Amazon's Spring Deal Days are upon us, and in the UK they've brought discounts to both of the biggest VR headsets going. With both proving to be formidable devices for gaming, either one will serve you well. Yes, Apple Vision Pro's undetermined UK launch is pending, but gamers are better served with one of these two, I reckon. Still, I think certain buyers could be shooting themselves in the foot if they pick the wrong one.
While straight out of the gate, the Meta Quest 3 seems the more popular and versatile of the two, I don't think it's the best VR headset for everyone. PSVR 2 has a better set of features, at least in my opinion, and since we now know that PC support is being worked on, that versatility battle might not be so clear-cut in months to come.
Then we come to value. Down from £529.99 to £507 at Amazon in the UK right now, PSVR 2 is a tempting prospect. It has briefly dipped below that in the past, but this is the most common UK deal price we've seen it drop to, and it's a worthwhile price to pull the trigger on.
Meanwhile, both sizes of the Meta Quest 3 are on offer. Since it's cheaper, I'll highlight the 128GB model, which is down from £479.99 to £459.99 in Amazon's Spring Sale.
So, with either option, you're getting a circa £20 discount, which might not seem like much. When VR headsets are costing this much and are still pretty new though, every little helps.
Amazon Spring Sale at a glance
- VR: Meta and HTC from £199.99
- Headsets: save on EPOS, Astro, and more
- Keyboards: Logitech decks from £36.09
- Laptops: MSI, Lenovo, and more from £629
- Mice: Logi, HyperX, and Razer under £30
- Racing wheels: Thrustmaster up to 15% off
- Asus ROG Ally: save £50 on Extreme model
- PS5: save £70 - record low price
- Switch: up to £35 off OLED model
- Xbox: controllers now £36.99
Which VR headset should you buy?
In my opinion, the right VR headset for you comes down to two things. Firstly, your current gaming setup, ie, your platform of choice. Secondly, what do you plan to use a VR headset for?
If you already own a PS5 and you play all your games within that ecosystem, it makes sense that you buy a PSVR 2. While it does need to be tethered to the PS5 (or a gaming PC soon) to function, you'll reap the most benefits, and probably the most use out of that device. Along with some properly stellar features for gaming, PSVR 2 has a truly epic cinematic mode, which lets you use the headset to play flatscreen games and watch 2D content in pseudo-VR. This can come in particularly handy if you live with someone else who needs to use the TV - just another reason why the PlayStation Portal is pointless.
PSVR 2 has a growing library of games which, by no means, is comparable to the size of the Quest library, but still has some high-quality titles. If you only plan to use a VR headset for gaming, getting a PSVR 2 and playing on PS5 will mean you get to add to your existing Trophy collection too.
If, on the other hand, you use an Xbox, Nintendo Switch, or one of the best gaming handhelds, a Meta Quest 3 will likely be for you. Since the Quest 3 is a standalone device, you don't need to harness the power of another platform to use it, and you can take it on the go.
Besides an expansive gaming library, the Quest 3 has some really cool mixed-reality features and a slew of other uses. If you plan to delve into the Metaverse or use a VR headset for anything more than gaming, you'll benefit the most from the Quest 3.
Then, there's a third subset of buyers. If you play games on a powerful gaming PC, and you're looking for a visor to play the occasional VR game, this one is really up to you. With PC support coming to PSVR 2, I'd be inclined to say it's worth waiting around to see what form that takes. I think PSVR 2 has a better display, and better controllers, and provides the most value of any VR headset on the market right now. Still, we don't know how reliable it'll be on PC, and we don't know if features like haptic feedback and foveated rendering will be exclusive to the PS5's software.
Staying in this reality for now? Take a look at the best gaming laptops, the best gaming TVs, and the best PC controllers.
