Virtual reality gaming has become a huge industry in the recent year or so. With top notch headsets like the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive coming down in prices, this is a piece of technology that isn’t out of the buyer power of the typical consumer.
Naturally, there are now countless retailers carrying VR equipment at extremely competitive prices. Really, you won’t find differences in the pricing between different retailers.
What separates them will be the whole ecosystem, and whether you’ll be able to get a complete VR system from the same place.
The most important aspect when looking for a place to buy VR gaming gear would be to check the customer service that is being provided. Bad customer experience means poor after-sales and unhelpful warranty service. For that we always recommend buying from trusted, reputable companies that have a solid footprint.
In this article we’ll be looking at several such places where you can buy VR gaming gear at competitive rates and excellent customer backup.
As always, before making any kind of VR hardware purchase, you should be vary of the kind of experience you want. VR technology ranges from extremely affordable to money-no-object expensive.
You should always keep in mind the money you’ll be able to spend and the sort of experience that will get you.
You don’t want to spend too little because that will also buy you a very basic VR experience. A good VR experience will cost you, there’s no escaping from that. It’s better to hold off and save some more to get a VR experience that will satisfy you and make you a believer in the technology.
Let’s take a look at best places to shop for virtual reality gaming gear.
Best Places to Shop
1.Amazon
The Amazon marketplace is unmatched for the variety of products it offers. There’s almost everything imaginable on sale here.
It’s really surreal to image that this e-commerce behemoth started out as a humble online bookstore. The reason for Amazon’s success is simple; they keep profits to a minimum and offer a range of products that won’t leave you disappointed.
The customer service is also on par and the company really stands behind the products on sale. It’s pretty safe to assume that you will always get a great deal when you shop through Amazon.
When it comes to virtual reality gaming gear for consoles, this marketplace has got you pretty much covered.
All of the major VR headsets like the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and PlayStation VR headset are available here at competitive prices. You will even find gaming bundles on offer which offer great value and solid discounts as compared to the bundled products bought separately.
You simply won’t have to go to another online store to get what you want.
The shopping experience on Amazon is also pretty good. The store has a robust review system in place which lets its users rate products and leave written reviews for them. Customers who have actually purchased the product from Amazon get a special “Verified Buyer” tag so you know the review and rating comes from someone who’s actually used the product.
This will definitely help you make a more informed decision as you will be able to gauge how the product performs in real life.
2.PlayStation Online Store
The PlayStation Online Store gets a special mention from us because it caters exclusively to one of the most popular VR ecosystems today: the PlayStation VR.
The PlayStation 4 is hugely popular and it uses the PS VR headset for its virtual reality functionality. Safe to say, there’s a huge market for PS VR and this store caters to that. You’ll find very well-priced gaming bundles here that include the whole suite of a PlayStation 4 console, PS VR headset and a game that has been designed for VR.
These bundles can save you a lot of money and can provide you with a good starting VR experience. If you’re a PlayStation 4 owner and want to dive into the world of virtual reality, simply go to the PlayStation Online Store.
3.GameStop
GameStop is a store that is dedicated to selling gaming-related products. There’s nothing on sale here that doesn’t have a strong relationship to gaming. And when it comes to buying virtual reality gaming gear for consoles, it’s got you pretty much covered.
For the PlayStation 4, you’ll find the complete set of VR accessories like the PS VR headset, motion-tracking camera and the Move controller. You can also buy complete VR bundles which can save you up to a couple hundred dollars.
The selection of VR games on the store is also pretty compelling and you’ll always find the latest releases on sale here the day they’re launched.
When it comes to buying VR gaming gear for the Xbox One, well there’s nothing available from Microsoft. Instead, you’ll have to make use of the excellent Oculus Rift VR headset in order to get a VR experience from this popular gaming console.
You’ll find the Oculus Rift on sale at GameStop, but unlike PlayStation VR bundles, there’s nothing similar to be found for the Xbox One. And that’s only natural; there’s simply no official VR hardware available.
Why you should get VR gaming bundles
As we’ve mentioned earlier, you’ll often find VR bundles for the PlayStation 4, and if you’re looking to explore the world of virtual reality we recommend that you start with one of these. There are multiple good reasons for doing so.
Firstly, you’ll be saving a lot of money. We have often found savings of up to $200 when you get a complete PlayStation 4 VR bundle. This bundle includes everything you need to jump into VR gaming. This also saves you from the hassle of purchasing each of the required accessories separately, not to mention the additional money it will cost you.
The games included in these bundles is also selected by the company as a showcase for the console’s VR capabilities. There are a lot of games that aren’t designed for virtual reality.
The bundled game will probably have special design considerations that have been made to deliver a great VR experience.
Final Words
The online store you choose will depend on the kind of game console you have.
In reality, there is only one console which has official VR support and that is the Sony PlayStation 4. To make things easier for PlayStation 4 owners, we recommend the PlayStation Online Store as it has only those products for sale that work perfectly with the PS VR ecosystem.
There’s nothing to distract you from making your intended purchase.
Amazon is a good option for owners of both the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 as you will find most of what you’re looking for in one place.
VR on consoles still has a lot of room for improvement, but for the beginning you know the best places to shop for.
Get more information on The Most Affordable PC VR Headsets.
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