[Review] HP Reverb G2 Review & Oculus Quest 2
Finally, we got our hands on the long awaited Oculus Quest 2, as well as the HP Reverb G2. We always strive to try out as many VR and AR technologies as possible to keep up with the market demand and to maintain the highest quality of our products. But what’s also important is — we love it!
HP Reverb G2 — the 4K headset
Let’s start off with HP’s 4K device. Is it really that good? I mean — 4K — it has to be, right?
Honestly, it was a great experience! With the 4K resolution, we are at the point where pixel density shouldn’t present a problem. Pixel density will have to increase during the next few years, but with 4K and 110° FOV there shouldn’t be any issues like those that some users have repeatedly expressed during all these years. Comparing it to the Oculus DK1, with a resolution of 1280 x 800, it’s obvious we’ve come a long way. The important thing is to notice not only the resolution, but also the pixel density, which is a combination of FOV and resolution. For example, Pimax has a defined resolution of 4K, but with 200+ degrees in FOV, its pixel density is quite a bit lower than Reverb’s.
This is where we get to the particular problem. While pixel density is good, it still needs to increase FOV by at least 140° to satisfy users’ requirements on this technical aspect. All in all, we are looking at positive improvements and Reverb G2 is definitely the one doing it.
Inside tracking works as good as expected, but we did have some controller issues. Tracking was lagging quite often. For us, it will not pose a big problem; for most business applications, we use hand tracking. It will be interesting to see if we’ll be able to fit any additional hardware on the front panel of the headset.
Another issue is the main cable that is connected to the headset. It really didn’t look well protected and it was difficult to connect. Oculus DK2 had the same problem and used to malfunction quite often, especially in some field installations.
The HP Reverb G2 will require some more testing, but if it proves to be durable we might use it as the default headset in the future.
Does Quest 2 live up to the hype?
This time we bought Oculus Quest 2, the long awaited low-priced headset that was told to be the first step towards good affordable VR. To quote our CEO, Darian Škarica: “Definitely a winner in VR in the following period of personal usage. First, Quest was a winner by itself, but with this unexpected upgrade it established itself even more in the VR world.”
With the price of $300, we are getting to the point where price is no longer an obstacle for the market. A $200 price tag would be a definite winner, but it’s still debatable whether it’s achievable. For this price, Quest 2 provides all the features that an end user can wish for — standalone mobile headset, non-complicated installation, and the ability to connect to a PC for desktop VR performance.
Compared to Quest 1, the increased resolution is clearly visible and is one step closer to the 4K resolution that HP Reverb G2 provides, although they are in different categories. With Snapdragon XR2, this resolution increase is possible, as well as general graphical improvements, which is an important feature for standalone mobile headsets.
Our personal favorite among these upgrades is the improved hand tracking. We love to use apps without controllers and there is clearly a big improvement in tracking in the last year.
We get a lot of questions about whether people should get a VR headset or not. The answer was always, “just wait a little longer.” With Quest 2, and the price to quality ratio, there is no more need to wait anymore.
