HP Reverb Review

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HP - Reverb Virtual Reality Headset for Compatible Windows PCs 7DH40UT#ABA (Renewed)
  • Field of view: 114°
  • Connectivity Technology: Wired
  • Application/Usage: PC
  • Hdmi: Yes
  • Height: 3. 3"

HP Reverb: Quick Overview

2020 is shaping up to be a great year for the virtual reality industry. New VR headsets that redefine what these devices are capable of are being released by all the major players. Some companies are going for a high refresh rate display. Others are pushing the boundaries with new input options. HP believes a higher resolution is vital to the best VR headset.

The HP Reverb is the newest Windows Mixed Reality baby from HP. Now, if you are planning to buy a high-resolution VR headset and get value for your money, you will love this second-generation WMR headset.

The HP Reverb is a phenomenal product, and here is why.

Features 4/5

Resolution 5/5

Controls 4.5/5

Price 4/5

What we like

  • Mind-blowing resolution
  • Built-in headphones, Bluetooth and mic
  • Lightweight and comfortable
  • Pre-paired controllers

Removable and easy to clean face cushion

What we don’t like

  • Lacks IPD adjustment
  • No flip visor

Virtual worlds have never looked better than in this headset. It has 2.89” LCDs with an impressive 2160×2160 pixel resolution per eye (4320 x 2160 combined). That is 4 times as many pixels are the original Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. It also comes with 6-DOF motion tracking and a 114◦ FOV. You get a mind-boggling experience that is near photo-realistic.

You get a 90Hz refresh rate, which and an RGB-stripe primary pixel structure that results in 50 percent more sub-pixels compared to its predecessor. This creates a sharp, crystal-clear image and significantly reduces the screen-door effect. Text also appears much sharper, meaning you can read smaller fonts.

This headset has near-perfect lenses. But like many other Windows VR headsets, the HP Reverb doesn’t feature a hardware IDP adjustment. You will only enjoy ideal alignment between your eyes and the optical center of the lenses if you’re near the headset’s fixed IPD measurement.

Who is this product for?

With inside out tracking, you don’t need additional sensors. This makes the HP Reverb significantly easy to set up and well suited to portable VR, which is vital if you want to set it up quickly in a client’s office or the boardroom.

This enterprise-focused VR headset is geared to business applications, construction, and engineering. Don’t get it wrong, it’s not purely for business use. HP doesn’t shy away from selling individual units at a consumer price point.

What’s included?

Straight from the box, you will get the HP Reverb Virtual Reality Headset, 2 Motion controllers, 3.5m headset cable for desktop and mobile PCs, set up document, a Display port to mini-Display Port adapter, an a one year warranty.

Overview of Features

The HP Reverb has an amazingly sleek design, almost similar to the Oculus Rift. The exterior is made of smooth black plastic that is contrasted with a dark gray fabric. It features 3 soft adjustable straps: two on the sides and one that goes over the head to the rear.

The side straps have a hinge that allows for adjustment. You’ll find a cut-out for the audio jack lead and tether cable above the left hinge. The lack of a flip visor means you have to take it off your head to talk to someone or grab a sip of your drink.

To power the headset, HP recommends an Intel Core i7 or Xeon E3-1240 v5 CPU with 16gb of RAM. You also need AMD Radeon Pro WX 8200, Nvidia GTX 1080 or Nvidia Quadro P5200 graphics cards. These are more than the minimum requirements for most other headsets.

The first-generation Windows MR headsets used HDMI cables. Reverb has a DisplayPort interface. Its resolution exceeds the specs of the HDMI ports that most graphics cards have.

On to the audio now. The HP reverb has integrated over the ear audio. That gives you a seamless, immersive experience. Furthermore, the speakers are adjustable and removable, which is incredible. For users who want to use their headphones, they can remove the speakers. 2 built-in microphones enable voice recognition for use with Cortana.

Many people complain about LCD panels used in HMDs. They don’t expect the black levels to be as vivid as AMOLED panels produce, but that’s not the case with HP Reverb. This headset has acceptable black levels. The Reverb’s low persistence and full RGB subpixel arrays improve the experience far more than the deeper blacks.

The Reverb uses the same Microsoft Windows Mixed Reality inside-out tracking. The setup is significantly easier to do in comparison to Vive or Rift because you don’t need additional sensors. This is the advantage of using inside-out tracking. This automatically makes it quite suitable for a portable Virtual Reality. This is advantageous if you share devices or when setting up in a boardroom.

The fabric face cushion is soft and breathable. Being removable, it can be easily cleaned and used repeatedly. In cases where multiple people use the headset, it is possible to change the cushion and clean it. The padding blocks out light from leaking into the headset.

This headset is not only going to be a win to the enterprise market but also to gaming enthusiasts seeing how comfortable and easy to use it is. It has a baseball head strap design. The adjustable straps are meant for a custom fit. The blackstrap does a beautiful job of balancing the overall weight of the headset. For extra comfort, the headset has a padded ring at the back, which spectacular. You get a natural experience without ill-fitting equipment.

The Reverb feels exceptionally light. It’s actually much smaller and lighter than the VR1000-100.This is a result of the smart choices that have brought about better weight distribution. Due to this incredibly vital factor of weight, the Reverb can be worn for long without discomfort.

Tutorial

Here is an in-depth review video in case you need more information on how to set up the HP Reverb https://youtu.be/WUkLCXnowGE

Alternatives

An alternative to HP Reverb is the Samsung Odyssey Plus. This WMR headset has a slightly lower resolution than the Reverb, but it has a lightweight design, easy to handle controls and Native Steam VR support.

Conclusion                                     

If you’re a professional or are just really into VR or WMR and want the best visual experience in the market, the HP Reverb is an easy choice. The new design is comfortable and feels premium, and on-board audio is a huge plus.

For professionals where visual fidelity is of utmost importance, the HP Reverb is a perfect complement if you are looking to expand your client base. This futuristic product is the true embodiment of the next level in Virtual Reality technology, which is here to stay.

 

 

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