Each VR headset comes with its own capabilities. Because of that, not all games are suited to every VR headset. I did not say that all games are not playable. They are playable but here is the talk of immersive, smooth, brighter, or clearer.
Because of the fast-paced movement in sim racing games, you need a VR headset that can handle every aspect of racing.
After long practical racing gameplay on different VR headsets, we are finally able to share with you some best VR headsets for racing. These are Samsung HMD Odessey plus, Oculus Quest 2, HP Reverb G2, Oculus Rift S, and HTC VIVE Pro.
Best VR Headsets For Sim Racing
Meta Quest 2: Standalone VR Headset
Oculus Quest 2 is widely regarded as a very good VR headset for its price, and performance. It is also the best VR headset for game development. But a lot of people have skepticism about it when it comes to sim racing.
Is it worth sim racing? Or should you buy this headset for racing games? Let’s discuss it through a real experience.
The build quality
There is no doubt that the build quality of Oculus Quest is top-notch. It is sustainable, very light, and overall a standalone device.
Physics wise it is definitely perfect for a racing game. You do not have to think about dizziness as it has less weight.
Internal Performance
Screen door effect: Oculus is always ahead of its productivity than any other VR headset. It has a better screen door effect and resolution compared to Oculus Rift S.
The resolution is 1832 by 1920 which is 50% larger than the original one.
Camera and controller tracking performance: The tracking ability is incredible in both headset and its controller itself. Oculus never disappoints you in that field. They have used a super fast processor inside the headset.
So, you can be fully confident to get a seamless tracking experience. I also got such an experience during my VR racing gameplay.
I love the 3D positional audio. It gave me a real and amazing engine sound feel.
Headband comforts: The headband feels so comfortable. It is not heavy like Samsung Odessey plus or HP Reverb. You will get more comfortable like there is nothing on the head.
This part gives you extra playtime with ease for sure.
Field of view: You may be disappointed with the field of view in Oculus Quest 2. The field of view is just 89 degrees which are pretty poor compared to HP Reverb G2 and Samsung Odessey.
As you know that FoV plays a vital role to enhance your VR fun level. FoV offers you to see the maximum things around you.
The negative
Meta Quest 2 has less screen door effect. They have cut down the screen resolution to avoid the bulkiness of the headset. That’s not a good sign for fast-paced games, especially sim racing games.
Battery life does not stand longer because of the 1 lithium battery cell.
Another downside for me was it increases the temperature inside the headset. Because of that there will be seen fog in the lens.
Although it has some downsides, in terms of performance, it is the best VR headset for PC racing games.
HTC VIVE Pro Virtual System: STEAM VR 2.0 TRACKING
Screen door effect: Compared to other headsets like Oculus Rift S, and Play Station, I want to keep it ahead in terms of screen door effects. It is as good as VALVE INDEX. This is a great choice for sim enthusiasts like me.
Field of View: HTC VIVE Pro has spectacular FoV. it has a 110-degree viewing angle which is a big upgrade from the original one. The resolution of both screens is 2880 by 1600 which is 1080 by 1200 per eye screen. Combining these two is alright to me for sim racing.
The thing that surprised me while racing titles like Dirt Rally 2 and iRacing is its AMOLED display. It gave me so crisper and more immersive racing views. I did not find any frame drops during the gaming session.
The comfort of Headband: the headband of this headset is pretty much comfortable. It seemed very well balanced to me. There is so much padding in the head strap. I love padding. But who sweat a lot during gaming, it is not for them. Because the facial foam makes you sweat a lot.
Tracking ability: I found fantastic tracking capability over the headset and its controller. The tracking sensor works great as the Oculus.
Need for improvement
The audio system remains pretty much the same as the first one. But still on average to me. It should have offered a 3D audio feature.
I have a complaint about the price. It is a little bit heavy. When I am in the game, I felt dizzy sometimes. So keep in mind that before buying this one.
Samsung HMD Odessey Plus: Windows Mixed Reality Headset
The Samsung HMD Odessey Plus is a remarkable VR headset for sim racing games. Because of its standard resolution of 2880 by 1600 with 60 and 90 HZ refresh rates which are perfect for VR racing. That part makes this VR headset better than the Oculus Quest/ Rift, VIVE for racing games.
Why should you consider it for sim racing?
The positive
Screen Door Effects: The screen door effect is pretty much higher and good. For that reason, you will get clearer, and brighter sim racing performance in general. Even I can say that it is better than the Meta Quest 2 in the field of racing.
Field of View: The AMOLED display has 110 degree of viewing angle. No doubt that It is truly great and perfect for sim racing games in this part.
Comfort: The hand band is more comfortable, easier to put on and adjust, and gives me an immersive racing experience. To be honest, I got not a single fog in the lens during my test.
In addition, it does not increase the temperature inside the VR headset. I believe that this is the greatest advantage of this headset.
You don’t even get any distractions from outside.
Audio sound: I love the AKG 360-degree audio sound system in this VR headset. It was able to provide a solid 3D sound. You can adjust the volume easily at your will which is right on the mask. No need to struggle with this for sure.
It has a better judgment of speed and distance too.
The Negative
It is 40% heavier than Oculus Quest or Rift S. during the test I got the frame rate is a little bit slow. So motion sickness may occur.
Although the setup process is very easy, its application could be tough to install for starters. Not only that but also it is difficult to navigate without the hand controller.
It would be a deal breaker or not there is no Bluetooth system for the hand controller. Again the tracking system of the controller seemed not good to me. But the headset tracker works fine.
HP Reverb G2: Compatible with SteamVR & Windows Mixed Reality
In the virtual reality world, HP Reverb has been doing a great job by producing some excellent VR headsets. The Reverb G2 is the perfect example of this.
The reason I stand G2 in the second position is its higher resolution and field of view than Oculus.
Most sim racing gamers claim that the Reverb G2 is better than the Oculus Quest 2 in the racing field. I tend to agree with that argument in terms of resolution, screen door effect, and FoV. But except for the fast-paced game, it is a little bit far behind Meta Quest 2 and Rift S.
Is it the best VR headset for sim racing games and better than Oculus?
To get the exact result, we have to find out the major specs that are responsible for good racing games. Let’s discuss it.
The build quality
It has to accept that the build quality is truly eye-catching and HP made it in a different way. I really love how HP finishes its design. It looks pretty sturdy and sustainable. Overall you will get a comfortable finish with the head straps.
Screen Door Effect: This is the best part of this VR headset. G2 has absolutely perfect screen door effect. It is as twice much as Oculus Quest and the original VIVE.
The resolution of this VR headset is 2160 by 2160 per eye which is outstanding for sim racing. Not only that, it has 2.9 inches LCD panel for each screen whereas Oculus Rift has only 1 inch.
So, you don’t need to think twice about clearer views. It gives you a sharper view experience than ever. You can even see anything within the headset.
Color production is a little bit more natural and the sweet spot is so much better.
Field Of View: One of the best parts of this headset is its FoV feature. You will be surprised that it has a 114-degree viewing angle. This is insane. Thanks to HP for that.
On the other hand, the IPD setting is too much easier to adjust. HP used a mechanical switch to adjust the IPD. You can see the mechanical switch at the bottom of the headset.
Tracking Performance: The headset camera tracking experience is just incredible. I love it truly and it gave me an amazing experience.
But the controller tracking is opposite to the headset. Controller tracking seemed cheap and flimsy.
The good thing about this VR headset is It does not need base stations for exact tracking.
You do not need to open any special account for g2 as it is a windows mixed reality.
Oculus Rift S: PC-Powered VR Gaming Headset
Rift S is one of the significant and best VR headsets for video games. It is also very effective in the field of sim racing.
Screen door effect: the Oculus Rift S has enough to take visual graphics load. During the test, we got a satisfactory result of it. But compared to Oculus Quest 2, it is a little bit behind. Still, it is one of the best options for racing games.
The images like Cars and dashboards on this VR headset were clear, crisp, bright, and enjoyable.
Field of View: The best thing I love in Rift S is the field of view. It has 115 degrees viewing angle which is outstanding for this budget. You can enjoy the largest scenario with this headset. The wider your FoV, the more fun level.
In addition, you are going to get 1280 by 1440 resolution for each eye. I believe this is enough resolution for immersion in the simulator racing games. But it has a lower refresh rate at 80HZ.
Comfortability: Comfort is another main ingredient for gamers and long-session gaming. Oculus Rift S has that ingredient. Very comfortable to put on the headband.
It feels so weightless. Compared to Samsung Odessey plus and HP Revert G2, it is the winner in terms of comfort. Not only that, you can easily adjust the head strap with the dial pad.
Tracking Performance: Oculus tracking system is always great for both the headset and controller. But because of the lower refresh rate, you may have motion sickness. I mean you will not get motion tracking precisely.
The audio: Rift S has a built-in audio system that felt fantastic and clearer. You don’t even need to use external headphones. Every car’s engine sound felt so real. If you want to use external headphones, there is an option for that.
What to consider for a VR headset for sim racing games?
Virtual Reality is a new technology. It is hard to define as this has been made by combining different technologies together like motion cameras, tracking systems, etc.
It is not our work to go into details about a VR headset or how they made it with. The important things are what main rigs need to be in the headset for sim racing.
Successful Fast-paced racing gameplay mostly depends on clarity, high resolution, graphics (SDE), and Field of View of a VR headset. Along with these, you need to focus on some other aspects. Such as-
- Resolution
- Screen Door Effects (SDE)
- Field Of View (FoV)
- Comfort
- Positioning Tracking
- Audio Quality
Considering these 5 characteristics, we have ranked all the VR headsets below.
Note: We focused on FoV, SDE, and Resolution more here.
Summary
Everybody has the same total immersion gaming aspiration but no affordability. We have ranked the VR headset for racing from 1 to 5. That does not mean that the number 2 or 5 is not good.
Each VR headset is fantastic in its quality. Just you have to sacrifice one or another goodness. It could be price or quality. Think about it before you buy the best one.