HP Reverb G2.Step-by-step installationI ordered from Amazon, at the end of February 2022, an HP Reverb G2 VR headset, thinking that I would receive the new version, the V2, which replaced the previous ...
I ordered from Amazon, at the end of February 2022, an HP Reverb G2 VR headset, thinking that I would receive the new version, the V2, which replaced the previous V1 in October 2021. In the V2 version there are some substantial changes (better tracking, better FOV thanks to the thinner mask) and some minor ones. The definition is still the same.
The bundle arrived on 5 March, but to my surprise, I found the V1 version. Undamaged package, brand new headset and eyepieces with protective plastic. Strange that 4 months later the old versions are still circulating at full price.
However, the most important features of this headset are:
Resolution: 2160 x 2160 on each eyepiece
Refresh Rate 90 Hz
FOV (Field of view) 114°
For more information directly from the HP website click below:
rather long cable, 6 metres with DisplayPort 1.3 connector and USB 3.0 Type C connector
USB 3.0 Type C to USB 3.0 adapter
Mini DisplayPort to full size DisplayPort adapter
The package includes 2 controllers and 4 batteries to be inserted into the controllers. (2 batteries per controller).
To insert the batteries into the controllers, slide down the right wall of the right controller and the left wall of the left controller. Do not try to open it by prying open the slots or using tools such as screwdrivers!
The 2 controllers are for the right hand and the left hand. How to recognise which hand they are for? Simple. The right-handed controller has the middle joystick moved to the right and the left-handed controller has the middle joystick moved to the left.
After connecting the cables from the headset to the computer, insert the
power connector in the power supply unit
power supply connector in the small breakout box
power supply connector in the home network socket
Switch on the computer.
The Mixed Reality Portal is activated automatically.
If the headset is not recognised, check that the connector above the left eyepiece is inserted correctly. Incorrect insertion of this connector will not turn on the viewer or make it visible to the computer. So check it carefully.
Manually:
Go to START>type Mixed Reality Portal or press the Windows key on your keyboard and type Mixed Reality Portal.
If the menu does not appear, you can download the Reverb G2 configuration program.
After HP's thanks, follow the instructions and how to configure controllers.
For those who have not already done so, please remember to insert the 2 stylus batteries into each controller by sliding down the right wall of the right controller and the left wall of the left controller.
Press the Windows button on the controllers to turn them on.
The controllers have an internal device that feels your hand and, to save battery power, when your hand is not in contact with the controller, the controller first flashes, then turns off.
Press and hold the Windows button until the lights on the controller come on.
We then move on to the game setting: standing or sitting with the following adjustments.
Center the headset
Do you want to use voice commands in Mixed Reality?
To set the limits of the room (so that, with the viewer on, you don't hit any obstacles) select Set all experiences (recommended).
Follow instructions.
I do not use voice commands. Viewer switches off and on again.
Ready.
Start the preview where the viewer will be adjusted according to the position. Point your eyes at a kind of gem and the viewer will adjust itself. The following screen concludes the operation.
At this point, if you have problems with your eyesight, you should adjust the interpupillary, a lever located at the bottom of the viewer under the right eyepiece.
If you have an account on Steam install SteamVR which works well with all Steam.and non-Steam programs.
In particular, SteamVR warns if the viewer is not connected and can reset it (if it is connected correctly).
Ergonomics
The HP Reverb G2 version 1 is comfortable to wear. There are Velcro tabs on the sides of the visor.
which, when detached, allow the rear of the visor to extend.
At the top of the visor, a long Velcro tab allows any size of head to be adjusted.
To see the outside world, simply raise the visor.
.
Sound
The earphones reproduce the sound very faithfully and, although they do not have sound adjustment, they can be retracted step by step up to 45° so that the sound can be reduced or increased very comfortably. The VR3000 system is a type of binaural audio, an optimised 3D audio recording, but it would need sound adjustment!
Facemask
The template is lightweight, padded and removable for cleaning. It is very easy to remove and insert.
Resolution
Good news. There is no mosquito net effect: pixels are not visible or hardly visible at all. Movements are fluid. Of course, the result depends a lot on the video card and the CPU speed of the computer. Also beware of games that are not native VR. The resolution will be lower.
Controllers
Very light even with 2 batteries inserted. The life of alkaline batteries is quite long, but you can also insert rechargeable batteries. They last less, but the cost is, in the long run, quite affordable. The best results are obtained with rechargeable batteries of at least 1.9 Ampere. The controllers when the viewer is in operation must be switched on by pressing the Windows button for a few seconds. After that the controllers turn on and vibrate, which means that they work.
HP Reverb G2
Step-by-step operation
SteamVR and Windows Mixed Reality are good basic programs that allow you to see something right away and use the controllers correctly.
However, to get a full VR view I suggest downloading Bigscreen which is free and allows you to see the desktop from the comfort of a large living room on an obviously virtual TV screen. Bigscreen is downloaded from Steam and can be viewed via SteamVR.
Right-click with the trigger on the Bigscreen window
and from this screen you can access the desktop and the internet.
After Bigscreen, curiosity leads to seeing some demos in VR. However, when you open some demos it is likely that the controllers will not work or will work partially, i.e. some keys will not work. The only key that always works is the Windows key, which is used in some cases to see the desktop and other things, and it works as an on/off switch for the controller. From all these difficulties one realises that VR is still in its infancy and still has a long way to go.
A great demo that will work right out of the box is Valve's The Lab, released in 2016 it's still a great test for VR viewers and works well.
It has many levels all different, but it's important to have previously established the boundaries or limits of the room so you don't hurt yourself by bumping into any obstacles. I've written this before but as it's important I'll repeat it here.
For those who have not set them, I remind you how to do it. In the menu at the top left of the Mixed Reality Portal, select Configure Space Limit then select Set all experiences (recommended).
Follow the instructions.
Interesting app ( programs):
The Lab downloadable from Steam
Open The Lab and select the first level so you can try out the limits of the room and, if you cannot pick up objects with the two controllers, change the limits until you have an ideal and safe environment.
There are 12 different games, all more or less similar in concept: shooting. However, they are different from each other both in environment and weapons. Very funny is the archery which finally breaks away from the usual pistols or rifles. In my opinion the best is the slingshot where you can collapse mountains of boxes stacked in a warehouse. The environment is a bit dark, but the brightness of Reverb G2 definitely improves the game. I must also point out that the graphics of this game, created by Valve, are exceptional in their detail.
You have to admit that when big software or, as in this case, hardware manufacturers decide to bring a game to market, they don't mind the budget. If you look at the precision of the details, the colours changing with nuances, the smoothness and speed of the images especially when shooting coloured liquids with a gun, as in the picture above, you realise that these results can only be achieved with large sums of money and professional designers. In any case, a very fast computer with adequate RAM is indispensable for maximum visual performance. Reverb G2 is also very bright here, so you can see details in half-light.
Blueplanet VR Demo
Good demo for VR from Steam, has great natural landscapes, but interacting with the controllers is tricky and moreover the colours in many landscapes are too saturated. Still worth a try.
TheCurious Study of Dr.Blackwood i
It's an interesting free demo that lets you interact with objects, move candles, drop books, etc. To activate the menu which is on the left controller, press the Y button. Again, Reverb G2 proves to be an excellent viewer due to its brightness feature. The environment is an old house and the interior is lit only by candles (which you can move, replace or throw) that give off a dim and flickering light. I had tried this environment with a Pimax 5K Super, but struggled to distinguish darker objects and, more importantly, could clearly see pixels in smaller objects. With the Reverb G2 the pixels are hardly distinguishable and, in the near total darkness of some walls, you can make out the outlines and objects quite well.
Flight Simulator 2020
To run both the simulator and the headset smoothly, you need a very fast computer and adequate RAM. And I'm referring to an I9 CPU with Nvidia 3080 card or equivalent and 16 GB of ram, minimum. This is if you want to make the most of the simulator's resolution and avoid interruptions in the flight. Having said that, the Reverb G2 is very bright, so even in extreme flight conditions, storms and so on, you can clearly distinguish both the contours of the controls and the rather small writing that runs continuously, especially numbers on the instruments and letters in the EFIS and other GPS instruments. The external view, but especially the external view of the cockpit, is fantastic with the visor.
Kinetosis. Compared to action games or, even worse, car racing, Flight Simulator 2020 causes less nausea. It's only in tight turns, looping, tonneau, screw, i.e. aerobatic manoeuvres that there might be problems. If you're circling over clouds and doing an airline flight, in my personal experience, motion sickness doesn't occur. I, for example, have problems in the tight turns of Assetto corsa.
Slow start-up of Flight Simulator 2020. The most annoying problem is the slowness at start-up, i.e. from when you click on the icon until the cockpit appears. During this time, the viewer is not needed. In particular, the simulator stops for several minutes on the NEW ACTIVITIES screen. Which, as I say again, is quite annoying.
Now let's take a look at the best VR headsets available today and their PPD.
XTAL 8K. Professional VR manufacturer XTAL, a Czech-American company, has a "cheaper" version in its catalogue., XTAL 8K which has a definition of 7680x2160 pixels.
Varjo VR-3. Another professional VR manufacturer, the Finnish company Varjo, claims on the professional model Varjo VR-3 (about 3.200€) a density of 70 PPD per 1920x1920 pixel micro OLED screen.
But is it worth spending a lot of money on an expensive model when the visual difference will be barely noticeable?
Conclusions
Good viewer, easy to wear and with a reasonable FOV. Blurring at the edges is not important, even in real life we can't focus at the sides. Of course, to see well you need to wear the viewer correctly and tighten the straps. Any jolt can cause shifting, and any slight shifting "might", if the visor is not properly fitted, shift the focus.
The controllers do not have a complete and homogeneous tracking, they often stop. This seems to have been resolved in version 2.
What has left me rather perplexed about this purchase and what has convinced me to return this viewer is that Amazon has applied the full price and also with a slight overcharge compared to HP's shop and has sent the G2 model version 1 instead of version 2 which has been on the market since October 2021. Frankly I would have kept the visor if the price had been much lower.
HP Reverb G2 
