Hands-On: HTC Vive Vs. PlayStation VR - 7 Key Aspects Compared

2. Practicality

Cables may not exactly sound like cutting-edge technology in the world of VR and wireless technologies, but love it or hate it, we still rely on them. Both the HTC Vive and PlayStation VR are currently cablefests. Naturally, or rather unnaturally, this is a bit of a problem as you can't see the cables from within your VR bubble. The PlayStation VR suffers from this to an extent, but the fact that you're stationery pretty much negates most of the problems the wiring can create. It's a whole different story with the Vive, whose defining feature is the ability to detect your physical movement around the room, which makes the cables more troublesome. There were several points when I got tangled up in wires, making me very aware that I could trip over at any moment, and affecting my ability to comfortably immerse myself in the experience. At these points, I actually felt ever so slightly claustrophobic, aware of the fact that I had very little control over my physical environment. One thing that the Vive does deserve credit for is the elegant way it notifies you when you're about to walk into a real-life wall. A Tron-like grid appears in front of you to signify the presence of a wall. When I reached out into this grid, I found that I still had a good 40-50cm before I actually touched the wall, which was reassuring. With the amount of power running through these headsets, you probably shouldn't hold your breath for them to go wireless any time soon