HP Reverb G2 VR headset evaluation

As Meta (then Fb) tried to make its digital actuality initiative extra consumer-friendly, the very first thing to go was its PC-based Oculus Rift line of headsets. The transfer made sense. The stand-alone Quest headsets don’t require costly gaming PCs or a sophisticated setup course of. Nevertheless, people who wished a extra conventional PC-based VR expertise had been left within the chilly until they splurged for costly gadgets from HTC or Valve. That is what could make the HP Reverb G2 a lovely buy for PC players in want of a robust VR headset that doesn’t fully break the financial institution.

Initially launched in late 2020, the HP Reverb G2 has lately acquired a slight refresh with a handful of refinements. At $599, the HP Reverb G2 is constructed on prime of Microsoft’s Home windows Blended Actuality platform with help for Steam VR’s huge recreation library, and it has some cool productiveness capabilities for if you’re not enjoying video games. Gaming PC house owners in search of an experimental piece of {hardware} with some caveats could discover this tethered headset a worthwhile buy. After spending every week with the HP Reverb G2, we clarify precisely why.

A smooth, comfy design and simple setup

From the Reverb G2’s field to the headset itself, the black-on-black colorway design completely balances sleekness with a premium-looking design. Each the headset and included controllers are available an analogous coloured pouch for storage, which is a pleasant contact.

As soon as the Reverb G2 is eliminated, one of many greatest adjustments to the brand new mannequin is instantly noticeable via the brand new face pad and spacer combo. Related via a small magnet across the nostril plate, it may be eliminated to 9mm from the unique’s 15mm. Decreasing the area between the eyes and screens helps maximize the sphere of view for higher immersion. Additional aiding the headset’s visible adjustment choices is a helpful eye-distance slider.

The headset makes use of a head-wrap design that locations a cushioned static band on prime of the pinnacle. Customers tighten up the Reverb G2 via three separate pull straps: two on the left, and proper alongside the highest middle. Bulblike audio system might be retracted nearer or farther away from the ear. Weighing 1.21 kilos, the G2 is the lightest tethered VR headset out there and usually comfy no matter utilization size.

Hooking up the Reverb G2 is a straightforward course of and doesn’t require sensors, because of the 4 onboard cameras. An included processor field serves because the liaison between the headset and PC. Customers join a cable from the processor field to a port positioned close to the left eye on the higher left facet. The opposite facet of the processor field connects to each your laptop’s DisplayPort in addition to an influence outlet. For laptop computer customers, there’s a mini DisplayPort adapter included as properly. So long as the PC has the minimal necessities of an Intel i5 or AMD Ryzen 5 processor, 8GB or RAM, DisplayPort 1.3, USB 3.0 Sort C port and NVIDIA GTX 1060 or Radeon RX 580 GPU, customers are good to go.

As soon as the whole lot is related, setup is dealt with via Home windows Blended Actuality software. There are setups for each seated and standing types of VR utilization, together with room boundary creation. Room boundaries permit customers to arrange invisible security guardian partitions in order that they don’t hit something. It’s a easy setup that does an incredible job of introducing customers to the right way to make the most of voice controls in addition to the bodily controllers. Talking of the Reverb controllers, syncing the AA battery-powered enter gadgets is so simple as holding the Home windows buttons when prompted. That is additionally how customers will activate the controllers afterward. The controllers themselves are comfy and placed on fairly the sunshine present, as there are dozens of LED lights on the sensor.

Crystal-clear visible and audio expertise

For the worth of admission, the visible and audio presentation of the Reverb G2 has quite a bit going for it. When you place the G2 in your head, the headset’s mura-free (or full colour output for higher visuals) 2160 x 2160 per-eye LCD screens present a completely immersive expertise in VR. That is noticeable from the bounce when getting into the world Microsoft offers via the Home windows Blended Actuality app. Whether or not you’re utilizing the spacer or not, the sphere of view is fairly spectacular too, with a 114-degree viewing angle.

Throughout the first few days of testing, I loved merely utilizing the included digital desktop app to deal with day by day duties from emails to net looking. As a matter of reality, a pleasant portion of this evaluation was written in VR. Utilizing video streaming providers like Netflix and Amazon Prime was a unbelievable expertise as a result of how clear the display screen was when viewing from 9mm. Video content material consumption is nice on the Reverb G2, because of the dearth of a display screen door impact the place the picture has a semitransparent mesh look on some VR headsets. The brightness and colour saturation on this headset is simply so good.

Most significantly, utilizing the digital desktop app allowed for some phenomenal big-screen simulation of enjoying video games like Forza Horizon 5, Halo Infinite, Elden Ring and Sifu with out efficiency points. When it got here to video games truly made for VR, the expertise was simply as immersive, because of these lovely LCD screens.

One of many first video games I performed with the Reverb G2 was the lately launched Prime Gun: Maverick enlargement for Microsoft Flight Simulator. Flying within the sonic velocity F/A-18E Tremendous Hornet and finishing numerous flight challenges is kind of the expertise. The vivid LCD display screen actually helps make the world come alive. One of many challenges contains pulling off a break up S maneuver, which additionally simulates practically passing out from the rising weight of excessive g forces via a panic attack-inducing fade-out impact. Half-Life: Alyx regarded unbelievable as properly and carried out nice on the headset. The world of Metropolis 17 regarded extra alive than ever, because of the high-resolution screens. These intense experiences had been enhanced by the spectacular audio system which might be connected to the Reverb G2.

The Reverb G2 audio system function spatial audio know-how, which positively helps situational consciousness in numerous VR video games. Utilizing the digital desktop for common music listening and video consumption didn’t make me wish to attain for exterior headphones as a result of how nice the built-in ones had been. Altering audio output to headphones or exterior audio system is as straightforward as utilizing Home windows’ sound settings. Surprisingly, the Reverb G2’s microphone additionally works rather well. Transferring between apps simply via voice was comparatively easy, and I used to be in a position to maintain Zoom conversations with none confusion.

Spectacular library of video games and apps

Valve, who additionally makes the Index VR headset, collaborated with HP in making the Reverb headset regardless of it being based mostly round Home windows Blended Actuality. The nice factor is that each Steam and Home windows Blended Actuality apps are optimized for the G2. There isn’t a big library of Home windows Blended Actuality video games, although present VR staples like Superhot VR, The Strolling Lifeless: Saints & Sinners, Inhabitants: One, Arizona Sunshine and Beat Saber are there.

Most PC players who’re years deep into Steam’s ecosystem will in all probability be utilizing Steam VR essentially the most, and activating that is so simple as hitting its respective icon via the desktop app. This opens up customers to greater than 200 VR video games on the platform, together with present triple-A normal Half-Life: Alyx, which appears to be like and sounds unbelievable on the Reverb G2. Different top-tier PC-based VR video games out there to play in VR on Steam embody Star Wars: Squadrons, Skyrim VR, Boneworks and The Persistence.

Being Home windows-based additionally permits the G2 to supply extra productiveness functions in VR. The selection between Steam and Home windows’ Digital Desktop apps is a matter of choice. Home windows Blended Actuality presents it free of charge, whereas Steam’s model prices $15. In the meantime, there are different cool apps like Straightforward Map 3D that works with Bing for enhanced map viewing or XSOverlay, which makes an attempt to present your desktop a 3D area in VR. Straightforward Map 3D is free on Home windows Retailer, whereas XSOverlay remains to be in early entry and out there on Steam for $9.99.

The refresh price and controller monitoring are missing

Visually, having a high-resolution LCD display screen and good sized area of view means video games look unbelievable. Nevertheless, the Reverb G2’s 90Hz refresh price is a bit behind the competitors, because the much less highly effective Oculus Quest 2 and PlayStation VR can go as excessive as 120Hz. That is most noticeable enjoying video games like Arizona Sunshine or Beat Saber on VR headsets with larger refresh charges, the place these titles had a extra fluid, clean body price. Enjoying these video games on the Reverb G2 must be a greater expertise for the reason that headset is tethered to a robust gaming PC, nevertheless it’s simply not.

So the query potential consumers must ask themselves is that if decision — seeing video games in sharper element — is extra vital than refresh price. This additionally could also be a matter of choice, however for practically $600, it will have been good to have the most effective of each worlds.

Updates for the Reverb G2 refresh had been supposed to incorporate digicam enhancements for higher monitoring, however there are nonetheless issues in that space as properly. Attempting to do any sort of aiming motion near the pinnacle confuses the sensors, resulting in some unintentionally comical glitches when enjoying video games like Half Life: Alyx. In the meantime, actions under the waist appear to make the sensor go haywire as properly.

Outdoors of the inner desktop app, voice instructions and digicam pass-through capabilities, Home windows Blended Actuality is pretty bland. In comparison with the likes of Steam VR and Oculus, Microsoft’s VR platform feels lifeless.

The house world is boring to discover and options bits of slowdown, which is a no-go for VR headsets. Apps like Microsoft Retailer or Edge simply don’t work properly in VR. The platform lacks the informational methods that make the world of Steam VR and Oculus enjoyable to discover earlier than loading up an app.

Home windows Blended Actuality isn’t even appropriate with the Oculus app, which is problematic for many who could also be upgrading from the discontinued Rift or Rift S. The one method to entry it’s via the free third-party app Revive, which works via Steam VR. Primarily based on my play classes with Oculus exclusives like Medal of Honor: Above and Past and Asgard’s Wrath on the G2, customers connected to their current Oculus library could also be higher off getting a Meta Quest 2 and utilizing Quest hyperlink. Because of the lack of optimization, classes with these video games wouldn’t final 20 minutes with out crashing on the Reverb G2. That doesn’t even depend the controller monitoring points.

Regardless of points with refresh price, controller monitoring and the wonky Home windows Blended Actuality platform, the HP Reverb G2 is the most effective bang on your buck within the PC-based VR area. Its high-resolution LCD screens and highly effective audio system work properly in making appropriate video games really feel extra immersive. The Reverb G2 additionally includes a comfy design that balances low weight with performance that by no means appears to compromise the 2.

Whilst you’ll want a robust gaming PC to make use of the G2, setup on a {hardware} and software program entrance is a breeze. If customers keep away from Home windows Blended Actuality and keep on with Steam VR, there’s quite a bit to understand right here. Simply be sure that your expectations are managed correctly earlier than taking the dive. Should you’re not a stickler for larger resolutions and wish entry to the extra mainstream Oculus library (or simply don’t personal a robust PC), you’re higher off with the extra versatile Quest 2 headset.