Back for more VR advice: G2 or Quest 2?

[franx]

I'm using a Ryzen 5 5600 with a 6800XT GPU.  My original Oculus Rift has gone to its eternal reward.  I've been combing through  published and YouTube VR reviews.  The Index is brutally expensive and seems prone to too many problems after the first 10 or 12 months.  The HTC Vive variants seem a bit tech dated and don't stand out, given their price tag.

 

At the moment I'm leaning toward the Quest 2 or the HP Reverb G2.  My main focus is DCS, but the grandkids and I also play other Oculus and Steam games.

 

Tactical Pascale has a pretty high opinion of the Quest 2 for DCS.  His videos are very positive.  Is that a common experience?

 

The Reverb G2 has some clear advantages, but can it play Oculus and Steam titles?

 

Any guidance, much appreciated.  I'll probably need to live with the consequences of this choice for awhile.

[speed-of-heat]

the G2 can play steamvr titles,  i have no basis of comparison for G2 and Q2

[unlikely_spider]

I've used the G2 to play many Steam and at least one Oculus title, Lone Echo, which you will need to install Revive to do.

[dburne]

Definitely Reverb G2 imho.

It is a native PC-VR headset, Quest is not - it compresses and decompresses the image on the fly to get it through the Link USB cable.

Reverb plugs straight into GPU.

[Habu_69]

G2 has the best resolution available in hobbyist VR heaedsets. HOWEVER, you should be aware that many G2 users with Ryzen 5XXX series CPUs and X4XX and X5XX chipset motherboards have encountered serious issues with USB connectivity. Many internet discussions regarding the problems. AMD is reportedly aware and investigating. HP tech support told me 6 weeks ago problem is well known and a new part to fix the issue will be shipped as soon as available. Still waiting ..........

[VpR81]

One more vote for the G2. It provides a clear image, high resolution and is very comfortable. For flight simming (and simracing) it is just perfect, for other games the controller tracking may be a bit limited due to the inside out tracking, but still ok. This beeing said, i've played HL: Alyx with only very few tracking failures and overall it was a very nice gaming experience, so it is absolutely ok for other VR games as well. And even if you don't like the controller tracking, there is a tweak to use the Valve Index controllers with the G2 (if you're willing to pay another 500 bucks for better tracking). Also the Quest 2 is bound to that spyware called Facebook, wich is an absolute no-go imho.

 

Cheers

[franx]

1 hour ago, Habu_69 said:

G2 has the best resolution available in hobbyist VR heaedsets. HOWEVER, you should be aware that many G2 users with Ryzen 5XXX series CPUs and X4XX and X5XX chipset motherboards have encountered serious issues with USB connectivity. Many internet discussions regarding the problems. AMD is reportedly aware and investigating. HP tech support told me 6 weeks ago problem is well known and a new part to fix the issue will be shipped as soon as available. Still waiting ..........

This is what I'm really nervous about.  I do NOT want to drop $600 on a dead piece of equipment.  So I'm still really ambivalent.  

 

[cordite]

https://community.amd.com/t5/knowledge-base/updated-agesa-coming-for-intermittent-usb-connectivity/ta-p/456762
 

Besides, the “spare part” is either a usb3 hub or pci-e card. Which is the same thing that some OG Oculus Rift users needed. Guess how much Oculus cared about that?

 

Be aware the cable that plugs into the G2 is a bit weak at the hmd end. You have to route it carefully, and avoid that end getting bent.

[dburne]

28 minutes ago, cordite said:

https://community.amd.com/t5/knowledge-base/updated-agesa-coming-for-intermittent-usb-connectivity/ta-p/456762
 

Besides, the “spare part” is either a usb3 hub or pci-e card. Which is the same thing that some OG Oculus Rift users needed. Guess how much Oculus cared about that?

 

Be aware the cable that plugs into the G2 is a bit weak at the hmd end. You have to route it carefully, and avoid that end getting bent.

 

Really? I thought it was the G1 that had the cable issue.

Seems pretty robust on the G2 to me.

[cordite]

It’s OK on mine, but it’s the most common complaint I’ve read. (Other than the mobo usb issue, which isn’t HPs fault, or limited to their devices.)

[VpR81]

21 hours ago, franx said:

 I do NOT want to drop $600 on a dead piece of equipment.

 

Don't be afraid about that. I've read about people solving this issue by using powered USB Hubs. Also other VR headsets are suffering from this as well, so you might get the same problem with the Quest 2 too. This problem should be fixed by AMD via UEFI update or a new chipset driver in the nearby future. AMD is already investigating this issue. You won't purchase a dead piece of equipment when getting the G2. Not sure were you are, but here in germany we have a law that customers have a 14 day refund right (starts with the day of delivery) without naming any reason if they are unhappy with their online purchase. Maybe you have similar customer protection laws and therefore zero risk.

 

Cheers

[FeistyLemur]

I've been playing exclusively in VR on the Rift S since it came out.

Today I tried a Valve Index and I have to say the Index is so much better because of it's huge FOV.  I compared in the hornet and sitting centered I have to tilt my head up to fully see the upper mirror, and I cant see the side mirrors in frame.

With the index, I can see 3/4 of the side mirrors and the vertical FOV honestly feels like real life to me.  I could read the gauges and the color MFD way better, and even spotting planes was better.

But it doesn't stop there, the tracking was so much better, and the smoothness of the high refresh rate and overall feel of performance was better.  It was night and day for the index.

I have never tried a quest 2, and never will cause I'm done with oculus after they forced Facebook login.  But after watching reviews the index is still the king of FOV besides the pimax stuff.  The G2 has an abysmal FOV, and by the sounds of this forum, abysmal performance so I'm giving it a pass.

One thing though I do have a very narrow IPD, 60, and that reduces FOV, but no matter what the index is going to be better.

[dburne]

Index is a great option even today no doubt.

If not for me getting spoiled with the simplicity of inside/out tracking of Rift S and now Reverb G2 I probably would have gotten one.

I would love to see Valve offer an Index with the same. Would lower the cost as well.

[FeistyLemur]

The lighthouses were not something I wanted to deal with, but really it's still inside out just better inside out than the Rift.  Tremendously better, so much so it made me reevaluate not wanting to deal with lighthouses.  As it happens my room has sockets at a pretty optimal position for two of them.

I actually went ahead and ordered an index,  I plan to just 3d print some lighthouse wallmounts.  They're still infinitely less of a pain than the cameras from the original rift which I used to have in a 3x sensor setup.

It's hard for me to stand the toilet paper roll vision of the Rift now having tried the index.  Plus there's talk about forced facebook login coming to the Rift S and I'm not signing up for facebook.

[wormeaten]

On 3/10/2021 at 5:22 PM, dburne said:

Definitely Reverb G2 imho.

It is a native PC-VR headset, Quest is not - it compresses and decompresses the image on the fly to get it through the Link USB cable.

Reverb plugs straight into GPU.

Agree with this. The G2 is the best HMD VR for DCS. If it's not the best then definitely is a BestBuy option.
To be clear I got Quest 2, not G2. I'm not disappointed with it, just as opposite I'm pleasantly surprised with it but to be honest, G2 is a better option for few reasons.

 

If you want your Q2 to reach the level of comfort and audio near to G2 you need to invest in additional upgrades as a Link cable, better strap, and audio. With these upgrades, Q2 comes much closer to G2 who has perfect comfort and audio with perfect picture better clarity and colors than Q2. Even performances are better on G2 because to reach clarity near G2, Q2 needs higher SS for it. So my advice as a Quest 2 owner is: if you have 600$ and want it just for DCS go for G2. If you have some budget issue and want VR now then go with Q2 but don't spend money on upgrades because you want it both in the end. Just need to prioritize which one you want first.

 

Quest 2 is very good but G2 is better exactly for that double price. Worth every penny. Quest 2 has some advantages especially WiFi but not in DCS. That is why you will end up with both VR HMD's in the end no matter which one you will buy first.

[streakeagle]

 I have both. Hands down the G2 is better for DCS. But, the Quest 2 is surprisingly good. My biggest problem with the G2 is that it started failing and I had to send it off for warranty replacement. The estimated replacement date of March 12 has come and gone. Supply is low, demand is high (like everything else for PCs these days). The G2 is great if it is available and works correctly. But I am still waiting for a replacement to prove it can do the job over the long haul. One aspect I don't like about the G2 is having to run WMR and SteamVR. The Oculus software is better in almost every way, especially in stability, performance overhead, and ease of use.

 

When I shipped off my G2 a month and a half ago, I tried using the Quest 2 in its place. Once I sorted out the software settings, I ended up with image quality far superior to my other alternatives, my old Rift S and Rift CV1. It is still clearly inferior to the G2 as can be seen when I am reading cockpit gauges/labels. But it still looked really good. However, the link kicked me out of DCS every now and then and the only way to fix it was to restart DCS. I think a software/firmware patch fixed that. But the biggest problem I had is that if I played long enough or didn't make sure it wasl 100% charged before I started playing, I would end up killing the battery and having to stop playing DCS. Some nights and on weekends, I may have the chance to play for quite some time and the Quest 2 drains the battery faster than it charges when in use. I finally got tired of it and went back to the Rift S while I am still waiting for my new G2.

 

If you can only afford one or the other, the Quest 2 is cheaper and dual-role. Although the cost of the Quest is more than it looks if you get a good head strap, link cable, case, and the extra battery pack. I like some of the Quest 2 games and being able to play them in the middle of the room with no cord is great. If I was going to use it this way all the time, I would get the extra battery pack. Though killing the battery is a sign I have been gaming too long and should take a break. But if you are only interested in DCS World and can find a G2 in stock, it is the way to go. If you can afford both, get both: the Quest 2 is a great standalone headset, but can act as a backup PC headset while the G2 gives you the best possible DCS experience.

 

I know the Facebook account requirement for Oculus is a deal-killer for some people. I already had a facebook account, but only linked it to the Oculus software when I was forced to. I can't escape the prying eyes of big tech anyway and I wanted the full functionality supported by Oculus software, so I can live with the Facebook account being linked. 

Edited March 15, 2021 by streakeagle

[AlpineGTA]

1 hour ago, streakeagle said:

 I have both. Hands down the G2 is better for DCS. But, the Quest 2 is surprisingly good. My biggest problem with the G2 is that it started failing and I had to send it off for warranty replacement. The estimated replacement date of March 12 has come and gone. Supply is low, demand is high (like everything else for PCs these days). The G2 is great if it is available and works correctly. But I am still waiting for a replacement to prove it can do the job over the long haul. One aspect I don't like about the G2 is having to run WMR and SteamVR. The Oculus software is better in almost every way, especially in stability, performance overhead, and ease of use.

 

When I shipped off my G2 a month and a half ago, I tried using the Quest 2 in its place. Once I sorted out the software settings, I ended up with image quality far superior to my other alternatives, my old Rift S and Rift CV1. It is still clearly inferior to the G2 as can be seen when I am reading cockpit gauges/labels. But it still looked really good. However, the link kicked me out of DCS every now and then and the only way to fix it was to restart DCS. I think a software/firmware patch fixed that. But the biggest problem I had is that if I played long enough or didn't make sure it wasl 100% charged before I started playing, I would end up killing the battery and having to stop playing DCS. Some nights and on weekends, I may have the chance to play for quite some time and the Quest 2 drains the battery faster than it charges when in use. I finally got tired of it and went back to the Rift S while I am still waiting for my new G2.

 

If you can only afford one or the other, the Quest 2 is cheaper and dual-role. Although the cost of the Quest is more than it looks if you get a good head strap, link cable, case, and the extra battery pack. I like some of the Quest 2 games and being able to play them in the middle of the room with no cord is great. If I was going to use it this way all the time, I would get the extra battery pack. Though killing the battery is a sign I have been gaming too long and should take a break. But if you are only interested in DCS World and can find a G2 in stock, it is the way to go. If you can afford both, get both: the Quest 2 is a great standalone headset, but can act as a backup PC headset while the G2 gives you the best possible DCS experience.

 

I know the Facebook account requirement for Oculus is a deal-killer for some people. I already had a facebook account, but only linked it to the Oculus software when I was forced to. I can't escape the prying eyes of big tech anyway and I wanted the full functionality supported by Oculus software, so I can live with the Facebook account being linked. 

 

I agree with everything streakeagle says here. Well summed up. I also have both. G2 is definitely better for DCS but yes, Q2 is surprisingly good and not too far behind in terms of clarity imo. But it seems to take even more resources than the G2 to achieve that clarity and I was also sometimes having to cut my DCS sessions short due to the battery going flat. The only question mark over the G2 seems to be reliability. I also have both and have also been using my Q2 as a backup while my G2 was out of commission waiting for a new USB cable. I got a new cable delivered from HP this weekend after about a three week wait and I'm using my G2 again.

 

I know it's a luxury, but if you can afford both, get both, especially if you have other family members that enjoy using VR. Use the G2 for DCS and let them use the Q2 and for yourself as a DCS backup. I took my old Rift S round to a friend's for him to borrow to get him set up with DCS VR, but I also took my Quest 2 round to show them and what blew them away was not DCS VR but how easy and convenient it was to just quickly whip the Q2 headset on and immediately be in VR!

[franx]

Thanks for all this fellas.  I ordered the G2 in the end.  Arriving March 17.  Will let you know my thoughts after a couple days.

[Burt]

This may help some read so you can get ready. 
 

https://vr4dcs.com/2020/12/24/how-to-nail-reverb-setup/