Best VR headsets to buy in South Africa

VR gaming is more accessible in South Africa than ever before, with new headsets now available for under R8,000.

With this reduced pricing, and a plethora of fun titles now supported in VR, there has never been a better time to start your VR gaming journey.

The VR gaming industry has evolved since its humble beginnings, where games often felt more like tech demos.

Now, there are many comprehensive games that offer significant substance and enjoyable gameplay loops.

Examples include immersive sandbox experiences like Blade and Sorcery, as well as story-focused experiences like the I Expect You To Die trilogy, where players act as a spy and solve puzzles across 007-like stories.

Half-Life: Alyx is a world-class sci-fi title, and casual experiences like Walkabout Mini Golf, Beat Saber, and Eleven Table Tennis offer fun for the whole family.

Additionally, many popular “traditional” games have now received VR updates, allowing players to enjoy these classic titles in a new format.

Titles such as Bethesda’s Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Hello Games’ No Man’s Sky are prime examples of this.

Buying a VR headset

South Africans can currently choose from a wide range of VR headsets at various online stores.

However, it is important to distinguish the best headsets from cheaper “VR glasses.”

Despite their name, VR glasses do not support true immersive VR. They only convert a 2D experience or app into 3D.

The results of these efforts can vary greatly from brand to brand, but it rarely measures up to devices built specifically for VR.

Additionally, VR Glasses usually do not have dedicated controllers, making them unsuitable for gaming and instead targeted at people who want to upgrade their viewing experience.

When it comes to actual VR headsets, there are clear industry leaders in South Africa.

The Meta Quest devices are by far the most popular standalone VR headsets – including both the latest-gen Quest 3 range, and the affordable previous-gen Quest 2.

These VR headsets can run games natively, and can also be linked to your PC to run an even larger selection of titles.

Another popular VR headset is the PlayStation VR2, which is directly compatible (and reliant) on your PlayStation 5.

We outline the most notable VR headsets available to South Africans at time of writing below.

Meta Quest 3 (512GB)  

• R12,795 (GeeWiz)
• R13,499 (GAME4U)
• R18,499 (Virtual Reality South Africa Store)

Meta Quest 3 (128GB)

• R11,995 (GeeWiz)

Meta Quest 2 (128GB)

• R9,995 (GeeWiz)

Meta Quest 3S (128GB)

• R7,862 (Amazon SA)
• R7,999 (Wootware)
• R11,999 (Virtual Reality South Africa Store)

PlayStation VR2

• R14,495 (GeeWiz)
• R11,990 (GAME4U)