Do you want to buy an HP Reverb G2 VR headset? I’m also giving away three free VR headsets.

Hey there, Hypergrid Business readers. It’s the new year, and I’m moving my office and cleaning up, and have a few VR headsets sitting around that I’d like to get rid of.

They work, are hardly used, and one is even in its original — UNOPENED — box.

If you’re in the western Massachusetts area, and want to meet up, I can give you a free VR headset. Or if you’re anywhere in the world, and can pay for shipping, you can buy the brand-new one.

Here’s the one I’m selling

HP Reverb G2 VR headset

I don’t have my own picture of the headset itself because I haven’t opened the box. Yup, I bought it a year ago and never even opened it. It’s been sitting on a shelf in my office, and I realized that if I haven’t opened it yet, I’m never going to.

It runs for $599 on the HP website, currently on sale for $469, but it’s out of stock as I write this. I’m selling it for $400.

The box is unopened, so I don’t know exactly what’s in there for certain, but I bought it directly from HP and I’m reasonably sure that they put in everything it’s supposed to have.

Here’s the official picture of the headset itself:

HP Reverb G2

It’s a fancy, high-end headset and comes with two controllers, has six degrees of movement, and is compatible with SteamVR and Windows Mixed Reality. The way it works is that you plug it into your computer, so there is a cable that you have to have on your head when you use it. So, unless you’ve got one of those computers that fits in a backpack, you’d probably be using this headset sitting down, or, at least, standing in one place close to your PC.

Here’s a picture of some guy using it, with the chair positioned just right so you can’t see the cable running from his head to the laptop:

HP Reverb G2 VR headset. (Image courtesy HP.)

Are you interested? Email me at maria@hypergridbusiness.com. I’m charging $400 plus shipping, so if you’re not too far away, it might be a good deal.

If nobody here is interested, I’ll put it up on eBay.

And here are the three free VR headsets I’m giving away:

HTC Vive

HTC Vive

Comes with a couple of controllers plus a faceguard thing. It’s an all-in-one headset that you recharge with a USB cord. I think it’s the HTC Vive Focus Plus. It’s currently $449 on the official website, down from a regular price of $629. I’ve opened it and played with it, and no longer have the original packaging, so I’m just giving it away.

You don’t need a phone or a PC to use it, so it’s completely wireless. You do need a WiFi connection, though, to download apps and stuff.

If you’re around Western Massachusetts, we can meet up in some local coffee shop, and you can just have it. Or you can pay for shipping and I can box it up and send it to you. But, like I said, I don’t have the original packaging so I’ll have to bubble wrap it.

Google Daydream View

Google Daydream

This is one of those headsets that you put a phone into. It’s the Google Daydream View and Google has stopped supporting it, but there are still Daydream-compatible apps up in the app store.

The controller has a little hidey-place inside the headset:

Daydream View headset from Google.

That’s also how you put your phone in it. For a list of compatible phones, see this official list from Google.

It can also run regular Google Cardboard apps, but then the controller won’t work.

Generic Google “Cardboard” headset

Some off-brand Google Cardboard-compatible headset.

 

This is one of those cheap generic $10 headsets you can buy at Walmart that you put your phone into. It can run any Cardboard-compatible app.

I use it with my Android phone, but there’s even support for iPhones. There’s no controller with Cardboard, and no six degrees of movement. You can turn your head, but you can’t move your head laterally forward or backward, so if you’re not careful with how you use it, you can become dizzy quite easily. But you can use it to watch YouTube’s 360-degree videos in VR, and there’s a bunch of roller-coaster-type rides, some simple games, and, of course, porn.

If nobody here wants any of these free ones, I’ll give them away on Nextdoor or Craigslist, but I figured I’d give you guys first crack at them.

Open-Source Project Bringing Hand Tracking To Valve Index And Reverb G2

An open-source project is bringing controller-free hand tracking to PC VR headsets.

The open-source Linux-based OpenXR platform Monado just added hand tracking. Hand tracking is a built-in feature on standalone headsets like Quest, Pico 4, and Vive XR Elite, but isn’t currently natively available on SteamVR except through 3rd party attachments such as Ultraleap.

The new feature fully supports Valve Index and has “degraded quality” support for Oculus Rift S and WMR headsets like HP Reverb G2 – though that should be fixed “soon”.

Collabora, the group developing Monado, claims the feature can track fast hand movements and is usable for drawing, typing, and UI interaction in specialized apps. It’s mainly intended to be used with your hands separated, with “limited” support for hand-over-hand interactions.

Monado also supports inside-out headset positional tracking on Linux, allowing Valve Index to be used without base stations.

Of course, almost all PC VR owners use their headsets through Windows, not Linux. Collabora says a Windows SteamVR driver for its hand tracking tech should arrive “in the coming weeks”, alongside improvements to stability and jitter. There are no announced plans for the headset positional tracking to come to Windows, though.

Whether the driver will become popular enough to encourage developers of games with support for hand tracking on standalone headsets to also support it on PC is a very different question, but for specialized applications this could still prove a very useful feature.

Upgraded HP Reverb G2 Model Now Shipping To Even More Countries

The upgraded HP Reverb G2 model is now shipping to even more countries, after it first launched in the US last October.

The upgraded Reverb G2 model is meant to address several concerns and complaints levied at the original headset, first released in late 2020. It does this by making a few hardware and software updates, including changes to the physical camera modules on the headset. HP claims these updated cameras result in a 30% increase in tracking volume compared to the original and resolved some blind spots around the waist.

There’s also a new facemask design that allows users to adjust their eye relief distance. This should mean it’s easier to dial into your own personal ‘sweet spot’ with a removable spacer, which allows the relief distance to be brought down to 9mm from the standard 15mm.

When the new model was announced in October, it was only available in select countries. HP says that the response to upgrades has been “phenomenal” so far and, and they are expanding availability to more countries. The upgraded model is now available in a total of 30 countries, including the US, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, many European countries and more. You can view the full list here.

There’s also some software updates that apply to all HP Reverb G2 owners, new and old models alike. Microsoft and HP have also made changes to the Windows Mixed Reality platform, which now features a new home environment that is less resource intensive and should perform better. If you want, you’re also able to bypass WMR completely on startup and head straight into SteamVR, which makes for a much nicer experience for Steam users.

Have you tried out the new Reverb G2 model? What do you think? Let us know in the comments.

HP Reverb G2 Gets More Stock for Its Best Deal Yet on Cyber Monday

We’re keeping an eye on the best HP Reverb G2 Black Friday & Cyber Monday 2021 deals, don’t blink or you might miss the best Reverb G2 sale this season!

Updated – November 29th

The Best Reverb G2 Black Friday & Cyber Monday 2021 Sales

Image courtesy HP

The best HP Reverb G2 Black Friday & Cyber Monday 2021 deal so far is $400 from HP (33% discount). This is the cheapest we’ve ever seen the headset on sale. This deal was previously out of stock but more is available at the time of writing.

Out of Stock? Check here:

Reverb G2 Price Baseline

It’s important to keep in mind the base price of the headset so you can make an informed decision when purchasing. Without an special discount, Reverb G2 normally costs $600.

Reverb G2 Specs

Resolution 2,160 x 2,160 (4.7MP) per-eye, LCD (2x)
Refresh Rate 90Hz
Lenses Single element Fresnel
Field-of-view (claimed) 114° diagonal
Optical Adjustments IPD, eye-relief (only on newer units in US)
IPD Adjustment Range 60–68mm
Connectors USB-C, DisplayPort, Power
Cable Length 6m
Tracking Inside-out (no external beacons)
On-board cameras 4x B&W
Input Reverb G2 controllers (AA battery 2x), voice
Audio Off-ear headphones
Microphone Yes
Pass-through view Yes

Reverb G2 Content Compatibility

HP Reverb G2 works natively with the Windows Mixed Reality store, but very few VR applications are available there. Fortunately a free and official plugin from Microsoft also makes it compatible with SteamVR content. If you’re looking to play content that’s exclusive to the Oculus PC library (like Asgard’s Wrath) you can use the free but unofficial Revive mod to play Oculus PC content on Reverb G2. You can’t play Oculus Quest games on Reverb G2 or any PC VR headset.

Reverb G2 Black Friday 2021 Game Sales

Available through December 1st

Steam Autumn Sale
  • Nearly 1,300 VR-only and VR-optional SteamVR games on are on sale for Black Friday 2021

The post HP Reverb G2 Gets More Stock for Its Best Deal Yet on Cyber Monday appeared first on Road to VR.

VR Cover Starts its Black Friday Sales Early

VR Cover

The annual Black Friday sales event may not officially start for a couple more weeks but that doesn’t stop retailers from kicking a few deals off early. And that’s exactly what VR Cover has begun, rolling out loads of discounts across its range of virtual reality (VR) accessories.

VR Cover

VR Cover has a huge range of addon’s for most VR headsets, with Oculus Quest 2 the biggest beneficiary. Out of all the deals, 20 are for the standalone headset, whilst there are also discounts to be had on accessories for the original Quest, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Valve Index, and Windows Mixed Reality devices including the HP RTeverb G2.

None of VR Covers’ prices are overly expensive so the discounts aren’t huge but it’s worth a gander if you’re after a few bits. For Oculus Quest 2 owners some of the best deals can be found on the Controller Grips or the Facial Interface & Foam Replacement Set, both of which are down from €29/$29 to €20.30/$20.30. Or then there are the Silicone Covers in various colours currently retailing for €8.10/$8.10. VRFocus reviewed a few of these accessories and found most to be of a decent quality.

As for the other Oculus headsets, there are foam replacements for Oculus Rift and Go, a cotton cover for Oculus Quest and Rift as well as head strap replacements. It’s a similar selection for PC VR headsets, Silicone Covers for Valve Index, HTC Vive gets foam replacements and cotton covers whilst HP Reverb G2 gets silicone and cotton covers for its facial gasket.

They may all be dubbed Black Friday deals but as they go through until 3rd December 2021 it’s more of a discount month.

Hopefully, there will be plenty of VR Black Friday deals this year with the Oculus website already suggesting signing up to be notified. An offer is already available: “beat the rush and buy a Quest 2 today and get £10 off of a Quest 2 Elite Strap With Battery,” but is it worth holding off?

As more VR Black Friday deals are announced in the coming weeks, VRFocus will let you know.

Hands-on: New Reverb G2 Tweaks Make a Solid Headset Even Better

Last month HP announced that it was releasing a new Reverb G2 headset with some tweaks designed to improve field-of-view and controller coverage. We got out hands on the new headset and put it through the paces.

Reverb G2 is a decent headset and in our review we really loved the clarity of its display and lenses, but were a bit let down by the limited field-of-view. And even though the headset had notably better tracking coverage compared to prior Windows VR headsets, it still had some blind spots that were easy to notice during regular use.

Now HP has released a slightly updated version of the headset in the US which hopes to specifically address these issues, along with improving compatibility with AMD GPUs. We got our hands on the new Reverb G2 and compared it to the original.

HP is still calling the new version of the headset the ‘Reverb G2’, but for clarity let’s call the original the G2 and the new version the G2.1.

Eye-relief & Field-of-view

Photo by Road to VR

The Reverb G2.1 comes with a new facepad which can be reduced from the original fixed eye-relief distance of 15mm to 9mm. This is accomplished with a simple spacer which comes pre-installed in the G2.1. In my experience with the original G2, there was a good deal of field-of-view left on the table because of the fixed eye-relief. In theory, removing the spacer to drop down to 9mm should help people like me get closer to the headsets maximum field-of-view.

Indeed, removing the spacer brought a noticeable improvement in both vertical and horizontal field-of-view. Here’s a look at measurements comparing the field-of-view of the G2 and the G2.1.

Reverb G2 vs. G2.1 Field-of-View – Personal Measurements
(no glasses, measured with TestHMD 1.2)

Horizontal FOV Vertical FOV
Original Reverb G2 Eye-relief (15mm) 82° 78°
Reverb G2.1 Eye-relief (9mm) 98° 88°
Absolute Minimum Eye-relief (facepad removed) 98° 88°

You can see that using the 9mm setting on Reverb G2.1 increased my horizontal and vertical field-of-view by 16° and 10° respectively.

Compared to running the same field-of-view test with the facepad completely removed, I got the very same results (because at that point the screen becomes the limiting factor over eye-relief). That means that the 9mm setting of the Reverb G2.1 allows me to perfectly maximize the headset’s field-of-view.

Now I want to be clear… this might not be the case for everyone using the headset; it depends entirely on the topology of ones face. Some people may already be getting the maximum field-of-view (or close to it) at 15mm, and going down to 9mm would only serve to reveal the edges of the display instead of expanding the field-of-view.

As for me, the 9mm setting was just right in that it maximized the headset’s field-of-view without revealing the edges of the display—which is generally preferred because the hard boundary of a display is somehow more immersion-breaking than the soft boundary of a lens.

Photo by Road to VR

There’s really only one downside to this change and that’s a slightly smaller nose cavity, no matter if you’re using the spacer or not. If you have a big nose and the original G2 feels tight there, the G2.1 could put bothersome pressure on your nose.

The spacer itself is such a simple part and I’m really glad HP went out of its way to include it in the new version of the headset to make it easier for everyone to dial in the eye-relief to get the most from the field-of-view.

The spacer of the Reverb G2.1 perfectly fits the headset’s shape | Photo by Road to VR

The spacer is perfectly formed to the headset and snaps onto its magnetic attachment points, and then the facepad snaps over top of it using the same magnets.

If you’re curious, yes you can use the new spacer and/or the new facepad with the original Reverb G2; both will fit perfectly onto the headset (you can also use the old facepad with the new headset). However, using the new spacer with the original facepad (which would take you to a 21mm eye-relief) sort of works, but the two parts lack a perfect seal which causes some light leakage that can be annoying.

Continue on Page 2: Tacking Coverage »

The post Hands-on: New Reverb G2 Tweaks Make a Solid Headset Even Better appeared first on Road to VR.

Steam Now Lists Upgraded HP Reverb G2 And Other Headsets

The new and (reportedly) improved HP Reverb G2 is now listed on Steam, as are other headsets beyond Valve’s own Index.

The front page of Valve’s digital store now features a promotion for the new Reverb G2, which was announced earlier this week. The upgraded kit features improved tracking capabilities, better support for AMD hardware and more. As with before, the listing links through to the correct website that you can pick up a Reverb G2 from depending on your region.

Also listed on the Valve hardware page is the business-focused Omnicept Edition of the G2, which includes more sensors, and HTC’s Vive Pro 2 and Cosmos Elite. There’s also a link to the Windows Mixed Reality app needed if you’re planning to use the Reverb G2 or other Windows headsets on SteamVR. There’s no listing for the just-announced Varjo Aero, which is a high-end headset also supported by SteamVR tracking.

It’s been a quiet year on the SteamVR front while Valve has shifted its attention to the upcoming Steam Deck handheld console. There are rumors, though, that the company could follow that device up with its own standalone VR headset, codenamed Deckard.

As for the new Reverb G2, it still carries the $600 price point and should be shipping this year.  Troubled controller tracking was our biggest issue with the original headset, so we’re eager to test this iteration out to see the difference.

Are you going to be picking up the new HP Reverb G2? Let us know in the comments below!

Steam Now Lists Upgraded HP Reverb G2 And Other Headsets

The new and (reportedly) improved HP Reverb G2 is now listed on Steam, as are other headsets beyond Valve’s own Index.

The front page of Valve’s digital store now features a promotion for the new Reverb G2, which was announced earlier this week. The upgraded kit features improved tracking capabilities, better support for AMD hardware and more. As with before, the listing links through to the correct website that you can pick up a Reverb G2 from depending on your region.

Also listed on the Valve hardware page is the business-focused Omnicept Edition of the G2, which includes more sensors, and HTC’s Vive Pro 2 and Cosmos Elite. There’s also a link to the Windows Mixed Reality app needed if you’re planning to use the Reverb G2 or other Windows headsets on SteamVR. There’s no listing for the just-announced Varjo Aero, which is a high-end headset also supported by SteamVR tracking.

It’s been a quiet year on the SteamVR front while Valve has shifted its attention to the upcoming Steam Deck handheld console. There are rumors, though, that the company could follow that device up with its own standalone VR headset, codenamed Deckard.

As for the new Reverb G2, it still carries the $600 price point and should be shipping this year.  Troubled controller tracking was our biggest issue with the original headset, so we’re eager to test this iteration out to see the difference.

Are you going to be picking up the new HP Reverb G2? Let us know in the comments below!

HP Reverb G2 Upgrades Add Better Tracking & New Face Gasket

HP Reverb G2

There’s a lot of new virtual reality (VR) hardware appearing a the moment, not all of it is easily affordable though. One of the best consumer PC VR headsets on the market for visual quality is the HP Reverb G2 which is about to celebrate its first anniversary. And it just so happens that HP is improving the VR experience with both software and hardware upgrades.

HP Reverb G2

There are three main upgrades to the HP Reverb G2 that’ll benefit both current and new users. First up is the controller tracking. These have been refined: “increasing vertical tracking volume by 30% compared to our original headset and resolving blind spots above and below the waist,” the company notes. Which should be great for all you Beat Saber fans out there.

On the hardware side, the 6-metre cable has been upgraded to increase compatibility with AMD systems after some users reported connection issues. It’ll be supplied with new systems whilst current owners will be able to purchase the new cable online from HP.

The other hardware refinement is for the face gasket. This has been redesigned so that users can more easily adjust the eye relief distance when setting up the headset to find that nice visual sweet spot all VR devices have. “This new facemask now includes a removal spacer which enables users to set their eye relief distance to either 15mm (with spacer on and as fixed on original headset) or 9mm (with spacer off),” HP explains.

One caveat to all of this, these upgrades are only available to US customers.

HP Reverb G2

It’s not just HP trying to improve the overall experience for those users who’ve bought into the Windows Mixed Reality ecosystem. Microsoft has also been hard at work refining the platform it launched back in 2017. These include:

  • New Infinite Expanse virtual home environment streamlined down to singular stage, instead of the more feature rich Cliffhouse, improving performance.
  • Users can find a new setting that’ll automatically launch SteamVR when Mixed Reality Portal launches.
  • More settings so you can configure your ideal Mixed Reality Portal startup experience.

VRFocus will continue its coverage of HP’s VR plans, reporting back with further updates.

HP Releasing Upgraded Reverb G2 With Better Tracking

HP is set to release a new version of its Reverb G2 PC VR headset, taking on community feedback and making improvements to the headset’s tracking, design and compatibility.

The Reverb G2 launched almost a year ago, with a display that beat the Quest 2 and Valve Index, along with two additional cameras compared to the original Reverb and improved lenses and audio, produced in partnership with Valve. In our review, we noted that the headset itself had an incredible display, but was let down by less-than-ideal controllers and fairly consistent tracking issues.

A year on, HP is looking to address some of those concerns with an updated G2 model that makes a few hardware and software changes that it hopes should bring the headset back into the limelight. In the press release, HP admitted that “when it comes to controller tracking, good isn’t good enough” and therefore have “refined” its tracking capabilities with an upgrade that increases tracking volume “by 30% compared to our original headset and resolving blind spots above and below the waist.” This change will also apply to the Reverb G2 Omnicept Edition.

There’s no more specific details on exactly how this change has come about — given it’s a new model being released and there’s been an increase in vertical tracking capabilities, it seems like a physical hardware adjustment to the tracking camera, but the release doesn’t confirm that specifically.

One confirmed physical change to the new headset model is an “all-new facemask design that enables users to adjust their eye relief distance to ensure they can better dial into their visual ‘sweet spot’.” It also now includes a spacer that can be removed, which wasn’t previously an option on the original model — with the spacer in, eye relief distance is 15mm (the same as the fixed amount on the original G2), with it out, that comes down to 9mm.

In terms of compatibility, HP says it worked with AMD and “developed a solution that has resolved connection issues that some users experienced” with a redesign version of the 6m connection cable. This will be included with all new G2 models, but is also available to purchase independently for existing G2 owners.

In terms of software, HP outlined changes that Microsoft has made to the Windows Mixed Reality platform, with the new settings and features in Windows 11, such as a new virtual home environment that is less resource-intensive and better for performance. Three’s also a setting that lets you bypass the Windows Mixed Reality home environment on startup and launch straight into SteamVR, which goes a long way to fixing our frustrations with the headset’s attachment to the stagnant WMR platform from last year.

You can read the full release with further details on the new G2 changes here. HP says that new G2 purchases should include all of the upgrades listed above.