VR headsets might be the most revolutionary technological invention to ever happen to modern-day gaming. However, if you’re an avid gamer nowadays, you know that this isn’t the most accessible piece of gaming equipment, if not for its price, then for its platform limitations. If you’re a PlayStation gamer, you’re likely using the PlayStation Virtual Reality (PSVR) headset and if you’re a PC gamer, you’ll have one of the many Oculus models. But what about the thousands of us with an Xbox?
Currently, Microsoft has not released a VR headset that is compatible with Xbox. However, there are select VR headsets created by different companies that seem to work well with this console, the most notable being the Oculus Rift or Oculus Quest 2 by Meta (Facebook). But this compatibility highly depends on the headset and console model.
In this article, we’ll delve into VR technology for the Xbox and discuss what headset options are available for Xbox gamers and the limitations of their use. Additionally, you’ll learn if Microsoft has any intentions of creating a VR headset of their own for the Xbox and what factors might be affecting this decision.
What VR Headsets Are Compatible with Xbox?
Microsoft might not have its own VR headset available for Xbox, but that doesn’t mean you’re completely out of luck for VR gaming if you own one of these consoles. Since there are no VR headsets that are 100% compatible with this console, you’ll find some work better than others, but in the end, there are a select few that will “work” nonetheless.
The VR headsets most compatible with the Xbox (more specifically the Xbox One, since that is the model most gamers use) are those created by Oculus VR, more specifically the Oculus Rift or Oculus Quest 2. However, other VR headsets that have been said to work with varying degrees of success include:
- GenBasic Quad HD
- Hixanny VR Headset
- HYON VR Headset
- HTC VIVE Pro Virtual Reality Headset
- HTC Vive Cosmos Elite Virtual Reality System
- PlayStation VR
- Beneve VR All-in-one 3D Glasses
- TYVeRA VR Headset
- Microsoft Hololens
The list is relatively long because this is an area that gamers can’t seem to agree on, and the reason is most likely that none of them are truly compatible with the Xbox One. As a result, you’ll have to do a fair amount of fiddling around with your system settings and add some wires and adapters to even get decent results.
Although many Xbox players praised their successes with the Oculus Rift, this headset was discontinued quite some time ago. Normally we’d say just opt for the Oculus Rift S instead, but this was also discontinued recently, leaving the Oculus Quest 2 as the only Oculus VR headset currently available.
While you can connect the Oculus Quest 2 to your Xbox One, you’ll have to get crafty with your connection and settings just like all the other options, but considering this is often deemed the best standalone VR headset, it will likely be worth the effort.
Do the New Xbox Series S/X Support VR?
With the release of the Xbox Series S and X, many VR enthusiasts have been crossing their fingers that these new models will finally be built with VR support so they can more easily connect their not-so-compatible headsets. Unfortunately, the answer is no; the new Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S were not designed with VR support technologies.
Why Doesn’t Xbox Have VR?
So, the question everyone is asking: why doesn’t Xbox have a 100% compatible VR headset yet? Well, the answer lies with Microsoft.
Despite the significant success of Meta’s Oculus VR, PlayStation’s PSVR, and various other gaming VR technology companies, Microsoft has failed to enter the VR headset race and has stated time and again in the recent years that they don’t intend to any time soon.
There’s a lot of speculation as to why Microsoft has been so adamant about not creating their own VR headset for Xbox. The efforts of Windows Mixed Reality gave many hope that Microsoft was working their way towards creating a VR headset that could rival PlayStation and Oculus, but it has yet to appear.
The most likely reasons people have assigned to this delay are:
- The Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X have been taking the majority of Microsoft’s attention lately
- PlayStation PSVR is too successful and competitive at the moment, particularly with the upcoming release of the PSVR 2
As far as VR technology is concerned, it might not be the best time for Microsoft to get into the game until the PSVR 2 has been out for a while and they have more time and resources to dedicate to a quality VR headset rival.
Still, there are a decent number of people who strongly believe Microsoft is actually working on their on VR headset for Xbox but just keeping this information close to their chest until the time is right.
Final Thoughts
While there aren’t any VR headsets currently available that are fully compatible with the Xbox One or its new S and X series, there are several renowned VR headsets that will work without the proper setup. Hopefully, after these new Xbox models and the PSVR 2 have been released for some time, Microsoft will finally give us the Xbox compatible VR headset we’ve been begging for, but for now, it’s still a waiting game.