VR Headset

A VR (virtual reality) headset is a head-worn device with a display for each eye, lenses, and motion tracking, which together place the wearer inside a computer-generated 3D environment. Head movement updates the view in real time.

Why it matters

Comfort and realism depend on a few hardware factors: resolution per eye, refresh rate, field of view, and tracking latency. If the delay between moving your head and the image updating is too long, many people feel motion sickness. Headsets are either standalone, with a built-in mobile chip, or tethered to a PC or console that does the rendering.

Tracking comes in two forms. Inside-out tracking uses cameras on the headset to map the room. Outside-in tracking relies on external base stations.

Example

A typical standalone headset runs at 72 to 120 Hz, which means the system must render two slightly different images every 8.3 to 13.9 milliseconds. A PC-tethered headset can use a powerful graphics card for more detailed scenes, but needs a cable or a strong wireless link.

Common mistakes

• Ignoring interpupillary distance (IPD) adjustment, which leaves the image blurry or tiring.
• Playing in a cramped space without clearing the area.
• Assuming any PC can run PC VR; the GPU needs to hit the target frame rate consistently.

Related

• GPU
• Refresh rate
• Latency
• Accelerometer

This page is general information written by our editorial team and updated when documentation changes. Servers and providers differ, so test changes safely first. See our editorial policy and disclaimer.