The Vive Pro 2 Is the Best VR Headset You Can Buy, however It’ll Cost You

Five years after the discharge of the authentic Vive and Oculus Rift, HTC and Oculus/Facebook have diverged with regards to their VR headset choices. In one camp, the Oculus Quest 2 is an reasonably priced standalone VR headset that’s tremendous easy to arrange and use. HTC is within the different camp, with a PC-based headset for high-end VR fanatics. Even although the Vive Pro 2‘s beginning worth of $800 (headset solely) is greater than double the value of the Quest 2, it’s additionally a key element with regards to creating probably the perfect at-home VR expertise you will get proper now. But is it actually value all that money?

Same Look, however Huge Upgrade

The Vive Pro 2 contains a almost equivalent design as the unique Vive Pro, although HTC has made a handful of essential tweaks. Not solely has the corporate refreshed the scarf strap to make it a bit extra snug, HTC has additionally tweaked the headset to offer a 50-50 weight steadiness, which makes the Vive Pro 2 noticeably extra nice to put on throughout lengthy VR classes. Another bonus of the Vive Pro 2’s up to date design is that it’s additionally a bit simpler to tilt the goggles up, so you possibly can shortly see what’s happening in meatspace.

But the Vive Pro 2’s actual enhancements are its new optics. The headset now affords 5K decision (2448 x 2448 for every eye), as much as a 120Hz refresh charge, and a wider 120-degree horizontal subject of view. Together, this makes for primarily the sharpest and most immersive VR expertise you will get at dwelling—in need of $3,000 enterprise-level headsets like Varjo’s VR-3. Now I ought to point out that some headsets just like the Valve Index supply a considerably taller vertical subject of view (95 levels for the Vive Pro 2 in comparison with 110 levels for the Valve Index), which is one thing you’d positively discover when evaluating the 2 side-by-side. That stated, with the Index solely providing 1440 x 1600 pixels per eye in comparison with 2448 x 2448 for the Vive Pro 2, I’ll take the elevated decision virtually each time, although it’d be good if I didn’t have to decide on.

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Thanks to that 5K decision (4896 x 2448 mixed), the Vive Pro 2 visuals are notably sharp. With pixels that small, HTC has virtually fully eradicated the screen door effect that allows you to see the area between pixels on lower-res headsets. And when mixed with assist for 120 Hz graphics, the Vive Pro 2 is ready to keep away from a lot of the main causes of motion-induced nausea. I hardly ever endure from VR illness, however I discovered that the upgrades in visible high quality made worrying about any queasiness an entire afterthought.

The Vive Pro 2 nonetheless features a useful guide IPD adjustment knob (which now goes from 57 to 70mm) and built-in spatial audio audio system that flip down from the aspect, which I’ve grown to favor as an alternative of plugging in my very own headphones (which you are able to do utilizing a USB-C dongle). Not having to fumble round to placed on headphones when getting in VR simply makes the entire course of a lot easier, and I’ve discovered that having audio system hovering close to your ears as an alternative of strapped to the aspect of your head provides to general immersion, assuming you’re in a comparatively quiet area. I’m sorry however I don’t make the foundations: There aren’t any crying infants or barking canines allowed within the VR room.

The High Price of Setup

If you’ve had a tough time monitoring down a current-gen GPU throughout the pandemic (I’m in the identical boat), the excellent news is that the Vive Pro 2’s minimal specs solely require your pc to have an Intel Core i5-4950 or AMD Ryzen 1500 CPU and an Nvidia RTX 20-series or AMD Radeon 5000 GPU or newer, along with 8GB of RAM, an open USB 3.0 port, and DisplayPort 1.2 (or DP 1.4 for full-res) for video out, which truthfully isn’t dangerous contemplating the Vive Pro 2’s large decision.

Unfortunately, the larger subject is that you simply want the precise add-ons and equipment to get essentially the most out of the headset. The $800 Vive Pro 2 is already costlier than the Valve Index and HP Reverb G2, and that’s earlier than you issue within the want for two Steam VR base stations, two controllers, and no matter you would possibly have to place the bottom stations appropriately (I take advantage of digital camera tripods). That means should you’re ranging from scratch, you can be taking a look at an all-in worth nearer to $1,300 or extra. Ouch.

On the intense aspect, as a result of the Vive Pro 2 helps each HTC’s personal controllers and the Valve Index controllers, you do have some freedom to combine and match, which is what I’d do if I used to be seeking to create essentially the most premium at-home VR expertise. The customary HTC Vive controllers have remained mainly unchanged for the reason that authentic Vive got here out, and whereas they’re completely serviceable, they lack the extra refined finger and grip sensors you get on the Valve Index controllers.

After you arrange the equipment, you continue to want to put in HTC’s Viveport suite—regardless that the Vive Pro 2 is absolutely appropriate with Steam VR and Steam VR video games. In most conditions, this isn’t a giant deal, however typically you would possibly to modify forwards and backwards between HTC’s and Valve’s VR platforms, which may get annoying after awhile.

I can’t fault HTC an excessive amount of for not together with wi-fi assist out of the field provided that not one of the Vive Pro 2’s PC-based rivals even have the choice, shelling out one other $350 on high of all the pieces else simply to eliminate the wired tether turns into a really dear luxurious. It additionally reduces the Vive Pro 2’s max refresh charge from 120Hz all the way down to 90Hz.

Virtual Reality Nirvana

If you possibly can abdomen the value tag, pairing the Vive Pro 2 with Valve Index controllers ends in a number of the most rewarding VR you will get proper now, and I’d argue it’s arms down the easiest way to play Half-Life: Alyx. The Vive Pro 2’s greater decision makes graphics look additional sharp, to the purpose the place the headset can expose a number of the low-res texture results utilized in older VR titles. When you add the Index controllers to offer the hand and finger-tracking you actually need to completely benefit from the VR masterpiece that’s Half-Life: Alyx, and you may instantly see and really feel the reward to your funding.

The Vive Pro 2’s excessive decision makes textual content seem additional crisp, which helps you are feeling such as you’re actually in one other VR world as an alternative of regularly reminding you of the bounds of your tech. The headset’s spatial audio creates an encompassing stage for 3D sound that actually does add to the impact that issues are occurring round you, fairly than being piped in from the field wired to your headset. And whereas typically I did discover some gentle and snippets of the true world peeking in from the underside fringe of the goggles, I didn’t really feel prefer it was sufficient to meaningfully detract from my adventures.

Perhaps my greatest criticism (which is comparatively minor general) with the Vive Pro 2’s efficiency is that it looks like HTC didn’t improve the headset’s built-in passthrough cameras, which leads to a considerably low-res view when attempting to take a look at the skin world with out taking off the headset completely.

Worth Buying?

Here’s the exhausting half, as a result of attempting to determine if the Vive Pro 2 (together with any equipment you would possibly want) is the precise headset for you largely relies on your style and the way a lot you’re keen to spend. If you’re wanting solely at headset specs, the HP Reverb G2’s 2160 x 2160 per eye decision is shut sufficient to the Vive Pro 2 that you simply’re not sacrificing a lot in trade for an HMD that prices $200 much less. The drawback is that the Reverb G2 doesn’t include native assist for the Index controllers, which makes mixing and matching much more tedious, particularly should you don’t really feel like hacking in assist for the Index controller by yourself.

The Valve Index headset has a decrease decision of 1440 x 1600 per eye, but it surely has the next max refresh charge of 144 Hz. The Valve Index VR kit, which incorporates all the pieces you want to leap into VR for $1,000 (headset, controllers, base stations), is a a lot better worth. Alternatively, in order for you one thing far more reasonably priced, simpler to make use of, and doesn’t must be wired to a close-by PC, the Oculus Quest 2 is a implausible method to dip your toes into VR.

However, in order for you the liberty to pair what is actually the highest-res shopper VR headset with what are at present the perfect VR controllers, the Vive Pro 2 is the one for you. Just be ready for all the cash that’s going to fly out of your pockets so as to make that occur. It’s dear, however because the saying goes, you get what you pay for. Now I’m simply hoping that the subsequent technology of VR headsets can convey down the fee a little bit bit.