The HP Reverb G2 offers much higher-resolution lenses than its competitors, and that turns out to be a real game-changer.
The HP Reverb G2 is quite possibly the most exciting virtual reality headset on the market right now. That may come as a surprise to people expecting the likes of HTC, Oculus or Valve to be the ones to push VR forward, but the HP Reverb G2 achieves that by bringing one important revolutionary change: high-resolution lenses. We’re really not joking when we say the HP Reverb G2’s 2160 x 2160 resolution per eye is a game-changer. It takes immersion to a whole new level by eliminating the ‘screen door’ effect pretty much completely. The screen door effect occurs in lower-resolution headsets, where you can make out the gaps between pixels. Once you notice it it’s hard to ignore; it creates the appearance of looking through a fine mesh – or screen door – and can hamper immersion. By overcoming that issue, while at the same time undercutting most of its rivals on price and being compatible with Steam VR, which gives you access to a huge range of VR games and experiences, the HP Reverb G2 really is the headset to beat. The HP Reverb G2 is available to pre-order for $599.99 / £520 (around AU$800), although at the time of writing stock is low, so it may take a while to get hold of one. That $600 price tag is certainly high, and puts the Reverb G2 above the wire-free Oculus Quest 2, but it’s also more affordable than the HTC Vive Cosmos, and quite a bit cheaper than the high-end Valve Index and HTC Vive Pro, while offering higher resolutions than all of them. So, it’s definitely an enthusiast VR headset, but one that has an edge over the competition by offering better specs – and we always like to see that. The design of the HP Reverb G2 is pretty standard for a virtual reality headset. Headphones are built in, and the headset can be adjusted while you wear it via Velcro straps. The face mask that rests against your face when you’re wearing the headset is light and comfortable, and does a good job of blocking out light from the outside world (another immersion-breaking issue with some VR headsets). This mask magnetically attaches to the headset, making it easy to swap out (in case you need a custom fit). At the bottom of the headset is a slider for adjusting IPD (interpupillary distance – the distance between the lenses for each eye), which is easy to do.
