I got to try out VR at a friend's place over Christmas, and I have moved from "I probably want this eventually, do some initial looking" to "I really, really want this and no longer need to wait."   The problem for me has always been figuring out which setup is "best."  It was looking like Occulus was, but fuck facebook, not getting one of those unless there is a SUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUPER compelling reason why they are so far better than all the others it doesn't make sense to get anything else.  I believe the main one I used was an older Rift (I think a new one just came out?) and he also had a quest.  

It seems like waaaaaaay back in the day, HTC Vive was the front runner, but I've heard so little about them lately I almost forgot they were a thing.  Valve Index seems like it's trying to be the top tier, and is priced accordingly?  I don't mind paying for quality if it's worth it, but I don't want to pay $1000 for something that's no better than the $500 setup.

I'd say my top priority would be getting the most "all-inclusive" setup I can.  I don't want to miss out on any features or compatibility if at all possible (seemed like this was a problem last time I started looking: there wasn't a universally compatible system).  After that is probably fidelity.  Understanding that I will need the computer to power it, I want as close to normal PC graphics as possible (unless there's a significant cost plateau, again don't need to pay 3x as much for 10% improvement), and display that makes me forget it's VR.  The occulus was way better than I ever imagined (thus this post), but still had moments of (there might be a term for it), flicker?  Like it was trying to auto-focus itself or something.  I don't know if these things need to be setup/calibrated for you somehow to minimize that kind of stuff.  I can certainly imagine cordless being a big benefit in some circumstances (and understand the performance hit that means).  Is the Quest the only one that can do that?

So, you pretty much hit the nail on the head here.

There are two that stand out, but really one that would meet your requests, I would only mention the other since it is in its own league.

The Valve Index is going to be your best all around PC based VR system. Has the best graphics, the best controllers and the best tracking with independent lighthouse stations. Of course it is wired VR and will need a good PC to power it.

The other which does not meet your requirements but it does stand out is the Oculus Quest 2 specifically because it is a wireless system which can be played from a PC and play pretty much any game on Steam or Oculus software using a 3rd party app called Virtual Desktop, using the graphics and processing of the PC but displayed on the Quest 2.

Stay away from any other Oculus based VR devices because although the Rift S is a fairly new system with inside out tracking, it is being discontinued. Looks like Oculus will be focusing all of their development going forwards into wireless systems.

My experience is based on owning the Rift S (was a good system), but now I own the Quest 2 and still play all of the games I bought for the Rift S, only now I play them wireless.

Something to think about if you own or consider using the Quest

Reverb

Clarified

I wish I could afford this one...

XTAL 5K (6DoF) professional virtual reality headset compatible with Lighthouse tracking. High-resolution VR headset with built-in eye tracking and controller-free hand tracking. Enjoy a smooth & crisp image, immersive 180° field of view and true-to-life colour interpretation.

$ 6,190.00 USD

Valve Index. Does everything I want, love it. $1k for the complete system.

https://store.steampowered.com/sub/354231/

As you said, once you go (good) VR, you don't want to go back.

/endthread

Wireless. Which means facebook

I'm hopeful that a good wireless headset will come from a company that's not completely evil.  In the comments for that video posted above, I see a good bit of complaints of lag on the quest.  Tying the initial purchase to having a facebook account is one thing, but it sounds like your ability to USE it at all is also run through FB.  Fuck ALL of that, especially how quick they are to ban accounts of conservatives.

Maybe things have changed/are different for VR headsets, but typically things like that that are designed for "professional" use suck at gaming anyway.  Way more emphasis is placed on fidelity and features than performance.

I understand your concern about the Quest being tied to Facebook, so I wont counter argue that point.

But, as an owner of the Quest 2, I have had zero issues with gaming lag. And thats playing the games that are directly installed on the Quest 2, as well as streaming Steam and Rift S games from my PC to my Quest 2. I did buy a new Wifi 6 dedicated router specifically to stream to the Quest 2.

Build a top of the line PC.

Get an HTC Vive pro.  Add index controllers, a wireless adapter, and the gear VR lense mod and you have the best VR experience possible.  You wont have the highest resolution, or fastest refresh rate, but you have wireless and for FPS games like pavlov or onward wirelss is a godsend.

Eta: this option at today's prices is close to 1300.  I'm on a wireless og vive.

Eta more since i'm waiting for my daughter to fall asleep before i go play VR.

A decent PC to play VR will probably run about 1200-1500.  You can go balls deep, but a 1500 gaming pc will definitely power the setup above nicely.  

There are 2 eco systems.  SteamVR and oculus.  Just like PS and xbox. Some games are cross compatible some arent.

Hardware.  The quest is a "console".  No need for a PC.  It has cameras on it to track the controllers/movement.  Works great.  You can plug it into a PC and play more demanding games if you want. Even steamVR games.

The HTC/Valve index/pimax/reverb g2 all require a PC.  A fairly stout one at that.  All of these except the G2 use IR tracking which is more precise.  If you buy the kits, they come with all the basic hardware to play.  The headset, controllers, and lighthouses (IR emitters). Set up is easy.  The lighthouses only require power and are small little boxes 3"x3"x3".  The headset is plugged into a link box or directly into your PC.  1 usb and 1 hdmi.

Each one of the aboved mention kits can also be bought in peices so you can build the best experience.  Meaning you can buy controllers, lighthouses, headsets from each system and they all work together.

The index is tier 1.  Best overall package.  Top end specs. Great comfort which is huge, And most importantly industry's best controller except they are fragile.

The Pimax is china's attempt at VR and it has the best specs, But.. supposedly all kinds of problems.

The HTC stuff is still top tier even tho it doesnt have the best specs out there.  The OG vive is no longer produced.  The vive pro is also being phased out. The cosmos and cosmos elite are their current line up.  Even though the specs on these sets are lower than the index/g2/pimax the HTC stuff has a wireless adapter.  Wireless VR is the way.

The set up i mentioned above is what i'm rockin minus the vive pro.  I have an OG vive.

If you have any questions post them up and i'll answer them best I can.

No it doesnt.  But oculus does it much easier and cheaper than than HTC.

I barely noticed the cord when I played at the friend's place.  Wireless would be a nice bonus, but it's pretty low on the list for me.  I feel like poor hand tracking would piss me off, and for that reason I'm thinking to shy away from the "inside out" ones.  The one I mainly used had a sort of "safety" feature that drew a box so to speak around your free area, and if you wandered too close it would throw up wireframe walls in-game, and then progress to feeding you camera view of the real world so you could see the wall you are approaching before you actually run into it.  Can anyone say if the Valve does that?  I will be mostly gaming unsupervised in a not very big or tidy space, so that would kindof be a big deal for safety.

They all have a safety system you can custom tailor to your room.  Setting it up will be the 1st thing you do before you even put it on.  Very easy and quick.  You want a space that is at least 5'x5' big enough that if standing in the middle you can take a step and not be able to hit anything with your hand.  Also when you set up your boundaries, pick a spot that will be your "north" so that way after you have turned around a few times you can quickly locate where you are relative to your physical room.

I have a RIFT S and a MSI65 stealth thin laptop, desktop is much cheaper as the laptop alone was $1800.

I play x wing squadrons/DCS flight sim etc from my recliner with a HOTUS and love it. I got my rift last sep before the facebook requirement.

Have other games and they all have worked with no issues thus far, just love if I want to take it to a party etc I can have it set up in 5-10 mins and we can play beat sabre, Pavlov etc.

Only reason I didnt get a Quest 2 was the facebook requirement, just didn't want to get my VR bricked if I got banned from facebook.

Son has a PSVR, but that thing made me motion sick after a hour vs never getting motion sick with the rift S.

My rift s has the guardian mode and so far had no cable issues, then again I don't play every day.

I have experience with the original Vive, the Index, and the Quest 2.

I dumped quit a bit of money in the Vive on extras.  I bought the upgraded headset with integrated headphones and the wireless system.  The cordless freedom was nice, but the extra weight and heat from the transmitter/receiver was not.  Comfort is priority one for any VR system for me.  I ended up giving that to my son and eventually bought the Index.  The cord is a pain, but I have a dedicated play space and some of those wire pulley things hung from the ceiling.  They work well.  

My daughter wanted her own VR, but did not have the PC for a stand alone.  I rolled the dice on a Quest 2 and was pleasantly surprised at its capabilities.  Resolution is good and we have not had any issues with gameplay on it.  The integrated audio is not great, but is quite adequate.  I had to set up a stand alone Facebook account for her.  That would be my one major gripe with this system.

ETA: Yes, Steam VR has the capability for boundaries, with various amounts of intrusion to warn you when you are outside or getting close.  Same wire frame deal you described.  You trace out your play area very much like on the Quest 2.

I guess it depends on the kind of gaming.  For FPS games that benefit from very high frame rates, your point is well taken.

The only games I play are flight simulators (might get into racing games.)  FPS isn't nearly important as FOV immersion and image clarity.

I got my Reverb G2 back before Christmas.  Word of warning, if you go that route, and you have certain motherboard setups, your USB-C connection will NOT work.  I've dealt with HP support since I got the headset, they claim it's something to do with the chipsets, I have an MSI x470 gaming carbon mobo but the problem is pretty widespread across multiple mobo's.  HP said a certain USB dongle was needed and that they'd send it right out.  I ended up getting backorder notifications every 3 days up until early this week, when I decided to research this part.  Turns out, it's just the HP Elite USB hub, readily available on Amazon.  I sent HP support a pretty scathing email and made some veiled threats like a basement dweller, and magically, they found me my USB hub and overnighted it.  Finally got my G2 running yesterday.  It's nice, although I got it just to increase resolution specifically in DCS, as I couldn't read any of the cockpit gauges or displays, other games played fine with the Rift S I started with.  Also, integrating the native WMR software with SteamVR was challenging, but I got it done after about an hour of fiddling.

That said, I have a Rift S I'll be selling pretty cheap! lol