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My first VR experience was in 2015. I have personally tested the Rift, Vive, GearVR, Cardboard, Odyssey, Oculus Quest, and Oculus Quest 2, as well as the Hololens, so I have a wide range of experience on different VR/AR platforms. All of the SketchUp VR apps reviewed below were personally reviewed by me as well, spending over 40 hours researching, testing, and writing specifically for this article. I hope you find my experience and insight helpful when choosing a VR headset and app for yourself.
As of 11/20/2020, the headset I recommend is the Oculus Quest 2. Check it out on Amazon, or continue below to find out why it’s my top pick.
Comparing VR Headset Features
There is a very wide range of VR headsets on the market, each providing a very different experience depending upon which features it has. Aside from obvious things like display quality, refresh rate, weight, and physical comfort, there are some major features that put VR headsets into distinct categories. Knowing which of these features are most important to you will help you decide the type of headset you should get.
After reviewing the different VR headset features, I’ll group them into four main categories, and recommend a headset for each use case. Then, I’ll take a deeper look at why I recommend the Oculus Quest 2 for most people looking to get a VR Headset.
- PC Tethered: With PC tethered VR Headsets like the HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, or Valve Index, you are getting the best resolution, performance, and refresh rate because you are using your computer’s high-performance graphics card. You’ll have access to the largest selection of VR apps and games. The downside is that you have wires coming out of the headset that need to be connected to your computer, so the headset isn’t very portable, and the wires can get in the way while using the headset. Tethered headsets tend to be more expensive, especially when considering the cost of the graphics card needed to run them, (although I’m sure you’ve already got a pretty nice computer setup, so it’s not like you’re going out and buying a new graphics card just for this.)
- Stand-alone VR headsets like the Oculus Quest 2 are more portable, accessible, and easy to use because they don’t use your PC. They are completely wireless and can be taken anywhere. You do sacrifice some performance since all the processing power needs to be built into the headset, however the Quest can be used with Oculus Link, which lets you use your Quest tethered to your computer using a USB cable, so you basically get the best of both worlds.
- 6DoF vs 3DoF (Degrees of Freedom): The best virtual reality headsets have 6DoF, which track not only the direction you are
looking, but the actual position of your head in 3D space. Basic VR headsets (like a Google Cardboard, GearVR, or Oculus Go) only offer 3DoF, which only track the direction you arelooking . If you step to the side while looking forward, the headset won’t know you’ve moved at all. This can cause motionsickness, and feels less immersive. If you’ve tried one of these and weren’t impressed with VR, you truly haven’t experienced VR! You have to try a REAL VR headset. The Oculus Quest 2 has full 6DoF tracking! - Controllers: While in VR, you need a way to interact and navigate within the virtual world. The best VR headsets include 2 fully tracked (6DoF) controllers. Some of the more basic headsets will only have one
controller, or none at all. Sometimes, a simple controller is better for people unfamiliar with VR, which is great if you want a more accessible VR experience for clients. The Oculus Quest 2 not only includes 2 fully tracked controllers, but it also has hands-free mode, which uses the built-in cameras to track your hands and fingers in VR to interact in the headset. Not too many apps support hands-free mode, but it’s pretty cool nonetheless. - Inside-out tracking: The latest VR headsets are using inside-out tracking, which means they achieve 6DoF positional tracking using several cameras built-in to the headset. Other headsets like the HTV Vive require one or more external tracking sensors be set up in the room in order to track 6DoF. With external trackers, you have to deal with the aesthetic and inconvenience of setting them up. Kind of a pain if you don’t have outlets near-by, or if you want to travel with your VR setup. The Oculus Quest 2 uses 4 built-in cameras for inside-out, wireless tracking.
- IPD range: IPD (Interpupillary-distance) is just a fancy way to say “How far apart are your eyes?” You can actually measure this yourself using a ruler and a mirror. The best headsets offer adjustable lens IPD, which physically changes the distance between the lenses in order to better match your personal IPD. This is really important in order to reduce blurriness and VR-sickness. The Oculus Quest 2 has a limited adjustable lens IPD which works well for most people.
- Platform: Just like an iPhone uses apps from the App Store, and Android uses apps from the Play Store, each VR headset will be compatible with one or more platform. The biggest platforms are SteamVR and the Oculus Rift store, but there
are also separate stores for Oculus Go, Oculus Quest, Windows WMR store, Google Daydream (discontinued), Google Cardboard, *Playstation VR, and GearVR. There are some workarounds for getting a headset to work with other platforms, but for the most part, understand that you might be limited to what’s officially supported. One thing that’s cool about the Oculus Quest 2 is that not only does it work with the native Oculus Quest store, but you can use Oculus Link to connect it to your PC in order to access games and apps on SteamVR, the largest VR library.
* (I’m leaving out Playstation VR from this review since it’s really specialized for gaming, and doesn’t offer any real workflow for viewing or interacting with SketchUp models.)
The Four Types of VR Headsets
VR headsets can be split into 4 distinct categories. PC-powered with 6Dof, stand-alone with 6DoF, stand-alone with 3DoF, and smartphone-powered VR viewers. They each have their place, depending on your budget and what you will be using VR for.
PC-Powered 6DoF VR Headsets ($299-$999+):
VR headsets that are tethered to your high-performance computer offer the best possible graphics and 6DoF. They have the widest range of VR apps available and allow for real-time synchronization with your SketchUp model using an app like VR Sketch or Enscape. This is the type of headset you should get if you want the best VR performance and viewing quality available, but don’t care at all about portability or leisure use like watching Netflix.
I previously recommended the Samsung Odyssey+, but it seems to be discontinued so prices have skyrocketed, and now that I’ve been using the Oculus Quest 2, I would NOT recommend the Odyssey if you’re looking to buy a headset in the sub-$500 range.
- BUDGET PICK Oculus Quest 2 $399 – Wait, isn’t the Quest a wireless VR headset? Yes, it is, but using Oculus Link, you can connect it to your PC with a special USB cable. Best of both worlds!
- BEST QUALITY Valve Index $999 – A highly refined headset with an emphasis on visual quality, ergonomics & adjustability, audio quality, and customization. Requires 2 external trackers, and is compatible with HTC Vive lighthouse trackers if you already own them, in which case, the headset and controllers will only cost you $749.
Stand-alone 6DoF VR Headsets ($399)
UPDATE: I’ve gotten a lot of people asking what the deal is with Mac? Why don’t I have any info for Mac users wanting to use VR? The best solution for Mac users is to go with a good stand-alone headset like the Oculus Quest 2.
If you value ease of use, portability, comfort, while not wanting to sacrifice too much performance, then a stand-alone VR headset that offers 6DoF tracking is your next best bet. These headsets are completely wireless and don’t use a PC at all. You will be limited in the types of apps that work with SketchUp, (I expect that to change as time goes on), but this type of headset is also great for general entertainment (Netflix, YouTube) and gaming (Beat Saber, Super Hot).
- Oculus Quest 2 $399 – The best stand-alone 6DoF headset currently on the market. Supported natively by VRSketch, IrisVR, and The Wild, as well as the official SketchUp VR viewer, and Enscape via Oculus Link. You can also view stereoscopic still images or 360° photos of your model. This is currently my favorite VR headset and the one I go to whenever I want to jump into VR.
HTC VIVE Focus $599– Not recommended. Too expensive, marketed for enterprise users, no official SketchUp support.Lenovo Mirage Solo with Daydream $199– Not recommended. Poor reviews, only compatible with Daydream apps, only one SketchUp VR app supported.
Stand-alone 3DoF VR Headsets ($199)
If you’re looking for a low-cost, easily accessible stand-alone VR experience, a 3DoF headset can do the job. These types of headsets can be great for sharing with clients on the road or at the
Oculus Go $199Discontinued– Not recommended. Oculus discontinued this headset with the launch of the Quest 2. It’s just not worth getting a 3DoF headset at this point, in my opinion.
Smartphone-driven VR viewers ($5-50)
These simple VR viewers hold your smartphone in front of a couple of
- Google Daydream View – ONLY if you have a compatible phone. Works with specific Daydream-compatible smartphones. Includes one controller.
- Samsung GearVR – ONLY if you have a compatible phone. Includes one controller.
- Google Cardboard devices – Pretty much all the random VR headsets you see in the convenience store, or on Amazon, which
require you to use your phone, are essentially Google Cardboard devices. You download the Google Cardboard app on your phone, or a specialty app like Kubity, to view your model in VR. These are actually great little devices for casual VR viewing, but they aren’t very immersive, and generally have a very small visual sweet spot.
Best VR Headset for SketchUp
The best VR headset you can get right now is the Oculus Quest 2. It’s super affordable, has 6 degrees of positional tracking, doesn’t require any external sensors or PC, and includes two positionally-tracked controllers for interacting with the virtual environment. As a bonus, it works with Oculus Link, allowing you to tether it to your PC if you want to use PC VR apps and games.
Being able to take this device anywhere, like to a client’s home or job site, creates more opportunities for sharing your model in VR.
SketchUp VR Apps
The following is a table showing all of the available apps that have VR features that work with SketchUp. Some of these apps have other features, but in this table we only focus on the virtual reality compatibility. (For example, Enscape is an amazing real-time rendering program, and Kubity has great non-VR model sharing features.)
| Name | VR Platform | VR Type | Multi-user | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enscape | PC | 6DoF, live-SKP | ❗ | $47/mo |
| IrisVR | PC, Quest | 6DoF | 🙂 | $225/mo |
| Kubity, 3D2VR | PC, Phone | 3DoF | ❗ | $8/mo |
| Modelo.io | Phone | Stationary 3DoF | ❗ | $70/mo |
| SentioVR | PC, Phone, Quest | 6DoF, 3DoF, Photo-Rendered Photosphere | 🙂 | $59/mo |
| Simlab | PC, Quest | Photo-Rendered 6DoF | ❗ | Free |
| SketchUp VR Viewer | PC | 6DoF | 🙂 | *SU Pro |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| the wild | PC, Quest, Phone | 6DoF | 🙂 | $295/mo |
| *Unity (build your own VR app) | PC, Quest, Phone | 🙂 | 🙂 | Free |
| VR Sketch | PC, Quest | 6DoF, live-SKP | 🙂 | $35/mo |
| V-Ray for SketchUp | PC, Quest, Phone | Photo-Rendered Stereo sphere | ❗ | $29/mo |
| Yulio | Phone | Photo-Rendered Stereo sphere | ❗ | $35/mo |
