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Crash from the RTA Motorsports Youtube channel, now presents his in-depth review of the HP Reverb G2 VR headset from a sim racer’s viewpoint.
It’s clear that in Sim Racing, VR is the future, but the technology, and comfort of use is not yet where we want it to be. Nevertheless, we have seen some steady progress towards products that can bring the VR experience to a level matching the fidelity and comfort of a screen-based setup. One of the latest VR products trying to bridge the gap is the HP Reverb G2 HMD by Hewlett Packard.
Back in April 2019, HP presented its Reverb virtual reality (WMR) Windows Mixed Reality headset, followed by the Reverb Pro which was initially geared towards the commercial/professional market. The HP Reverb G1 was received as a very good VR headset due to its high resolution and clarity but failed massively because of a few major display flaws.
The HP Reverb G2 HMD was announced in May 2020 and is developed in partnership with the team behind the popular Valve Index HMD. This way, HP fixed the existing issues and added some major improvements to the design. While the Reverb G1 and G2 headsets are very similar, the G2 unit sports new LCD panels (2160 x 2160 pixels per eye), and new Valve-designed lenses generating better contrast and higher brightness levels which make the overall visuals look sharper, and might give the sim racer a better perception when looking into the distance. Due to updated WMR optical calibration methods, the Reverb G2 also has less of a mura effect and has a better color separation.
Furthermore, in comparison to the fixed IPD of the Reverb G1, the G2 features an IPD distance slider which lets you adjust the distance between the lenses to match the distance between your eyes. A correct IPD distance massively improves the quality perceived by the user and reduces the chance of motion sickness. The G2 IPD can be adjusted from the standard 60 to 68 mm.
The G1 utilized two front mounted cameras for tracking purposes. The newer G2 headset adds two cameras, (one on each side of the unit) which massively improves the tracking capability.
Besides better screens and lenses, the Reverb G2 also contains a set of quality off-ear headphones, taken over from the highly acclaimed Valve Index, which massively increases comfort as there is no pressure on the ears. The G2 headset is connected to a PC via a longer (6 meters) and thinner and therefore lighter cable.
Last but not least, the HP Reverb G2 comes with newly designed controllers, improving on the somewhat debated layout of the originals. Needless to say, this is of less importance when used for sim racing.
| HP Reverb G1 | HP Reverb G2 | |
| Display | LCD RGB | LCD RGB |
| Resolution Per Eye | 2160×2160 | 2160×2160 |
| FOV | 115 | 115 |
| Refresh Rate | 90 | 90 |
| IPD Range | 63mm fixed (software adjustable) | 60 – 68 mm adjustable |
| Tracking | Inside-out | Inside-out |
| Weight | 498g | 550g |
| # of Tracking Cameras | 2 | 4 |
| Controllers | 1st Generation Motion Controllers | 2nd Generation Motion Controllers |
Official Webpage – www.hp.com
