How to Choose Between Portable and Plugged-In Virtual Reality: What’s Your Preference, Wireless or Connected?

How to choose VR Headset? Mobile VR or Tethered VR?

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Mobile VR Headset and Tethered VR headsets are the two main kinds of this technology, they both are useful and innovative in some ways. The former runs on the mobile devices while the later runs with the computers and other gaming devices. There are so many different kinds of products for both these kinds to choose from.

Disclaimer: This post includes affiliate links

If you click on a link and make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Difference Between Mobile and Tethered VR Headsets

If we talk about Tethered headsets, we see that they have combined displays, and they usually connect to personal computers or also to game systems using a cable. Whereas on the other hand, mobile headsets typically use smartphones for the display as well as processing; and in the absence of a smartphone, they’re nothing but just shells having lenses.

Tethered headsets designed to be large, they are expensive, and as well as they are also resource-intensive. They also claim more innovative motion-sensing and head-tracking abilities in opposite to mobile headsets. Other than that, not just the larger headsets consist of extensively devoted motion sensors, they also often work in combination with outside cameras to more exactly track the user’s head. Adding to that, they’re also designed to work with bodily controls, starting from keyboards and gamepads to more exclusive possibilities.

Now if we talk about the mobile headsets, they are small in size and cheap in price as compared to PC VR Headset. The reason is the most of the work is actually done by the smartphone, so the maximum price of mobile headset could be $100. Most of the mobile headsets are grounded on the Google Cardboard prototype, and with the exclusion of a magnetic switch, they do not have any motorized or electric components in the design; they are only screens with the lenses that divide user’s smartphone’s screen absolutely into two when he holds it to his face.

When to Choose Mobile Headset or a VR Headset? Purchasing Suggestions

It is a very common question nowadays that what VR kind should be preferred to buy, tethered or mobile. Well, according to their use and qualities both of them are best in some senses and both of them has flaws in some other senses. It all depends on what needs do the user has. Now there are 2 options if you want a headset to try out this new technology and you want this gadget to be always with you wherever you go, you need to buy a mobile VR headset. But in the other case, if you want to completely enjoy this technology with powerful displays and want to have the best experience then there is no doubt you need to buy a tethered VR headset. It also depends on how much money do you have, because the tethered VR headset is very expensive because of its extra functionalities and ruthless display, whereas mobile VR headset are not so much good at display but they are cheap and an average person can easily afford them.

Some of the best of both the worlds

LG’s new 360 VR, though, is present someplace in the mid of the best of the mobile headsets. It has its particular lenses and also the display but it is also tethered to the LG G5 mobile with the help of a USB cable. You can regulate things also with buttons present on the HMD or as well as by pushing and long-pressing the display of the smartphone. Audio voice can also come from the headphone jack present on the HMD or through the phone’s earphone port. It is still restricted by the smartphone’s dispensation power but by the presence of its personal lenses, it’s considerably well adapted to virtual reality as compared to Google Cardboard.

One of the other huge results of a tethered smartphone connection is of the 360 VR is very lighter in weight and debatably more contented than rather like the Gear VR, and it permits for adjustment of the optics. Though it may look awkward, it’s actually not considerably different than the 1st Sony Walkman, which also listed a trivial head gadget which is driven by a tethered device.

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Also read: