HP's Reverb VR Pro Headset

[sze5003]

My thoughts on the Reverb vs Vive Pro after a day or so.

 

Let me say from the outset, that I am not feeling any kind of wow factor after my first couple of days with the Reverb. It doesn’t feel like a great leap forward compared to the Vive Pro. In fact, in some ways it is a backward step, in my opinion.

 

My comments here all relate to the Vive Pro vs Reverb. If you are coming from a 1st gen Vive or Rift, then you will be amazed by the difference in clarity with the Reverb, but compared to the Vive Pro (or Odyssey +, I guess), I’m not so sure.

 

For the purposes of this post, I am not going to moan about Windows Mixed Reality too much, because I am going to put effort into familiarising myself with it for a couple of days before saying anything! However, it just feels really clunky having to load the WMR portal and then SteamVR on top, etc.

 

1. Setup. The Setup was pretty straightforward. I selected the seating position as I tend to (mostly) play DCS and Project Cars II etc., it downloaded the software and the whole process was painless. Really nice that it only requires a DP and 1 USB cable.

 

2. Hardware and Comfort. At first, I was unimpressed, as the Reverb felt light and flimsy compared to the VP. It was more like my old Rift. Still, it feels reasonably comfortable wearing it for a long session, but I’m afraid not as comfortable as the VP. The biggest issue is the main cable. It is horrible! It is really stiff and thick, and gets in the way when you are turning or moving your head around. Also, there is quite a lot of pressure near the top of my forehead. I think this is to do with the face being so close to the lenses. A lot of heat seemed to get generated at the top of the HMD as well and that didn’t help either.

 

3. IPD. A big issue here. As we all know, there is no hardware adjustment, and we were told that is not a problem as it can be adjusted in software. Well, that is true, but Windows only allows the adjustment to go between 59mm and 67mm IPD. Now, I am 69mm and I didn’t feel totally comfortable with the HMD set to 67mm. This needs to be sorted out by allowing a wider range in Windows settings.

 

4. Audio. First issue I had was that the audio earphones wouldn’t fit over my ears in the correct position. They just wouldn’t go down far enough. However, I loosened the overhead strap and pulled the HMD down a bit and all was well on that front except that the overall position of the HMD didn’t feel naturally correct. I must say that although the audio is pretty good, it doesn’t compare at all well to the High Definition Audio in the VP earphones. The sounds are less well defined and lacking in range in comparison, but I don’t see that as a major issue as the sound is OK.

 

5. Image Quality. Here is where I struggle. The first thing I noticed, was the lack of dynamic range in the image compared to the VP. Everything just looked a bit flat and grey, with colours not leaping out of the screen at me. I guess this is down to the LCD panels in the Reverb compared to the OLED in the VP. To me, it is very noticeable. Also a slight issue is that you can see the edges of the display panels at times. Not a big deal, but noticeable none the less.

 

6. Clarity and Resolution. I am struggling again here. I was expecting to put on the Reverb and be blown away by the improvement I would see. Well, I wasn’t. I honestly feel that the clarity as not as good as the VP. I think the issue is that with my hardware I am able to run the VP at high settings and MSAA x2 in DCS with a PD of 1.8. So, my resolution is already quite high. Probably more than the native res of the Reverb. Now, the difficulty here is that with my current VP settings, my GPU/CPU are close to the limit running at 45 fps. What that means is that pushing the Reverb to higher resolutions is not feasible given the current standard of hardware. So, I’m not seeing a great improvement in resolution and given the loss of clarity due to reduced dynamic range of colours, I’m not convinced about the benefit on this aspect over the VP.

 

7. Performance in DCS. As said above, I am getting a similar performance on the Reverb running high settings, MSAA x2 and a PD of 1.3 to what I see on the VP with same settings but PD of 1.8. In both cases, that gives me around 45fps with motion reprojection on. Does drop down to 35-45 over dense areas etc., but in general 45 is the norm. I didn’t really have any trouble reading cockpit dials and instruments previously, and that is still the case. However, I still feel – like I said elsewhere – that the image quality seems a loft softer and not quite so clear compared to VP. However, let me repeat, if you are coming from gen 1 HMDs like the Rift or the Vive, then you will be amazed at the difference.

 

8. Sweet Spot. Honestly, I can’t say that it is much improved compared to the VP. It might be slightly better, but difficult to see much of an improvement. Disappointing, really.

 

9. SDE. When reviewers say that the SDE has effectively disappeared with the Reverb, then they are not telling the truth! It has reduced hugely compared to the VP, but it has definitely not disappeared. However, it is at such a level, that it is not the distraction it used to be, so all good there.

 

I think in conclusion, I would say I am a little disappointed. I was wanting to be blown away, and I wasn’t. Having said that, the Reverb is a huge step up from the gen 1 HMDs and I would highly recommend the Reverb. Similarly, I would not recommend anyone to buy a VP over the Reverb as the HP is, marginally, a better (and cheaper!) headset, but if you already own a VP or O+, I’m not convinced I would recommend changing.

 

No doubt I might change my mind on some things over the next few days as I discover some new aspects, so we'll see!

Very nice write-up. I concur with you that the lcd panels will have less color pop compared to oled. This is one thing I was blown away by when I went from the rift to the Samsung Odyssey. The colors really popped.

 

I am surprised that the resolution and clarity isn't improved for you seeing how the Reverb should be 2160 per eye. I wonder why that is compared to the VP. I would most likely be concerned about the colors not matching what I see using the Odyssey. If you set your pixel density in the VP to 1.0 in DCS and then check against the same PD in the Reverb is there a difference in visuals?

 

For me the Odyssey is a pain to wear so I figure the Reverb would be much more comfortable. I'm very surprised at your feedback compared to the reviews on YouTube. That reviewer ACG said it was so clear that he could effectively work on his pc in windows, in Photoshop, etc all through wearing the Reverb. So I was expecting the resolution to be really that much clearer.

[samo]

My thoughts on the Reverb vs Vive Pro after a day or so.

Let me say from the outset, that I am not feeling any kind of wow factor after my first couple of days with the Reverb. It doesn’t feel like a great leap forward compared to the Vive Pro. In fact, in some ways it is a backward step, in my opinion.

My comments here all relate to the Vive Pro vs Reverb. If you are coming from a 1st gen Vive or Rift, then you will be amazed by the difference in clarity with the Reverb, but compared to the Vive Pro (or Odyssey +, I guess), I’m not so sure.

For the purposes of this post, I am not going to moan about Windows Mixed Reality too much, because I am going to put effort into familiarising myself with it for a couple of days before saying anything! However, it just feels really clunky having to load the WMR portal and then SteamVR on top, etc.

1. Setup. The Setup was pretty straightforward. I selected the seating position as I tend to (mostly) play DCS and Project Cars II etc., it downloaded the software and the whole process was painless. Really nice that it only requires a DP and 1 USB cable.

2. Hardware and Comfort. At first, I was unimpressed, as the Reverb felt light and flimsy compared to the VP. It was more like my old Rift. Still, it feels reasonably comfortable wearing it for a long session, but I’m afraid not as comfortable as the VP. The biggest issue is the main cable. It is horrible! It is really stiff and thick, and gets in the way when you are turning or moving your head around. Also, there is quite a lot of pressure near the top of my forehead. I think this is to do with the face being so close to the lenses. A lot of heat seemed to get generated at the top of the HMD as well and that didn’t help either.

3. IPD. A big issue here. As we all know, there is no hardware adjustment, and we were told that is not a problem as it can be adjusted in software. Well, that is true, but Windows only allows the adjustment to go between 59mm and 67mm IPD. Now, I am 69mm and I didn’t feel totally comfortable with the HMD set to 67mm. This needs to be sorted out by allowing a wider range in Windows settings.

4. Audio. First issue I had was that the audio earphones wouldn’t fit over my ears in the correct position. They just wouldn’t go down far enough. However, I loosened the overhead strap and pulled the HMD down a bit and all was well on that front except that the overall position of the HMD didn’t feel naturally correct. I must say that although the audio is pretty good, it doesn’t compare at all well to the High Definition Audio in the VP earphones. The sounds are less well defined and lacking in range in comparison, but I don’t see that as a major issue as the sound is OK.

5. Image Quality. Here is where I struggle. The first thing I noticed, was the lack of dynamic range in the image compared to the VP. Everything just looked a bit flat and grey, with colours not leaping out of the screen at me. I guess this is down to the LCD panels in the Reverb compared to the OLED in the VP. To me, it is very noticeable. Also a slight issue is that you can see the edges of the display panels at times. Not a big deal, but noticeable none the less.

6. Clarity and Resolution. I am struggling again here. I was expecting to put on the Reverb and be blown away by the improvement I would see. Well, I wasn’t. I honestly feel that the clarity as not as good as the VP. I think the issue is that with my hardware I am able to run the VP at high settings and MSAA x2 in DCS with a PD of 1.8. So, my resolution is already quite high. Probably more than the native res of the Reverb. Now, the difficulty here is that with my current VP settings, my GPU/CPU are close to the limit running at 45 fps. What that means is that pushing the Reverb to higher resolutions is not feasible given the current standard of hardware. So, I’m not seeing a great improvement in resolution and given the loss of clarity due to reduced dynamic range of colours, I’m not convinced about the benefit on this aspect over the VP.

7. Performance in DCS. As said above, I am getting a similar performance on the Reverb running high settings, MSAA x2 and a PD of 1.3 to what I see on the VP with same settings but PD of 1.8. In both cases, that gives me around 45fps with motion reprojection on. Does drop down to 35-45 over dense areas etc., but in general 45 is the norm. I didn’t really have any trouble reading cockpit dials and instruments previously, and that is still the case. However, I still feel – like I said elsewhere – that the image quality seems a loft softer and not quite so clear compared to VP. However, let me repeat, if you are coming from gen 1 HMDs like the Rift or the Vive, then you will be amazed at the difference.

8. Sweet Spot. Honestly, I can’t say that it is much improved compared to the VP. It might be slightly better, but difficult to see much of an improvement. Disappointing, really.

9. SDE. When reviewers say that the SDE has effectively disappeared with the Reverb, then they are not telling the truth! It has reduced hugely compared to the VP, but it has definitely not disappeared. However, it is at such a level, that it is not the distraction it used to be, so all good there.

I think in conclusion, I would say I am a little disappointed. I was wanting to be blown away, and I wasn’t. Having said that, the Reverb is a huge step up from the gen 1 HMDs and I would highly recommend the Reverb. Similarly, I would not recommend anyone to buy a VP over the Reverb as the HP is, marginally, a better (and cheaper!) headset, but if you already own a VP or O+, I’m not convinced I would recommend changing.

No doubt I might change my mind on some things over the next few days as I discover some new aspects, so we'll see!

 

 

what was your SS settings in steamvr ?

[Harlikwin]

Hitting the nail on the head I reckon...

 

With the Rift all my DCS settings were maxed (including all preloads) excepting MSSA which was 2 with shadows flat. PD was 2.0 Side stutter was very evident and DCS frames varied 25 - 45 with of course ASW but, for me, this was acceptable for low down Helo work - in jets higher up, it was fine with higher frames.

 

With the reverb I left the settings the same bar PD which I have at 1.0. Steam settings are default, as installed.... DCS indicated frame rates are higher of course as no ASW but smoothness is vastly improved, no side stutters, sharpness and clarity is great as expected.

 

YMMV...

 

https://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=3938601&postcount=1192

https://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=3938994&postcount=1208

https://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=3939913&postcount=1247

 

Thanks for your review and feedback. I'm thinking my rig will have no problems with it, and since I'm coming from a CV1 I'll be "impressed".

[Harlikwin]

My thoughts on the Reverb vs Vive Pro after a day or so.

Let me say from the outset, that I am not feeling any kind of wow factor after my first couple of days with the Reverb. It doesn’t feel like a great leap forward compared to the Vive Pro. In fact, in some ways it is a backward step, in my opinion.

My comments here all relate to the Vive Pro vs Reverb. If you are coming from a 1st gen Vive or Rift, then you will be amazed by the difference in clarity with the Reverb, but compared to the Vive Pro (or Odyssey +, I guess), I’m not so sure.

For the purposes of this post, I am not going to moan about Windows Mixed Reality too much, because I am going to put effort into familiarising myself with it for a couple of days before saying anything! However, it just feels really clunky having to load the WMR portal and then SteamVR on top, etc.

1. Setup. The Setup was pretty straightforward. I selected the seating position as I tend to (mostly) play DCS and Project Cars II etc., it downloaded the software and the whole process was painless. Really nice that it only requires a DP and 1 USB cable.

2. Hardware and Comfort. At first, I was unimpressed, as the Reverb felt light and flimsy compared to the VP. It was more like my old Rift. Still, it feels reasonably comfortable wearing it for a long session, but I’m afraid not as comfortable as the VP. The biggest issue is the main cable. It is horrible! It is really stiff and thick, and gets in the way when you are turning or moving your head around. Also, there is quite a lot of pressure near the top of my forehead. I think this is to do with the face being so close to the lenses. A lot of heat seemed to get generated at the top of the HMD as well and that didn’t help either.

3. IPD. A big issue here. As we all know, there is no hardware adjustment, and we were told that is not a problem as it can be adjusted in software. Well, that is true, but Windows only allows the adjustment to go between 59mm and 67mm IPD. Now, I am 69mm and I didn’t feel totally comfortable with the HMD set to 67mm. This needs to be sorted out by allowing a wider range in Windows settings.

4. Audio. First issue I had was that the audio earphones wouldn’t fit over my ears in the correct position. They just wouldn’t go down far enough. However, I loosened the overhead strap and pulled the HMD down a bit and all was well on that front except that the overall position of the HMD didn’t feel naturally correct. I must say that although the audio is pretty good, it doesn’t compare at all well to the High Definition Audio in the VP earphones. The sounds are less well defined and lacking in range in comparison, but I don’t see that as a major issue as the sound is OK.

5. Image Quality. Here is where I struggle. The first thing I noticed, was the lack of dynamic range in the image compared to the VP. Everything just looked a bit flat and grey, with colours not leaping out of the screen at me. I guess this is down to the LCD panels in the Reverb compared to the OLED in the VP. To me, it is very noticeable. Also a slight issue is that you can see the edges of the display panels at times. Not a big deal, but noticeable none the less.

6. Clarity and Resolution. I am struggling again here. I was expecting to put on the Reverb and be blown away by the improvement I would see. Well, I wasn’t. I honestly feel that the clarity as not as good as the VP. I think the issue is that with my hardware I am able to run the VP at high settings and MSAA x2 in DCS with a PD of 1.8. So, my resolution is already quite high. Probably more than the native res of the Reverb. Now, the difficulty here is that with my current VP settings, my GPU/CPU are close to the limit running at 45 fps. What that means is that pushing the Reverb to higher resolutions is not feasible given the current standard of hardware. So, I’m not seeing a great improvement in resolution and given the loss of clarity due to reduced dynamic range of colours, I’m not convinced about the benefit on this aspect over the VP.

7. Performance in DCS. As said above, I am getting a similar performance on the Reverb running high settings, MSAA x2 and a PD of 1.3 to what I see on the VP with same settings but PD of 1.8. In both cases, that gives me around 45fps with motion reprojection on. Does drop down to 35-45 over dense areas etc., but in general 45 is the norm. I didn’t really have any trouble reading cockpit dials and instruments previously, and that is still the case. However, I still feel – like I said elsewhere – that the image quality seems a loft softer and not quite so clear compared to VP. However, let me repeat, if you are coming from gen 1 HMDs like the Rift or the Vive, then you will be amazed at the difference.

8. Sweet Spot. Honestly, I can’t say that it is much improved compared to the VP. It might be slightly better, but difficult to see much of an improvement. Disappointing, really.

9. SDE. When reviewers say that the SDE has effectively disappeared with the Reverb, then they are not telling the truth! It has reduced hugely compared to the VP, but it has definitely not disappeared. However, it is at such a level, that it is not the distraction it used to be, so all good there.

I think in conclusion, I would say I am a little disappointed. I was wanting to be blown away, and I wasn’t. Having said that, the Reverb is a huge step up from the gen 1 HMDs and I would highly recommend the Reverb. Similarly, I would not recommend anyone to buy a VP over the Reverb as the HP is, marginally, a better (and cheaper!) headset, but if you already own a VP or O+, I’m not convinced I would recommend changing.

No doubt I might change my mind on some things over the next few days as I discover some new aspects, so we'll see!

 

Thanks for the review. For me I guess most of the issues you note probably won't be a problem for me. I've got a smaller IPD than you, and find my CV1 pretty comfortable, so I should be comfortably impressed :). As for the flatter colors, I think most people expected that, and it comports with what the recent through the lens vid showed us. I'm impressed that your rig allows settings actually let you run with PD higher than 1.0 as well. Is this with the latest 2.5.5 build or the older stable build?

[sze5003]

Yea I guess now that has me curious if I already am using an odyssey, would I like the reverb if the colors are not the same. And would I even see a big difference?

[Rosebud47]

@imacken

 

have you tried in Nvidia control panel under --> "change resolution" tab under --> 3. --> set Nvidia colors ( by default it is set to standard )--> "dynamic ..." --> "full" ( by default this is set to ´limited´ )

 

This helps a bit in VR to improve the colors.

[Panthera_Tigris]

Just a friendly reminder than you need 188% SS in SteamVR just to get to the native resolution of the Reverb (because SteamVR subsamples it by default).

 

Since you tested at PD 1.3 in DCS that comes to 169% SteeamVR SS so you were below the native res.

 

My conclusion are based on the resolution values shows in this video using fpsVR:

 

[Hellcat]

Yea I guess now that has me curious if I already am using an odyssey, would I like the reverb if the colors are not the same. And would I even see a big difference?

 

The Original Odyssey ? ...Pretty sure you'll see a big improvement....

[mdee]

I had one at work today and played with it for a couple of hours.

 

There is going to be a lot of people with a need to quickly lower their expectations when it comes to quality/clarity with this one, especially if they used Rift-S/O+ or Vive Pro. The perceived improvement is really minimal (comparing to S and O+) in gaming applications.

And better have top of the line system (8700K+ and 2018Ti) unless you like substandard frame rates in VR or everything on low.

 

It's not a gaming headset. It works extremely well in low frame rate situations like design presentation and walk arounds.

Edited June 7, 2019 by mdee

[sze5003]

The Original Odyssey ? ...Pretty sure you'll see a big improvement....

Yea I have the original odyssey as I didn't think the + would have an increased resolution anyway.

 

As long as I can run the reverb with the same settings in my 1080ti, with PD of 1.0 instead of 1.5 I should be happy.

[samo]

Just a friendly reminder than you need 188% SS in SteamVR just to get to the native resolution of the Reverb (because SteamVR subsamples it by default).

 

Since you tested at PD 1.3 in DCS that comes to 169% SteeamVR SS so you were below the native res.

 

My conclusion are based on the resolution values shows in this video using fpsVR:

 

 

 

I thought the same he runs the apps not in native resolution ; this is why he didn't notice a big difference with the vive pro ...

Edited June 7, 2019 by samo

[John Hargreaves]

It's fascinating to pool information and compare the different points of view. I like Imacken's Vive pro comparison, and having never tried one of those it helps to put everything in context.

[sea2sky]

3. IPD. A big issue here. As we all know, there is no hardware adjustment, and we were told that is not a problem as it can be adjusted in software. Well, that is true, but Windows only allows the adjustment to go between 59mm and 67mm IPD.

 

 

It is just wrong, a marketing thing. The lenses are fixed, and you can't move them by software. Software adjusts other things in respect to your IPD stuff like distortion profile etc. The only user who will get a 100% alignment are the ones with IPD matching exactly to what it is fixed to in the headset.

[Harlikwin]

I had one at work today and played with it for a couple of hours.

 

There is going to be a lot of people with a need to quickly lower their expectations when it comes to quality/clarity with this one, especially if they used Rift-S/O+ or Vive Pro. The perceived improvement is really minimal (comparing to S and O+) in gaming applications.

And better have top of the line system (8700K+ and 2018Ti) unless you like substandard frame rates in VR or everything on low.

 

It's not a gaming headset. It works extremely well in low frame rate situations like design presentation and walk arounds.

 

Interesting. Pretty much every other reviewer has commented on the improved resolution and clarity. Same with the videos I've seen, I can read instruments in them, I can't do it very well with my og rift. I agree with you on the hardware though.

[Deanmc]

Evening all if by now you have not tried SCEEN PROTECTORS on your VR DEVICE SCREENS if not why not ? I use three on each lenses and found it can adjust your clarity by doing so I started with five lairs and removed until I found sweat spot and a very big sweat at that . Not saying it will work for all but has for me and watch your IPD CHANGE dramatically.

 

i9-9900K @5.2GHZ . ASUS MAXIMUS ROG XI FORMULAR . 32GB DDR4 CORSAIR VENGENCE X5 SAMSUNG 500GB 970 PRO

 

ASUS RTX 2080TI ROG OC . TM WARTHOG JOY + THROTTLE + TPR RUDDER

[Eaglewings]

Evening all if by now you have not tried SCEEN PROTECTORS on your VR DEVICE SCREENS if not why not ? I use three on each lenses and found it can adjust your clarity by doing so I started with five lairs and removed until I found sweat spot and a very big sweat at that . Not saying it will work for all but has for me and watch your IPD CHANGE dramatically.

 

 

 

i9-9900K @5.2GHZ . ASUS MAXIMUS ROG XI FORMULAR . 32GB DDR4 CORSAIR VENGENCE X5 SAMSUNG 500GB 970 PRO

 

 

 

ASUS RTX 2080TI ROG OC . TM WARTHOG JOY + THROTTLE + TPR RUDDER

What kind of screen protector? Any link to where it can bought? I have the odyssey plus, I am up to what what would improve the VR headset and keep this amazing experience going much better.

[fearlessfrog]

Just a friendly reminder than you need 188% SS in SteamVR just to get to the native resolution of the Reverb (because SteamVR subsamples it by default).

 

Since you tested at PD 1.3 in DCS that comes to 169% SteeamVR SS so you were below the native res.

 

My conclusion are based on the resolution values shows in this video using fpsVR:

 

 

Agreed, although even 188% is below native due to the 'shape' that SteamVR uses for all headsets.

 

People seem to be really struggling to understand (or even actively ignoring) this. What is happening is that people are using DCS PD and not realizing it is always combined with the WMR and SteamVR settings. The WMR renderTargetScale value (still broke on Win10 1903) is not the same as SteamVR SS, it's earlier in the pipeline so has an impact whatever the SS or PD.

 

The SteamVR default is set by video card profile unless overridden, so the likely setting would be 150%, which is a resolution of 1969x1930 per eye, well under the native resolution of 2160x2160. Plus, that's assuming DCS PD was set to 1.0. Combining them is using a two different scales, making it more confusing.

[sze5003]

Agreed, although even 188% is below native due to the 'shape' that SteamVR uses for all headsets.

 

 

 

People seem to be really struggling to understand (or even actively ignoring) this. What is happening is that people are using DCS PD and not realizing it is always combined with the WMR and SteamVR settings. The WMR renderTargetScale value (still broke on Win10 1903) is not the same as SteamVR SS, it's earlier in the pipeline so has an impact whatever the SS or PD.

 

 

 

The SteamVR default is set by video card profile unless overridden, so the likely setting would be 150%, which is a resolution of 1969x1930 per eye, well under the native resolution of 2160x2160. Plus, that's assuming DCS PD was set to 1.0. Combining them is using a two different scales, making it more confusing.

Yea I can't wait until the native support for wmr us built into dcs so we don't have to run or mess with steam vr. I've never changed much in steam vr on my end for this very reason. I mainly just use the dcs PD for simplicity.

[Panthera_Tigris]

Agreed, although even 188% is below native due to the 'shape' that SteamVR uses for all headsets.

 

I am not sure about that. At 188% SteamVR SS, it will be rendering at close to native res.

 

I think what you are referring to is the extra internal SS that is applied to some headsets to compensate for the corrective barrel distortion which itself is a counter to the inherent pincushion distortion issue.

 

The extent of this effect differs form headset to headset since it is based on the physical shape of the lenses in the respective headset. So the extent of corrective barrel distortion might be higher in some headsets compared to others.

 

 

The WMR renderTargetScale value (still broke on Win10 1903) is not the same as SteamVR SS, it's earlier in the pipeline so has an impact whatever the SS or PD.

 

I don't own a WMR headset so I am not sure how that works?

[sohei]

OK, so my Reverb has arrived and I've spent about 2 hours using it so far. Coming from using on the Rift CV1 in the past, here are my initial thoughts.

 

Build quality

 

Overall very good. I think the head strap could be a bit better though. It feels sturdy enough to me and the materials feel robust.

 

Comfort

 

Marginally less comfortable than the Rift CV1, as the head strap doesn't curve to accommodate the ears, which may seem like a minor point but it does have a detrimental effect. That said, once I got stuck in to using the headset I didn't give it much thought and it hasn't been a problem in 2 hours of use.

As someone else has pointed out, the cable is a bit thick and heavy, so it feels cumbersome when you're moving around. But for use in sims that's not really a problem.

 

SDE

 

SDE has NOT been completely eliminated but you really have to look for it, to the point where it has a tendency to disappear from view even when I do manage to spot it. It's more noticeable on large plain surfaces but in all honesty it's no longer on my mind in any meaningful way.

 

Overall visual quality

 

I think it's a bit of a stretch to describe this as 'near monitor quality' but it's still a really significant improvement on the CV1. What was strange was that at first it barely registered that the graphical fidelity had improved. It just felt very natural to be sat in a cockpit with fully readable gauges and nice clear MFD displays. But once I started to pay attention it became increasingly apparent how much better everything is visually. Looking outside the cockpit I can see much further in much greater detail. Identifying ground and air targets is so much easier also. My gunnery in the A10 improved quite a bit on the first attempt.

So while I do feel the graphical upgrade has been a bit over hyped in places I'm still really happy with it.

 

FOV

 

I wouldn't say it's any better than the CV1 to be honest. If you move the headset a bit you will see the edges of the panels but again you have to look for it. It didn't spoil my aerial fun time at all.

 

Audio

 

This is a weak point. The sound quality is acceptable, but the earpieces are pretty rubbish. They just don't press comfortably on my ears, no matter what I do to adjust their position. The CV1 did this much better. I think this is caused by the same problem previously mentioned re the shape of the head strap. Because the pivot point of the headphone arms is right next to your ear it has to press in at a steep angle to come into contact with your ears. It's poor design for certain.

The good news is that the earpieces are really easy to remove and so I'll use my much better bluetooth headphones instead.

 

Performance

 

I'm running a 1080 ti and the performance at PD of 1.5 was just fine. I did a low flight over Vegas and experience no frame stutter. Likewise on the Caucasus map, it's really been surprisingly smooth. I haven't measured the frame rates yet but I'll do that another time. I haven't tweaked my setting in any way. They're far from being way low though. I've set the PD down to 1.0 and it still looks great while being slippery smooth.

 

WMR controllers

 

Meh, pretty rubbish but I never intend to use them anyway.

 

Tracking

 

Very good in DCS. No complaints there at all. A bit spotty when you start walking around though. I'm using it in a pretty dark room and overall it's fine for my purposes.

 

Conclusion

 

As an early adopter when VR is still very much running at the enthusiast level I'm very happy with the experience overall. It could be slightly more comfortable, and the audio is a let down but I bought this headset simply for the improved resolution in a sim environment and I got exactly what I wanted out of it. Given that this is barely 2nd gen VR I think there's plenty to be optimistic about.

[Panthera_Tigris]

Thanks for the nice review! I am wondering if I should wait for Index reviews to also come in now since the Reverb isn't the slam dunk that youtube reviewers made it out to be. I was totally sold on it before.

[sohei]

Thanks for the nice review! I am wondering if I should wait for Index reviews to also come in now since the Reverb isn't the slam dunk that youtube reviewers made it out to be. I was totally sold on it before.

 

Maybe a good idea, but let me stress that I have no regrets about this product. It really does make a massive difference visually to DCS.

[dburne]

It also would be interesting to hear a comparison review between Rift S and Reverb.

[Zoomer]

Some very informative reviews, thanks to those concerned for their efforts. Like all the hmd's, there are compromises. The Reverb still seems the one best suited for simmers.

[imacken]

Just a friendly reminder than you need 188% SS in SteamVR just to get to the native resolution of the Reverb (because SteamVR subsamples it by default).

 

Since you tested at PD 1.3 in DCS that comes to 169% SteeamVR SS so you were below the native res.

 

My conclusion are based on the resolution values shows in this video using fpsVR:

 

 

I thought the same he runs the apps not in native resolution ; this is why he didn't notice a big difference with the vive pro ...

 

Sorry guys, I didn't make that clear. I was running with SteamSS at 150%, i.e. 1972x1928 on the Reverb.

Since then I have experimented with SteamSS between 150% and 200% (2280x2224), and DCS PD of between 1.0 and 1.8. Tried all sorts of combos to get to the max % on the GPU/CPU.

My point is, that with both the Vive Pro and the Reverb running at the highest to make the GPU/CPU max out, that is what the tests were. Still, I think that the VP has the edge in terms of clarity.

Someone asked about running both at PD of 1.0, then yes, of course, the Reverb will win out. It's only when the VP is stretched to similar res (via software processes) that my conclusion makes any sense.

I've attached the settings I tend to use.

Edited June 7, 2019 by imacken