help with wireless vr headset please

[stoicx]

already starting to think about Christmas so i can save up money
want to get my son a good wireless vr headset for his pc. what are the best choices. from 800 dollars down? we don't have smart phones so those kind are out.. i want one of the self contained ones. i just don't know enough about this stuff to even know where to begin and of course i want it to be a surprise for him

any information would be greatly appreciated

 

[vrumor]

What are the specs of his PC?

 

[stoicx]

What are the specs of his PC?

sorry i forgot to mention that
Intel Core i5 6th Gen 6600 (3.30 GHz)
8 GB DDR4
1 TB HDD
Windows 10 Home 64-Bit
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 2 GB

 

[vrumor]

He will need a new GPU as well. 1070 would be a good card to get.

 

[stoicx]

are there any at all. even non-wireless .. that he could use with what he has now?

 

[Sakkura]

You can sort of use the GTX 950, but in the majority of content it will run sluggishly and quite possibly result in nausea.

Since you're looking ahead to Christmas, it might be worth waiting to see how the market develops in the coming months. More PC VR headsets are on the way from Microsoft's partners, the first should launch quite soon. The Vive might get cheaper. And wireless solutions are going to get more available; there is an upgrade kit for the Vive, but it's been largely unavailable outside China so far.

Right now, the Rift (with Touch controllers) is $600 and the Vive is $800. Considering the need for a GPU upgrade as well, that doesn't leave real room for a wireless upgrade on top (expect to pay $200+ to get one). But the bar may get lowered in the next few months.

 

[Tri23]

Pretty much agree with the above analysis.

First, (~$500)
- New graphics card is needed to do VR.

Second ($600 - $800)
- Pick a VR system. (go vive)

Third: ($200)
- get the Wireless accessory.
Note:
1) Not released to US, so you have to buy it from China (or amazon. Pre-orders avail with no release date.)
URL:
https/www.vive.com/cn/accessory/tpcast/


Lastly:
- Make sure you have enough space for room-scale to make the wireless worth spending the additional $200.
You really want the 4mx4m playspace or larger or else just go wired.