[ad_1]
HP Reverb G2 – Design and Features
Let’s put that out of the way from the start: the Reverb G2 offers a massive 2160×2160 pixels per eye with a maximum refresh rate of 90Hz and a 114-degree field of view. This is the main reason, I guess, that VR gamers would be interested in this headset to begin with. But if it’s possible to be both impressed and disappointed at the same time, well, here we are. Objectively, these are great specs. The Oculus Quest 2, for comparison, places 1832×1920 pixels in front of each eye, but now also at 90Hz. Still, the Reverb G2 wins on overall performance.
But let’s not forget that these are the same specs you’ll find in the Reverb G1. It’s no slouch, but HP recycled its existing hardware without improving the resolution.The HP Reverb G2 is a captive headset that uses reverse tracking; in other words, you need to connect it to your Gaming pc via the included 20ft cable – the headset is a dumb terminal that relies on your PC for processing – and instead of wall sensors, the headset is dotted with cameras to understand its position in space and keep tables on them. controllers.
First of all, the G2 has improved both of these design elements over the original G1. HP has made the cable lighter so that it is less cumbersome to follow behind you as you play, and it has doubled the number of cameras, adding a pair of side cameras to the two front-facing lenses to improve coverage and accuracy. follow-up. .
The helmet is the most comfortable I have ever had the pleasure of wearing. There’s no comparison to either version of the Oculus Quest, for example, which I both consider so aggressively uncomfortable that I can only assume it must be intentional. Even compared to the Valve Index, which I thought was reasonably comfortable, this headset is significantly better.
The face padding has a soft cushion around every surface that comes in contact with your head, and it sits comfortably on your head with only moderate tension – it weighs just 1.2 pounds, so a slight amount of tension is all it takes to hold it in place. in place. And it does not contain a computer or battery, so it is not unbalanced or heavy in the front. You adjust it with three Velcro straps, which might feel like a step back from a tension dial, but it’s easy to find the right fit so you can wear it for extended sessions without fatigue.
And the G2 has a great feature that quickly becomes a must-have: you can pull the headset up to see the outside world, so you don’t need to take it off completely to have a conversation or make sure you’re not on point. to stumble. the dog.
A small speaker hangs from each strap and can swivel up and out of the way if you need to hear something in the real world. Similar in design to the Valve Index, these speakers deliver adequate sound, but don’t cover your ears like headphones would.
The only other feature on the outside of the headset is the IPD slider. Unlike the Quest 2, which limits you to three fixed presets, the G2 uses a continuous slider so you can select the precise interpupillary distance that works best for you.
The controllers are much the same as those that come with most other headsets. They feel a bit quirky – they’re heavy, with ridiculously oversized tracking rings – but are fairly easy to use, equipped with four buttons (two action buttons as well as a menu and a Windows button), a handle and a joystick). They run on a pair of AA batteries and seem to offer a long lifespan.
HP Reverb G2 – Configuration
Setting up your Reverb G2 is much easier than a first-generation external headset, but still heavier than starting with something like the Quest 2. Since it’s a tethered headset, you need to plug in the headset. on your PC, and your PC must be running at least one Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060. I wouldn’t recommend this, however; I had good performance in testing, but even my GeForce RTX 2060 Super and Intel Core i7 combo stuttered on rare occasions.
A DisplayPort and USB cable separate from a small breakout box, and since the USB port cannot supply enough power to the headset, you must plug this box into a power adapter. The resulting rat yarn nest looks like a prop from a ’90s sci-fi movie.
On the other hand, the single cable that goes from the output to the headphones is quite thin and light, and is so easy to insert and remove that you might find it easier to unplug the headphones and coil the cable near your PC. , by storing the headset elsewhere. It fits behind the face padding, which snaps into place magnetically. It’s quite elegant, actually.
To get started, just connect the headset to your PC. Since the G2 relies on the Windows Mixed Reality (WMR) feature of Windows 10, your PC should recognize it immediately and automatically install the necessary software to get you started.
Before you can get into VR, you need to define your play space. It’s not too difficult unless, like me, you’re doing it on your own and your space is behind the PC. Here’s the problem: WMR, like all captive headsets I’ve used, assumes the gaming space is in front of your PC and doesn’t allow any other configuration. I had to use the skills of a gymnast to hang the helmet up in the air in the middle of the playing space while simultaneously leaning over my desk and around my monitor to complete the PC setup at the help from my keyboard. The process didn’t make me love the Reverb G2, especially since the Quest 2’s painless setup was still fresh on my mind.
If you want to play Steam VR games (and you will), you’ll need to install the SteamVR app. Once you’re set up, you can enter VR through WMR or by launching Steam, although the two experiences are separate and distinct.
HP Reverb G2 – Games
For all intents and purposes, the screen door effect is gone – whether I’m in the WMR portal, playing a SteamVR game like Half-life: Alyx, or in the mixed reality universe with a title like Racket: Nx, I was simply unable to discern any telltale grid structure differentiating individual pixels.
In fact, I found myself returning to games that I hadn’t played in a while to see them again through new, sharper eyes. Remember Audioshield, the forerunner of Beat Saber? The backgrounds are beautiful. Have you ever played the awesome RTS Final Assault game or solved puzzles in the charming rooms: A Toymaker’s Mansion? Everything is so crisp that it takes on a whole new hyper-realistic texture. And then there’s Alyx – I could marvel endlessly at the dystopian cityscape at the start of the game. Then on the subway, the graphics were intense enough that I had serious trouble playing the game. (I don’t like VR jump scares. Sue me.)
Unfortunately, once inside the action titles, it becomes clear that HP’s upside down design isn’t perfect. There are only four cameras on board, and they can’t see behind you or directly in front if you hug your body too tightly, which means there are situations where the helmet controller tracking goes off the rails enough. to affect the gameplay. . It was not unusual for Defeat Saber occasionally lose track of a controller. And the aforementioned Audioshield often failed when I clearly blocked a beat on the opposite side.
If that was the whole story, I could still forgive the Reverb G2; after all, it wins on resolution and comfort. But the G2’s fatal flaw isn’t the controller tracking – it’s the underlying design. It is the fact that it is a captive helmet. I can’t count how many times I’ve been tripped over by the cable, for example. And using WMR complicates everything without giving you anything in return. Redrawing your limits is an ordeal, for example. You can do this on a quest in seconds.
And where are the new features that might make me want to choose a Reverb 2? The Quest offers full sci-fi-caliber hand tracking, not to mention a built-in health and fitness dashboard. Meanwhile, the G2’s WMR portal is a home that looks like abandonware from 2016.
You could argue that the Reverb gives you access to richer, deeper games than you can get with a standalone headset like the Quest, but Oculus Link eventually lets you tap into anything you can do on the Reverb.
Having said that, I think I understand why HP is okay with the initial release of the Reverb G2 in 2020. These headphones really aren’t for you or me. Of course, that’s an option, especially for players who just can’t bring themselves to log into a Facebook account to use the quest. But more importantly, HP is making a business game with the Reverb G2. An upgraded version of this headset, the Reverb G2 Omnicept Edition, features internal sensors – eye tracking, pupillometry, face camera and heart rate sensor. By leveraging these tools, HP’s Omnicept software enables developers to create virtual reality applications capable of responding to the user in real time. In training scenarios, for example, evaluators can track user reactions in real time and vary the complexity of simulations in response. It’s a really brilliant app for virtual reality, and HP is using the Reverb G2 to pave the way for this exciting new market.
Selling the consumer version of the Reverb G2 is a sauce, which perhaps explains why, compared to some competitors, the G2 looks like a product trapped in amber since 2017.
