Spec showdown: Oculus Rift vs. HTC Vive

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HTC and Oculus are at the forefront of virtual reality. Although the two companies have left consumers in the dark regarding pricing and exact availability — the latter merely used its recent Oculus Connect 2 keynote to introduce a new Gear VR headset and announce the release of SDK 1.0 — both are slated for release sometime within the next six months. How will the two consumer models compare to one another when they do finally hit shelves in the late 2015 and early 2016? Check out the spec comparison below for an in-depth look at what we do know and what we can expect to see in the months ahead.

Related: The five biggest announcements from Oculus Connect 2

Write’rs note: This comparison is primarily based on the consumer model of the Oculus Rift and the latest Vive development kit. That said, expect changes at launch.

Design

Let’s be honest, neither the Rift or Vive is going to win any fashion awards upon release. Both are bulky, lightweights devices you strap to the front of your head like a wearable brick, which then allow you an unobstructed view into the world of virtual reality.

That said, the Rift and Vive both utilize adjustable Velcro straps and comfortable padding on the interior faceplate. HTC’s forthcoming offering is a bit larger though — at least, according to the current development version — given it touts 37 visible sensors on the front designed to connect to wireless cameras within the tracking space.

The Rift, on the other hand, showcases a sleeker exterior design and smaller footprint. Rest assured, the finalized version of both models will also accommodate glasses, rely on a single wire to connect to your PC, and feature integrated audio at launch with the option to plug in your own headphones if desired.

Controls

The headset itself is only one aspect of the design, though. The Rift and the Vive both capitalize on two custom controllers — known as the Oculus Touch and SteamVR, respectively. Although a standard Xbox One controller will initially ship with the Rift, the aforementioned Touch will arrive at some point in Q1 2016, bringing with it one of the more intuitive VR experiences around. The mirrored controllers will include a joystick and button setup, yes, but they’ll also utilize the same low-latency tracking technology that determines the relative position of the headset. The design will allow the pair of controllers to function more like your real hands when gaming, capitalizing on internal tracking sensors and haptic feedback for a more immersive experience.

The Vive takes a different approach. The device’s controllers, which function much like a modified Steam Controller, feature sport touch-sensitive circles under your thumbs and trigger buttons that act as primary selection buttons. The grip on the SteamVR can even detect when you squeeze, furthering their responsiveness while allowing you to interact with virtual objects with a more realistic sense of touch.

Both devices will also support gamepads. Rift will ship with an Xbox One controller. Vive has not made any such promise, but since the Xbox button layout has become the industry standard for PC gamepads, it’ll likely support it as well.

Display and tracking

Virtual reality headsets are only as good as the display they utilize. That said, the Rift and Vive both come outfitted with vibrant OLED displays, each of which offers 1080 x 1200-pixel resolution for each eye. Said displays bring the final pixel resolution to 2160 x 1200, with 90Hz refresh rates, thus ensuring the frame rate is high enough to prevent motion sickness and provide a smooth experience overall.

Matt Smith/Digital Trends

The Rift also relies on 360-degree positional head tracking and delivers a 110-degree field of view, whereas the Vive makes use of laser positioning and more than 70 sensors, including a gyroscope and accelerometer (among others). The latter also supports a 110-degree field of view, though, unlike the Rift, it’s intended to function in the space roughly the size of a walk-in closet when used in conjunction with a pair of Steam VR base stations. The Rift is intended more as a sit-down device, opposed to one you wear and physically walk around the room with, though some Rift demos require the user stand.

Performance and requirements

So, how do the Rift and Vive perform in real-world scenarios when stacked directly against one another? That’s a phenomenal question. Because both headsets and their accompanying controls function as peripherals as opposed to standalone device, they’re also heavily reliant on the hardware powering them.

When it comes to minimum requirements for the Rift, Oculus recommends an Intel i5-4590 processor, more than 8GB or RAM, and Windows 7 SPI. You’ll also need a GTX 970 or AMD 290 graphics card and a few ports, and though the a less-beefy PC can run the Rift, the experience certainly won’t be ideal.

The Vive has not stated its minimum requirements as of yet, but since it’s also a PC connected device, they’ll probably be similar.

Availability

As previously mentioned, neither VR headset has is available yet. The consumer model of the Rift is slated for Q1 2016, while the HTC promises limited quantities of the Vive will be available this holiday season, with larger quantities shipping alongside the Rift in the first quarter of 2016.

The pricing of both devices also remains a mystery, too, though it’s likely the consumer model of the Rift will cost roughly the same as the company’s Development Kit 2 ($350). The Vive will probably be priced competitively — though the current development kit is free, if you’re approved to use it — but you’ll still need to pick up the controllers separately much like those for the Rift. Sadly, none the aforementioned costs take into account the premium rig you’ll need on hand to run the devices.

Conclusion

An apt comparison doesn’t always reveal a winner, especially when so many of the crucial components of said comparison remain a mystery. The Oculus Rift and HTC Vive are two of the most prominent VR headsets soon to be jostling for position alongside Sony’s PlayStation VR, however, their relative price is still unknown.

Many of the hardware specs, such as the internal display and field of view, are virtually the same. Other facets — notably the controllers and tracking system unique to each device — differ, though we haven’t had enough hands-on time with each to declare one experience better than the other. And then there’s the whole question of content to consider.

In short, it’s too early to call a winner, and the similarities in specifications don’t help. The main difference to note is freedom of movement. While the Rift is designed primarily for use in a seated position, the Vive is meant to track a user’s movement within a small space. This means the Rift will be more restrictive, but will also require less space and setup to use.

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from Planet GS via John Jason Fallows on Inoreader http://ift.tt/1NZwrt9
Brandon Widder

John Jason Fallows

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