Now that both the Vive and Rift are out and both systems have their own motion controls for full functionality, they end up looking very similar on paper. The Vive has the benefit of whole-room VR, though cable management is inconvenient if you're lurching blindly around a room.

Immersive experience; Includes motion controllers and external sensors for whole-room VR

Expensive; Tethered headset makes whole-room VR tricky

Nearly two years into the advent of consumer VR, our testing options continue to evolve. Nvidia's FCAT VR remains the best tool at our disposal for performance analysis. However, Nvidia hasn't updated the software since its initial release in July, and we noticed that newer games don't always play...

Versatile; Easy to configure

Expensive; Limited software support; Limited peripheral support

Take the blue pill. HTC's Vive weaves a VR fantasy you'll never want to leave.

Incredibly immersive; Hardware works well; Decent launch library; Precise; intuitive controls; Easy to set up

Headset cord can get in the way; Field of view isn't wide enough for full immersion; Headset can get sweaty

If your life is perfect and nothing every gets lost of breaks, this may be a good gaming product.

DIdn't get to use it long enough to find them

We lost a part; HTC would not sell us a replacement; They said to buy a new unit

I took a walk through the future, and I want more. Instead of rooting you to a fixed point in your room and wrapping a 360-view around you, the $799 HTC Vive lets you stand up and explore it.

Room-tracking technology is eerily accurate; Smooth graphics with little latency; Touch controllers are easy to use and highly adaptable; Large library of games

Requires a lot of space and electrical outlets to use; No built-in audio; SteamVR Interface can be difficult to navigate

It's hard to compare the HTC Vive to anything. It doesn't have the games of the Oculus Rift yet, but the Vive's take on virtual reality is best in breed. No other VR headsets offer such an immersive virtual reality experience that you can wander around it, poke stuff and genuinely lose yourself in...

Room-scale VR is the one to beat; Excellent; intuitive controllers; Comfortable and well-designed headset

Not enough content; A bit laborious to set up; Expensive

The promise of virtual reality has always been to escape the bounds of your living room or office and enjoy an entirely new world where the same rules don't apply. High-end VR headsets like the HTC Vive have largely delivered on that promise, but if you've ever dabbled in VR you'll know that...

A few weeks back, we gave you virtual reality kit. While we were able to explain the Vive's specifications, setup, configuration, and give some opinions on the experience, at that point, we hadn't had the kit long enough to form any solid, concrete opinions.

The future is here. It's called the HTC Vive and it is incredible. It is the most exciting piece of tech I've used in a while and it's not even close. Let's back up a little bit though. I've been a big fan of the Oculus Rift and it's goal of bringing of VR to the masses.

The HTC Vive has become such an important focus of the company's business, that there are even rumors of a branch spin-off recently, but is the Vive truly worth more dedicated focus?