Merge VR Review

This headset is relatively unremarkable compared to the rest of the headsets in the group, only excelling as being one of the easiest headsets to set up overall and is one of our favorite smartphone options.

The Merge VR.

Credit: Jenna Ammerman

Performance Comparison

To determine which VR headsets are worthy of our recommendations, we bought the best models on the market at the moment and put them through an exhaustive series of head-to-head tests, dividing theses evaluations among five weighted rating metric. The results of the Merge for these metrics are explained in the following sections.

Not having a rigid place to put your face made it comfortable for most people even with glasses.

Credit: Jenna Ammerman

Interactiveness

Earning the most weight out of any rating metric, Interactiveness accounts for 35% of the final score for each product. We based the score on how easy it is to interact with the headset and the accuracy of the motion tracking. The Merge VR didn't perform terribly well in this metric, meriting a 2 out of 10 — one of the lowest scores out of the entire group.

The Merge didn't have a terribly good way of interacting with the device, only having two buttons on top of the headset — similar to the Google Cardboard.

A button used to interact with the screen or slide from side to side to adjust the lens width.

Credit: Jenna Ammerman

The Merge tracks your gaze as you look around your VR environment, but like the other mobile VR headsets, it does not take into account your movement throughout the room. This motion tracking relies on the internal sensors of your smartphone, putting it on par with the Daydream, Gear VR, or Google Cardboard. However, the lack of any hand controls did hurt the Merge in this metric, dropping its score substantially.

The Merge proving that VR is not a fashion statement.

Credit: Jenna Ammerman

Visual Immersiveness

Ranking next in terms of importance, our Visual Immersiveness metric takes credit for 30% of the final score. The Merge's performance improved slightly in this metric, earning a 5 out of 10. This score is based on the sharpness and overall quality of the image shown, the field of view, and if the headset suitably blocked out ambient light.

The Merge has a decent field of view, wider than the Daydream View or the Google Cardboard, but narrower than the HTC Vive or the Gear VR. It does feel slightly more zoomed in than other models when comparing test images side-by-side.

This carried over into our assessment of the overall image quality, costing the Merge a few points as the image would appear to be slightly distorted when compared to the other models in the group. We found it to be slightly worse than the Cardboard, but better than the Bnext. However, the Merge did do a great job of blocking ambient light, only letting in a little light through the ventilation slits.

The Merge was decently comfortable, but the material it is made out of felt a little sticky after wearing it for awhile.

Credit: Jenna Ammerman

Comfort

Our Comfort metric, accounting for 20% of the overall score, consisted of evaluating if it is possible to wear glasses with each headset, whether or not your face would get sweaty after long periods of use, and if the headset is comfortable, even after prolonged use. The Merge delivered a decent performance, meriting a 6 out of 10 for its showing.

The Merge is exceptionally comfortable, with its soft and pliable construction, but couldn't quite match the Gear VR. There is plenty of room to wear glasses, on par with the HTC Vive, with only a few issues with exceptionally large-framed spectacles. However, this headset is the least breathable of the bunch and can definitely cause your face to get decently sweaty after longer periods of use, even with its ventilation slits.

The Merge is user friendly.

Credit: Jenna Ammerman

User Friendliness

Comprising 15% of the total score, our User Friendliness metric assessed each headset on how much work it took to get your smartphone set up in it, whether or not you are prone to inadvertently pressing buttons or if you have to remove the case from your phone to install it in the headset, and the amount of difficulty in attaching headphones. The Merge did very well in this metric, earning a 7 out of 10 for its top performance.

The Merge provides plenty of space to easily reach the headphone jack for most smartphones, making it a breeze to connect. It is also one of the easiest headsets to install a mobile phone into, simply sliding it in from the top.

Very easy to slip your phone inside. The flexible material allowed phones with cases to fit easily.

Credit: Jenna Ammerman

We also had zero issues with buttons being pressed accidentally, but it is slightly more likely to occur than the Gear VR, due to the method the phone is supported. There is also plenty of room your case to remain on the phone when using it in this headset.

The Merge is very easy to put on.

Credit: Jenna Ammerman

Ease of Setup

Our fifth and final metric, Ease of Setup, accounts for the remaining 10% of the overall score. We based this on the amount of work it took to set up the hardware, configure the software, and the system requirements to make the VR system run properly. The Merge did extremely well, earning a 9 out of 10 for its superbly easy setup.

It is only necessary to remove the Merge from its packaging and adjust the lenses to get the hardware ready to go. Once that is completed, all that remains is to download the Google Cardboard mobile app and you are finished. This headset works with all Cardboard-compatible phones — a much larger group of phones than the Google Daydream or the Gear VR.

Value

The Merge is an alright value, as it is the best discount headset for frequent use.

Conclusion