Virtual reality (VR) is a relatively new frontier of entertainment that has yet to attract mainstream appeal. But with more industry giants throwing their hats into the metaverse as of late — looking at you, Apple, Sony, and Meta — an intrigue exists for gamers and techies in pursuit of next-level immersion.

After a period of hands-on testing, we've decided to recommend the Meta Quest 2 ($399.99), the PlayStation VR2 ($549.99), and the Valve Index VR Kit ($999). All three VR headsets are consumer-friendly devices that felt comfortable during hours of use, supported a breadth of features and content upon unboxing, and performed well at their respective price points.

While sourcing contenders for this roundup, we chose to test VR headsets that are making waves in the small-but-growing market, whether they're known for their libraries, innovations, or both. All of them are true, dedicated VR headsets with built-in screens, as opposed to mobile headsets that require a smartphone. (Some, but not all, are tethered headsets that require a connection to a separate console or PC.) We also excluded enterprise-level units that are designed for business and commercial use.

Here's a deeper dive into the VR headsets we've tried and returned to again and again.