If you've tried Google Cardboard, Gear VR or the Oculus Rift and think you know what virtual reality has to offer, then prepare for a rude awakening. The HTC Vive delivers the most immersive virtual reality experiences available right now.

Incredible; immersive free-moving VR; Intuitive controllers with good battery life; Solid selection of games already available; Nothing else quite like it

Pain to set up; Software is buggy; Expensive and needs lots of space

Recently, we got the chance to take a look at the HTC Vive virtual reality headset for a three week test run. With quite a few virtual reality headset options out on the market right now, we were interested in finding out what exactly sets the HTC Vive apart from the rest.

We'll start with the good, and when it's working, it's an excellent and immersive experience. The headset is not heavy, the cables do not really get in your way and once the tracking units are set up, you can forget about them.

OK look, I like to think of myself as a straight shooter, so I'm going to be super transparent here: I am a huge cynic. Yes, being a child of the 80's I'm not actually that old, but when it comes to tech I'm like the grumpiest of grumpy old men. I didn't think much of smartwatches (BAH!

I like the $2000 price tag

If your life is perfect and nothing every gets lost of breaks, this may be a good gaming product.

DIdn't get to use it long enough to find them

We lost a part; HTC would not sell us a replacement; They said to buy a new unit

The future is here. It's called the HTC Vive and it is incredible. It is the most exciting piece of tech I've used in a while and it's not even close. Let's back up a little bit though. I've been a big fan of the Oculus Rift and it's goal of bringing of VR to the masses.

KitGuru Says: The HTC Vive is a truly wondrous product that shows us what the future of virtual reality is going to be. There are plenty of games to play and the hardware works well for the most part, but just expect to eat into your kid's college fund before you have an adequate game library.

Room scale is hands down; the best VR experience you can have; Motion controllers make interaction in VR natural; Tracking is almost flawless with proper sensor placement; Chaperone gives you confidence to move around in VR; Headset is comfortable over long play sessions; Zero motion sickness...

Clearing space can be a pain; especially in smaller British homes – but it is worth it; Set up can be a bit fiddly; Steam VR still crashes; Lens contours can occasionally be seen in scenes with bright light sources; Headset weighting needs improvement; Crisp; bright screen makes pixels a little more...

Virtual reality has finally come of age, but can it live up to all the promises?

Incredibly immersive

Expensive; Requires a lot of space; Cabling can be awkward; Lack of stand-out games and apps

How do you even begin to encapsulate the polarity of feelings the HTC Vive can inspire in an overall verdict? The HTC Vive is the bastion of high-end virtual reality in 2016, but its cost of entry isn't just a monetary value (despite that being the largest factor).

Truly stepping into VR for the first time; Intuitive motion controllers; Simplicity of Chaperone system

Very expensive for general consumer; Base Station fitting is a nightmare; Mediocre library at launch