Virtual reality headset

A virtual reality headset (VR headset) is a head-mounted device that uses 3D near-eye displays and positional tracking to provide a virtual reality environment for the user. VR headsets are widely used with VR video games, but they are also used in other applications, including simulators and trainers. VR headsets typically include a stereoscopic display (providing separate images for each eye), stereo sound, and sensors like accelerometers and gyroscopes for tracking the pose of the user's head to match the orientation of the virtual camera with the user's eye positions in the real world. Mixed reality (MR) headsets are VR headsets that enable the user to see and interact with the outside world. Examples of MR headsets include the Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest 3.

VR headsets typically use at least one MEMS IMU for three degrees of freedom (3DOF) motion tracking, and optionally more tracking technology for six degrees of freedom (6DOF) motion tracking. 6DOF devices typically use a sensor fusion algorithm to merge the data from the IMU and any other tracking sources, typically either one or more external sensors, or "inside-out" tracking using outward facing cameras embedded in the headset. The sensor fusion algorithms that are used are often variants of a Kalman filter. VR headsets can support motion controllers, which similarly combine inputs from accelerometers and gyroscopes with the headset's motion tracking system.

Most headsets are reliant on a personal computer to operate. Some "standalone" headsets are based on a mobile operating system and smartphone-like hardware, allowing VR apps to run directly on the device, while also allowing VR applications to be streamed from a PC over a USB or Wi-Fi connection. Virtual reality headsets and viewers have also been designed for smartphones, where the device's screen is viewed through lenses acting as a stereoscope, rather than using dedicated internal displays.

VPL Research was a company that made early VR headsets in the 1980s.

The Sega VR was announced in 1991 and seen in early 1993 at the Winter CES. It was never released for consoles, but was utilized for the Sega VR-1 motion simulator arcade attraction in 1994. Another early VR headset, the Forte VFX1, was announced at CES in 1994. The VFX-1 has stereoscopic displays, 3-axis head-tracking, and stereo headphones.

Sony released the Glasstron in 1997, which has an optional positional sensor, allowing the wearer to view the surroundings, with the perspective moving as the user's head moves, giving a deep sense of immersion. These VR headsets gave MechWarrior 2 players a new visual perspective of seeing the battlefield from inside the cockpit of their craft. However, these early headsets failed commercially due to their limited technology, and they were described by John Carmack as like "looking through toilet paper tubes".

In 2012, a crowdfunding campaign began for a VR headset known as Oculus Rift; the project was led by several prominent video game developers, including John Carmack who later became the company's CTO. In March 2014, the project's parent company Oculus VR was acquired by Facebook for $2 billion. The final consumer-oriented release of Oculus Rift began shipping on 28 March 2016.

In March 2014, Sony demonstrated a prototype headset for PlayStation 4, which was later named PlayStation VR. In 2014, Valve demonstrated some headset prototypes, which led to a partnership with HTC to produce the Vive, which focuses on "room-scale" VR environments that users can naturally navigate within and interact with. The headset uses Valve's "SteamVR" software platform. The Vive was released in April 2016 and PlayStation VR in October 2016.