The VR headset world is feeling a little crowded these days – there are only several consumer-oriented options, but they are jostling for the same position in the market and on the shelf at home. They all want to be the best VR headsets on the market. At a few hundred dollars for the average headset, there can be only one. If you’re looking for a VR experience on PC, take a look at the best computer for VR too. If you’re interested in some of the uses of the Oculus, you should also read how the Oculus Rift VR simulator is great for adult games.
So Oculus Rift is teaming up with Microsoft, Sony is making Morpheus very PlayStation oriented, Samsung is making the Gear VR friendly for developers and professionals…you get the idea. Everyone is trying to find that one thing that will make people choose their VR headset. Battle Damage, however, is interested in another factor: How well do these headsets stand up against some good old-fashioned destruction? For a more traditional gaming headset, you should also read our review of the Turtle Beach COD black ops Earforce Tango 5.1 Dolby headset.
Check out the video for the results as they experiment with the Oculus Rift DK2, the Samsung Gear VR, and – for the sake of it – the Nintendo Virtual Boy. This time around, the first test is pretty simple: The team simply drops the headsets onto a metal surface from holding-height. And speaking of teams, take a look at this video review on LA Galaxy launch their own VR app.
Spoilers: The Rift did the worst out of the three when it comes to simple falls that could happen in any living room. The Gear VR did better, and the Virtual Boy was quite intact (apparently 1990s technology has extra impact resistance). But keep in mind this was an early 2014 version of the Oculus Rift, not the finalized headset heading to consumers in 2016, which uses a different, lighter framework and may also be able to withstand a common drop.
Of course, it wouldn’t be Battle Damage if you didn’t see some more excruciating destruction, which is why high drops and baseball bats are also used. Under these powerful conditions, no one survives in workable condition, including (thankfully) the Virtual Boy. In nothing else, it’s cathartic to see these devices get smashed, so watch the video and see what’s up.
