VR Headsets are becoming commonplace these days, with cheaper and cheaper options now available to consumers. The Utopia 360 is yet another budget headset that offers a virtual reality experience, though this time in a unique bundle which offers excellent value.
First impressions are somewhat mixed. Build quality is good in places and bad in others. The overall design feels nice, with plenty of padding around the eyepiece. The strap feels secure and is made from a leather faux material. On the side are two adjustment dials to move the handset forwards, while the ring on the top deals with focus. Having both of these together provides the user with a great deal of adjustment and I was able to get clear focus very easily. A button on the top allows you to interact with the screen when necessary and is made from metal, ensuring that it should last plenty of abuse.
Now we get to the bad parts. The majority of the material is plastic with very obvious manufacturing lines. The side dials feel very flimsy and often get stuck, making a worrying noise as they move back into place. Inside, the phone is held in place by some very fragile plastic grips. These are spring-loaded and move to accommodate the size of the handset; we managed to fit a 5.5-inch device inside but wouldn’t advise going any bigger. These grips flex heavily when moved, to the point where it would be very easy to snap them by mistake.
The included ReTrak Sportfit headphones surprised us, offering a decent sound considering the cheap price-tag.
Another thing which disappointed us was the quality of the included controller accessory. The VR controller has terrible build quality and on our model, the analogue stick failed to recognise up movements. The buttons were also made of a horrible plastic that offered no satisfying press. On the plus side, trigger buttons were okay and we had no issues connecting the device via Bluetooth. The addition of Android and iOS profiles was also a nice addition.
The included ReTrak Sportfit headphones surprised us, offering a decent sound considering the cheap price-tag. The soundstage was a little muddy in the mid-range and the treble felt somewhat congested, but the overall sound was smooth and full. Even bass reproduction was okay, despite carrying a bit too much weight.
Overall, the Utopia 360 VR Headset is about what you’d expect from something at this price-point. Bundling all these accessories in has obviously had an effect on the quality, which is evident in some places. That said, if we’re focusing on the headset specifically… It’s not a bad product.
[wp-review]
