tracking and foveated rendering, the Pico Neo 3 Pro Eye should be your choice.
The successor to the HTC Vive Focus Plus, the HTC Vive Focus 3 is ideal when portability and location-based VR is important. For example, education and interactive training are perfect use cases for this headset. The reasons are its wide field of view and 5K display paired with a commendable refresh rate.
The Oculus/Meta Quest 2, is the best-selling commercial VR headset for years, and you can begin to see why. The price-for-performance ratio is excellent due to Meta subsidizing its development cost. All in all, this headset is the best of both worlds: PC VR and Standalone VR.
See our ultimate accessory list for the Oculus Quest 2.
Our recommended virtual reality choice for video presentations at conferences or keynotes is the Pico G2 4K. Not only is the G2 4K affordable to be deployed at scale, with its 4K display means presentations are crisp and clear without a controller.
Similar to the Pico G2 4K, the DPVR P1 4K Ultra is excellent for conferences and keynote presentations. However, key areas make this headset more premium to justify its higher price tag. The processing capability of the P1 is higher than the G2 4K, and the battery life of the P1 can run for 4 hours, whereas the G2 4K only runs for 2.5 to 3 hours.
Provided you either have or acquire a Samsung smartphone, this Smartphone VR experience is the pricier of the two, but also the best. It comes with a controller and even innovative voice control. This solution is the best for the mass deployment of an easy VR experience. Use cases like pain distraction for children in hospitals.
If you need a quick and easy VR experience at events, Google Cardboard or a third-party, personally branded solution is what you are after. Here the quality of virtual reality is not a concern. Instead, the novelty of VR drives this choice. For example, we recommend showing 360-degree video through YouTube as the best experience.
Location-based VR HMDs are ‘show-and-tell’ headsets because they are ideal for conference stands, onboarding, and training. Such headsets must have inside-out tracking and ideally be standalone, with a competitive price point (for potential multiple-purchase), portability and versatile ergonomics, long battery life or fast charging, and kiosk mode for such headsets to be the best in this category.
| Pico Neo 3 Pro Eye | Pico G2 4K Enterprise | HTC Vive Focus Plus | Oculus Quest 2 | |
| Weight | 620 g with head strap | 490 g with head strap | 702 g with head strap | 503 g with head strap |
| Battery life | 3 hours | 3 hours | 3 hours | 3 hours |
| Charging | 2.5 hours | – | 2 hours | 2.5 hours |
Battery life in all five headsets is comparable to three hours. A minor difference is the HTC Vive Focus Plus takes two hours to fully charge versus the other headsets’ 2.5 hours charging time. With all headsets, it is possible to charge multiple batteries on a charging dock for convenience and multi-use of headsets.
The comfort and ergonomics of the Pico Neo 3 Pro Eye are well designed, with the battery housed in the back, distributing weight around the headset. However, the top strap design is limited in the customizability, and the front padding is on the harder side. This makes it tricky to find the right fit quickly.
The Oculus Quest 2 is front-heavy, leading some users to add weights to the back to balance its distribution. Although, the Quest 2 is in the middle tier compared to the other headsets regarding weight. In general, getting the right fit with the Quest 2 can take time and in some instances, be uncomfortable. However, a structured headband as an accessory for an optional fit is possible.
Pico G2 4K Enterprise is balanced well with plenty of cushions to counteract the weight points on the user’s head. However, the complications are that there is no IPD dial with the fitting system being hard to customize as the top strap is firm in place.
HTC Vive Focus is designed to fit 95% of head types and the weight distribution is also improved by the battery being located in the back, making it ideal for a conference setting. However, the headset is difficult for glasses users to find a fit. A complication in an onboarding or conference/showcase setting.
Despite its shortcomings of unbalanced weight distribution, Oculus Quest 2 is the best fit. The reason is that in a conference setting and during onboarding sessions, long-hour virtual reality use is not common. For this reason, is the speed and ease of finding the optimum fit most important. It is especially the case if the headset is accompanied by its structured headband accessory.
| Pico Neo 3 Pro Eye | Pico G2 4K Enterprise | HTC Vive Focus Plus | Oculus Quest 2 | |
| Resolution | 1832×1920 per-eye | 1920×2160 per-eye | 1440×1600 per-eye | 1832×1920 per-eye |
| Refresh rate | 90 Hz | 75 Hz | 75 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Field of View | 98° diagonal | 101° diagonal | 110° diagonal | 89° diagonal |
Comparing these standalone inside-out virtual reality headsets becomes closer when discussing their displays.
To achieve display immersion in the content shown, you need three qualities: a high resolution and refresh rate and a wide field of view to encompass the wearer.
The best headset for its pricing is the Pico G2 4K Enterprise, with a whopping 1920×2160 per-eye resolution and a relatively wide field of view of 101 degrees. However, the G2 4K Enterprise struggle with a lower refresh rate, making the content seem less smooth and can lead to visual strain and discomfort. In which case, the Quest 2 is the best alternative all-rounder for its cost.
But if the content shown is not a hectic video game, but either light interaction or video content, then Pico G2 4K Enterprise is recommended for its immersive display features.
| Pico Neo 3 Pro Eye | Pico G2 4K Enterprise | HTC Vive Focus Plus | Oculus Quest 2 | |
| Degrees of Freedom (DoF) | 6 DoF from 4 integrated cameras | 3 DoF Non-positional | 6 DoF | 6 DoF from 4 integrated cameras |
| Eye tracking | Yes | No | No | No |
| Hand tracking | With accessory | No | Yes | Yes |
| Controller | 2 controllers with 6 DoF and haptics | 1 controller with 3 DoF | 2 controllers with 6 DoF and haptics | 2 controllers with 6 DoF, haptics, and partial finger and thumb tracking |
Pico Neo 3 Pro Eye has a significant lead compared to the other headsets: integrated eye-tracking. A feature that improves the interaction and control within the virtual world for the wearer, but it also enables biometric data aggregation for the enterprise to improve and evaluate.
Combining the embedded eye-tracking with hand-tracking from an accessory and a solid six degrees of freedom head tracking and controllers makes the Pico Neo 3 Pro Eye the optimal choice for location-based VR when it comes to tracking.
All four headsets can be switched to kiosk mode. The mode limits the wearer in accessing certain content and functionalities, a crucial functionality in location-based virtual reality.
And because Oculus Quest 2 requires a Facebook account to access the headset, it is not considered ideal as this limits its usability. Alternatively, HTC Vive Focus Plus, Pico Neo 3 Pro Eye, and Pico G2 4K Enterprise do not require a Facebook account.
Additionally, because of versatility in content, the Pico G2 4K Enterprise edges out ahead due to its compatibility with HTC’s Viveport store and Pico’s own digital platform.
| Winner | |
| Comfort and battery life | Oculus Quest 2 |
| Display | Pico G2 4K Enterprise |
| Controls and tracking | Pico Neo 3 Pro Eye |
| Kiosk mode and content | Pico G2 4K Enterprise |
Because the comfort and battery life are comparable between the headsets, the choice between Pico G2 4K Enterprise and Pico Neo 3 Pro Eye comes down to if eye-tracking is needed and if you need more than one VR headset.
The reason is that the G2 4K Enterprise is €375,- excl. VAT, where the Neo 3 Pro Eye is €749,- excl. VAT. So if you need to show video content during a keynote presentation, the G2 4K would be best. Whereas if you need to onboard and train personnel, Neo 3 Pro Eye is the choice, simply because of its integrated eye-tracking feature.
What we ultimately would recommend is one Neo 3 Pro Eye for such purposes in optimizing processes through the data from eye-tracking, and a few G2 4K Enterprise headsets for volume during conference stand showcases and other similar location-based use cases.
| Varjo VR-3 | Pimax 8K X | HTC Vive Pro 2 | |
| Resolution | 2880×2720 per-eye | 3840 x 2160 per eye | 2160×2160 per-eye |
| Field of View | 115° horizontal
90° vertical |
159° horizontal
103° vertical |
116° horizontal
96° vertical 113° diagonal |
|
Refresh Rate |
90Hz | 90Hz | 120Hz |
| Lens glare | Minimal | Average | Average |
| Lens Technology | aspheric | Fresnel | Dual-element Fresnel |
Perceived visual fidelity is pivotal in stationary R&D efforts. It minimizes mistakes from lack of detail or lens glare impeding the view, increasing the developmental and design usability of the headset.
As is seen in the specification breakdown between Varjo VR-3, Pimax 8K X, and HTC Vive Pro 2, the raw specs show that Pimax 8K X comes out on top.
Comparing perceived visual fidelity, Varjo VR-3 scores significantly higher. Both visual clarity and details are higher in VR-3 compared to the two other headsets, and the lens flares are nearly non-existent. It is due to Varjo’s choice of the aspheric lens as opposed to the standard fresnel type. The aspheric lens doesn’t have concentric rings impeding visual peripheral quality and a lens flare effect. However, the aspheric lens does come with more distortion. Essentially, moving around geometric shapes in the virtual environment will result in the warping of objects, something that Fresnel doesn’t have.
TL: Fresnel lens, TR: Aspheric lens
The only area where immersion can rival the Varjo VR-3 is the Pimaxx 8KX’s wider field of view.
| Varjo VR-3 | Pimax 8K X | HTC Vive Pro 2 | |
| Tracking Type | 6 DoF Marker – Outside-In
Can also be Inside-Out, LiDAR-based tracking |
6 DoF, Marker – Outside-In | 6 DoF Marker – Outside-In |
| Tracking Frequency | 1000 Hz | 1000 Hz | 1000 Hz |
| Eye Tracking | Yes | No | No |
| Hand Tracking | Yes | Available through accessory | No |
| Controllers | Two 6-DoF and haptic controllers, with thumb and finger tracking | No | Two 6-DoF and haptic controllers, with partial thumb and finger tracking |
Standard 6 degrees of freedom tracking for all three headsets are comparable and excellent. Where the headsets differ are in HP Reverb G2 inside-out tracking, removing the need for external tracking stations around a designated area. Although, the Varjo VR-3 also has an inside-out tracking feature from an integrated LiDAR sensor.
Namely, both Pimax 8K X and Varjo VR-3 have a professional tracking frequency of 1000Hz, translating to exceedingly smooth and accurate tracking.
Again, the best developer virtual reality headset due to its embedded hand- and eye-tracking is Varjo VR-3. The reason is that biometric eye-tracking improves overall interaction and navigation in the virtual world, while also opening possibilities for biometric data aggregation.
Excellent ergonomics translates to long-hour use, something crucial in a development-focused virtual reality headset.
Coming in as the heaviest headset with 944 grams, Varjo VR-3 is the hardest to wear for hours on end. And its strap-knob design, while ingenious to fine-tune comfort, makes it so the straps aren’t detachable, and therefore glasses users will have a hard time taking the headset on.
Oppositely, HTC Vive Pro 2 features a lower weight and improved ergonomics than its predecessor Vive Pro and contains a better overall weight distribution. Although, it still feels encapsulating during many hours of use.
©PocketLint: https://bit.ly/3sJZBGk
Similarly, due to Pimax 8K X’s wide field of view, it has a significantly broader headset profile. This makes it feel clunky on the head as the weight distribution does an admirable job of spreading the weight around, but it is still quite front-heavy on one’s nose.
For these reasons, HTC Vive Pro 2 is believed to be the most ergonomic and comfortable to wear for extended hours.
All three offerings have access to the SteamVR platform for content and software compatibility. Where Pimax Vision 8K X has access to Oculus Home, and HTC Vive Pro 2 Viveport. It enables the devices to run and become optimized for apps, video games, and entertainment content. Additionally, the Pimax Vision 8K X is compatible with HTC Vive controllers.
Nevertheless, Varjo VR-3 is directly positioned for enterprises and is backed by the productivity platform, Varjo Reality Cloud(TM). An enterprise-focused virtual and extended enterprise platform that enables team members across the organization to collaborate within virtual space. It naturally grounds the reason why Varjo VR-3, again, takes the lead.
| Winner | |
| Display | Varjo VR-3 |
| Tracking | Varjo VR-3 |
| Ergonomics and comfort | HTC Vive Pro 2 |
| Extra features | Varjo VR-3 |
Varjo VR-3 is the leading virtual reality headset within stationary design and development. Despite its technical lower resolution, the headset’s lens greatly diminishes lens flares and improves the perceived visual fidelity. It has built-in eye-tracking improving control and interaction while enabling biometric data aggregation. To top it off, Varjo’s supporting virtual collaboration platform Varjo Reality Cloud aids productivity and design within virtual reality. The one significant factor to consider is the cost. Varjo VR-3 is double that of Pimax Vision 8K X and over double that of HTC Vive Pro 3 with controllers and base stations, plus an additional yearly subscription of €795.
As this article focuses on virtual reality proper, Varjo VR-3 is the best choice for stationery design and development. But it is worth mentioning the transformative effects when combining virtual and augmented reality within design and development. In which case, Varjo’s XR-3 is the overall best choice. The headset comes with VR-3’s leading resolution of 70 pixels per degree but with novel video-passthrough enabling mixed reality functionalities. However, again, the pricing of €7.490,- excl. VAT and a minimum yearly subscription of €1495 come at this revolutionary XR cost.
To witness the power of extended reality design and development, see this case study from the leading Japanese car design company Phiaro of how they are utilizing Varjo’s VR and XR lineup.
The best stationery virtual reality headset for design and development uses is the Varjo VR-3 due to its excellent virtual collaboration platform Varjo Reality Cloud, integrated eye-tracking, and perceived superior display fidelity due to the aspheric lens technology. Similarly, the leading Varjo ecosystem of enterprise reality devices enables enterprises to transform how design, collaboration, and development perform.
Likewise, our choice for location-based VR, such as conference stands, onboarding, and training, is split between Pico Neo Pro 3 Eye and Pico G2 4K Enterprise as it depends on the need for integrated eye-tracking. Essentially, if you need to show content for a large crowd, we recommend the G2 4K due to its high resolution. Whereas, if you need VR for training and onboarding, our pick is Neo 3 Pro Eye solely due to the immense insight and evaluative value that eye-tracking brings.
