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Rift versus Vive. I have only one winner.

janherca
Explorer
After using both during a few weeks for me there is only one clear winner: Oculus Rift, and let me explain my reasons for saying this.

Five key points:

1. Products are compared poorly. We must compare the HMD on one side and the controllers in the other. Since Touch will not come until September, we must remove Valve's "cutlass" controllers from the comparison. We must also take concepts as room-scale outside the comparison. Both Rift and Vive allow room-scale. Simply games for Rift are more focused on playing seated. But that will change with the arrival of Touch. We have to compare pears with pears, so I will focus on comparing the two HMDs and nothing else, which for now is what Oculus has released.

2. Focusing on the HMDs, there are four key aspects. First is the arrangement of pixels. Rift is noticeably better what means it feels to have higher resolution than Vive, and also less screendoor effect. It is quite remarkable, not slightly. For example, in a game like Elite Dangerous it means that in Rift you can comfortably read the interface panels and in Vive you need to lean forward. It is a very noticeable difference.

3. Ergonomics. Absolute Zero for HTC Vive. Vive in my opinion is a Developer Kit 2 put in a nice box. It has the same ergonomics as the Oculus DK2, I mean, painful. Weight badly distributed that causes that after half hour of play my cheeks hurt, where all the weight is supported, and it hurts my head. From the backside there go four wires attached! (yes, yes, four), which form a rigid assembly pulling you down and creating an enormous discomfort in both standing and sitting experiences. Sitting is even worse. The absence of integrated headphones is very noticeable and it is a mistake. Putting them on is a nuisance every time you use the HMD. Rift is more rigid in its foam, but on the contrary it feels super light on the head and it don't press your face at all. This allows a huge difference in terms of hours of use. I have played up to two hours at Rift without any discomfort symptom. With Vive, half an hour and I'm in trouble.

4. Lens glare. This effect of Fresnel lenses is equally pronounced in Vive than in Oculus Rift. Both share the same problem. In games with high-contrast black backgrounds with bright interfaces, such as Elite Dangerous, it is a problem that is very pronounced and very annoying. You can only reduce it by decreasing the brightness of the interface, but even that way it pops out. This is no better in Vive than in Rift. Both equally bad.

5. The most important point in my opinion, the one and only that leave in nothing previous three, is the Async Time Warp, the wonder created by the genius John Carmack. HTC Vive does not have this technology and it is super noticeable. I have done tests on a PC slightly above the minimum specs required by Oculus and Valve. The card I've used is a GTX970. In Rift all games are extremely smooth, even the most demanding, as Elite Dangerous or Project Cars. Never, never I have a drop of frames. In any moment. With HTC Vive sometimes there is judder. Not a judder to stop you playing, but there are moments in games as Elite Dangerous when entering a space station where definitely the wonder created by Carmack shines in all its glory. A GTX970 is enough to play Elite Dangerous in Rift, but not in HTC Vive.

All my current experience, both sitting and standing, both installing, buying games, settting options, etc. Everything is comparatively better in Rift than with Vive. The only plus point for HTC is the tracking system. It is very good. The sensors have a huge tracking volume and are very accurate. Oculus camera, although is great for being just a camera, is below. But also consider that HTC Vive are two base stations that must be placed in a very specific position in the room, and that is a hassle installation.

Overall, after two weeks of testing with each other, I have a clear winner. Oculus Rift. There's no more. I only can say that from now on, except for games or apps only available in SteamVR, I'm going to enjoy the rest in Rift. And I am convinced that when Oculus releases Touch most of the content that is now exclusive to SteamVR and is only room-scale oriented will also be available for Rift. So I have no concern in that regard. Oculus is not going to be as a device with a fragment of the content of VR. Developers are super eager to get their creations to the widest possible audience.

I do not do this analysis in order to alienate anyone from the idea of ​​purchasing the product from HTC. I only expose this as informative, but I recommend to anyone who is in doubt of what product to buy that if he or she has a way to test the products by a friend, do it, try the same game in both headsets, and evaluate calmly after a long gaming session which product you are interested in more. Rift and Vive are expensive purchases. My advice if you are in doubt is to have patience and seek the opportunity to try and see if what I say in this analysis is true or not. I've read dozens of reviews and each makes an assessment putting pears and apples on the table. There are those who appreciate the room-scale above all things, and of course that is a feature with limited support in Rift since it only gives you one sensor and HTC Vive carries two. If all you want to experience the VR is the room-scale, then surely Rift disappoint you. But in my opinion, that is not the way to do an objective review of the products. We have to compare what is now available in both products, and within that, evaluate all what they offer, from installation, to purchasing of content and using the content. Again I recommend to not trust any review, including this one, and please, try first hand the products before buying them. Perhaps if you are patient and wait for Touch you end finding that all Oculus products (HMD, sensors and controllers) are better than HTC equivalents. And that would make worth the waiting.

Have fun
208 REPLIES 208

It took me 10 minutes with the Vive to realise that i wouldn't be able to use it for prolonged periods.  It weighed too much and then putting on a set of headphones - the band over my head and the fitting just wasn't right.  Now, they were someone else's headphones but i instantly remembered putting on my own with the DK2 - bloody awful.  With trial and error i'm sure owners will get it to suit them but i don't want trial and error, i want it to be consumer-ready.
Big PC, all the headsets, now using Quest 3

Kalec84
Heroic Explorer
Good speech 🙂
I'm looking forward to know the real winner of this debate (Rift vs Vive) when the touch comes out and we will finally know who is better 🙂

Superdeluxo
Explorer

andyring said:

It took me 10 minutes with the Vive to realise that i wouldn't be able to use it for prolonged periods.  It weighed too much and then putting on a set of headphones - the band over my head and the fitting just wasn't right.  Now, they were someone else's headphones but i instantly remembered putting on my own with the DK2 - bloody awful.  With trial and error i'm sure owners will get it to suit them but i don't want trial and error, i want it to be consumer-ready.



My peephole pringle is modelled on an SAS balaclava... this country!



Kalec84 said:

Good speech 🙂
I'm looking forward to know the real winner of this debate (Rift vs Vive) when the touch comes out and we will finally know who is better 🙂



I think the word we should be using is preferred.

Some will prefer the Rift, some will prefer the Vive...  which is fair enough.
Big PC, all the headsets, now using Quest 3

Percy1983
Superstar
I will say this is basically my reasoning to get the Rift over the Vive, the HMD is simply better.

I will say room scale doesn't interest me but tracked controllers do and Touch does looks quite a lot better.

I do get the feeling the Vive was rushed to market to not miss the boat where Oculus really did spend a lot of time getting it right.

By all means I seems the Vive is a great bit of kit and I am sure many will enjoy it, but it just does tick the right boxes for me.
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DerekSpeare
Adventurer
I have had the DK2 for 18+ months and have demoed both the Vive and the CV1.  The OP's comments on the SDE in the Vive are correct.  The SDE with the Vive is much closer to the DK2 and only somewhat better.  The SDE with the CV1 is there, but significantly better than the DK2.  Comfort go to the CV1 as well. ATW is makes a remarkable difference, but I'd expect something like it from the Vive in the future.  The roomscale feature is irrelevant to me, but may be for others.  The Vive's controllers are great, but not for me. 

Ultimately it's the implementation of the VR HMD that wins the day.  Right now it's the CV1 in my opinion.  What will be in five years is another matter.  If Oculus wants to be that one in five years, they really need to improve their execution and deployment to the point of perfection.
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AHeckman
Expert Protege
i was expecting to see chicken dinner... sadly disappointed.

JED44
Rising Star
Very good review /comparison . If only more people on the forums actually took the time to make coherent and informed arguments. I have to ask for the vive did you adjust the back strap correctly? I used to have it on the top of my head closer to a baseball cap and the weight of the vive was all on my cheeks, but after I loosened the top strap and was able to get it lower on my skull the weight was distributed a lot better and it became loads more comfortable.

Zoomie
Expert Trustee

Thanks for the review janherica.  Your list of preferred features matches mine pretty closely and an "apples to apples" review is something I asked for when these units first started shipping.  Reading reviews like this helps me justify my wait for Touch. 

Now that apples to apples is out of the way, how much do the Wands add to your overall experience?

Do you find yourself using room scale more often with the Vive?  If so, is it because the experiences are geared towards room-scale or is the Vive better suited in some way?

Which headset are you spending more time using, and with what apps?

Do you have a list of the best experiences for both headsets?  Ideally owners of both headsets will eventually be able to use every VR experience and game, so it's nice to see a "best of" list from the other side.

Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. - Arthur C Clarke