HTC Vive Cosmos and Elite

Transforming VR headsets that fit any space and any game

HTC Vive Cosmos and Elite

From £700 | $700 www.vive.co.uk

At initial release late last year, the HTC Vive Cosmos was in a sorry state. Setting up the VR headset on your PC sometimes outright failed the basic setup process. But even worse, its state-of-the-art controller tracking that used six cameras on the front plate was… ineffective at best.

In short, the Cosmos wasn’t a headset we could wear for very long, let alone recommend.

After six months of software and firmware updates – plus the new Cosmos Elite faceplate that allows for more precise room-scale tracking – the Cosmos is a far better headset. It still can’t quite compete with the likes of the Valve Index, but it can competently stand up to the Oculus Rift S.

That’s because, unlike the Oculus Rift S, the Cosmos is the only modular headset on the market: it can transform from a basic four-camera inside-out tracking headset (Vive Cosmos Play), to a six-camera headset (Vive Cosmos), to a full outside-in headset with base stations (Vive Cosmos Elite), all by switching out the front faceplate. Besides tracking styles, the headset has the exact same design and specs, which is why we’re reviewing them together.

The bad news? The faceplates cost extra – and buying them all will cost you more than if you had bought a multipurpose headset right off the bat.