Best VR Headset Buying Guide: Welcome to TechRadar’s round-up of the best Virtual Reality Headsets on PCs, phones and consoles you can buy in 2018.

Update: Can smartphone-powered VR compete with their PC-tethered counterparts? 

To find out for sure, check out our Google Daydream View (2017) review. Here’s a teaser: while not nearly near as powerful or robust as the likes of Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, we were impressed with the variety of VR content on offer with Google’s mobile headset, plus its capability for running virtual reality right from a phone. 

The big question is whether standalone VR headsets will usurp mobile VR as the new way to VR game on the go. With the Oculus Go rumored to launch soon, we likely don’t have long before we find out. 

Original article continues below…

The best VR headset can be a hard thing to pin down, especially when virtual reality devices are getting ever-more advanced while at the same time dropping their prices to all-time lows. 

Permanent price drops have swept across the high-end VR landscape, making it more and more difficult to choose between headsets that each bring something unique to the table. 

Decisions are complicated by the fact that there is seemingly a new VR headset or significant advancement to an existing one every day. Where once Oculus Rift and HTC Vive dominated the best VR headset conversation, new headsets are springing up left and right, some even without wires. 

On the flip side, more powerful VR headsets are coming to the fore as well. The HTC Vive Pro, which releases on April 5, is an sizeable upgrade over the HTC Vive that also comes at the sizeable price of $799 / £799 (about AU$1,015).

Then, of course, there are the mobile headsets, namely the Samsung Gear VR and Google Daydream View. These, too, are about to meet a major rival in the form of the standalone Oculus Go.

You can skip down below to see our choices and explanations in depth, but it’s important to note that permanent price cuts have brought the so-called traditional VR headsets more closely in line with one another. 

The four best on the market right now, the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, HTC Vive Pro and PlayStation VR, are unsurprisingly also the most expensive of all the mainstream VR headset offerings. These four offer unparalleled immersion through superior refresh rates, extremely high resolutions, and both the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift offer room-scale tracking and motion controllers for your hands right out of the box.

You get much the same perks with the HTC Vive Pro, except it doesn’t include any accessories in the box, yet.

Each headset has its own distinctive strengths and weaknesses, and if you’re not aware of these before you buy, it could be a very costly mistake to make. But that’s exactly why we put this guide together.

And, if you want less expensive fare, our guide also includes two mobile VR headsets for your consideration. 

The best VR headset: HTC Vive

Availability: Out now | Price: $499 / £499 / about AU$615

When it originally released, the HTC Vive was streets ahead of its nearest competitor, the Oculus Rift. It supported room-scale tracking out of the box, and came with two motion controllers that allowed it to offer a much more immersive experience. 

Now, however, the gap has narrowed. Nowadays the Oculus Rift matches much of the Vive’s functionality and includes two motion controllers of its own. 

But the Vive still has the edge over the Oculus because, for our money, the room-scale tracking is that much better. The feature allows you to walk around a space that’s 4.5 x 4.5m big, adding another dimension to the feeling of presence that you experience while using it; you’re not just pressing up on an analogue stick, you’re using your legs to walk.

That’s if you have enough space in your real room, of course.

The headset itself contains two 1080p screens which makes for a very crisp image. Unfortunately it’s not quite high-resolution enough to prevent you from being able to discern individual pixels when you wear it, and the HTC Vive Pro, with its 78% increase in dots per inch, offers a much sharper screen in addition to built-in audio, which the original Vive lacks.

However, despite not being the latest and greatest Vive, where the original HTC gains back points is in its price. 

Though it’s still more expensive than Oculus Rift, the HTC Vive Pro has a few shortcomings that don’t quite justify its high price tag. For the regular user who doesn’t have the funds to buy an HTC Vive Pro, the HTC Vive offers a still-excellent experience for less cost.

Read the full review: HTC Vive

Best VR for console gamers: PlayStation VR

Availability: Out now | Price: $299 / £259 / AU$655

There’s no getting around the fact that in order to run either the HTC Vive, HTC Vive Pro or the Oculus Rift you need a pretty substantial gaming PC, which is a hefty investment for most people. 

That’s not the case with Sony’s PlayStation VR, which requires little more than a PS4 console to run. 

Considering the huge difference in power between the PS4 and PC, the PlayStation VR is a surprisingly capable virtual reality headset. Its refresh rate is nice and responsive, and we’ve had no problems with the reliability of its head-tracking. 

Thanks to Sony’s backing, the selection of PlayStation VR games is also impressive. There were dozens available at launch, and many more have followed over its first year on sale. 

Sony has addressed one of our biggest complaints with the PlayStation VR – that its accessories are sold separately – by offering a variety of packs and bundles with devices like the PlayStation Camera included. However, PlayStation Move controllers, while are included in some bundles, aren’t in every one.

While you have to be wary of the additional charges involved, depending on what bundle you opt for, recent price cuts have made the PlayStation VR even more affordable. It may not be the top VR headset, but the PSVR is certainly making a strong case to users. 

Read the full review: PlayStation VR

PC runner up: Oculus Rift

Availability: Out now | Price: $399 / £499 / AU$649

The current VR arms race is all thanks to one man: Oculus founder Palmer Luckey. As a teenager, Luckey collected VR tech and was fascinated with making his own headset in his garage. Numerous prototypes and a $2 billion Facebook buyout later, Oculus is still the biggest name in VR.

It’s seen some decent upgrades over the years thanks to the inclusion of the Touch controllers (which we’d argue are slightly superior to the Vive’s), and a couple of key price drops. 

Yet, compared to the HTC Vive’s room-scale technology, the Rift isn’t quite as good. The reason is that while the Vive is designed to let you walk around in any direction, by default the Rift has you place its two sensors in front of you. This means that the tracking is more single-sided, and you can’t let yourself get turned around, or else the sensors will lose track of you. 

The experience is a bit different when you add a third sensor to the mix, but if you’re comparing apples-to-apples, we still believe the Vive does room-scale a heck of a lot better.

That being said, by being cheaper than the Vive, the Oculus Rift offers a very compelling mid-range virtual reality option for those with less space to spare.

Read the full review: Oculus Rift

The new arrival for PC: HTC Vive Pro

Availability: Out now | Price: $799 / £799 / about AU$1,015

The newest high-end VR headset in town comes packing a lot of impressive specs. Take, for instance, the HTC Vive Pro resolution of 2880 x 1600, offering a 78% increase in dots per inch than the HTC Vive. 

This means ultra-crisp visual fidelity that lets you experience textures and shadows in a way previously impossible in VR.

But the HTC Vive Pro perks don’t end there. There’s also the addition of built-in headphones and new nose guards that do a better job of blocking out light than the HTC Vive. All told, the HTC Vive Pro is a clear evolution in both design and tech on the older HTC Vive. 

However, for all its shiny new specs, new navy blue color and a game library that’s sure to grow, the HTC Vive Pro has some serious flaws. 

The main one is obvious: it’s expensive. It costs the same as the HTC Vive did at launch, and it doesn’t come with any accessories in the box. That’s right: you’ll have to buy controllers and sensors separately, at least until a bundle is available later in 2018.

Setup is also a challenge with the Vive Pro because all of your firmware has to be as up-to-date as possible. Even then, you may run into some challenges, which could deter the average user from jumping into the Vive Pro experience.

Because of its price, its challenging setup and the fact that the still-excellent HTC Vive is now much less expensive, the HTC Vive Pro is likely best suited for VR enthusiasts and arcade owners. It’s still an awesome headset, just one that’s probably not for everyone.  

Read the full review: HTC Vive Pro

The best mobile VR headset: Samsung Gear VR

Availability: Out now | Price: $129 / about £100 / about AU$120

Samsung Gear VR has always been a respectable smartphone-powered VR headset, but now that it has a motion controller, it’s taken things to the next level. 

In addition to the new controller, the updated Gear VR is lighter and more streamlined than before, and features a USB-C connector that hooks directly to a Samsung Galaxy phone. 

Compatible phones naturally include the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus, as well as the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus, if you have the latest Gear VR headset, that is.

The included motion controller has undertones of the HTC Vive controller design, with a touchpad and trigger button, which aren’t bad things. It’s with the controller that the Gear VR really takes off, allowing you to interact with the VR worlds in front of you in a way previously impossible without it. 

Of course, being powered by a smartphone, the headset’s performance is entirely dependent on the phone you’ve slotted in, though in our experience this isn’t a problem considering the power behind Samsung’s higher-end handsets. However, if you’re using an older Galaxy phone, your experience could be noticeably different. 

As Oculus prepares to launch the Oculus Go standalone headset, the question of where smartphone-powered devices like Gear VR fit only becomes more pertinent. But since the Oculus Go and Samsung Gear VR share an app and game library, you can expect support for the Gear VR to continue for quite some time. 

Read the full review: Samsung Gear VR

Mobile VR runner up: Google Daydream View (2017)

Availability: Out now | Price: $99 / £99 / around AU$125

If you own an Android phone (that’s not necessarily a Galaxy) and want to get into virtual reality without spending a fortune on a headset and PC set up, then consider the Google Daydream View (2017) a viable option.

What makes this headset compelling is its price; it’s less than $100 / £100, and a recent discount has made it even cheaper, at least for the time being. 

It’s also an easy headset for just about anyone to use. Not only does it require little on your part aside from installing an app on your phone, but once you’re inside the VR world, navigating to and fro is easy with the included controller. 

You won’t get the deeply immersive worlds of a higher-end, PC-powered VR headset with the Google Daydream View, but you will get a device that’s made of a nice material, works with many of the best Android phones, and, did we mention how inexpensive it is?

The content on offer isn’t very compelling – there’s not a ton to draw you back for multiple play sessions – but it is varied and offers a little something for everyone. 

This isn’t the best VR headset on the market, by far, but it is an easy way to get into VR for Android phone owners. And that, really, could be all you need to know.

Read the full review: Google Daydream View (2017)

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LG V30 owners sour about the debut of the smarter LG V30S ThinQ don’t have to feel so forgotten anymore, as the AI upgrade that comes built into the V30S ThinQ is starting to reach the V30 as well. 

V30 users on Verizon can update the software on their phone, and it will install AI features and re-name the phone to LG V30 ThinQ, reports Droid Life.

AT&T users received a similar update for the LG V30 in March. LG had previously announced that it’s ThinQ AI would be coming to the LG V30, and it appears that it’s keeping that promise. This update brings one more phone to the ThinQ brand LG has established, which includes the previously mentioned LG V30S ThinQ and the upcoming LG G7 ThinQ. 

What’s in the upgrade?

The ThinQ upgrade may not help the LG V30 catch up to rivals that are now running on the latest Snapdragon 845 chipset, but it will offer some new features in the camera department. QLens will give the LG V30 ThinQ a scanning function, making it easy to look up an item on Amazon or Pinterest or to scan a QR code.

AI Cam will serve as a buffed version of the normal Auto mode in the camera app. It attempts to use AI to recognize what it’s looking at and tweak camera settings to get the best photo possible. It can be helpful, though it’s not entirely fool-proof, as we learned during our review of the LG V30S ThinQ.

Via 9to5Google

http://www.techradar.com/news/new-lg-v30-update-brings-ai-features-and-a-name-change

Email remains an important form of communication, more formal than a text, tweet or instant message, while obviously being much faster than ‘snail mail’, which may explain why email volume continues to increase. Indeed, a recent estimate claimed that something like 269 billion emails are sent daily.

Most of us likely have multiple email accounts with online providers such as Gmail, Outlook.com or Yahoo, which can be used online via their corresponding websites (also known as webmail), or by using mobile apps.

Managing and coordinating multiple accounts can quickly become a chore, and that is where an email client becomes a useful solution to sync all your messaging in one place. An email client can also offer additional features, such as enhanced security, or the ability to back up messages. We’ve picked out six of the best email clients in this article.

1. Microsoft Outlook

Microsoft’s Outlook is the de facto email client for most businesses and enterprises, and has been around for decades, with its origins dating back to MS-DOS. Obviously it has tight integration with other Microsoft services, and that takes email beyond the simple exchange of messages.

Outlook has the advantage of being fully integrated with the Outlook Calendar, making it a snap to share calendars to coordinate meetings. This integration also extends to Outlook Contacts. Outlook is supported for the Windows platform, but also across the mobile platforms of iOS and Android as well.

Microsoft Outlook is available as part of the Microsoft Office suite, which can be purchased as the standalone Office 2016, or the subscription-based Office 365. A single user subscription to Office 365 Personal can be purchased for $6.99 (around £5, AU$9) per month or $69.99 (around £50, AU$90) for a full year.

2. Mail for Windows 10

While Outlook is a stalwart of the business world, Microsoft has long realized that it is overkill for many home users, so there’s a lightweight email client built into Windows. Way back when, this client was Outlook Express, but it has since evolved and in the latest version of Microsoft’s desktop operating system, it’s known as Mail for Windows 10.

For any Windows user, the Mail for Windows 10 client is an obvious choice, as when you log into Windows 10 with a Hotmail, Live, or Outlook.com address, the account is already added to the email client.

It can also work with other popular accounts, including Yahoo, Gmail, and iCloud. Mail for Windows 10 has a useful feature known as Quick Actions, which, for example, allows the user to easily flag or archive a message. It’s also integrated with the Windows Calendar app.

3. eM Client

This alternative email client is trusted and used by Fortune 500 companies which include Avis, McDonald’s and Toyota.

It offers a wide array of features, including a calendar, contacts and chat. Support is provided for all the major email services including Gmail, Yahoo, iCloud and Outlook.com. The latest version of eM Client (7.1) also offers PGP encryption, live backup, and auto-replies for Gmail.

There is a free tier, but you need the Pro version for commercial use, and that also gives you VIP support and unlimited accounts (the free product is limited to two email accounts). The Pro version will set you back $49.95 (or £29.95 in the UK, which is around AU$55).

4. Mailbird Pro

Mailbird Pro is an email client that promises to “save time managing multiple accounts,” and to make your email “easy and beautiful”.

While beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, as they say, it’s undeniable that Mailbird Pro offers many free themes to make email a more enjoyable and customizable experience.

Unlike some more Microsoft-centric email clients, Mailbird Pro supports a diverse range of integrated apps, including WhatsApp, Google Docs, Google Calendar, Facebook, Twitter, Dropbox and Slack, all making for a better streamlined workflow. However, one downside to bear in mind here is that there’s no support for filters or rules to organize your inbox.

The annual cost of Mailbird Pro is $9 (around £6, AU$12) for an individual, and $20 (around £14, AU$26) for a business user.

5. Inky

Inky is an email client that focuses on security, using “sophisticated AI, machine learning and computer vision algorithms” to block all manner of phishing attacks which might otherwise get through.

This client uses an ‘Inky Phish Fence’ that scans both internal and external emails to flag phishing attempts. The proprietary machine learning technology can literally read an email to determine if it has phishing content, and then is able to quarantine the email, or deliver it with the malicious links disabled. It also takes things a step further and offers an analytics dashboard, which allows an administrator to see patterns of attacks based on dates, or targeted users.

The Inky email client does offer a free trial, but sadly, pricing details aren’t made available on the Inky website. However, the site does note that pricing is per mailbox per month on a subscription, with volume discounts available.

6. TouchMail

TouchMail is an email client that simplifies email by making it more visual. This also makes it easier to use on a touch-based mobile device.

The goal of TouchMail is to aggregate multiple email accounts together, in a single visually attractive interface which is user-friendly. It lets you see all of the day’s emails in one place, with messages color-coded by sender for easy identification. Emails from top senders can be easily sorted and managed, too.

This client is available for the Windows 10 platform, but not for iOS or Android, sadly. TouchMail can be grabbed from the Microsoft Store, and normally retails at $29.99 (around £22, AU$39), although at the time of writing there is a sale on that gives you a third off the asking price.

http://www.techradar.com/news/best-email-client