HP's Reverb VR Pro Headset

[sze5003]

One left in stock.

 

https://www.shopblt.com/item/hewlett-packard-7dh40ut-aba-reverb-virtual-reality/hp_7dh40utabah.html

Do we know if these are the revised editions?

[Drac]

That is also the question I have. Amazon had them but wasn't sure about theirs also.

[M1Combat]

Are the revised editions what is needed to guarantee you don't get the disconnect/flicker issue of the earlier ones?

[Soma888]

Shopblt are not sure which version it is. I’ll wait till I see the feedback from those of you who are having yours shipped now. If I wasn’t in Australia I would try it out but shipping is expensive if something doesn’t work.

Edited July 26, 2019 by Soma888

[Tinkickef]

Are the revised editions what is needed to guarantee you don't get the disconnect/flicker issue of the earlier ones?

 

It depends on how much effort you are willing to put in. Are you willing to spend a couple of weekends tuning stuff to have a great experience. Or are you going by the advice of people who put it on once, using a 10 year old PC, who complained on a forum and returned it after a day, and are disappointed because it has issues due to not being plug n play?

 

If the former, buy now; if the latter, wait a couple of years.

 

Reverb is not perfect, nor will the next reiteration be perfect, for any tangible reward, some effort has to be expended in reaching that reward.

 

I and a few others gnashed our teeth at the obstacles presented, overcame them, and are now super happy with the results.

 

If you don't exactly enjoy a challenge, but are prepared to roll your sleeves up and fight it every step of the way, great.

 

However, if you expect everything handed to you on a plate, buy a rift S and make do with second best.

[M1Combat]

Great non-answer :).

 

Coming from a Vive here and pre-purchased... so I'm no stranger to fighting for the experience on both the headset and DCS fronts. I even did it with a 3570K and a 970 so...

 

 

But I'm literally asking for a friend.

 

I'm not wanting to recommend something that has hardware issues. If it's "tuning" that's one thing. if it's "bad hardware design leading to connectivity issues that need to be engineered around" then I'd like to know that before I make my recommendation. He won't mind "tuning". EVERYONE will mind a hardware issue that requires a return to the manufacturer. Especially if V2 is here or close and solves that problem before it happens.

 

 

Also... Get off your high horse. You weren't in the first group I recall getting all the "old" details of VR in DCS worked out so my horse is higher anyway :). No need for a d*** swinging contest :). We're all on the same team here ;).

[Secoda]

I really don't think the "fixed" units are shipping yet.

 

On a bit of ironic humor I just received an email notification from HP that a cable replacement order was shipped to me overnight delivery Fed-Ex - I suspect for the Reverb unit I returned to them and got a refund for a few weeks back and not the 2nd one I got from Best Buy I am using now.

 

The only problem is when I looked up the identified part # on their parts database online from the shipping email it is for last years VR headset. The part description is CABLE, 2in1 HDMI2.0+USB3.0 3.6Meter and I am pretty sure that won't work. When I pull it up it does not reference any of the V1000-2XXXX models only the V1000-1XXXX models.

 

The sad part is it costs $142 and the overnight shipping was likely another $20. What a waste.

[Naruto]

Are the revised editions what is needed to guarantee you don't get the disconnect/flicker issue of the earlier ones?

 

Don't know, I bought one so I will let you know. I also had a reverb previously I sent back the same day I got it. So I will speak from experience on getting a bad one. Kinda curious which one I would like better, the Index or my second Reverb. I plan on keeping both if the Reverb is good to go and sell my SO+.

[c6v1999v]

My thanks to those who replied regarding my video card question. It's a tough call making the choice since I don't consider the pricing and reliability of the 2080 series to be worth the money for any version currently on sale.

 

I do not trust the used market enough to purchase a 1080ti either.

 

Will continue researching reviews and reliability tales of woe.

[pimp]

Just my luck. I purchased mine through Amazon Wed and I just received it, but as soon as I plugged it in, I get a error message saying something about USB power surge. Doesn't seem like there's any solutions to this but to send it back.:mad:

[sze5003]

Great non-answer :).

 

Coming from a Vive here and pre-purchased... so I'm no stranger to fighting for the experience on both the headset and DCS fronts. I even did it with a 3570K and a 970 so...

 

 

But I'm literally asking for a friend.

 

I'm not wanting to recommend something that has hardware issues. If it's "tuning" that's one thing. if it's "bad hardware design leading to connectivity issues that need to be engineered around" then I'd like to know that before I make my recommendation. He won't mind "tuning". EVERYONE will mind a hardware issue that requires a return to the manufacturer. Especially if V2 is here or close and solves that problem before it happens.

 

 

Also... Get off your high horse. You weren't in the first group I recall getting all the "old" details of VR in DCS worked out so my horse is higher anyway :). No need for a d*** swinging contest :). We're all on the same team here ;).

Bad cable design that causes disconnects and flickering which others have stated HP acknowledged doesn't really have anything to do with tuning and attempting to properly get it playable in dcs. We're talking about a sim here that everyone who's had vr already knows you have to mess with settings to get it right. Mind you also probably the least optimized sims compared to others in the VR category.

 

If a company screws up and I'm a consumer I will buy their product as soon as I know they've fixed it properly. Wmr isn't exactly oculus where you just plug in and have a smooth experience anyway.

 

I'm waiting until the revised units with the faulty cable design are out and then I'll purchase one. Dealing with returns from anyone other than amazon/best buy/Google is a pain in the butt anyway.

I really don't think the "fixed" units are shipping yet.

 

On a bit of ironic humor I just received an email notification from HP that a cable replacement order was shipped to me overnight delivery Fed-Ex - I suspect for the Reverb unit I returned to them and got a refund for a few weeks back and not the 2nd one I got from Best Buy I am using now.

 

The only problem is when I looked up the identified part # on their parts database online from the shipping email it is for last years VR headset. The part description is CABLE, 2in1 HDMI2.0+USB3.0 3.6Meter and I am pretty sure that won't work. When I pull it up it does not reference any of the V1000-2XXXX models only the V1000-1XXXX models.

 

The sad part is it costs $142 and the overnight shipping was likely another $20. What a waste.

That's disappointing. I'm betting the support people didn't realize what part they needed to send you since they had a hard time sourcing it in the beginning. Weird that it would cost so much.

[Naruto]

Just my luck. I purchased mine through Amazon Wed and I just received it, but as soon as I plugged it in, I get a error message saying something about USB power surge. Doesn't seem like there's any solutions to this but to send it back.:mad:

 

Sorry to hear your bad luck.

 

FYI - Hp says specifically to install to motherboard USB 3.0. Did you use a powered USB adaptor or motherboard USB port?

 

DESCRIPTION

The HP Reverb Virtual Reality Headset may exhibit various issues including:

The headset display is blank (black).

The video refresh rate is much lower than the expected 90hz (video may flicker).

Issues can occur if the host computer does not meet the minimum requirements for the headset or when connecting the headset using a dock or adapter.

 

SCOPE

Information in this document applies to the following:

Accessories:

HP Reverb Virtual Reality Headset

 

RESOLUTION

If you encounter performance issues with your HP Reverb Virtual Reality Headset, please check the following:

Make sure your system meets the minimum requirements:

Processor: Intel core i5 6th Gen CPU (or better) or AMD FX-4350 4.2Ghz (or better)

Graphics solution: NVIDIA GTX 1080 (or better)

Memory: 8GB DDR RAM

Available Storage: 10 GB

USB port: 1 USB 3.0

Video port: 1 DisplayPort version 1.3

Make sure your headset is connected directly to a USB 3.0 port and to a DisplayPort (not using adapters, docks, or converters).

 

https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c06318083

[Secoda]

Part Shipment Details:

Part Number:

 

940814-001

Part Description:

 

CABLE, 2in1 HDMI2.0+USB3.0 3.6Meter

Quantity:

 

1

Shipment Method:

 

FED-EX NEXT DAY (10:30AM)

 

 

 

That's disappointing. I'm betting the support people didn't realize what part they needed to send you since they had a hard time sourcing it in the beginning. Weird that it would cost so much.

 

That is the consumer cost. Probably $5 for HP from China.

[pimp]

Sorry to hear your bad luck.

 

FYI - Hp says specifically to install to motherboard USB 3.0. Did you use a powered USB adaptor or motherboard USB port?

 

DESCRIPTION

The HP Reverb Virtual Reality Headset may exhibit various issues including:

The headset display is blank (black).

The video refresh rate is much lower than the expected 90hz (video may flicker).

Issues can occur if the host computer does not meet the minimum requirements for the headset or when connecting the headset using a dock or adapter.

 

SCOPE

Information in this document applies to the following:

Accessories:

HP Reverb Virtual Reality Headset

 

RESOLUTION

If you encounter performance issues with your HP Reverb Virtual Reality Headset, please check the following:

Make sure your system meets the minimum requirements:

Processor: Intel core i5 6th Gen CPU (or better) or AMD FX-4350 4.2Ghz (or better)

Graphics solution: NVIDIA GTX 1080 (or better)

Memory: 8GB DDR RAM

Available Storage: 10 GB

USB port: 1 USB 3.0

Video port: 1 DisplayPort version 1.3

Make sure your headset is connected directly to a USB 3.0 port and to a DisplayPort (not using adapters, docks, or converters).

 

https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c06318083

Thanks for the info, but I am using the USB on the motherboard.

[Tinkickef]

Great non-answer :).

 

Coming from a Vive here and pre-purchased... so I'm no stranger to fighting for the experience on both the headset and DCS fronts. I even did it with a 3570K and a 970 so...

 

 

But I'm literally asking for a friend.

 

I'm not wanting to recommend something that has hardware issues. If it's "tuning" that's one thing. if it's "bad hardware design leading to connectivity issues that need to be engineered around" then I'd like to know that before I make my recommendation. He won't mind "tuning". EVERYONE will mind a hardware issue that requires a return to the manufacturer. Especially if V2 is here or close and solves that problem before it happens.

 

 

Also... Get off your high horse. You weren't in the first group I recall getting all the "old" details of VR in DCS worked out so my horse is higher anyway :). No need for a d*** swinging contest :). We're all on the same team here ;).

 

 

I suppose reading my post again from someone else's point of view it does come across as a bit terse and high handed.

It was not meant to be and I apologise for that. :doh:

 

It was meant to ardently convey that most of the issues can be overcome with a little diligence and from reading various forums, many, if not most, gave up at the first hurdle which is a shame.

 

From my point of view, the Reverb is most definitely not perfect, and really should not have been released to the public in its present form; that is without question.

However it has a three year warranty (pro version) and subsequently a three year window for any unsolvable issues to be claimed against. Someone on here once wrote that he considered this version of the headset as a loan against a better version that will be released later with modifications.

 

I also take that view. When the finished product is released and has been out in the wild for some time without major issues, I will remove the cable ties and make a claim for all the subsequent flickers and blackouts, but in the meantime I will enjoy using it. I consider it getting a brand new and improved headset for free, having had much use out of the old one.

 

Of course there are some faulty units out there that cannot be fixed, the foremost seeming to be the ones that seem to get excessively hot in use and thermal throttling takes place, but faulty units getting past Quality Control and escaping into the wild is true with any mass produced product. Buying stuff is always a lottery.

I am on my third 2080TI after two previous failures and I had a couple of warranty claims against Oculus with the Rift (headphone failures), so I am well acquainted with unsolvable hardware issues.

 

Once again, apologies for seemingly getting on my high horse. The outside temps have been in the mid thirties all week and I am lacking in sleep. I dare not even consider strapping a large box containing two warm screens to my face....

Edited July 27, 2019 by Tinkickef

[eaglecash867]

Sorry to hear your bad luck.

 

FYI - Hp says specifically to install to motherboard USB 3.0. Did you use a powered USB adaptor or motherboard USB port?

 

 

Make sure your headset is connected directly to a USB 3.0 port and to a DisplayPort (not using adapters, docks, or converters).

 

https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c06318083

 

That doesn't say anything about using the motherboard USB 3.0. Motherboard USB 3.0 is well-known for not providing sufficient power to run things like HMDs. Self-powered USB 3.0 hubs are only slightly better in that regard. What DOES work reliably for powering HMDs is a dedicated, PCIe USB 3.0 card that connects directly to your rig's own power supply. Everybody's results will vary, depending on how much other stuff you have plugged into your MoBo's USB 3.0 ports. But, since most of us DCS players have a HOTAS of some kind, that's going to gobble up the power on the MoBo ports. There have been a few people in this thread who have refused to try a PCIe USB card, insisting that motherboard USB is good enough because its a "gaming rig", and they haven't been able to solve their random disconnect problems. On the other hand, others who have made the "investment" of a whopping 24 bucks on a PCIe card have solved their issues permanently. I've had my PCIe card installed since the CV1 days, and it solved reliability issues with the CV1 as well. :D

 

The DisplayPort portion of it, on the other hand, is what they are referring to when they say you can't use adapters, docks, or converters. IMHO, DisplayPort is a "technology" that needs a lot of improvement, especially when being used with VR devices. Cable length is limited to 2 meters. Anything beyond that and you'll get random disconnects, flashing textures, etc. So, DisplayPort devices like the Reverb will work just fine with sit-down games like DCS, but if you play room-scale games as well, just remember that the Reverb (and any other DisplayPort HMD) is going to limit that "room-scale" to a 2 meter radius from your rig. That's really my only major gripe with the direction GPU technology and VR technology are heading. I understand the need for increased bandwidth, but when it comes at the expense of cable length, the VR manufacturers are kind of shooting themselves in the foot by using DP. HDMI was much more forgiving. My old Rift CV1 runs just fine through a 10 foot HDMI extender, the Reverb won't run reliably at all through a DP extender of any length.

[Baldrick33]

I pulled the trigger and went to version 1903, did the WMR fix update, and have the latest and greatest SteamVR installed. My SteamVR settings page still reads like your first screenshot, Secoda. It must be your newer, consumer version of the Reverb that is reporting differently to SteamVR.

Ah! Makes sense as the device name now has a 0 at the end of it compared to his first one and mine.

Actually I found the difference isn't the consumer vs pro units but having the latest Mixed Reality for Steam VR Beta installed.

 

Now I have done this the product ID has a 0 added to it and my resolution looks like Secodas

[eaglecash867]

Actually I found the difference isn't the consumer vs pro units but having the latest Mixed Reality for Steam VR Beta installed.

 

Now I have done this the product ID has a 0 added to it and my resolution looks like Secodas

 

I'll have to double-check mine, but I'm pretty sure my SteamVR WMR plugin is up-to-date. I'll definitely look into it though. Thanks Baldrick33! :D

[statuskuo]

That doesn't say anything about using the motherboard USB 3.0. Motherboard USB 3.0 is well-known for not providing sufficient power to run things like HMDs. Self-powered USB 3.0 hubs are only slightly better in that regard. What DOES work reliably for powering HMDs is a dedicated, PCIe USB 3.0 card that connects directly to your rig's own power supply. Everybody's results will vary, depending on how much other stuff you have plugged into your MoBo's USB 3.0 ports. But, since most of us DCS players have a HOTAS of some kind, that's going to gobble up the power on the MoBo ports. There have been a few people in this thread who have refused to try a PCIe USB card, insisting that motherboard USB is good enough because its a "gaming rig", and they haven't been able to solve their random disconnect problems. On the other hand, others who have made the "investment" of a whopping 24 bucks on a PCIe card have solved their issues permanently. I've had my PCIe card installed since the CV1 days, and it solved reliability issues with the CV1 as well. :D

 

The DisplayPort portion of it, on the other hand, is what they are referring to when they say you can't use adapters, docks, or converters. IMHO, DisplayPort is a "technology" that needs a lot of improvement, especially when being used with VR devices. Cable length is limited to 2 meters. Anything beyond that and you'll get random disconnects, flashing textures, etc. So, DisplayPort devices like the Reverb will work just fine with sit-down games like DCS, but if you play room-scale games as well, just remember that the Reverb (and any other DisplayPort HMD) is going to limit that "room-scale" to a 2 meter radius from your rig. That's really my only major gripe with the direction GPU technology and VR technology are heading. I understand the need for increased bandwidth, but when it comes at the expense of cable length, the VR manufacturers are kind of shooting themselves in the foot by using DP. HDMI was much more forgiving. My old Rift CV1 runs just fine through a 10 foot HDMI extender, the Reverb won't run reliably at all through a DP extender of any length.

 

I've had my Reverb from Amazon for week now and plugged into a PCIe USB hub, and had no flickering, blackouts, etc..., of course I have the connectors taped together so they don't move. The USB hub I had to get for the CV1 to solve the same problems the Reverb had.

[Secoda]

I had a temporary problem last night where DCS would not display but the Reverb was working flawlessly in Windows. Again, I reinstalled WMR for SteamVR and SteamVR to fix it. This is the second time something has been corrupted in software. I had to do the same thing about a month ago on my first Reverb. HP told me a while back that SteamVR was working on code to handle the Reverb. I would not be surprised to be some more bug fixes following their last updates.

[sze5003]

I had a temporary problem last night where DCS would not display but the Reverb was working flawlessly in Windows. Again, I reinstalled WMR for SteamVR and SteamVR to fix it. This is the second time something has been corrupted in software. I had to do the same thing about a month ago on my first Reverb. HP told me a while back that SteamVR was working on code to handle the Reverb. I would not be surprised to be some more bug fixes following their last updates.

I had to do that for the odyssey too 4 months ago. I screwed it up by changing to steam vr beta and wmr for steam beta which also changed the windows wmr app. I had a bunch of crashes and I had to result to unplugging the headset, removing wmr from windows settings and then removing steam vr beta and the companion wmr beta from within steam. This way I just stayed with the release version of both apps.

 

Quite a pain really. I can't wait until dcs gets native wmr support. Hopefully by then i will also have a Reverb too because I haven't flown at all in a long time.

[pimp]

I gave it one last try and I got the Reverb to work. I noticed that if I have my HOTAS plugged in and try to plug in the headset, I get the USB power surge message. So I unplugged the HOTAS and plugged in the headset and it works. Plugging the HOTAS afterwards and everything still works. I do have an issue with the the sound coming out of the left earpiece. I have to angle it a certain way for the sound to come out. I'm getting great performance with the settings below in the Caucasus map in the Tomcat(with mirrors). Had to lower the PD from 1.5 to 1.2 and I'm getting ~47+fps in dense populated areas.

 

DCS PD 1.2 (1.0 with clouds)

SteamVR video resolution 150% recommended by SteamVR with my setup

DCS MSAA 2X

Windows WMR display Visuals set to Very High (beta)

Edited July 28, 2019 by pimp

[eaglecash867]

I gave it one last try and I got the Reverb to work. I noticed that if I have my HOTAS plugged in and try to plug in the headset, I get the USB power surge message. So I unplugged the HOTAS and plugged in the headset and it works. Plugging the HOTAS afterwards and everything still works. I do have an issue with the the sound coming out of the left earpiece. I have to angle it a certain way for the sound to come out. I'm getting great performance with the settings below in the Caucasus map in the Tomcat(with mirrors). Had to lower the PD from 1.5 to 1.2 and I'm getting ~47+fps in dense populated areas.

 

DCS PD 1.2 (1.0 with clouds)

SteamVR video resolution 150% recommended by SteamVR with my setup

DCS MSAA 2X

Windows WMR display Visuals set to Very High (beta)

 

Get and install one of these and your USB power problems will go away for good, without having to play around with the order you plug things in:

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FPIMJEW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

For the intermittent sound issue, just tighten the slotted nuts that hold the earpieces on the headband and you'll be good to go. HP doesn't properly torque those at the factory.

[pimp]

Get and install one of these and your USB power problems will go away for good, without having to play around with the order you plug things in:

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FPIMJEW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

For the intermittent sound issue, just tighten the slotted nuts that hold the earpieces on the headband and you'll be good to go. HP doesn't properly torque those at the factory.

Thanks for the info. I was actually looking at that exact same device. I will purchase if I decide to keep the Reverb. I think I'm stripping the screw since I can't turn it(loose/tight). I tried with a flat-head screwdriver at first then a thick washer, but they're all stripping the screw. :( Also, is there a way to re-calibrate the sensors? This just started, when I tilt my head in the cockpit, the view moves away from me. For example, when trying to look at Jester, I can look back but when I try to tilt my head to see him, the view moves away. The same for trying to look around the from console. In the CV1, this usually happened when the sensors were not tracking correctly.

 

 

EDIT: *Resolved the view issue. I just ran the room setup for seated position again. duh:doh:

Edited July 28, 2019 by pimp

[eaglecash867]

The problem with the screw definitely sounds odd. I wonder if maybe they got it cross-threaded when they put it on there. That would certainly cause it to jam before being all the way tight and would prevent you from turning it either direction. That is definitely a quality control problem with HP, so you might want to look into getting a replacement order started. If you can't tighten that screw, you won't be able to fix your intermittent audio issues. Might as well get that taken care of while its still in warranty.

 

Glad you got your tracking issue fixed. I've been having more issues like that ever since updating Windows to 1903 and applying the WMR fix. I probably just need to re-run the room setup like you did. :doh: