HP Reverb G2 - User Experiences & Owner Impressions

[Mr Latte]

Reports are it may be launching in September 2020 which is earlier than some expected.
I'm seriously considering one of these having had a CV1 in the past and enjoyed VR

Finally, though with this device, now we have image quality that is very good for simulations. Also offering easy setup, superb audio, and nice controllers but all at a good price.

Steam HP Reverb G2
UK Pre-Orders
Manual
Datasheet/Specs

 

[GuitarTech]

Yep no controllers needed , I never removed mine from the box , it should automagically detect the headset and install what's necessary then you can setup with the mouse , it should guide you through.
Performance can be a mixed bag , I have basically the same as you except an i5-10600kf CPU and I generally didn't get the performance out of my expensive 3080 I was expecting (hopefully Nvidia can still optimize VR on the 3000 series and there is a bug in the drivers that can effect VR) and the last time I played RF2 ( a while ago , back to flat screen , only playing WRC 9 ) it was very track dependent , some tracks I had to enable 45 fps re-projection to get something smooth (re-projection actually worked quite well) and on other tracks it ran fine at the default 90 fps settings.

Thanks for the info, I recieved a tracking mail ten minutes ago that informed me that the G2 will be there tomorrow, and not Friday like the first mail said. I can't wait to try it out

 

[Metla]

I picked up a G2 a couple days ago.

and Holy Shitballs, It must be awesome, My teenagers won't put it down.

Only had a couple short stints on it myself (broke my hand while mountain biking) but its better then I anticipated, so much more of what is happening in game is as expected due to the ability to perceive depth, Driving feels incredibly natural, FFB now feels like it correlates better with weight transfer through corners and the brakes lock 100 percent as I would expect they would in the real world, rather then me just hitting the brakes and waiting for tire sequel.

Though smashing the drivers side of the car into the concrete wall on Bathurst gave me a bit of a start

 

[prceurope]

Hi! I just got my Reverb G2 and have a question regarding rFactor 2 and head movement.

I have a seat mover and when I hit the brakes, my head goes forward a bit, but in VR, the whole cockpit and steering wheel moves on that axis.

Does anyone know how to make it so that the forward/back axis does not auto-shift foward like that but instead follows head movement?

Thanks!

 

[Deleted member 197115]

Sounds like headset did not register in 6DOF. Happens quite often, due to lighting, environment or just on the very first start of SteamVR.
Try this.
- Start SteamVR
- Put headset on, slowly move head left/right/up/down.
- At this point if everything worked you should be able to lean forward with grid on the SteamVR environment floor staying static, i.e. not moving forward with your head.
- If not, go to WMR Portal manager boundary settings, select sitting/standing option and click center. That should fix it right away, until perhaps next SteamVR restart, so don't shut it down unnecessarily.

 

[prceurope]

Sounds like headset did not register in 6DOF. Happens quite often, due to lighting, environment or just on the very first start of SteamVR.
Try this.
- Start SteamVR
- Put headset on, slowly move head left/right/up/down.
- At this point if everything worked you should be able to lean forward with grid on the SteamVR environment floor staying static, i.e. not moving forward with your head.
- If not, go to WMR Portal manager boundary settings, select sitting/standing option and click center. That should fix it right away, until perhaps next SteamVR restart, so don't shut it down unnecessarily.

Thanks - it worked again by just closing down and restarting all the apps. Will pin this info for future snafus.

I'm noticing a bit of blurriness in general, that does not go away when I adjust the IPD or reposition the headset. I don't wear glasses but it does make me wonder if this is a general vision issue and that I might just be having trouble focusing on things that are actually quite near to my eyes. I do notice that I can't read things close to my face that I used to be able to read.

 

[Deleted member 197115]

While lenses are close to eyes, the focusing distance for G2 is 1.5m, more of an issue for near sighted people than farsighted like yourself.
Try to increase SS to see if this helps with blurriness, also vertical positioning is just as important as horizontal. And try to remove gasket completely to see if moving eyes closer helps with sweetspot, then you'll probably need to look for alternate 3D printed gasket.

 

[prceurope]

While lenses are close to eyes, the focusing distance for G2 is 1.5m, more of an issue for near sighted people than farsighted like yourself.
Try to increase SS to see if this helps with blurriness, also vertical positioning is just as important as horizontal. And try to remove gasket completely to see if moving eyes closer helps with sweetspot, then you'll probably need to look for alternate 3D printed gasket.

Thanks. Can you point me to a good tutorial on setting up the G2? There are 20+ on YouTube and many are 5+ months old.

 

[Deleted member 197115]

Windows Mixed Reality VR - Enthusiast Guide

Jump into the expansive world of virtual reality and experience next-level immersive gaming, travel, and streaming. Here you can learn how to get started and advance with VR using Windows Mixed Reality.

docs.microsoft.com

Generic and G2 specific info there, all in one place.

 

[nopointinnames]

Thanks - it worked again by just closing down and restarting all the apps. Will pin this info for future snafus.

I'm noticing a bit of blurriness in general, that does not go away when I adjust the IPD or reposition the headset. I don't wear glasses but it does make me wonder if this is a general vision issue and that I might just be having trouble focusing on things that are actually quite near to my eyes. I do notice that I can't read things close to my face that I used to be able to read.

I wear glasses because I can't see things far away very well. I can see my phone or a book in very crisp detail, anything close is totally fine without glasses. But with my g2, it's a bit blurry until I put in contacts. Once I put them in, makes a world of difference.

 

[prceurope]

While lenses are close to eyes, the focusing distance for G2 is 1.5m, more of an issue for near sighted people than farsighted like yourself.
Try to increase SS to see if this helps with blurriness, also vertical positioning is just as important as horizontal. And try to remove gasket completely to see if moving eyes closer helps with sweetspot, then you'll probably need to look for alternate 3D printed gasket.

Thanks for the info.

In rF2, I was getting quite a lot of shimmering when running with higher graphics settings. I found that I had to reduce the SteamVR Resolution to 50% and reduce many of the in-game graphics settings to get a decent FPS, without shimmering or blurriness.

But, now I cannot read the distance boards until they are about 30m away, whereas before I could read them more clearly.

I run a 2080Ti and a i9900. If you know of a good graphics guide for this combination in rF2 I would be grateful. I will also check out the S397 threads to see if anyone has a really nailed on combination.

 

[GP20]

Definitly removing the gasket is a game changer.
I bought a pad for the oculus quest 2, removed the gasket put a few piece of velcro on the sides of the G2 and on the pad and bingo.
Wider FOV, bigger sweet spot.
Now it's really really great and the best headset until the HTC Pro 2 is released perhaps.

 

[TShrimp]

What I like and dislike about using VR to race and using the G2 for it. Mostly racing with AMS2.

Like:
Immersion - You really feel like you are there. When a driver in front hits a cone, and it comes out me, I actually find myself ducking.
Visual Quality - Night and day better vs the CV1.
Comfort - I can tell it is on mostly due to heat, but this thing is very comfortable compared to my CV1 (only raced with Dirt Rally, and it made me sick at the time)
No motion sickness - I am prone to motion sickness with my CV1. However, for some reason the G2 I don't have this problem as much. More so in some games, but in sim racing I can go for hours, and am surprised.
Sound - When it works it is great. I really like the off the ear thing.
Faster? - I think I may be faster. You see everything so much better. From being able to hug a corner to taking the right path, and even seeing the opponents car out of the corner of your eye. It just feels easier.

Don't Like:
Graphics - To get 90 FPS, I really have to dumb down my graphics in VR, and it shows on the G2 screen. Flickering on straight edges can be bad. Even more so on distant objects. Graphics are much better on a monitor, and so much clearer.
Sound - Yes this is in both places. It cuts out minimum one time a lap, and comes back within a few seconds. The issue is it causes a stutter when it comes back to where I pause on screen and then progress about 3 car lengths instantly. Keeping control of your car when this happens is a game all its own.
Setup - Having to remember everything I have to start is a pain, and if you forget something it is more difficult with the headset on. Start Steam (won't start on bootup for some reason), start SimHub for my Buttkicker, Start Sim Commander 4 for my wheel, recalibrate my Fanatec Clubsport V3 (rare it saves my settings). I finally created a script to launch everything as I kept forgetting something each time.

I really like racing in VR, so much better than when I used my CV1. I actually couldn't stand it then. However, the G2 has given me new interest. I can live with the graphics degradation (although it would be great to have this look crisper), and when I compare my setup with others online. I seem to have similar settings graphically within the menus, and within Steam VR. Rig is a 3800X, 32GB RAM, 6800.

I hope at some point I can get the sound fixed. It would be fine if it didn't do a stutter on the screen when it came back.

 

[alvess]

Hi.

I gone thru a couple of VR sets: HTC Vive, Vive PRO, RIFT CV1.
I now own Valve Index and Quest 2 and HP G2.
Since a recently got my RTX 3080 after 6 month of waiting a really also wanted to upgrade the VR set.

So I got myself a HP reverb G2.
I can live with the:
The tacky velcro and the stiff cable.
Heck I can even stand the lesser sound quality and the windows mixed reality software bugs.

-What I can not live with is the 90 fps and the minuscule sweet spot and otherwise fussy image quality.
The bad tracking of the headset even when sitting in a sim rig was another bust.

The Valve Index is a marvel of VR technology in comparison.
Lucky I did not sell it

My HP G2 is a REV-A.
I got normal eyesight and no glasses.
We were three sim racers testing the HP G2 we all had the same bad VR experience.

Tried a bunch of different "fixes" but to no avail.

Maybe a Vive Pro 2 ?

 

[prceurope]

Hi.

I gone thru a couple of VR sets: HTC Vive, Vive PRO, RIFT CV1.
I now own Valve Index and Quest 2 and HP G2.
Since a recently got my RTX 3080 after 6 month of waiting a really also wanted to upgrade the VR set.

So I got myself a HP reverb G2.
I can live with the:
The tacky velcro and the stiff cable.
Heck I can even stand the lesser sound quality and the windows mixed reality software bugs.

-What I can not live with is the 90 fps and the minuscule sweet spot and otherwise fussy image quality.
The bad tracking of the headset even when sitting in a sim rig was another bust.

The Valve Index is a marvel of VR technology in comparison.
Lucky I did not sell it

My HP G2 is a REV-A.
I got normal eyesight and no glasses.
We were three sim racers testing the HP G2 we all had the same bad VR experience.

Tried a bunch of different "fixes" but to no avail.

Maybe a Vive Pro 2 ?

Sounds like you got unlucky. The crappy cable, and managing it, is the worst issue for me. Everything else works just fine after watching a couple of videos on how to set it up for various games. The FOV is a bit small but I ordered a mod for that. Otherwise, just figure out the settings to get 90 FPS (which I find totally acceptable) and enjoy the excellent immersion.

If the head tracking while seated is bad, maybe check your lighting and take some time to calibrate WMR?

I'm no super user of tech - so if I can get something to work pretty well after an initial underwhelming experience, anyone can.

 

[alvess]

Sounds like you got unlucky. The crappy cable, and managing it, is the worst issue for me. Everything else works just fine after watching a couple of videos on how to set it up for various games. The FOV is a bit small but I ordered a mod for that. Otherwise, just figure out the settings to get 90 FPS (which I find totally acceptable) and enjoy the excellent immersion.

If the head tracking while seated is bad, maybe check your lighting and take some time to calibrate WMR?

I'm no super user of tech - so if I can get something to work pretty well after an initial underwhelming experience, anyone can.

Thanks! Yeh could be that i got a bad ex when i comes to lenses.
I got steady 90fps but the 144fps i can get in the Index is so much smother.
The smaller FOV don't bother me much but the small sweet spot do.
Shall see if i can get another faceplate.

 

[Deleted member 197115]

Thanks! Yeh could be that i got a bad ex when i comes to lenses.
I got steady 90fps but the 144fps i can get in the Index is so much smother.
The smaller FOV don't bother me much but the small sweet spot do.
Shall see if i can get another faceplate.

Which sims can run at 144fps and look good at the same time? I am lucky if I can get 60 with visuals I find acceptable.

 

[RCHeliguy]

Which sims can run at 144fps and look good at the same time? I am lucky if I can get 60 with visuals I find acceptable.

iRacing

 

[Deleted member 197115]

iRacing

Not at G2 100% (x1.4) resolution I suspect.

 

[RCHeliguy]

I noticed with the May 19th? Nvidia drivers that VRSS defaults to adaptive for the global settings.
I don't know that it means it will work if I delete a game specific profile.

FYI, I had to update my device driver to get my audio back. I've had this happen twice where I lost audio on my Valve Index if I didn't have a recent Nvidia device driver.

 

[Deleted member 197115]

I noticed with the May 19th? Nvidia drivers that VRSS defaults to adaptive for the global settings.
I don't know that it means it will work if I delete a game specific profile.

FYI, I had to update my device driver to get my audio back. I've had this happen twice where I lost audio on my Valve Index if I didn't have a recent Nvidia device driver.

Please test. In my case it was disabled by default and even when using Forced AC didn't work, attempt to create game profile and set VRSS there just gave Not available as an option for it. And those hidden flags to enable it for non whitelisted games are gone, NVApi does not publish them anymore.