It’s the new frontier, and we’re not talking about AI. We’re talking about another two-letter abbreviation, XR (Extended Reality). Putting a headset on our heads and seeing a whole new reality right before our eyes is something that humanity has been dreaming about for decades. Well, the future is now! Here’s a list of some of the best XR headsets that are currently on the market.
This is a list of the most impressive headsets that are available to buy today. It will include both goggles and glasses, so you’ll have your pick between both. Since this market is still developing, you’re likely to run into some rather high prices. Be that as it may, there are some affordable models that you can choose from.
Also, this list will be updated from time to time. So, if you don’t see any items here that pique your interest, don’t worry. There’s always the chance that you’ll find something that you like on your next visit. So, let’s dive in!
HTC Vive XR Elite
HTC decided several years back to carve out its niche in the burgeoning VR space with its Vive series of headsets. Since then, the Taiwanese tech giant has delivered several devices that take the form factor to new heights. We’ve seen HTC headsets designed for gaming, standard computing, business, and even fitness. The former smartphone juggernaut could very well lead this new frontier.
Among its offerings, HTC has the Vive XR Elite. Coming in at $899, this is a headset that’s designed to seamlessly transition between VR and AR. This way, you can use it for a plethora of different scenarios. Do you want to game on it? Well, you have a large library of games. Maybe you want to use it to help develop your own VR apps. Well, you can use it for that too. Artists will have fun drawing in open space. The possibilities are endless.
You’re dealing with some great hardware with the Vive XR Elite. It creates a screen with a resolution of 1920 x 3840 and up to 110° field of view. You’ll have a decently smooth 90Hz refresh rate as well. This means that you’ll have some crisp visuals that will make everything look great. Whether you’re watching content on the screen, gaming, making art, or doing business, you’ll see everything in great detail.
This headset is built for comfort. There’s a layer of padding that makes contact with your face to ensure that the headset isn’t putting any pressure on your head. There’s also padding on the back strap of the headset that does the same.
You can expect up to two hours of continuous battery power. If you need to keep the action going, there are swappable batteries that you can change out.
Meta Quest 3s
It should come as no shock that a Meta XR headset is on this list. The company has pretty much cornered the XR headset market. If not that, it at least created headsets that occupy the most space in the public mindset. The company offers its flagship Meta Quest 3, but what if you don’t quite have the money to spend on that model? Well, how about the $299 Meta Quest 3s? This is the more affordable model, but don’t think that you’re getting a cheap XR experience.
For literally the price of a mid-range Android phone, you’re getting a media and entertainment experience like no other. The Meta Quest 3s is designed for fun, so you know that you’ll have access to a ton of games on the store. You’ll be able to play classics like Beat Saber and other VR hits. Also, you can play the new Batman Arkham Shadow. It has a powerful enough processor to handle all of the best games on the VR market. It actually has twice the graphical processing power as the Meta Quest 2.
Just like more expensive headsets, the Meta Quest 3s lets you blend VR and AR seamlessly. You can escape into a completely virtual world or see a live feed of your environment using the onboard cameras. This allows you to do whatever you want without being completely cut off from the real world.
This is useful if you want to perform actions in the real world, but what if you want to see content projected over it? Say, you want to do chores. Well, you can pin a floating video window over something in your environment and watch it while you’re doing the chores. That’s just one of the many uses.
This is a standalone headset, so you won’t need to bother with any cords to keep you tethered. With the built-in battery, you can expect a few hours of fun before needing to charge it. With all of the fun you can have with the Meta Quest 3s, you know that it’s worth every cent and much more. If you want to double the 128GB storage, then you can shell out $399 for 256GB of storage. This means that you’ll be able to store many more games and apps on your device.
Meta Quest 3
“I think the Quest is the better product period.” These were the words that Mark Zuckerberg uttered in a video responding to the Apple Vision Pro. Honestly, Meta’s flagship Quest XR headset has the chops to back up that claim. This is why Meta has pretty much placed the XR headset market in its pocket. At the time of writing this, the company is now working on the next headset, but we can’t forget about the current reigning champ.
Coming with a set of high-quality cameras on the outside, this headset can properly represent your real-life environment. This means that, when you turn on the video passthrough mode, it will feel just like the headset disappears. The headset can smoothly move between virtual reality and augmented reality. So, you can go from gaming to doing tasks in the real world.
Speaking of gaming, the Meta Quest 3 comes with a powerful processor, which means that you’ll be able to play all of the best VR and AR games on the market. You’ll be able to run games like I Am Cat, The Thrill of the Fight 2, Among Us VR, and more. They’re all fun, and they’ll all run perfectly smoothly.
This is the case for the operating system as a whole. Navigating between apps, using said apps, doing business, and everything will be smooth. You won’t have to worry about any sort of lag or slowdown while using the headset.
Not only will everything run smoothly, but everything will look amazing. The Meta Quest 3 can produce a screen with a 2064 x 2208 screen for each eye. This creates a crisp 4K screen that you can enjoy. So, you’ll be able to watch all sorts of HD content. It’ll be like having a theater right in your living room.
VITURE One XR/AR Glasses
Having a dedicated pair of XR goggles is great for fully immersing yourself in the VR world. However, what if you want something a bit more lightweight? This is why there are a fair number of XR glasses out there. While they’re not quite as immersive, glasses are much more inconspicuous. You’re more likely to use them in public. Also, they’re much more lightweight than goggles.
Here’s a great pair of XR glasses that you can buy if you want to have a nice XR experience. The VITURE One XR/AR Glasses are some of the most natural-looking XR glasses. You’ll be able to put them on and go out in public. All tech-filled glasses will look much thicker than regular glasses, and these are no exception. However, the VITURE One XR/AR Glasses are rather slim compared to other glasses.
They can produce a 120-inch display right before your eyes. So, if you want to watch some movies or TV shows, you won’t have to take out your phone. You’ll be able to watch whatever you want privately when you’re out in public. Imagine taking a large screen out with you wherever you go. The resolution isn’t as impressive as many other XR devices, as it has a 1080p resolution. However, that’s still a decent resolution. You’ll still watch content at 60fps.
It’s not only about the visuals, as VITURE partnered with audio legend HARMAN to reduce the amount of noise leakage. The VITURE One XR/AR Glasses come with built-in speakers that sound great. They’ll fully immerse you in your content, and outside noise won’t interfere with it. It will be just like wearing a pair of headphones.
You’d want your glasses to be compatible with your devices, right? Well, the VITURE One XR/AR Glasses are compatible with most devices that can do video out through USB-C. This includes the iPhone 15/16, Steam Deck, ROG Ally, MacBook, iPad, and a ton of Android devices. So, you’ll be able to have fun with pretty much any device you own.
XREAL One AR Glasses
If you’re looking for some of the best AR glasses on the market, then you should look no further than XREAL. This company has several lines of glasses with a wide range of prices. They range in price from the $699 XREAL Air 2 Ultra to the $197 XREAL Air. So, there’s a lot to choose from. An excellent middle ground among these glasses are the XREAL One. These bring a slew of amazing features at a decent price.
Coming in at $499, these are some rather affordable glasses for the amazing experience you’re getting. Starting off with the design, they do a pretty good job of blending in. While they don’t 100% look like a typical pair of glasses, they’re not too attention-catching.
As with any AR device, the screen is the most important part. Using the XREAL One, you’ll get a Sony Micro-OLED display. With this, you’ll have great contrast and amazing colors. The screen can reach a peak brightness of 5000 nits, which boils down to a perceived brightness of 600 nits. That’s decent for most indoor and outdoor scenarios. With the 50° field of view, you’ll be able to comfortably view your content while being aware of the outside world.
It’s super easy to connect the XREAL One to your devices. If it supports video out through USB-C, then you can connect it to the glasses. This includes iPhones, Android phones, Mac computers, Windows computers, Steam Decks, and more. Using your device as the main video streaming box, you’ll enjoy content with low latency (3ms). Connect your phone to watch videos through your favorite streaming apps. Also, connect your computer and have the glasses act as a secondary monitor; heck, you can project an ultrawide monitor if you want.
The great video comes along with sound to match. There’s a pair of speakers on the temples that provide full and engaging sound. If you’re using these to watch movies or play games, the sound quality will draw you in.
With adjustable transparency for the lenses, you can choose to either shut out the world or let it in. In fact, there’s a mode that will shrink the display so that it’s a little window in the corner if you need to interact with the outside world. There’s a lot to love about these glasses.
RAYNEO Air 2s
One of the important parts of the AR glasses experience is the audio. Companies have been trying their hardest to put better and better speakers in their glasses to create the best media experience. While many of them succeed, there’s one company that puts the most effort into doing so. That company is RAYNEO, and here’s a pair of great glasses for only $399.99.
This brand makes a handful of different and incredible AR glasses, and the RAYNEO Air 2 are no exception. While they’re not as inconspicuous as some of the other glasses on this list, they make up for it by giving you a great experience overall.
These glasses are pretty compact, but they give you a large display to look at. It can create a large FHD display that looks pretty sharp. Also, the picture quality is great, as the RAYNEO Air 2 use 201″ Sony micro-OLED panels to display the content. It’s a colorful display that can reach a brightness of 5000 nits. That gives you a perceived brightness of about 600 nits. That’s pretty decent for most situations.
Along with the great screen, you can expect some of the best audio in the AR glasses market. RAYNEO fitted the Air 2 with not two, but four speakers. This gives them studio-level acoustics. In fact, these are the first glasses to come with Push-Push Quad-speakers. They drive crystal-clear audio right into your ears.
The RAYNEO Air 2 can act as your pocket media hub with the ability to connect to different devices. You can watch movies, binge TV shows, play games, do work, and so much more. Using a USB-C cord, you can connect them to your smartphone, computer, or gaming console to stream the content right to your glasses. These allow you to have a private display all to yourself.
