Review: Zeiss VR Plus Headset

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

There’s no shortage of VR headsets in the market right now. Starting with the affordable Google Cardboard to the more sophisticated Daydream VR option, there are multiple ways to try various VR experiences available.

The Zeiss VR Plus headset is a premium take on the VR headset experience. It is made from plastic and features Zeiss lenses which are a definitive step up from many plastic lenses found in competing products. Looking very much like a Daft Punk inspired ski mask, the VR Plus headset can accommodate smartphones from 4.7-inches to 5.5-inches. There’s a neat slide-in tray where the smartphones are placed and then inserted into the headset.

This headset looks more like what you'd get from an HTC Vive or an Oculus VR rig rather than from most smartphone VR headsets I've tried. They're sturdy and comfy and really do assist creating an illusion of virtual reality.

The Zeiss VR Plus is lightweight and it has a belt that allows for easy fit for most users. There’s some similarity to Samsung’s Gear VR (except the Zeiss solution works on various phones, not just Galaxy devices).

Compared to the Daydream VR, the Zeiss VR has clearer optics. Video and images are clear and I didn’t find that my eyes were getting tired. Since the Zeiss VR doesn’t come with a remote, you need to angle or move your vision to specific parts of the screen to enable controls. It’s not as quick or intuitive as using a remote but I found it to be quite intuitive.

Zeiss offers a few apps to use with the Zeiss VR Plus and you can also use the majority of Google Cardboard applications and experiences. There’s a lot out there to be sure and at the very least, you can use YouTube to watch 360’ videos. There’s no way to use Daydream View applications which is unfortunate but I understand Google wants to keep Daydream experiences close to the chest and make a lot of the VR and AR experiences exclusive for the time being.

Aside from the cross platform functionality and superior build and lenses, it is hard to consider the Zeiss VR Plus headset unless you’re desperate for a VR headset. Daydream View is the best experience on Android, plus it bundles a remote so you can actually play games. For iPhones, this could be a fun toy, but it soon loses its appeal.

Kudos to Zeiss for seeing potential in this market and for creating a truly durable and well-built VR headset. Unfortunately most of the VR and AR experiences at this level rely on the ecosystem and Google already has the best solution right now, at least for Android devices. For iPhone users, they now have a stylish, clear and great fitting headset to enjoy their VR or AR jaunts with.

Rating: 3.5 ouf of 5