HP Reverb G2 VR headset is a more compelling buy at its $399 sale price

HP Reverb G2 VR headset is a more compelling buy at its $399 sale price
Save $200 and avoid the screen door effect entirely with this VR headset deal. (Image credit: HP)

If you have no interest in the Oculus Quest 2, one alternative is HP's Reverb G2. It's normally a pricier headset at $599, but over at Walmart, you can grab it for $399 right now, saving you $200. With the discount in play, the Reverb G2 suddenly becomes a contender.

The greatest thing about HP's Reverb G2 VR headset is the ultra-high resolution—it is a 4K headset offering up a resolution of 2160 x 2160 per eye, which is sufficient to slam the door shut on the unwanted screen door effect associated with lower resolution headsets.

That's great if you have a powerful enough PC to play VR games at 4K. If not, you are able to lower the resolution per eye without much fuss, and then step it back up once high-end graphics cards (remember those?) become more readily available. In that sense, there is a bit of a future proofing angle here, as far as that is possible (nothing is truly future proof, of course).

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High Resolution VR

HP Reverb G2 Virtual Reality Headset | <a href="https://goto.walmart.com/c/1943169/565706/9383?subId1=hawk-custom-tracking&sharedId=hawk&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.walmart.com%2Fip%2FHP-Reverb-G2-Virtual-Reality-Headset%2F413944813" data-link-merchant="walmart.com"" target="_blank">$599 $399 at Walmart (save $200)
An enticing $200 discount makes the Reverb G2 a solid contender for anyone wanting to get into VR. It's a high resolution headset (2160p per eye) that eliminates the screen door effect, and being able to finely adjust the IPD is a big bonus.

There are no base stations to position with this headset, which is both a blessing and a curse. In our review of the Reverb G2, we noted that tracking can be fickle based on the surrounding light. In a well-lit room, it works great, but can also struggle at times if the lighting is too bright or too dark.

Beyond the high resolution, another thing working in this headset's favor is the ability to fine tune the interpupillary distance (IPD), or the distance between each lens as it relates to the distance between your eyes. It has a generous range of 60mm to 68mm, along with a physical slider underneath the headset for making quick and easy adjustments.

Should you pick the Reverb G2 over the Quest 2, though? At regular pricing, we generally recommended the Quest 2 over the Reverb G2. However, a $200 discount potentially changes things. Even with its faults, the Reverb G2 is the best VR headset from the Windows Mixed Reality group. And unlike the Quest 2, you don't have to link it to a Facebook account, which some people find to be a deal killer for the Quest 2.

Paul Lilly

Paul has been playing PC games and raking his knuckles on computer hardware since the Commodore 64. He does not have any tattoos, but thinks it would be cool to get one that reads LOAD"*",8,1. In his off time, he rides motorcycles and wrestles alligators (only one of those is true).