The best gadgets of 2016

A year ago, virtual reality felt almost like a pipe dream. But during 2016, we saw the launches of the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, PlayStation VR and Daydream, a new mobile platform from Google. VR is here, and it's very much . . . well, real. We're still waiting for more games to appear and for the price of truly immersive platforms to fall, but it's an auspicious start for a category that's sometimes felt overhyped.

Of course, there was even more great stuff this year beyond VR. We've seen the steady evolution of smartphones with Google's Pixel devices, the iPhone 7 Plus and Samsung's Galaxy S7 line (with the Note 7 being the obvious exception). Both Dell and HP delivered some of the most refined laptops we've ever seen (sorry, MacBook Pro). And we can think of a few more standouts too. Find all of our favorite gadgets of 2016 in the gallery below.

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Oculus Rift

The $600 Oculus Rift proved that high-quality VR could actually work in your home. It was limited at launch by a small selection of games and its reliance on the Xbox One's gamepad, but it was comfortable and delivered engrossing virtual reality experiences (assuming you had the PC hardware to power it).

The Rift’s new $200 Touch controllers finally make it a complete package, with motion tracking and better support for VR experiences in small rooms. That brings the cost of the entire system to $800, but we think it's worth it.

Check out all of Engadget's year-in-review coverage right here.