Rift vs Vive

kenshingintoki

Distinguished Member
Joined
May 3, 2011
Messages
18,442
Reaction score
8,466
Points
4,022
Trying to decide between Rift and Vive, any input?

I would hold out for the pimax but I fear it will never come this year.

pros:
Rift... £100 cheaper, better controllers, better eco system, better exclusives
Vive... best roomscale, more open platforms, more optional upgrades


cons:
rift: closed system, harder to migrate, uses usb ports and tracking not as good as vive's lightboxes
vive: wand controllers, expensive, optional upgrades expensive (DAS 99£, wireless 299£, knuckles £199, Vive Pro £700)


Its really tough...
 
This is the most asked question in VR and has been answered here many times (and to summarise, the Rift is the better :smashin:).

Why do people keep saying that the Vive has better tracking? I have NEVER had any issues with the tracking on the Rift since launch. The same with room scale too, no issues at all. People still say the Rift is better for seated games and the Vive for standing. Well this is nonsense also, both are equally as good as each other.

Other things to consider:

Pros:
Rift... Lots of VERY good free games, the new dash (beta), can use both Dash and Steam, a single thin cable to headset, arguably more comfortable, sensors are small and descrete, built in headphones
Vive… Longer cables (notice the 's')

Cons:
Rift... god rays during game start up (only), USB leads across the room (or hid under the skirting boards as I do)
Vive… Power outlets required, or power cables across the room, cant use Dash (without a hack), sensors are rather large and ugly, headphones bought separately adding to the cost (and extra cable).

In a nutshell, both are great and you wont be disappointed which ever you buy.

As for the Pimax, on paper it looks great, but the Rift and Vive have both been out a few years and have proven themselves, where the Pimax is still a leap into the unknown.
 
Last edited:
What makes the decision even harder is waiting for Knuckles, Pimax and possibly a Vive/Pro Knuckles bundle to come along.

My advice is to wait but that’s easy for me to say as I have the Vive while waiting for my Pimax 8k and Knuckles.

Store wise - all will support OpenXR in the future so the Vive will get access to Rift exclusives without Revive.

If you’ve got the money and like upgrades go Vive or wait another 6 months to see what happens.

If you’re on a budget and need VR right now and don’t mind all those USB cables get the Rift.
 
This is something only you can answer yourself.
Try out some headsets and the answer will come to you
 
Get a Rift, it's currently the best headset with the best motion controllers, is $100 cheaper and you don't need to fork out another $100 on top for the Deluxe Audio Strap to make it comfortable to wear for long periods. You also get a ridiculous amount of free games and software with the thing too.

You might want to wait until the end of September to see if Oculus announce a price cut at their Oculus Connect 5 event. The Rift is due another price cut because it hasn't had one since it dropped to $399 A while back. I'm expecting it to come down to either $349 or $299.

So wait until the end of next month and get a Rift. :D

Join the Dark Side...We have cookies lol :p
 
Only your heart can tell the true way.



Cookies are a lie, we all know its biscuits
 
I think I'm going to buy a Rift [after Oculus connect next month as I'm awaiting a 2080].

When the knuckles land, I might switch to Vive but until then, I don't really want to due to the wands.

If the Rift doesn't fit my head due to glasses, I'll go fully Vive on this.
 
I think I'm going to buy a Rift [after Oculus connect next month as I'm awaiting a 2080].

When the knuckles land, I might switch to Vive but until then, I don't really want to due to the wands.

If the Rift doesn't fit my head due to glasses, I'll go fully Vive on this.

In which case I would strongly suggest trying the rift with your glasses first. The Vive is much more accommodating in that respect. Comfort is king.
 
I think I'm going to buy a Rift [after Oculus connect next month as I'm awaiting a 2080].

When the knuckles land, I might switch to Vive but until then, I don't really want to due to the wands.

If the Rift doesn't fit my head due to glasses, I'll go fully Vive on this.

Just get yourself some prescription lenses from WidmoVR, even if you decide to get yourself a Vive. There's more room in the Vive for glasses but I'd still recommend you get prescription lens inserts from WidmoVR even if you decide to get a Vive instead of a Rift.

But I can't emphasise enough how much better the optics and displays are in the Rift compared to the Vive. The god rays are more noticeable, yes, but the lack of SDE (Screen Door Effect) more than makes up for this, particularly when playing a sim of any kind.
 
Just get yourself some prescription lenses from WidmoVR, even if you decide to get yourself a Vive. There's more room in the Vive for glasses but I'd still recommend you get prescription lens inserts from WidmoVR even if you decide to get a Vive instead of a Rift.

But I can't emphasise enough how much better the optics and displays are in the Rift compared to the Vive. The god rays are more noticeable, yes, but the lack of SDE (Screen Door Effect) more than makes up for this, particularly when playing a sim of any kind.


I might do this. Do they work on both rift and vive?
 
I have the WidmoVR lenses and its made the whole VR experience 100% better using my Rift. I could use it with my glasses but it was a annoying to take on and off and was uncomfortable after a while.
 
Trying to decide between Rift and Vive, any input?

I would hold out for the pimax but I fear it will never come this year.

pros:
Rift... £100 cheaper, better controllers, better eco system, better exclusives
Vive... best roomscale, more open platforms, more optional upgrades


cons:
rift: closed system, harder to migrate, uses usb ports and tracking not as good as vive's lightboxes
vive: wand controllers, expensive, optional upgrades expensive (DAS 99£, wireless 299£, knuckles £199, Vive Pro £700)


Its really tough...


all valid points except for the tracking..... conceptually lighthouse is better, however if you have a normal sized room, once set up correctly i honestly do not think you would notice a difference between the 2. the roomscale tracking in both the vive AND the rift are fine... so i would say you can take that part out of your equation (unless your play space is larger than 4m x 4m)

the usb port issue is a pita however.... esp as you need the 3rd sensor to get to vive level of room scale tracking (hopefully this will be solved now going forward with the new VRLink
 
To be fair no one’s mentioned the extra cost of a Rift camera. Most Rift swear by 3 camera setup.

On his list of Vive cons

Wireless (TPcast) is the same price for each. Oculus don’t make any wireless adding at all.

Knuckles might not be more expensive if they’re sold at cost and bundled with the Vive.

The Oculus Eco system will be open to all when they release OpenXR so there will be no disadvantage to Vivers on Oculus Home. Rifts best games are not free for Rifters either like Lone Echo and The Climb. Luckyes tale is free for all.

The differences on both sides are reducing year on year but once we see Knuckles, BS2.0, Vive Pro reduced price, Pimax 5k - Vive will have all the advantages and non of the drawbacks of being locked into the Constellation Eco system.
 
To be fair no one’s mentioned the extra cost of a Rift camera. Most Rift swear by 3 camera setup.

On his list of Vive cons

Wireless (TPcast) is the same price for each. Oculus don’t make any wireless adding at all.

Knuckles might not be more expensive if they’re sold at cost and bundled with the Vive.

The Oculus Eco system will be open to all when they release OpenXR so there will be no disadvantage to Vivers on Oculus Home. Rifts best games are not free for Rifters either like Lone Echo and The Climb. Luckyes tale is free for all.

The differences on both sides are reducing year on year but once we see Knuckles, BS2.0, Vive Pro reduced price, Pimax 5k - Vive will have all the advantages and non of the drawbacks of being locked into the Constellation Eco system.

Nobody has mentioned the cost of the standalone sensor because the Rift still ends up being $40 cheaper, $140 if you end up getting the Deluxe Audio Strap. Plus you get a shitload of free games and software with it.

The Rift is currently the best headset with the best motion controllers, and when the Knuckles controllers are finally released it'll still be the best headset (assuming that the Knuckles controllers are decent) and have the second best motion controllers. And all for $140 cheaper.

The worst thing about the Vive (even worse than the trackpads and wand controllers) is the quality of the optics and displays. I tried a friend's Vive a while back and couldn't believe that he could put up with the godawful SDE.
 
To be fair no one’s mentioned the extra cost of a Rift camera. Most Rift swear by 3 camera setup.
.

agreed it is an extra cost but i mentioned it was needed to parity in the post above yours.

I know it is not always this price, but the rift is regularly £349.99 OR £399.99 with £50 store credit.
Combine that with the extra sensor at £79, you are still only looking at a price of £430.

The games pack the rift comes with is superb. i dunno what vive comes with. last time i looked it was not that good... .

Anyone who has waited this long to buy a rift should wait till the next sale.
like i said there are 3 or 4 a year, bound to be one in black friday, if not before.

Atmos you say lucky's tale is free for everyone... it isnt. it is free for rift users however oculus messed up by not giving people a use once code with the game which once revive was made allowed vive users to nick freebies from the store which were meant for the rift package.

Maybe you think i am splitting hairs... I am certainly not judging and i suggest everyone with a vive should get all the free stuff they can... but just because you can nick something meant for oculus rift users does not mean you should use that as a value addin for the vive.

(otherwise just go the whole hog and say "vive users can play all oculus single player games for free using a torrent site!).

Apparently one big reason for oculus initially blocking revive was to stop vive users from nicking the software. They reversed it due to the outcry.... but that specific reason there WAS a good reason imo.
 
Mike you’re just fudging numbers now. When you buy the Vive you get 2 months free Viveport subscription with lots of titles on there. Is that comparable to Oculuses £50 offer?

Most of the Oculus free games are third person and if you’re like me wouldn’t play them anyway.

I think there’s only one game I wound play and that’s Robo recall. Is that still free for Touch users?
 
Isn't the standalone sensor £59? It certainly used to be.

Personally I think anyone buying a third sensor is better off getting an extra set of Touch controllers instead. I now have a spare set just in case for an extra £40. You don't get the USB extension cable but most people have at least one of those going spare in their house.

And the games and software you get with the Rift are better than anything you can find on VivePort plus you don't have have to pay for a subscription every month, something that in gaming I'm dead against. Once people get used to the idea of a subscription service it's only a matter of time before people have to pay to play online.

It was my dislike of subscriptions and paying to play online that forced me to abandon console gaming this generation - even Nintendo are up to it these days.

The only time that bundled software for the Vive has been as good as that bundled with the Rift was when HTC part-funded development of Fallout 4 VR for timed exclusivity for the Vive, but apart from that the software with the Rift has ALWAYS been better.
 
Hang on, you have to pay a subscription to play on the Vive???
How much is that?

The free games on the Rift are truly free to play and keep and most are top quality. Robo Recall and Dead and Buried being my favourite (both first person).

As for the Rift sensors, I have 3 but it plays perfectly ok with just 1 for most seated games and with 2 ok with most standing games. An extra sensor is better but not mandatory.
 
Hang on, you have to pay a subscription to play on the Vive???
.


No it is an optional subscription service to be able to play games without buying. it works a bit like EA access.

It is not a bad idea for some gamer demographics.

AS a person who does not play as much as I used to, and where 80% of my VR is in 2 or 3 games, its an awful model for me, but it is a fantastic service for those who play a lot and bang through games very quickly.
 
That makes more sense.

Wouldn’t be any good for me either. Like you 80% of my VR gaming is Pcars or AC or Dirt Rallly.
I still have games I bought 2 years ago I have not even fired up yet (like ED).
 
That makes more sense.

Wouldn’t be any good for me either. Like you 80% of my VR gaming is Pcars or AC or Dirt Rallly.
I still have games I bought 2 years ago I have not even fired up yet (like ED).

You REALLY need to play Elite Dangerous!!! It's the best VR game available right now and has been since it launched. The learning curve is pretty steep but that's what YouTube is for lol

I'd recommend that you get yourself a HOTAS if you can though. The Thrustmaster T-Flight X HOTAS is as cheap as chips and excellent value for money. You can then use it to play War Thunder and DCS World which are both available for free on Steam.
 
I think it's time I fired ED up again. I want to go through all my old favourites and experience them again now I have what, compared to my old one, is like a Rift 1.5.
 
You REALLY need to play Elite Dangerous!!! It's the best VR game available right now and has been since it launched. The learning curve is pretty steep but that's what YouTube is for lol

I'd recommend that you get yourself a HOTAS if you can though. The Thrustmaster T-Flight X HOTAS is as cheap as chips and excellent value for money. You can then use it to play War Thunder and DCS World which are both available for free on Steam.
Yeah I keep threatening to fire it up, its just when I get a spare hour or so I decide to play other games.

I already have the T-Flight that I used for War Thunder and IL-2 (which I also hardly played).
 

The latest video from AVForums

Is 4K Blu-ray Worth It?
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Back
Top Bottom