{"id":1528,"date":"2022-09-25T14:42:01","date_gmt":"2022-09-25T14:42:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vrlowdown.com\/?p=1528"},"modified":"2022-09-25T14:46:30","modified_gmt":"2022-09-25T14:46:30","slug":"reverb-g2-vs-quest-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vrlowdown.com\/reverb-g2-vs-quest-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Reverb G2 Vs Quest 2: Real World Review And Comparison"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I’ve been using both the Meta Quest 2 and HP Reverb G2 as my main VR headsets since they were released. I’ve used them both for hundreds of hours across a wide variety of VR experiences and games. They are both terrific VR headsets, but the best one for you will depend on what you plan to use your VR headset for. This article covers everything you need to know before deciding whether the HP Reverb G2 or Meta Quest 2 is the right VR headset for you.<\/p>\n\n\n

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My Meta Quest 2 and HP Reverb G2 VR Headsets<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Reverb G2 Vs Quest 2: Bottom Line<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Meta Quest 2 is a better VR headset for most people as it provides great performance in all areas, and has terrific versatility to be used as a standalone VR headset and as a PC VR headset using a wired or wireless connection to a VR-ready PC.<\/strong> Although not excelling in any specific area, it provides good performance all-around and is excellent value for money. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After owning both headsets since they launched, I find that I spend much more time using the Meta Quest 2 than the HP Reverb G2 due to the ease of use, flexibility, and ability to use it wirelessly in both standalone and PC VR mode. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having said this, the HP Reverb G2 has better resolution, greater visual clarity, better sound<\/strong><\/strong>, is more comfortable, and is an incredible VR headset that is always a joy to use. <\/strong>If you plan to mainly play seated VR experiences where visual clarity and immersion are critical, in particular flight and racing simulators, the Reverb G2 is the better option.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reverb G2 Vs Quest 2 Specifications<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/td>HP Reverb G2<\/strong><\/td>Meta Quest 2<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Dimensions<\/strong><\/td>74.9 x 185.9 x 84 mm<\/td>191.5 mm x 102 mm x 142.5 mm<\/td><\/tr>
Display<\/strong><\/td>2 x 2.89\u201d LCD panels (RGB sub-pixels)<\/td>Single 5.46-inch fast switch LCD (RGB stripe)<\/td><\/tr>
Resolution<\/strong><\/td>2160 x 2160 per eye<\/td>1832 x 1920 per eye<\/td><\/tr>
Refresh Rate<\/strong><\/td>90 Hz<\/td>72 Hz, 90 Hz, 120 Hz variable<\/td><\/tr>
Lenses<\/strong><\/td>Fresnel-Aspherical<\/td>Fresnel<\/td><\/tr>
FOV (Horizontal\/Vertical)<\/strong><\/td>98\u00b0\/112\u00b0<\/td>89\u00b0\/112\u00b0<\/td><\/tr>
Pixels Per (Horizontal) Degree (PPD)<\/strong><\/td>22.04<\/td>20.58<\/td><\/tr>
Weight<\/strong><\/td>550g (without cable)<\/td>503g (Elite strap with battery adds 319g)<\/td><\/tr>
Tracking<\/strong><\/td>6 DoF dual controllers tracked by HMD<\/td>6 DoF dual controllers tracked by HMD. Basic hand tracking.<\/td><\/tr>
IPD Adjustment<\/strong><\/td>Smooth, manual IPD adjustment (60 – 68mm)<\/td>3 manual IPD settings (58, 63, 68 mm)<\/td><\/tr>
Sound<\/strong><\/td>Off ear speakers<\/td>Integrated stereo speakers<\/td><\/tr>
Headstrap<\/strong><\/td>Front-hinged, rigid head strap, adjustable with velcro straps<\/td>Soft, material head strap (optional elite strap available)<\/td><\/tr>
Price<\/strong><\/td>$599 (Currently on offer for $399)<\/td>$399 for 128GB\/$499 for 256GB<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Meta Quest 2<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Meta Quest 2 is a standalone VR headset that can also be used with a VR-ready PC via a wireless or wired connection. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 processor, Adreno 650 GPU, and 6GB RAM. It has a single-cell Lithium-ion battery with 3640 mAh or 14 Wh capacity, providing 2-3 hours of battery life while being used in standalone mode, and comes with either 128GB or 256GB of storage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is a huge amount of content available on the Oculus store that can be played directly on the Quest 2 headset, but you can also connect to a VR-ready PC via a wireless or wired USB connection to play PC VR titles, providing most of the benefits of a PC VR headset and a standalone VR headset in one package. You will need a minimum of 6.5 x 6.5ft (2m x 2m) of playspace to enjoy room-scale VR games. You no longer need a Facebook account to use a Quest 2, but you will need to create a Meta account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

HP Reverb G2<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The HP Reverb G2 is a Windows Mixed Reality VR headset that requires a VR-ready PC to use. It is not able to function as a stand-alone headset but focuses on providing an excellent PC VR experience. It is capable of playing any PC VR experience and is not restricted to the WMR platform. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Visual Clarity And Screen Door Effect<\/h2>\n\n\n
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The lenses of the HP Reverb G2 VR headset<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

The HP Reverb G2 provides incredible visual clarity, a reasonable sweet spot, impressive lenses, and high-quality display panels. It has 22 pixels per degree (PPD) of vision meaning that everything looks clear, even at a distance.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Text is clearer and more readable than almost any other VR headset unless you are prepared to pay many times more than the cost of a Reverb G2. This is still well below the resolution of the human eye, which can resolve up to 60 PPD, but it’s much better than VR headsets from the recent past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is effectively no screen door effect<\/a> noticeable on the Reverb G2.<\/strong> You could try very hard to detect it, but it is essentially non-existent. As is typical with all headsets that use fresnel lenses, there are some god-rays noticeable, particularly when you look at bright objects on a dark background. Otherwise, there is minimal noticeable visual distortion or chromatic aberration.<\/p>\n\n\n

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The lenses of the Meta Quest 2 VR headset.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

The Quest 2 has lower resolution panels than the Reverb G2, but the panels and lenses are impressive, providing a clear visual experience.<\/strong> When you initially switch on your Quest 2 and you see the Meta logo on a dark background, you may notice some god rays and visible signs of the ridges of the fresnel lenses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I remember being a little concerned that visual artifacts were going to be a problem, but thankfully, the real-world visual clarity is excellent, and the displays and lenses perform well. The only times I’ve really noticed significant visual artifacts are in the menus of games such as Skyrim VR and Golf Plus VR, but during actual gameplay, I’ve always been impressed by how clear the visuals are. God rays are no more of a problem with the Quest 2 than with any other VR headset that uses fresnel lenses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Quest 2 does not have quite the same level of visual clarity as the Reverb G2, and text is noticeably more pixelated, particularly at medium distances.<\/strong> You can also detect some screen-door effect at times, although you do have to look closely for this and it doesn’t detract from the overall experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the vast majority of games and experiences, the Meta Quest 2 provides a clear, impressive visual experience. It was only when I played simulator games like DCS, Microsoft Flight Simulator, and Assetto Corsa, that the decreased visual clarity became noticeable. It’s not bad by any means, it’s just that the Reverb G2 is the clear winner in terms of visual clarity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tracking Of Reverb G2 Vs Quest 2<\/h2>\n\n\n
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Infrared tracking lights on the rings of the Meta Quest 2 controllers<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Both Meta Quest 2 and HP Reverb G2 use inside-out tracking. This means that tracking is handled by the headset and controllers alone, with no external tracking hardware being required. I think for most VR users, this is the best type of tracking, although it is not as good as using external lighthouse tracking, such as that used on the Valve Index and similar VR headsets. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In my experience, the Quest 2 has better overall tracking performance, although both are perfectly acceptable, and I didn’t have any significant issues playing any VR games with either headset. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inside-out tracking is generally great when the cameras have a clear view of both controllers, and you do not occlude the view of one controller behind the other. Once you start lifting your hands above your head, or putting them behind your back, this introduces blind spots, and the tracking becomes more reliant on the gyroscopes, accelerometers, and magnetometers to detect the controller positions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When playing fast-paced games such as Beat Saber<\/a><\/strong>, Eleven Table Tennis, and Gorilla Tag, I only ever encountered rare occasions where I felt that the inside-out tracking impacted my performance compared to Lighthouse tracking. Overall, the Quest 2 has a slight edge in terms of tracking, particularly in situations where one controller is occluded by the other. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Comfort: HP Reverb G2<\/h2>\n\n\n
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The HP Reverb G2 is extremely comfortable to wear, even for long periods of time. <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

The Reverb G2 is an extremely comfortable headset to wear for a long period of time.<\/strong> The face gasket is made of soft, upholstered foam and the back of the head strap also has the same material. The fit is adjusted via a strap at each side, and whilst this isn’t a high-tech solution, it works well. Once you have the fit of your headset adjusted, you can put it on and off easily without adjusting it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The head strap pivots upwards at the front, so you can easily align the headset on your face, ensuring you have good visual clarity, before bringing the head strap down over the back of your head to achieve a secure fit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both the facial interface and head strap feel like they are cushioning your face and head, and the headset feels well balanced when wearing it, even though it is markedly front-weighted. There is absolutely no light leak when I wear the Reverb G2, and once I learned how tight I needed to have the velcro straps to prevent the headset from moving while in use and balance comfort, I could easily wear it for many hours without any discomfort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Comfort: Meta Quest 2<\/h2>\n\n\n
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The basic Quest 2 strap is not particularly comfortable, but the Elite Strap with Battery is well-balanced and very comfortable to wear.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

With the default material head strap, the Quest 2 is nowhere near as comfortable as the Reverb G2.<\/strong> I was perfectly able to wear it for a few hours without discomfort, but it doesn’t feel as pleasant to wear as the Reverb G2. Thankfully, I purchased the Elite Strap with Battery for my Quest 2, which is a complete game-changer in terms of comfort. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is an option to get the Elite Strap alone, or the Elite Strap with Battery. The Elite strap provides a much better fit, providing a rigid strap that fully encircles your head, securing the headset fully. There is a knob at the back of the Elite strap that ratchets the fit of the headset and can be adjusted in a few seconds to provide a comfortable fit. The back of the Elite Strap is made of rubber, that holds your head firmly, and whilst not soft and cushioned like the Reverb G2, is very comfortable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best comfort option for the Quest 2 is to opt for the Elite Strap with Battery, as the battery position at the back balances the weight of the headset very well, and the Elite strap is very comfortable to wear for extended periods of time.<\/strong> With this setup, I can easily use the Quest 2 for many hours in complete comfort, and the almost doubling of battery life that this provides, means you rarely need to stop playing before you are ready to take a break. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overall, if you are planning to get the Quest 2, I would strongly advise you to get the Elite Strap with Battery.<\/strong> This does increase the price of the Quest 2 by $119, often making the Quest 2 the more expensive option, depending on what deals are available, and what model of the Quest 2 you opt for. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Light Leak<\/h2>\n\n\n
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The Quest 2 has quite a lot of light leak around the nose area while wearing it.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

With the default facial interface of the Quest 2, you will notice significant light leak around your nose and in the lower part of your vision.<\/strong> Even when using the Elite Strap, this does not improve much. You can of course buy an aftermarket facial interface that reduces or prevents this light leak, but whether you want to do this will depend on your preference. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In contrast, the HP reverb G2 has no light leak at all when I use it.<\/strong> The facial interface hugs my face firmly, completely isolating me from the outside world. This feels great and improves the level of immersion in many games. This is particularly important for seated, simulation games, where you really don’t want anything that breaks the sense of immersion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, there are advantages to having a little bit of light leak on the Quest 2, and for general VR use, I actually prefer this. <\/p>\n\n\n\n