>>382776357
>i don't want a headset, i want a DIY toy to screw around with endlessly
maybe i'd try https://github.com/relativty/Relativty + vive tracker for positional tracking
>i want privacy
nearly every single headset (except for oculus exclusives) uses OpenVR API for hardware stuff, and that talks to SteamVR for vidya. You can't really avoid using SteamVR no matter what you do, even this solution i've mentioned earlier will use SteamVR. Index talks to steamvr/openvr directly, so using it is pretty much as good as it gets on the topic of privacy.

>>382776905
It's a lot, but Index remains as a best overall bundle around. Other options are Quest 2, but you don't want that since you've mentioned anything about privacy issues, and maybe G2, but that's a simfag choice with questionable tracking and questionable controllers. I've yet to hear about any good niche chinkshit headset.