HP recently announced its latest VR headset, Reverb G2. It boasts a substantial number of improvements over the original Reverb and clearly represents the next-gen of WMR headsets. We were fortunate enough to get an exclusive hands-on with the headset; in our first article we detailed G2's standout feature—its high resolution displays and impressive clarity. This time around we'll be talking about everything else the headset brings to the table. While the first wave of Windows VR headsets that launched back in 2017 felt relatively homogenous, HP began blazing its own trail with its original Reverb headset (which I'll call G1 for short) in 2019, and just a year later the company plans to push yet further with Reverb G2. For a full breakdown on G2's features and specs, check out the announcement article; this piece will be focusing on the experiential aspect after our hands-on with the headset, and a bunch of other details we've learned from HP—everything except the headset's visuals, which we covered in Part One. Ergonomics [caption id="attachment_95995" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Image courtesy HP[/caption] One of the big changes from G1 to G2 that doesn't fit neatly into a spec sheet is ergonomics. For one, G2 now has a physical IPD slider where the original had a fixed IPD. An IPD slider allows users to adjust the spacing between the lenses to be optimally aligned with their eyes. Optimal IPD alignment is important for comfort, clarity, and immersion. HP confirmed that the Reverb G2 IPD adjustment ranges from 60mm to 68mm. As you'd expect with other headsets, when you adjust the slider on the headset, the WMR software on your PC automatically updates the software IPD setting to match. Another ergonomic improvement from G1 to G2 is a change to the head-mount. While the original—with its circular rear design—was reasonably comfortable, G2 uses an oval shape (very similar to that of Index), which seems likely to fit a wider range of users. [caption id="attachment_95782" align="aligncenter" width="640"] G2's rear head-mount has changed considerably in shape | Photo by Road to VR[/caption] The shape is made to find purchase on the back of the head—right on the occipital bone—which actually has a sort of horizontal mound under which the lower part of the oval can be tucked for an ideal fit. I didn't dislike the comfort of the original Reverb, but feels like an improvement still. While most of the rest of G2 looks pretty similar in shape to G1, HP actually redesigned all the foam padding on the headset (the parts that cradle the back of your head and face), and it makes a notable difference. G1's foam was a little more firm and not as wide. G2's softer and wider foam spreads the pressure on your face over a wider area. Additionally, the face gasket is now magnetic, which makes it a breeze to remove to clear or replace. Given HP's collaboration with Valve, this feature seems inspired by Index, but unfortunately the face gaskets aren't interchangeable. [irp posts="95771" name="Exclusive Hands-on: HP's Reverb G2 is the King of Clarity"] We don't usually talk about a headset's tether in relation to ergonomics, but compared to G1, the new cable on G2 makes a difference. The G1 tether was double-barrel—essentially two cables side-by-side. This caused two issues: the first was weight, as the heavy cable could be felt tugging on the back of the headset, and the second was flexibility, as the double-barrel design reinforces the cable against bending in a certain direction. G2 fixes both issues by moving to a single-barrel cable which is pretty much the same width that you'd expect from Index or any other major VR headset. It's surprising what a difference it makes just to have less tether weight pulling down on the back of the headset. [caption id="attachment_95781" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Photo by Road to VR[/caption] Quickly, while we're on the topic of the cable, it's worth mentioning that G2 has a lengthy 19.5 foot (6m) tether, which is a few feet longer than what you get with Rift S. The extra length is nice just to have more slack for cable management, but there's an additional unexpected benefit: because WMR headsets have a playspace setup process which uses the headset itself to define the boundary, the extra cable length means you can trace a slightly larger space. That's nice for anyone who has their PC tucked in the corner, or those with very large playspaces. Back to ergonomics. I'm not bothered by the available nose-space of most VR headsets. But G1 always felt cramped and would sometimes put pressure on the bride of my nose. Thankfully, G2 has a larger nose-cavity than the original, and it adds some rubber light blockers there to boot. And even the headphones have ergonomic benefits... Audio [caption id="attachment_95994" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Image courtesy HP[/caption] HP pretty much grafted Index's excellent headphones onto G2—using the identical, novel BMR drivers—and I'm definitely happy about that. The move from against-ear headphones to off-ear headphones has a number of advantages. First is comfort. Having nothing touching your ears is just plain-old better than headphones that push against your ears. What's more, once you get them into the position you want—as long as you don't bump them later—you won't even need to adjust them next time you put on the headset. Against-ear headphones on VR headsets pretty much always get pushed around between uses and need to be adjusted every time. The second advantage to off-ear is immersion. The unique shape of your ear is actually an important part of how you experience sound. Carefully designed off-ear headphones (like those on Index and G2) expose the sounds to a broader part of your ear, making virtual audio sound more like sound that's coming from the real world. [caption id="attachment_95992" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Photo by Road to VR[/caption] In my hands-on time with G2, the headphones sounded good but seemed to be lacking some bass compared to Index. When I asked HP about it, they said that the early prototype that I was testing doesn't have its final EQ, and assured me that—thanks to to the use of the very same drivers and amp—they will be able to perform identically to Index once calibrated. That's good news, because Index has, hands-down, the best audio solution of any VR headset out there. And if things turn out as HP says, G2 will have it too. Continue on Page 2: Tracking & Controllers » Tracking & Controllers [caption id="attachment_95996" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Image courtesy HP[/caption] Reverb G2 is the first WMR headset with four inside-out tracking cameras (up from two on previous headsets); HP tells me that while the number of cameras has increased, the headset uses the same resolution cameras as the original WMR headsets. The headset will also include new controllers which have a Touch-like design, replacing the original, worst-in-class WMR controllers that every other headset has been stuck with. The new controllers don't just have a new shape, they also have a new button & stick layout; the trackpad has been dropped, and a proper grip trigger replaces the original's grip button. All-in-all, these changes move G2's WMR controllers closely in line with the controllers of other major headsets which is great news for developers and users alike. [caption id="attachment_95997" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Image courtesy HP[/caption] HP has confirmed some interesting details: 1) the G2 controllers will be backwards compatible with other WMR headsets, which means users of older headsets will finally have a controller upgrade option. The company plans to sell the controllers separately from the headset, at some point, but tells me that they're going to prioritize getting them into the same box as the G2 out of the gate. 2) The controllers don't have any capacitive finger-sensing like Touch or Index controllers. 3) The controllers still use two AA batteries just like the original WMR controllers. Unfortunately the new controllers weren't ready in time for my hands-on, so I used the original WMR controllers (though HP says they won't be compatible with G2 at launch). Even so, the old controllers also make use of the new four-camera tracking setup. Many assume that the tracking on the original WMR headsets must be bad because they only use two cameras. But while two cameras definitely limit the controller tracking coverage, WMR headsets have always had very good head-tracking and pretty good controller tracking (within the coverage area); you can even jam Beat Saber plenty hard with WMR controllers. It's controller coverage which has been the achilles heel of WMR headsets. [irp posts="94332" name="Cosmos Elite & External Tracking Faceplate Review – Better Tracking, Same Core Issue"] As such, going from two to four cameras doesn't make any obvious difference in head-tracking on G2 (it's as solid as ever), but it'll be interesting in a longer testing session to see if this increases robustness in difficult tracking situations (like low light or high contrast). But the hope for four cameras is really about improving controller tracking coverage. Now, I wish I could give you a detailed breakdown of the G2's controller tracking performance. But unfortunately I had just a short session with the headset and tried soaking up as much as I could, but I wasn't able to test it with a wide enough range of content and in enough of those challenging controller tracking scenarios (bow pulling, two-handed weapons, etc) to really feel like I got a good grasp on the tracking coverage. [caption id="attachment_95779" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Photo by Road to VR[/caption] It's clear that the layout of the cameras on G2 (two on front and two on the side) should considerably improve controller tracking coverage on the sides. The headset's camera layout is very similar to Rift S (which is known to have very good inside-out controller tracking) with one caveat... Rift S has an extra, fifth camera hiding on top of the headset. That gives me pause to think Oculus likely had a good reason for putting it there. Soon enough I'll be able to get my hands on the new G2 controllers and do a deep dive on controller tracking coverage to really feel out the volume. - - – - - HP has announced that Reverb will launch in Fall 2020, and the headset is already available for pre-order, priced at $600, which includes the controllers. Happy to answer more questions about the headset in the comments below. Fire away!