Sony PlayStation VR vs HTC Vive: Battle of VR Gears; Which Gaming VR Headset is Better? Specs, Features and Price Compared
The future of technology really is upon us. With virtual reality being all the new hype, it did not take long for tech companies to follow suit. This time, we take a closer look at the HTC Vive and the PlayStation VR.
Design and Comfort
When it comes to designing devices, both Sony and HTC are known to deliver only the most premium devices to their customers. This goes the same with the PlayStation VR and the HTC Vive headgears. Both devices give off a futuristic look to anyone who dons them. However, the PlayStation VR's sleeker design gives it an edge in this category.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Comfort-wise, it looks like Sony has learned from HTC's shortcomings. Instead of the weight being burdened on the users' cheeks and nose, some of the device's chunks are relegated above the actual goggles. This design distributes weight much more efficiently.
Display
The Sony PlayStation VR packs a single 5.7-inch display with a 1920 x 1080 resolution. It features the OLED technology with RGB subpixels and a 120 Hertz refresh rate. The display is split into two, delivering a 960 x 1080 picture quality to each of the user's eye.
The HTC Vive, meanwhile, offers two OLED displays outright, giving off a total 2160 x 1200 screen resolution. This is then coupled with a 90 Hertz refresh rate, which is a whopping 233 million pixels per second. This is actually the minimum spec for a normal vision.
Game Controls
For the tracking, the Sony PlayStation Camera tracks nine LED sensors that are present around the headset. This is done a thousand times per second and can track even the back of the user's head. There are also the DualShock 4 controllers for the PlayStation VR whenever the need arises.
The HTC Vive then uses Valve's Lighthouse tech in head tracking. It is also utilized for the hand movements around a 15 x 15 feet space. There are 70 sensors between the Vive headset and the two wireless controllers.
Price
The PlayStation VR, launching on October 13, will be retailing for $399. There are options for the standalone headset, or a bundle coming with the PlayStation Eye camera and Move controllers. There would also be a game disc with demos included in the package. There is also an option to bundle the headgear with the recently released PlayStation 4 Pro.
The HTC Vive, however, costs a heftier $799. The $300 price difference against the PlayStation VR seems a lot, but it may sound justified considering that the default package already includes the Lighthouse base stations, two controllers, several ear buds, and a few games.
