HP’s finally pulled the curtain back on its collaberation with Valve and Microsoft that it teased back in March. Today the company debuted the HP Reverb G2, a $600 VR headset with hand-tracking controllers that borrows tech from Valve and Microsoft to serve as an commercial and consumer product.
According HP, the headset has a 2160 x 2160 display resolution on each eye, which outpaces Valve’s Index headset that displays at 1440 x 1600 pixels. HP says that Valve designed the new headset’s lenses.
It also borrows the Valve Index’s off-ear speakers, and has updated the Reverb’s controler design to mirror the hand-tracking setup of the Oculus Touch controllers, backed by side-facing cameras.
HP’s expansion of its VR offerings does seem to be a shot in the arm for the industry, and indicates a turn toward the consumer market for the company. The first HP Reverb was designed for commercial clients, while this new headset boasts built-in compatibility with Steam VR.
It’s also a headset that can ship in a time when demand for headsets has led to a shortage due to the COVID-19 pandemic. HP has opened preorders for the new headset now, to help gauge demand when it launches later this year.