3DoF vs 6DoF VR. Which is better?

Here at RedboxVR, we thought it would be fun to compare 3DoF vs 6DoF and see which one comes out on top. In the world of Virtual Reality, degrees of freedom (or DoF) refers to how many axis are being tracked by the headset you are wearing. There are benefits of both depending on the purpose you are using the headset for.

3DoF

3DoF virtual reality headsets such as the Pico G3 only track rotational movement across 3 axis. This essentially means that the device will track where you look within a virtual world in 3 distinct ways. First, the headset will detect when you tilt your head from side to side. This is known as rolling.

Secondly, the device will track when you move your head to look left and right. This is known as yawing. By tracking your head swivelling along a horizontal axis, you are able to look around in a virtual world identically to how you would in the real world.

Finally, a 3DoF headset will track when your head looks up and down. This is known as pitching. This form of tracking allows you to look up and down within a virtual world.

6DoF

6DoF devices on the other hand track all 3 of the aforementioned axis as well as an additional 3. An example of a 6DoF virtual reality device is the Pico Neo3. 6DoF tracks both rotational movement as well as positional movement.

The first of the additional degrees of freedom is surging. This is when you move backwards or forwards in a straight line. The headset is able to detect and track this so that you are able to move around in a virtual world the same way you are doing in real life.

The second is strafing. This refers to moving in a straight line from left to right. Finally, the 6DoF device will track elevation. This means that the device will know when you jump or crouch down.

Which is better?

Ultimately, it depends on your requirements. 6DoF devices are better at a more immersive experience when moving around in a virtual environment is required. However, if this is not required and you only need to look around in a virtual environment, then a 3DoF device is probably the way to go.