Review: HP Reverb Pro - The Best VR Headset for Elite and Simulation Games

Exigeous

Exigeous

Iron Body

Iron Body
Thanks for the very informative video review.
As a Rift CV1 user I'm thinking of getting the Reverb. The SDE has been a killer for me.
 

Kushiel's Dart

Kushiel's Dart
Great review. I'm using a Dell visor and love Elite in VR. That was the only headset that worked with my laptop because the USB 3.0 port and the HDMI port are on opposite sides of the laptop and the way the cable from the headset to the computer split the cables couldn't reach both ports. My laptop has good processing power, but only a GTX 1050 (not the 1050ti), but I get great resolution, can easily read small text and the motion is smooth using VR Low and Medium. I always wonder if a better graphics card would be worth the cost (but the laptop is not easily upgradable - so I'd be looking at something new)
 

Sethiest

Sethiest
I wonder what it'd take to run it at 90 Ultra? I mean your PC specs are pretty darn good, I doubt many people have that kinda PC money and even if they did they still couldnt make full use of the headset.
 

Exigeous

Exigeous
Kushiel's Dart said:
but I get great resolution, can easily read small text and the motion is smooth using VR Low and Medium. I always wonder if a better graphics card would be worth the cost (but the laptop is not easily upgradable - so I'd be looking at something new)
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Not to be rude but a 1050 is well below the required spec of nearly every headset out there so you're clearly dropping into reprojection given I can't maintain 90fps on a 2080Ti - that said if it doesn't bother you great. As for upgrading the difference in something like the Visor (I had a Lenovo Explorer at one point, very similar) can't be understated - it's the difference between a Sidewinder and Corvette. If you think the resolution is "great" and it's easy to read small text just wait, you'll realize how bad it is once you get your head inside something like the Reverb (or even Vive Pro or Rift S).

Iron Body said:
Thanks for the very informative video review.
As a Rift CV1 user I'm thinking of getting the Reverb. The SDE has been a killer for me.
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You're most welcome, it was my first hardware review so I'm still learning but it was fun for sure. If you're a CV1 user the Reverb is right up your ally - of all the headsets I've owned to my noggin the ski-goggle style is by far the most comfortable and best all around. Pair that with zero screen door effect and it's a major winner.

Sethiest said:
I wonder what it'd take to run it at 90 Ultra? I mean your PC specs are pretty darn good, I doubt many people have that kinda PC money and even if they did they still couldnt make full use of the headset.
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Right now that PC basically doesn't exist. Even with an RTX Titan I don't think you'd hit it - and Elite nor any other VR games support SLI so given that's the fastest out there we're several years away. I'm fine with that as I'll likely upgrade my video card before buying my next headset given I had my Rift CV1 for 3 years.
 

HeavyGroovez

HeavyGroovez
Exigeous said:
Awesome - I'd LOVE to hear your thoughts when you get it. As this is my first hardware review video I'm sorta terrified someone is going to get it on my recommendation and HATE it and want to kill me!
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Pretty sure you will get some psycho that will threaten to burn your house down/murder your cat (via PM of course) because the 'Verb isnt perfect and YOU recommended it but rest assured it wont be me.

As soon as i found out about the 60hz it was an instant buy. Cant wait to see what stuff looks like at 1056 PPI without it reprojecting its nuts off.

As i said over on Reddit your review was outstanding so keep up the good work. Its super important for enthusiasts to have reliable sources for quality tech burndowns from actual players.
 

Thuen88

T
I don't believe this review one bit.. Black levels better than Oculus CV1 and Vive Pro ? And a huge sweet spot ?. Other reviewers including Tested are saying the black levels are a little worse than Rift S which has horrible black levels compare to CV, and Odyssey + which again has the same panel as Vive Pro. No way a LCD is beating an Oled panel on black levels. Other reviewers are also complaining about a narrow sweet spot. His eyes are either blind, or he is getting paid for this.
 
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govny

govny
Thuen88 said:
I don't believe this review one bit.. Black levels better than Oculus CV1 and Vive Pro ? And a huge sweet spot ?. Other reviewers including Tested are saying the black levels are a little worse than Rift S which has horrible black levels compare to CV, and Odyssey + which again has the same panel as Vive Pro. No way a LCD is beating an Oled panel on black levels. Other reviewers are also complaining about a narrow sweet spot. His eyes are either blind, or he is getting paid for this.
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Before buying my Lenovo explorer I was worried of the black level and above all the persistence of the LCD panels, but I was really pleased with the panel quality. I don't know if an LCD can beat an oled, but I find black level in ED very good, I don't regret the black levels of my previous DK2. DK2 with an oled panel was far worst than Lenovo. Apart from resolution, the Oled panel suffered of an orrible black smearing. For my next VR headset I surely will chose an LCD panel, good black, no smearing, pixel fill better than oled (the screen door effect is much less visible).
to avoid black smearing (and I repeat, above all, in ED was really terrible) they have to completely prevent via software black pixels, so even an oled panel doesn't have perfect black levels.
ah I forgot pentile. I don't know if CV1 or Osissey use pentile, but pentile is very bad. I would prefer RGB over pentile all the way.
 
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Thuen88

T
Odyssey has the anti SDE feature anyway so pentile is not a problem. Being used to the Odysseys amazing screen the Rift S was a huge disappointment to me personally, and Rift S is on the better side of the LCD panels.

It all comes down to what you prefer, and for me black levels and colours is the most important thing immersion vise.
 

govny

govny
Thuen88 said:
Odyssey has the anti SDE feature anyway so pentile is not a problem.
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sorry but I disagree.
I have seen some image taken from odissey and to me they feel bad. anti SDE doesn't eliminate the bad resolution and bad filling pixel rate of the pentile. To me the only thing it do is blurring the image making it even worst.
 

Exigeous

Exigeous
HeavyGroovez said:
As soon as i found out about the 60hz it was an instant buy. Cant wait to see what stuff looks like at 1056 PPI without it reprojecting its nuts off.
Click to expand...

All I can say is - you'll see. It's amazing.

HeavyGroovez said:
As i said over on Reddit your review was outstanding so keep up the good work. Its super important for enthusiasts to have reliable sources for quality tech burndowns from actual players.
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Thanks, this was my first ever hardware review so I know it has much room for improvement, glad I didn't totally screw the pooch at least.

Thuen88 said:
I don't believe this review one bit.. Black levels better than Oculus CV1 and Vive Pro ? And a huge sweet spot ?. Other reviewers including Tested are saying the black levels are a little worse than Rift S which has horrible black levels compare to CV, and Odyssey + which again has the same panel as Vive Pro. No way a LCD is beating an Oled panel on black levels. Other reviewers are also complaining about a narrow sweet spot. His eyes are either blind, or he is getting paid for this.
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Where did I say it beat the black levels of those? I said to my eyes it equaled them and looks amazing. You realize that SteamVR doesn't allow for true black anyway, right? It doesn't allow the pixels to turn off to prevent black smearing so current OLED headsets don't go true black anyway, maybe do some research before calling someone a liar? Oh and what did you think of the blacks in the Rift CV1, Vive Pro and Odyssey when compared to the Reverb? Oh, wait, you don't have those headsets and haven't viewed it for yourself? As for being paid I WISH they would pay me, that would be awesome!

govny said:
sorry but I disagree.
I have seen some image taken from odissey and to me they feel bad. anti SDE doesn't eliminate the bad resolution and bad filling pixel rate of the pentile. To me the only thing it do is blurring the image making it even worst.
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And I agree with you - this anti-SDE stuff is exactly that, not makes up for actual pixels and the Reverb has more than double the amount. No substitute.
 

Thuen88

T
govny said:
sorry but I disagree.
I have seen some image taken from odissey and to me they feel bad. anti SDE doesn't eliminate the bad resolution and bad filling pixel rate of the pentile. To me the only thing it do is blurring the image making it even worst.
Click to expand...

You can't compare images, you need to try It out yourself. I think I`ve seen the same photos you mentioned and those are not accurate at all. Odyssey + has the less noticeable SDE of all headsets today with similar resolutions. The reverb probably beats it but with a much bigger resolution. The image is also not blurry at all, esp with SS.
 

Thuen88

T
Exigeous said:
All I can say is - you'll see. It's amazing.



Thanks, this was my first ever hardware review so I know it has much room for improvement, glad I didn't totally screw the pooch at least.



Where did I say it beat the black levels of those? I said to my eyes it equaled them and looks amazing. You realize that SteamVR doesn't allow for true black anyway, right? It doesn't allow the pixels to turn off to prevent black smearing so current OLED headsets don't go true black anyway, maybe do some research before calling someone a liar? Oh and what did you think of the blacks in the Rift CV1, Vive Pro and Odyssey when compared to the Reverb? Oh, wait, you don't have those headsets and haven't viewed it for yourself? As for being paid I WISH they would pay me, that would be awesome!



And I agree with you - this anti-SDE stuff is exactly that, not makes up for actual pixels and the Reverb has more than double the amount. No substitute.
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Okey sorry but its not equal either, and I don't need to test the headsett to know that. Its just how LCD works. It can't compete with Oled on black levels. Have you compare the black levels with Rift S ? How is it ? Tested which are very reliable says the black levels on the Reverb are slightly worse than Rift S, and if that's true than well its bad imo for games like Elite.
 

Paso

Paso
Thuen88 said:
Okey sorry but its not equal either, and I don't need to test the headsett to know that. Its just how LCD works. It can't compete with Oled on black levels. Have you compare the black levels with Rift S ? How is it ? Tested which are very reliable says the black levels on the Reverb are slightly worse than Rift S, and if that's true than well its bad imo for games like Elite.
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Not sure about other headsets with oled displays but I'm an Cv1 owner and just bought the rift s. Much better blacks on S, in elite, not true blacks of course, but better nonetheless. I understand you're trying to feel good about your Odyssey + and I'm sure it's good but a slight difference in blacks does not make it the best compared to the rift s and especially the reverb.
To each his own.

Back on the reverb, I'm really tempted in ordering it but I'm kinda worried that my rtx 2080 will struggle to keep it even in the 60 fps range.
 

Thuen88

T
I have both the Rift Cv1, Rift S and Odyssey +, and the Rift S can't compare to those in black levels. Im far from an O+ fanboy though, as it lacks in so many other areas ( performance, sweet spot, comfort etc) and I'm sure the Reverb is far superior to it overall.
 

Iron Body

Iron Body
Paso said:
Back on the reverb, I'm really tempted in ordering it but I'm kinda worried that my rtx 2080 will struggle to keep it even in the 60 fps range.
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My GTX1080ti runs the Rift CV1 at 90fps with no problem. But I mostly run a 4k monitor at 60fps, which is fast enough for me.
So, is a 1080ti good enough to run the Reverb at 60 fps ? Somebody (not me) needs to test this,
 

VR - wickfut

VR - wickfut
Exigeous said:
Where did I say it beat the black levels of those? I said to my eyes it equaled them and looks amazing. You realize that SteamVR doesn't allow for true black anyway, right? It doesn't allow the pixels to turn off to prevent black smearing so current OLED headsets don't go true black anyway, maybe do some research before calling someone a liar? Oh and what did you think of the blacks in the Rift CV1, Vive Pro and Odyssey when compared to the Reverb? Oh, wait, you don't have those headsets and haven't viewed it for yourself? As for being paid I WISH they would pay me, that would be awesome!
Click to expand...

Strange. Could you go to a pure black screen and report back how black it actually is , rather than on the contrast between light and dark.

My Vive went 95% black. My rift was 80% black. My Explorer was sold within a week because it the black levels in dark areas was mid grey, reminded me of the text box I'm writing in now. My PSVR is like closing my eyes black.

Where about on the spectrum is the HP Reverb on a dark screen?
 
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