I want to buy a VR headset that isn’t cardboard and cheap.
However, being an adult, I don’t want to waste a bunch of money, either. I want a VR headset that gives me a great visual and audio experience without paranoia about my wife finding the bill.
Today, I’m taking a look at the ins and outs of the Tepoinn VR Headset with Remote Controller.
What to Look For in VR Headsets
Technology is moving quickly. VR used to be a thing people dreamed about or imagined in sci-fi movies.
Johnny Mnemonic and his haptic gloves are a thing of the past, though.
VR based on mobile phones solves a number of crucial problems. Here are some examples:
- Motion sensors are much smaller and better. Slim, light headsets instead of bulky beasts are possible because they use the sensors in your phone.
- Haptic gloves, those clunky things that tried to emulate touch, have been replaced by controllers. This is slightly less immersive but also gives better control. Controllers are surprisingly intuitive for the PlayStation generation. These controllers use bluetooth with your phone to control the game or video.
- The best innovation is the use of mobile phones to power low-end VR tech. Mobile phone screens and processors are in one of the most competitive market spaces on the planet. VR headsets use the power of your phone to bring you a great experience.
These are just a few of the things VR headsets do well. They have come a long way from Lawnmower Man type helmets.
A Simple Buyer’s Guide
VR can enhance your game time. Many movies are revolutionized by 3D. The Tepoinn VR Headset can get you into this exciting world of entertainment at a great price. There is really only one thing to check before buying a mobile VR headset:
Check your phone’s size to make sure it will fit into the headset. The max size of phone for the Tepoinn model is listed as six inches. Slightly larger phones may fit, but buyer beware.
There really isn’t a lot of risk here. The price is lower than premium headsets such as the HTC Vive or Oculus Rift. The extra features on the Tepoinn VR headset make it a step up from the simplistic cardboard VR headsets in the lower price range.
Introducing the Tepoinn VR Headset with a Remote Controller
The Tepoinn VR Headset is a middle-range device designed to bring you a little closer to a full-immersion 3D experience.
Its features are engineered to be improvements to the cheaper VR headsets on sale. Its integrated headphones and sleeker controls make it better than its less expensive cousin, the Tepoinn 3D VR Adjustable Headset.
Specifications
- Lenses made from tough but clear advanced acrylic for exceptional toughness
- Blue light reduction in the lenses helps avoid dizziness and eye damage
- Foam face cushion with faux leather reduces stress on your head
- The lightweight, adjustable head strap is designed to give you customizable comfort
- Integrated headphones bring you a great sound field experience
- Incredibly low weight of 282 grams
- Focal length correction adjustments between 37.5 - 46.5 mm
- Pupil distance adjustments between 60-70 mm
- The integrated headphones avoid having to use another cable. They also give you great sound quality and a ‘sound field’ for your experience.
- The strap design isn’t groundbreaking but it is well-executed and very comfortable.
- The weight of this unit is really low and could help you enjoy yourself for longer without a sore neck.
- The Bluetooth controller is “included as a free gift.” I’m glad it’s free because it seems to be a bit useless for advanced functions.
- The phone holder seems a bit loose for some people. A better clip system here would have been helpful.
- The company sells this headset under a few names. Some of them appear without the blue styling. A lack of blue stripes was a disappointment for some reviewers.
An In-Depth Look at Some of the Features
Here is where I want to help you understand the key features of this headset. The key features are a combination of the specifications and the good points I just mentioned. Let’s have a look at each one.
High Quality Acrylic Lenses
The lenses on this unit are made from optical grade acrylic. The proper name for the material is polymethyl-methacrylate (PMMA) and it is used in making lenses for correcting sight problems. You could even read an article about its use in eye implants! The short story is simple: the lenses are made of the best stuff for this budget.
The lenses are also created to reduce blue light from your screen. Blue light can affect your eyes and so reducing it is a good thing. The reduction is achieved by simply reflecting the blue light away from your eyes.
These lenses are also aspherical. Don’t be scared off by the weird words! All this means is the lenses aren’t perfectly round. Instead, they are shaped to reduce visual distortion. This helps people with astigmatism, produces a crisper image, and allows the lens to be thinner.
Designed for Comfortable Use
At this point, mobile phone VR headsets may look a bit bulky and clunky because they stick out from your forehead. What you may want to avoid, though, is a headset that feels bulky. Tepoinn has engineered a great design for relieving the weight of their device on your face, neck, and shoulders.
To begin with, the faux leather face padding is shaped to reduce pressure on sensitive points. It’s not flat. It curves around your face and forehead. Every inch is covered with little micro-pores. These micro-pores help your skin breathe. They also work to avoid the slippery feeling of sweaty faux leather.
The straps are not exactly revolutionary. Trying to find a VR headset without three straps is a bit of a challenge! However, Tepoinn has made the straps from a breathable material. The strap’s T-junction at the back of the rig has a nice pad as well. This should prevent your head from feeling too squeezed.
The most impressive comfort feature, in my opinion, is the weight. 282 grams is really very light for something this big. Some people might think this makes the unit feel a little flimsy. I get that point of view. For me, though, most things feel heavier the longer I hold them up. A light headset is better to use for longer periods because it doesn’t hurt my neck.
Adjustable in Every Way
Another great feature, which I really appreciate, is how adjustable this headset is. I’ve got two problems with wearing VR headsets:
- I wear glasses.
- I have a large head.
The Tepoinn VR Headset helps with both of these problems.
The straps fit around my head because they are adjustable. There are sliders on both sides of the headset. These help make the straps long enough to get to the back of my big melon.
There is also a buckle slide on the top strap. Adjustments at the top make the straps long enough to go over the top of my mountainous noggin.
Inside the unit, the eye adjustments make space for my glasses, if I choose to wear them. I usually don’t, but the option is nice.
If you’re long-sighted (not short-sighted, like me), then you will probably have to wear your glasses. The focal distance adjustment ranges from 37.5mm to 46.5mm. This is a great range and should fit most people.
The pupil distance adjustment will accommodate eyes between 60mm to 70mm apart. Using these two adjustments together is what enables you to focus the image you receive into a single, crisp picture.
Integrated Headphones
Many lower-end VR headsets don’t come with headphones. You have to hook your own ear gear into your phone to hear what’s happening. At the risk of quoting myself, let me quote myself:
"I want a VR headset that gives me a great visual and audio experience without paranoia about my wife finding the bill."
Brandon Gates Tweet
My phone’s stock headphones simply don’t provide a great sound experience. The integrated headphones bring the noise to my ears. I like not having to use another cable to make the sound work. While I have a nice pair of noise-canceling Bluetooth headphones already, I don’t want to wear them with this rig. The built-in headphones solve this problem for me.
The headset also uses the headphones for telephone calls. There are multifunction controls on the top of the headset that let you answer calls as well as turn the volume up and down. If you were trying to play a game and suddenly had to take off your headset to answer the phone, that would be a total buzzkill.
Being able to keep the headset on, answer your phone call, and then return to your game is a real step up from the cardboard models at the bottom of the price spectrum.
A Little Recap of the Features
The four main features make this headset a step up from the bottom of the VR basement. A comfortable, lightweight design along with loads of possible adjustments help this headset create a nice experience.
The quality lenses and integrated headphones separate this unit from the lower-priced models elsewhere on the market.
"I enjoyed the equipment so much. it was easy to use, simple to set up. it has good picture output. I have been watching some VR films and it feels good as in cinema."
"This is an affordable entry to VR and does the job perfectly well for the price."
"I've always thought of VR equipment as being overpriced, a little too expensive for my pocket, then along came these VR headsets for phones. I was a little cynical before I tried one of these as surely at this price they can't be any good? But, to be honest I'm quite impressed with what I received and would recommend this, it would make a great gift for the kids."
Two Other Options for You
This might be a bit more than you want to spend. I’ve got another option for you.
Or you might want something a bit trendier and have cash to use.
That’s okay, I’ve got two other options you could consider.
HAMSWAN VR Headset
- HAMSWAN SC-Y005 3D Virtual Reality Headset features its innovative fabric design, light weight and comfortable wearing, which contribute to immersive visual experience with high definition photos
- 【Outstanding 3D Virtual Reality Experience】 This 3D VR Glasses' panoramic view and high quality 3D photos bring you an unlimited world
Perhaps the price of a Tepoinn VR Headset is still a little too high for newcomers to the VR market.
In that case, you can check out the Hamswan VR Headset. It is a much lower-priced model with more basic features.
However, the basic manufacturing is still the same so it maintains a minimum level of acceptable quality.
The Hamswan headset also uses aspheric lenses, a three-point adjustable head strap, and you can change the picture focus. The difference is in how these things are achieved. The strap has less padding at the back.
The lens controls are less accessible because the pupil distance adjustment must be changed inside the headset.
The most obvious difference is the lack of integrated headphones. You will have to connect your headphones to your mobile phone with a cable, which is less tidy. You could also connect Bluetooth headphones.
On the plus side, the fabric covering looks a little neater. The phone is held in place by an elastic strap and should be very secure.
Here are the points in favor of the Hamswan VR Headset again:
- Lower price
- Adjustable head strap
- Stylish fabric covering
- Secure elastic loop for phones
You could still opt for the Tepoinn VR Headset for a few reasons:
- Better build quality
- Integrated headphones
- Adjustment knobs are placed better
Oculus Go
- Personal Viewing: The littlest, big screen. Crystal clear optics and state-of-the-art 3D graphics make your headset feel more like a personal theater
- Viewing with Friends: Watch with friends. Meet up in VR with friends and fans from around the world to catch live sports, concerts, or just your favorite TV show
You could be at the other end of the spectrum and want something even more immersive. The Oculus Go could give you a great immersive, mobile VR experience. It improves upon a few things about the Tepoinn model but comes with a heftier price tag.
One of the first things you’ll notice about the Oculus Go is its form factor. It looks much more modern and mainstream than most other VR headsets. It’s white and pale grey. The straps, buckles, and size are as minimal as they can be. This is a headset designed to look cool while still being super useful.
The Oculus Go is a standalone device, which means it isn’t relying on your phone all the time. It has its own screen and uses its own storage. It comes with a great controller. There is a trackpad, trigger, as well as back and home buttons. You will need a phone to connect the Go to a Wi-Fi unit, however.
Once that is done, it can use the Wi-Fi network to download any data it needs.
Reasons to try the Oculus Go:
- A totally standalone device without the need for your phone
- Great form factor and comfortable
- The controller is really good and integrated into games and other uses
You might want to stick with the Tepoinn VR Headset if:
- Your wife panics about large tech purchases
- You want to try out some features and see what you really want
Conclusion
Here is where I began: I want two things from a VR headset. I want a great visual and audio experience.
I want to buy it without feeling too much pain because of the cost. The Tepoinn VR Headset meets both of these desires. I recommend it to you because it is great value for money.
If you want some of these things, then you can check out the Tepoinn VR Headset.
Pick one up here, have a try, and write to me with your opinion.