- When the HTC Vive Professional 2 arrived you could possibly simply be forgiven for considering it was nearly the identical VR headset that the corporate launched again in 2018. That is as a result of outwardly it hadn't modified a lot from the unique, apart from some color adjustments on the entrance faceplate.
Nonetheless, underneath the hood issues have been beefed up fairly considerably. A lot in order that HTC is now claiming to have the best-in-class show and 'true' 120-degree area of view too.
Plainly HTC has deserted its efforts with the HTC Vive Cosmos - which we discovered underwhelming anyway - and has chosen to construct on the foundations of the frankly superior HTC Vive Professional as an alternative. A smart transfer in our thoughts.
However is an upgraded Professional sufficient to deal with the now robust competitors from HP and Oculus? We have been experiencing what the Vive Professional 2 has to supply to digital actuality followers on the lookout for one of the best of one of the best.
There isn't any denying that HTC has as soon as once more returned to type with the Vive Professional 2. It delivers a high-end VR expertise and gives the perfect expertise because of spectacular visuals, satisfying audio, and very good consolation. It is an utter pleasure to sport on.
But it surely does come at a value - actually. Its asking worth is over thrice the Oculus Rift S's launch worth, and about double that of an HP Reverb G2. We additionally can not help however begrudge the effort of the bottom stations and the setup required.
However if you would like best-of-best then you have to pay for it. The HTC Vive Professional 2 is undeniably the present chief within the digital actuality headset house. So in the event you've acquired cash burning a gap in your pocket otherwise you're a Vive fan and wish the upgraded expertise then there's nothing else that may compete.
HTC Vive Professional 2
- Superior visuals
- Implausible consolation
- Nice audio
- Higher monitoring than the competitors
- Passthrough cameras make life simpler
- Backwards appropriate
- Prices a bomb
- Extra trouble to setup than its opponents
- Will bake your face
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Greatest-in-class show?
- Quick swap LCD IPS panel, 2448 x 2448 pixels per eye (4896 x 2448 complete)
- 120Hz refresh fee, 'true' 120-degree area of view
- Twin-stack lens setup with RGB Subpixel design
- 57 to 70mm IPD (interpupillary) adjustment
Probably the most important improve to the Vive Professional 2 over the earlier technology comes within the type of the visuals on provide. This headset has a show that includes the "highest decision to this point" - with 2448 x 2448 pixels per eye, totalling 4896 x 2448 seen pixels.
That is a big bounce over the earlier Vive Professional - which had a 2880 x 1600 pixel show. It is also superior to the Vive Cosmos (2880 x 1700 pixels), HP Reverb G2 (2160 x 2160), and naturally the Oculus Quest 2 (1,832 x 1,920). And it actually reveals too.
That top pixel depend means you get a surprising VR expertise. Throughout our gaming periods, we have been struck by how spectacular the graphics are on this headset. The display door impact is actually a factor of the previous, too, and you may simply end up getting misplaced within the expertise.
HTC additionally has used a dual-stack lens design this time round, with two lenses redirecting the picture for a wider area of view. That is mentioned to have an even bigger candy spot and a extra life like view of the world round you. That is additionally how the corporate claims to have a 'true' 120-degree area of view.
There are some niggles although. For some cause, HTC has determined to alter the form of the lenses. Now the highest and backside of the lenses have a flat, straight edge to them, whereas earlier than they have been rounded. Which means prescription lens adapters for earlier headsets do not match the Vive Professional 2. It additionally signifies that the view is completely different. We shortly observed we might see the perimeters of the lenses extra simply when enjoying and we sadly discovered this fairly distracting.
One other small gripe is the rubber nostril shields on the backside of the headset. We discovered these stored flapping up and into the view of the display whereas we have been gaming, once more interfering with our view.
Other than these minor issues although, there is no denying the Vive Professional 2 appears nice. We revisited classics and our favorite VR video games to offer it an intensive testing. That included Creed Rise to Glory, House Pirate Coach, Half-Life: Alyx, Superhot VR, Skyrim VR, LA Noire and Medal of Honor: Above and Past. We quickly discovered that not solely do these video games look and sound nice on the Vive Professional 2, however additionally they deal with nicely too.
In fact, you want a reasonably important gaming machine with a view to run it at this decision and on the 120Hz accessible refresh fee, however in the event you can handle it from that perspective then issues will actually look magnificent.
What spec PC do I must run a HTC Vive Professional 2?
In case your PC cannot fairly deal with such a high-end show then there is no must panic. HTC has labored with Nvidia and AMD on one thing referred to as Show Stream Compression. This can be a system that permits the Vive Professional 2 to run at a lesser decision on much less highly effective gaming methods, that means you'll be able to nonetheless get a terrific expertise. The corporate says in case your PC can run the unique Vive Professional, then it might address the Vive Professional 2 as nicely. In different phrases, it is backwards-compatible and can work with DisplayPort 1.2.
The minimal required specs to run the Vive Professional 2 headset are:
- Processor: Intel Core i5-4590 or AMD FX 8350 (equal or higher) / Reminiscence: 8GB RAM (or extra)
- Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX1060 or AMD Radeon RX480 (equal or higher)
- OS: Microsoft Home windows 8.1 or Home windows 10
- Video out: DisplayPort 1.2 (or newer)
- USB ports: 1x USB 3.0 (or newer)
- Processor: Intel Core i5-4590 or AMD FX 8350 (equal or higher) / Reminiscence: 8GB RAM (or extra)
- Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 or AMD Radeon RX 5700 (equal or higher)
- Video out: DisplayPort 1.4 (or newer)
- USB ports: 1x USB 3.0 (or newer)
- OS: Microsoft Home windows 10
It is price noting that you simply do want a DisplayPort connection in your gaming machine or laptop computer with a view to run this headset. You should utilize a DisplayPort Mini adapter or DisplayPort-to-USB-C adapter if required, however in the event you solely have HDMI you then would possibly come unstuck.
Like earlier Vive headsets, the Vive Professional 2 connects first to the Vive Hyperlink field after which to your machine through DisplayPort and USB connection. That field additionally wants energy, so be ready with a number of empty plug sockets.
New visuals however an old-school setup
- G-sensor, gyroscope, proximity, IPD sensor, SteamVR Monitoring V2.0
- Eye aid with lens distance adjustment
- Adjustable Hello-Res licensed headphones
- Built-in twin microphones
So the HTC Vive Professional 2 has had some severe enhancements when it comes to graphical efficiency. It is primarily one of the best headset in the marketplace in that division, however in different methods, the Vive Professional 2 remains to be caught up to now.
With the Vive Cosmos, HTC tried to tackle the Oculus Rift S by including inside-out monitoring cameras to permit customers to ditch the traditional base stations and go for a better setup. Alas, the Vive Cosmos had lacklustre monitoring due to it (in contrast to the Rift S) and so HTC has gone again to what it is aware of finest - SteamVR monitoring base stations.
This feels old fashioned at this level - with the necessity to have monitoring stations arrange in your play house, ideally in reverse corners of your room, plugged into the mains energy and monitoring your motion. These monitoring stations guarantee correct monitoring and only a few issues in that division, however they seem to be a faff as they need to be mounted up excessive. This implies both wall-mounting, discovering a spare tripod, or precariously balancing on a shelf or one thing else.
We're so used to inside-out monitoring now that going again to base stations is an pointless annoyance in our thoughts. Nonetheless, in the event you've been utilizing an unique Vive, Vive Cosmos Elite or Vive Professional for all this time you then in all probability will not care. There's additionally quite a bit to be mentioned for correct monitoring, however we would nonetheless choose the liberty supplied by inside-out monitoring.
Nonetheless, the Vive Professional 2's monitoring logic means you should utilize Vive Tracker 3.0 to trace additional issues, together with your total physique. It's also possible to add on a facial tracker to seize your facial expressions in VR and improve to go wi-fi too (although that'll imply successful in decision and efficiency).
Nonetheless, regardless of our complaints, there are a variety of different issues the Vive Professional 2 does nicely.
It is comfy for a begin. Properly, as comfy as having a big chunk of plastic strapped to your head might be anyway.
HTC has labored to stability the headset to take care of consolation. The general design is similar because the Vive Professional, however that is no unhealthy factor because it means you have got that straightforward adjustment wheel on the again, a stable headband design, comfy padding, and a comparatively easy on-off setup too.
The padding is actually one of many major options we loved concerning the design of this one. It is mushy and plush, that means you have no pointless strain in your face, nostril or eyes when enjoying. It additionally blocks out a variety of surrounding gentle and allows you to concentrate on the VR expertise as an alternative.
Vive headsets have additionally come a great distance since we first performed on the unique Vive. The Vive Professional 2 provides you entry to much more settings proper within the headset itself. That features entry to hardware as nicely.
These two cameras on its entrance, for instance, might be activated as passthrough cameras. With a few clicks on the settings menu you'll be able to activate a digicam view that pops out out of your controller and allows you to see your actual world. This implies you need not take the headset off to re-orientate your self or discuss to family members who've wandered into the room.
A triple-click of the menu button on a controller additionally prompts one other passthrough system which lets you see the room round you with a inexperienced haze. These two methods are nice for not falling over objects in the true world and make VR life simpler on the whole.
There's additionally the choice to click on on the menu to see your desktop so you'll be able to work together with different apps straight in your PC. Whether or not that is checking for emails, recording with OBS Studio, or doing one thing else.
This can be a nice enchancment because it means you hardly ever need to take the headset off with a view to fiddle along with your PC to do one thing easy like launching a brand new sport or conform to a firewall change.
One other characteristic that hasn't modified is audio. The Vive Professional 2 has built-in adjustable Hello-Res licensed headphones which might be repositioned till they're in a snug spot. They're properly padded and ship a terrific sound when gaming. You'll be able to regulate the amount simply with buttons on the earcup and mute the microphones from there too.
We now have a love-hate relationship with these headphones although. Sure, they provide nice sound, are straightforward to place, and block out a shocking quantity of surrounding noise. However we simply get a bit sizzling whereas utilizing them. We choose the liberty supplied by the back-facing audio system on the Quest 2 or the off-ear audio system on the Reverb G2. Typically talking, we get sizzling whereas gaming in VR anyway, however the Vive Professional 2 is especially steamy because of each the headphones and the copious quantities of comfy padding.
Handy management
At this level it is price us speaking concerning the Vive Professional 2's two choices of buy:
- Simply the headset (for upgraders who already personal the HTC Vive or Vive Professional) - accessible to pre-order at a reduced worth of £659 / $749 / €739.
- The full equipment (which incorporates the headset, base station 2.0, and Vive Wand controllers v2) - accessible from 4 June for £1299 / $1399 / €1399.
When you're shopping for the complete bundle you then'll get the traditional Vive controllers. These now sport a nifty blue color scheme that matches the Professional 2 headset, however in any other case, they management the identical as ever. That is no unhealthy factor although, as we have all the time preferred these controllers. They're stable, sturdy, simply recognised by most VR video games, and have by no means allow us to down.
They've built-in batteries and cost through Micro-USB. One draw back, nonetheless, is that the controllers solely final for a number of hours - roughly 5 hours based mostly on our testing - earlier than they want charging once more. So you want to be sure to're charging them between periods to keep away from disappointment. HTC has made some extent of claiming that the Vive Professional 2 will work with Valve's Knuckle controllers instead although.
HTC has as soon as once more returned to type with a high-end VR headset that delivers the perfect expertise - however at fairly the price.
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