VR and AR sometimes feel like product categories that never quite seem to become mainstream, but change is coming fast to the headset landscape.
Google and Samsung are introducing a new VR/AR platform later this year called Android XR. Samsung's Project Moohan is a Vision Pro-like headset that will also run Google's Gemini AI and plenty of Google Play apps. Expect Android XR to forge a bridge between Android phones and headsets and glasses, although it's hard to tell how fast that shift will happen. Samsung's headset, which doesn't have a price or release date yet, looks to be the only Android XR device in 2025. Android XR could be the future, but right now, it's hard to tell whether you should wait for it. Qualcomm's future plans for VR and AR lean on phones as a way to power smaller glasses, but so far there aren't any of these smaller devices that we'd recommend.
In the meantime, Apple's $3,499 Vision Pro headset -- a self-contained, standalone VR/AR device that Apple is positioning as a full spatial computer -- is the highest-price device on the consumer market, with a very different pitch than games-focused devices like the Meta Quest. Its ability to run all sorts of iOS apps and have multiple apps open at once make it a unique option, and its possibilities as an iOS mixed reality computer, paired with its fantastic display quality and unique input method of hand-eye tracking, might make it a promising device for creators, researchers and anyone with a large enough wallet to pay for a high-end personal cinema on their face. It also emphasizes things like computing and video quality instead of what are still the Quest's greatest strengths: gaming and fitness. But it's over a year old now, and Apple could be shifting to a more affordable version in the next couple of years.
The Vision Pro isn't the only mixed reality VR headset out there: Expect more in this category, which blends VR with video of your surroundings using color passthrough cameras that feel almost like augmented reality. The Quest 3 is the most affordable mainstream mixed-reality VR headset, and Apple's is the most expensive. Samsung's Project Moohan will also feature mixed reality, and I expect plenty more to come.
Sony's $550 PlayStation VR 2 delivers a great console gaming VR experience for PlayStation 5 owners and includes eye tracking like Apple's Vision Pro, but isn't wireless and is still a relatively expensive accessory (it costs more than the PS5 itself). It's more expensive than both the Quest 2 and Quest 3, and still needs a PS5 to work, but costs far less than a Vision Pro (although it serves a completely different purpose and relies on a limited set of PlayStation VR games to even function). Its more limited library and functions make it less versatile than a Quest, but a fun Quest alternative for anyone deep into Sony's PlayStation 5 ecosystem. However, the PSVR 2 right now feels like it's not really where the future of headsets is heading.
For PC owners, there are several options. You could use a Quest 3, Quest 3S, PSVR 2, or consider several existing devices. The biggest previous players in the PC VR gaming scene (Microsoft, Valve and HTC) have been quiet on that front, especially now that Microsoft has discontinued most of its mixed reality efforts and VR headset compatibility. That could change again soon. A PC-connected VR headset can offer the most versatile collection of software for an immersive VR experience, and it also lets you use that headset for creative and business tools. Steam is clearly the best conduit for PC VR right now.
The cost of a new VR headset is going up these days. If price is your biggest concern, the Quest 3S currently offers the best value in VR: a completely wireless experience, with access to a great library of fantastic games.
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