2018 saw some massive price cuts on virtual reality equipment, as both the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift dropped in price by hundreds of pounds in efforts to lure more customers into their ecosystems, and with the release of new headsets in 2019 including the Oculus Rift S and Oculus Quest, we hope this trend will continue.
The end result is that VR is more affordable than ever before. We’ve done our best to sort through the best offers around on VR headsets and games to help you get the best price.
Best virtual reality deals right now
For ease, we’re going to break down the sort of deals you can expect to see by platform.
PlayStation VR deals
Despite being the cheapest of the VR sets on the market right now, we’ve seen impressive discounts and bundles for the PSVR headset, cameras and games.
If you’re looking to buy the headset itself, the best bet is to go for one of the various bundles, which tend to include the headset, the PlayStation Camera (which you need to run the headset), and a game or two. Also keep an eye out for the optional (but fun) Move controllers, and remember you’ll still need a PS4 or PS4 Pro to play it all on.
if you already have a headset, you can still find discounts on games – especially the launch titles that are now looking slightly less polished than more recent games.
HTC Vive deals
Vive saw a massive price drop in 2018, from £759 down to £499, though that still makes it the most expensive consumer-focused VR set on the market.
Remember that you’ll need a decent-spec PC to run any VR – if you don’t have one, keep an eye on gaming PC deals – any high-end rig will run VR well, though some specifically advertise themselves as ‘VR-ready’ now to show they meet the required specs for Vive and Oculus.
Oculus Rift S deals
The Oculus Rift S was released earlier in 2019 as a replacement to the original Oculus Rift, and boasts the same attractive £399 price tag despite the various upgrades on offer.
Look out for bundles including the hardware, controllers, and games – if they drop below the £400 with games included, it’s worth considering.
Games themselves also get discounts, so check out the likes of Steam, the Oculus Store and Green Man Gaming. And, as with the Vive, remember to look out for bargains on VR-ready PCs too, if you don’t have one yet.
For all of these platforms, Amazon has some of the biggest bargains.
Best VR deals of August 2019
1. Oculus Go 32GB
From: Currys PC World
Was: £199.99
Now: £194 (£5.99 off)
View Deal
It may not be the biggest discount ever, but this is currently the cheapest way to get your hands on the standalone Oculus Go headset. It’s not as powerful as the high-end Oculus Quest, but it’s a great entry point for consumers and doesn’t require a smartphone or PC to operate.
2. PlayStation VR Starter Pack
Now: £249.98
View Deal
If you want to get into PlayStation VR, this is a decent place to start. The Starter Bundle includes the PlayStation VR headset along with the PlayStation V2 camera and VR Worlds, a VR demo game with a number of mini-games and experiences.
You’ll still need to buy the motion controllers, though!
3. PlayStation VR Mega Pack
Now: £299.99
View Deal
This is the ultimate bundle to kickstart your VR experience, featuring not only the PSVR headset and PlayStation camera, but download codes for DOOM VFR, WipEout Omega Collection, Skyrim VR, Astro Bot Rescue Mission and PlayStation VR Worlds.
But, like the above deal, you’ll still need to buy the motion controllers!
4. Oculus Rift S
Now: £399.99
View Deal
While it may not be discounted, we couldn’t not mention the Oculus Rift S. The 2019 model offers a significant upgrade over the original and cements its place as one of the most advanced (and budget-friendly) PC-based VR headsets on the market.
It boasts upgraded optics, enhanced design and inside-out tracking – find out more in our full Oculus Rift S review.
5. HTC Vive
Now: £499.99
View Deal
The HTC Vive is more budget-friendly than at launch and does offer compatibility with a variety of accessories, but these come at a cost. It also offers the increasingly-dated external sensors to track motion, unlike the likes of the Oculus Quest and Rift S.
Still, if you want to invest in the Vive ecosystem, this is the best price you’ll find online right now!
6. HTC Vive Pro
From: eBuyer
Was: £799.99
Now: £749.99 (£50 off)
View Deal
If you’ve already got the HTC Vive and want to upgrade your virtual experience, you can pick up the Vive Pro headset from eBuyer with £50 off the £799.99 RRP.
It’s worth noting that this deal is for the headset only – you’ll have to buy the base stations and controllers separately if you don’t already have an HTC Vive system.
Click here for the best Samsung deals and Samsung voucher codes.
