Virtual reality was once considered a luxury technology that was out of reach for many people. However, as more and more companies start to branch into the world of VR, this incredible technology is becoming accessible to everyone. Most importantly, it’s quickly becoming clear how many things VR can do for your business.
However, while an active market means prices go down and quality goes up, it means there are more products to sift through, too. As such, we’ve taken the time to walk you through the best virtual reality for business systems to make your search a little easier.
HTC VIVE Pro Eye Office
If you’re looking for a virtual reality for business systems that’s enterprise-designed from the ground up, the HTC VIVE Pro Eye Office is the best option out there. Unlike virtually all other VR systems on the market today, the VIVE Pro Eye Office, as the name suggests, was designed specifically for professional applications.
While the HTC Vive Pro Eye Office is excellent because it comes with everything you need for your business setting, it’s also incredibly expensive – the most expensive on this list. If your business can afford to put that much money toward a virtual reality for business systems or VR for business, you’ll undoubtedly get a lot out of it. However, the HTC VIVE (or even the HTC VIVE Pro) standard version will give you similar functionality for a slightly better price.
Pros:
- Designed exclusively for business applications
- Can perform VR training, design scenarios, and more
- Comes with its own commercial warranty and 24-hour service
Cons:
- Incredibly expensive
HTC VIVE Focus Plus
The HTC VIVE Focus Plus is a similar offering to the HTC VIVE Pro Eye Office above in that it’s also designed for enterprise use. However, the Focus is a standalone unit that doesn’t require a dedicated space like the VIVE Pro Eye Office. This means that you can take it directly to your customers or workers, no matter where they are – even offline.
Like the Pro Eye Office, the Focus Plus has a whole host of business-related features that any professional will find helpful, such as integrated screencasting that allows you to see what your participant is doing. The Focus Plus also comes with its own warranty and enterprise support to supplement the experience.
Pros:
- Designed exclusively for business applications
- Ideal for remote collaboration via VR or even employee training
- Comes with a special two-year warranty and 24-hour service
Cons:
- While less expensive than the Pro Eye Office, it’s still pricey, especially for a standalone system
- Limited power and flexibility
Samsung HMD Odyssey+
The Samsung HMD Odyssey+ is an excellent alternative to HTC’s enterprise VR headsets because of its dependence on Windows Mixed Reality (WMR). WMR provides access to a whole host of business-friendly applications and programs, and it’s a lot cheaper than anything else on this list so far, too.
Surprisingly, SteamVR works with the Odyssey+, too, making it far more flexible than the Valve Index and the Oculus Quest 2 below. In terms of specs, it keeps up with the competition, and it’s the cheapest headset on this list, aside from the Oculus Quest 2 (and certainly the most affordable PC-reliant system).
All of these things combined make the Samsung HMD Odyssey+ one of the best business VR headsets on the market that’s not from HTC (and not designed exclusively for business).
However, do note that as of April 2020, this headset was discontinued by Samsung. While it’s still an excellent choice for your business, this could mean that a newer (and better) headset from Samsung is on the horizon.
Pros:
- Compatible with both Windows Mixed Reality and SteamVR
- More affordable than everything except the Oculus Quest 2
- High-resolution with build-in spatial audio
Cons:
- Discontinued
- Can fall prey to the “screen door effect”
Valve Index
The Valve Index has dominated the VR market since its release, and for good reason – this is a dependable and powerful VR system. It measures up to the HTC Vive Pro Eye Office easily in terms of specifications and raw power. While it doesn’t have the same enterprise packages and support available, it’s certainly powerful enough to do just as well.
Fortunately, the Valve Index has gone down slightly in price, so the basic package will only set you back about half as much as the HTC above. However, since the Valve Index mainly depends on the Steam Virtual Library for use, you may have to work around that to use it properly in a business setting.
Pros:
- As powerful and beautiful as the HTC VIVE Pro Eye Office
- Half as expensive
Cons:
- Doesn’t have enterprise support
- Dependent on the Steam Virtual Library
Oculus Quest 2
Our final entry on this list is the Oculus Quest 2, a recent addition to the VR headset market that’s incredibly inexpensive and very portable. The Quest line of headsets are standalone systems that don’t require a PC to use, so they’re great for bringing directly to your employee or customer (just like the HTC VIVE Focus Plus).
While the Oculus Quest 2 isn’t designed with enterprise support like the Focus Plus, Oculus does have its own sector devoted to its VR headsets’ business applications. That means you can expect a decent amount of enterprise support for the Oculus Quest 2.
Ordinarily, this combination of advantages would put the Quest 2 higher on our list. However, Oculus’ decision to require a Facebook account to use their products (starting in 2023) seems forced and somewhat proprietary. As such, that’s dropped the Quest 2 down on our list a bit, but if that doesn’t bother you (or you already have a Facebook account), the Quest 2 is certainly worth considering.
Pros:
- Very inexpensive (the least expensive on this list by a significant margin)
- Standalone product – doesn’t require a PC or console
- Enterprise support available
Cons:
- Requires a Facebook account to use starting in 2023
- Space on the product’s built-in memory card is limited
Final Thoughts
In the end, it seems obvious that HTC’s enterprise solutions to VR, the HTC VIVE Pro Eye Office and the HTC VIVE Focus Plus, would rise to the top. If you can afford them, these two products will give you the absolute biggest and best advantages for your business, regardless of its focus or application.
While the Oculus Quest 2 is the lightest and most portable headset here it may be the best solution for your business if you are looking more for portability than raw graphical output.
However, there are a lot of other products on the market that can give you a good advantage, too. If you can’t afford HTC’s business line of VR products, they’re definitely worth considering, especially if you don’t plan to rely on your VR products enough to make spending so much on HTC’s worth it.
