Selecting the right hardware for your synchronized VR experience can be difficult due to the sheer amount of available VR headsets. Besides the right hardware you also need specialized software to sync the headsets. In this article we’ll lay out the options.

The best hardware for synchronized virtual reality

The right hardware depends on which content you want to show. In most cases games and simulations cannot be synced outside of the standard multiplayer option. If there is one. Basically,the only content which is suited for Sync playback is 360 content such as videos and photos. For this purpose a mobile headset like the Samsung Gear VR or Oculus GO is the most suited. Using a desktop VR headset like the Vive or Rift is overkill for synchronized 360 playback.

The best mobile vr headsets for synchronized playback

Oculus GO

At the moment the your best option is the Oculus GO headset. It offers a so called all-in-one solution whereby all hardware is integrated in the headset. No external hardware or power is required. It offers great quality, comfort and is easy to handle. At a price of just 220 euros it’s also one of the cheapest headsets on the market.

Gear VR

Our second choice would be the Samsung Gear VR. This device is expensive because you also need a Galaxy series phone smartphone. Additionally the Gear VR has more issues with overheating and has a shorter battery life. The handling is also more complicated because you have to remove to phone to manage content and properly charge. If you can get your hands on the cheapest suited phone (The S6) the Gear VR solution will run about 350 euros per set.

Google Cardboard

Lastly you can also use Android phones in combination with a generic (branded) headset like the Google Cardboard. The experience is much less impressive than with the GO or Gear, but it works. The costs are less and a branded Cardboard can serve as great give away.

Concluding the headset choice

We advise the Oculus GO for synchronized VR because of the following:

• Made for VR; all hardware is included for stand alone playback
• Great image quality, high FPS, long battery live and no overheating
• Great look, comfort and suited for almost everyone’s vision
• Affordable at just 220 euros and easy to handle

Choosing the right sofware for Synchronized VR

You need specialized software to play content in Sync. There are many solutions on the market, including our own VR Sync.  We’ve done an extensive benchmark end came VR Sync came out on top.  It offers great features for synchronized VR playback against a pay as you grow pricing model.

With just a push of a button you can start playback to an unlimited amount of devices at exact the same time. Using the grouping function you can even play specific content to groups of devices.  You can even monitor playback and create a playlist for smooth experience.

To make things even easier we’ve developed a VR Sync Box. This offers a complete hardware solution to run your VR Cinema offline, with just power. Decreased latency and ease of set up make this a great addition to your VR Cinema.