VR industry - Spotlight, attention! 

The gaming industry doesn't stand still: new projects, new software and utilities are released every day. Video cards overclock their gigabytes of video memory, and processor clock speeds creep smoothly towards numbers with five zeros. But one area is getting undeservedly little attention - the realm of virtual reality.

VR technology was a promising attempt to bring reality and behind-the-scenes closer together, but meta-universes have all but supplanted them in that arena.

No matter how you look at it, VR technology has never managed to become a mass-market product. A good VR helmet costs a lot of money (around $800), and there is no point in buying a bad one.

The screens in a VR-helmet are too close to the eyes, and the smallest flaws in the picture in these same eyes and catches. If a gamer decides to make such an outlandish purchase, he or she has no right to make a mistake. To buy a low-quality product is to subscribe to your short-sighted choice. And we would like to help such people...

• HTC Vive Focus Plus - A regular on many tops and a crowd favourite. The HTC Vive Focus Plus is inexpensive, relatively lightweight and runs cordless, on battery power. The viewing angle is standard at 110° and the display is updated at 75Hz.

The large pixels are a little embarrassing. If you buy this helmet, you will notice them at first anyway, but you will quickly get used to them. You can't play big projects on this VR helmet, but you can play platformers a la Fruit Ninja or Angry Birds. The helmet runs on its own operating system, which you can customize right in the virtual space. All you need to do is connect the HTCVive Focus Plus to a 5GHz Wi-Fi router, set up in the 3D menu along the way, and start using the helmet.

• Oculus Rift S - And here is the helmet already for PC. Oculus Rift S has system requirements of Intel Core i3-6100, GeForce GTX 960 and 8GB of RAM. By today's standards, the requirements are extremely low, but it is worth mentioning. Oculus Rift S is technologically more complex than the HTC Vive Focus Plus, but it is just as easy to understand, because the letter "S" stands for "Simplified" - "simplified".

The model uses a single LCD screen divided into two displays by the software. The distance between the eyes is standard, 64 mm. This distance is not adjustable, which clouds the first impression somewhat. If the user has unusually seated eyes, he will have to additionally adjust the display to himself. What is noteworthy: Oculus Rift S works with SteamVR and weighs only 500 grams, and the helmet can be used on a patch 2 * 2 square meters. Oculus Rift S is suitable for those looking for an inexpensive VR helmet. Thanks to the versions of the device, you can pick up exactly what you need.

• The Valve Index is one of the best VR helmets for 2023 and objectively the best VR helmet in 2019. It has it all: two LCD screens with 1440*1600 resolution on each screen with refresh rates from 80 Hz to 140 Hz. There is already an eye distance adjustment here. The lenses, concave inward, can be zoomed in or out by changing the viewing angle. If you move the lenses as close to your eyes as possible, you get the full 140° angle of view. The Valve Index comes with neck and face padding so the helmet fits snugly on your head and the glare from the outside world through the face pad seals does not interfere with play.

The Valve Index headphones are worthy of special praise. They are not vacuum headphones, but the depth and clarity of sound is a pleasant surprise, and the bass is a song! The only disadvantage of the Valve Index is its price and demanding hardware. This VR-helmet costs as good as a full-fledged computer. On the Valve Index you can play almost all games with VR support, so only flash games, you are likely not limited to. But if money is not an issue for you - take the Valve Index.

What you need to know before buying a VR helmet

If you have purchased a VR helmet and rushed home in the brightest eagerness to try the new product, you may not be in for the most pleasant surprise. Watching others play is one thing, but using it yourself is another. Advertising for VR helmets is like advertising for coffee: you wake up in the morning. He is full of energy, instantly rushes out of bed and brews a cup of his favorite espresso with a smile on his face. But how do we actually get up in the morning? How many alarm clocks does it take for you to actually wake up? That's were playing with a VR helmet has its nuances:

• Don't disappear into the game for too long at once, get used to VR - This is especially true for those who suffer from motion sickness. If you stay in virtual reality for a long time, you may feel dizzy, weak, and even nauseous. The first two or three gaming sessions limit yourself to 1–2 hours. Otherwise, instead of the desired game, you will play a hangover simulator.
• Take care of your playing space - As soon as you put on your VR helmet, it's as if you are disconnected from the outside world. You won't be able to feel your surroundings, and after 20 minutes of play, you'll forget where anything was. Before you start the game, make sure you have at least 2 square meters of free space around you, or better yet, play in the middle of the room away from the furniture.
• The rule of thumb is "73 FPS" - if the FPS in the game falls below 73, the picture will not keep up with your head turns. The minimum allowable value is 75 FPS and not a frame lower! It's not in Cyberpunk 2077 on the minimum resolution of 20 FPS to play, you can not tolerate. Violation of this rule threatens to turn any game you choose into an alcoholic simulator. Headaches, nausea and vestibular disorders are not a complete list of what will happen with 72 and below FPS in VR games. That's why the HTC Vive Focus Plus ranked last: any drop in frames per second is fraught with consequences. Take care of yourself and remember this rule as "2+2=4".