VR Headsets

Virtual reality headsets received as Christmas gifts in the mid-2010s represented the technology at an interesting early stage — compelling enough to generate genuine excitement but not yet refined enough to be truly consumer-ready. The range spanned from simple smartphone-based cardboard viewers (Google Cardboard and its many clones) through to the first generation of proper PC-tethered headsets like the Oculus Rift CV1 and HTC Vive. Each offered a genuinely different experience of the emerging VR medium.

First Impressions

The sense of presence that VR creates — the feeling of actually being inside a virtual space rather than looking at one on a screen — is difficult to convey to someone who hasn’t experienced it. Even at the resolution and refresh rates available in first-generation consumer headsets, the effect is remarkable. The limitations were significant: screen-door effect from the visible pixel grid, the requirement to be tethered to a powerful PC for the better experiences, and the physical discomfort of wearing a headset for more than short sessions. But the potential was undeniable.

Verdict

Early VR headsets were technology demonstrations as much as finished products — impressive enough to understand why the industry was excited, limited enough to understand why mass adoption hadn’t happened yet. More detailed hands-on posts followed as time with the hardware accumulated. The Christmas gift of a VR headset in this era was a statement of enthusiasm for where the technology was heading, even if the destination hadn’t quite been reached.