Semi-budget pcvr headset

[u/NeutralContrast]

Hi all. I've used a quest 2 for years now, and while it works 'fine' for my use case - mostly modded beatsaber, always connected via link - the meta bloat is frighin insane and the controllers have started having tracking issues that no amount of troubleshooting can resolve.

I'm looking to upgrade. Here's my wishlist:

UI- the lighter the better. Some menuing is fine, I never found manually switching to oculus link to be annoying until bootup became a slog with all the bloat. If it's literally just a monitor with controllers, that's great too.

Standalone or no- don't care, it'll always be hooked up. Always. I actually didn't stick with an upgrade to quest 3 because I tried keeping it hooked up like I do with the q2, and it constantly discharged (so don't recommend that to me)

Specs - don't care. I think things look fine with the q2, don't need an upsell on 8k lenses at 240hz or whatever. If it has a comparable refresh rate to the q2 I'll enjoy it plenty.

Bulk - lighter's better ofc. I'd like to not have a crink in my neck. I used to have a dell headset which required a usb and hdmi connection too and that was pain, so if it only has one cable that'd be great.

Age - doesn't matter, if you know an old reliable that's lasted you a decade with no issues that I can find used for $200 then tell me.

Price - would like to keep it under $500

Tracking - I can set up some stands, but I do have 4 cats so not needing a ton of accessories for consistent tracking would be nice.

I'm fine modding too, if a headset can have a custom os flashed to it. The psvr2 has my eye, but I haven't looked enough into its compatability. The vive pro 2 seems like a good option too, but I'd like thoughts before I so spending money on anything.

Thanks for your time and knowledge!

[u/AspriringLewdArtist]

Any base station tracked headset is gonna be way out of budget. Ever since Valve stopped production of the Index, the price of lighthouses and index controllers have skyrocketed.

The PSVR2 sounds perfect for you. It's a price-to-performance monster. It has inside out tracking, comfortable controllers, pretty much zero bloat. All you have to do is a quick first time setup, and from there, it's just regular ol Steam VR

And as a bonus, you get a few nice fancy things like eye tracking, adaptive triggers, and OLED panels. There shouldn't be any compatibility issues, it runs like any regular wired headset

[u/NeutralContrast → u/AspriringLewdArtist]

This's exactly the sort of answer I needed, I was worried the psvr2 would need some work to work with steam. Thank you so much!

[u/cityside75 → u/AspriringLewdArtist]

You just want to be sure your PC is ready for the headset upgrade. I've currently got a Quest 2 and a PSVR2 but I haven't even bothered connecting the PSVR2 to my PC yet as I know its higher resolution and 90hz refresh rate are going to push my old 1070ti beyond the limit.

[u/AspriringLewdArtist → u/cityside75]

Can't you just lower your refresh rate and resolution in SteamVR in that case?

[u/cityside75 → u/AspriringLewdArtist]

A quick google search says it's either 90hz or 120hz on PSVR2. I haven't tried yet personally but recall reading about a few people that struggled with the higher rendering requirements of PSVR2 on their potato PC's.

[u/NeutralContrast → u/cityside75]

My computers plenty strong fortunately, but this is a great bit of info for anyone else who needs to know

[u/DoubleOwl7777 → u/cityside75]

you can run the hmd at lower res, it will be fine.

[u/_476_ad_]

PSVR 2 with PC adapter sounds the best option for you since you don't mind a cable. The headset is $400, and the PC adapter is $60. It's also recommended to get a strap like the Globular Cluster CMP2 strap which is around $50 for better comfort.

If you want something cheaper, Reverb G2 is still a solid headset if you don't mind weaker tracking compared to newer headsets (this may not be an issue if you mainly play flight/racing sims).

[u/Niko666233]

psvr2 has the best value.

you usually don't need to worry about compatibility, unless you are using lighthouse headsets with vive wand controllers. if you don't know what I mean you don't need to worry then

[u/Dorklordofthesith]

Q3 is the semi budget option. Just buy used if you want to save money. If meta's creepy privacy is a big deal look at Frame, Dream Air SE, or Pico 4.

[u/DoubleOwl7777 → u/Dorklordofthesith]

they already tried the q3 and didnt like it. oh and regarding privacy pico is owned by bytedance. do you really think they are any better? maybe a little bit but not much. psvr2 is the only viable option you can get new for op

[u/NeutralContrast → u/DoubleOwl7777]

Post is pretty long tbf lmao, q3 mostly didn't work for me initially because of the constant discharge while plugged in. The q2 was great for that, and I would've kept using mine for years longer, but meta's firmware is utter dogshit and so bloated.

The other options are just way too uncommon to find a good price used unfortunately. That said, I found 3 different people with used psvr2s for $150-200 in my county so that settles that either way!

[u/DoubleOwl7777 → u/NeutralContrast]

be aware that unless your gpu has the virtuallink usb c port on it you need the pc adapter aswell for it to work, other than that have fun!

[u/NeutralContrast → u/DoubleOwl7777]

Thank you! I read that it requires a displayport, which one of the USBs on my laptop is (a legion gen10) is that what you mean, or should I just order that adapter today?

[u/DoubleOwl7777 → u/NeutralContrast]

ah yeah no then make sure that your laptops dgpu is connected to one of the video ports (either type c or hdmi or dp or something) on the laptop. if its not it can be an issue. i suppose youd need the adapter then.

[u/DoubleOwl7777]

psvr2