HTC Vive Pro 2 review

Two minute evaluate

Searching for a high-spec VR headset? The HTC Vive Professional 2 will whisk you off to super-hi-res digital actuality worlds with its 5K show, which is just the very best VR display screen obtainable to the common individual immediately. However that unbelievable display screen is paired with another {hardware} parts that have to be thought of caveats to the in any other case premium expertise.

The unique HTC Vive put at-home digital actuality on the map, with its spot-on monitoring and excessive decision display screen. The competitors has heated up since its 2016 debut, with the Oculus Quest 2 and Valve Index impressing VR avid gamers. However with the HTC Vive Professional 2, HTC is able to re-stake its declare because the premium VR headset producer to beat in relation to PC digital actuality. And, by way of its spec sheet, the HTC Vive Professional 2 is definitely one of the crucial highly effective, high-end VR headsets on the market.

With a 5K (2.5K to every eye) show focusing on a silky-smooth 120Hz refresh charge, it’s essentially the most visually spectacular VR headset we’ve ever placed on our heads. It’s additionally one of many richest sounding, because of its over-ear headphones and hi-res audio capabilities.

Nevertheless it’s not essentially the most snug – HTC has carried out nicely to make the Vive Professional 2 simply adjustable to suit many head shapes and glasses-wearers, however there’s nonetheless a variety of weight to the headset, and a variety of bulk to the design, to not point out the restrictions naturally introduced on by its tethered-to-a-computer nature. Additionally, that top decision display screen generates a variety of warmth – a lot in order that we struggled to play with out fogging the lenses up in a short time.

The HTC Vive Professional 2 can be nonetheless utilizing an outside-in monitoring system. In the fitting atmosphere, it’s a really correct technique of recognizing the participant within the VR world, however it does result in a extra sophisticated arrange process, requires extra cabling and wall retailers, and limits the areas the place play is possible. Lastly, the wand-like controller design of the Vive household is beginning to present its age – massive and weighty, the trackpad design could also be higher suited to industrial functions, however typically now feels at odds with the management schemes that present VR titles lean in direction of, which normally now favour the presence of conventional management sticks, alongside movement actions.

There are caveats, then. However this headset nonetheless comes extremely beneficial – that display screen goes to blow the minds of VR avid gamers which have solely skilled digital actuality {hardware} of a era or two in the past. If HTC can tackle the opposite components of the package deal, it’ll regain its place because the best-in-class VR producer.

HTC Vive Professional 2 worth and availability

• Two bundle choices obtainable
• Premium tech at a premium worth
• Current Vive homeowners can save on shopping for equipment once more

Pre-orders for the HTC Vive Professional 2 are open now, with normal sale beginning June 4, 2021. The headset-only variant will begin at a particular discounted worth of £659 / $749 / €739. The total package, which incorporates Base Station 2.0 and VIVE Controllers, is on the market from 4 June, for £1299 / $1399 / €1399.

That is positively a premium-priced VR gadget, equally positioned because the Valve Index, and significantly greater than the Oculus Quest 2 (which has lesser specs to match its lower cost). Have in mind you’ll additionally want a high-end PC to see the HTC Vive Professional 2 working at its greatest.

Some money-saving will be achieved because of the very fact current HTC Vive equipment will be paired with the Vive Professional 2, together with monitoring stations and earlier era controllers. However you’ll must stump up a great chunk of change in the event you’re a VR newcomer.

Design

• Extremely sharp 4896 x 2448 show (2448 x 2448 per eye)
• 120Hz, tremendous {smooth} refresh charge and broad 120-degree discipline of view
• Controllers have not modified a lot in years

Relatively than going for an all-in-one, wi-fi headset design for the HTC Vive Professional 2, HTC is as an alternative focusing on the high-end capabilities of digital actuality that may solely be reached by hooking as much as a well-spec’d PC.

And the numbers it’s focusing on are very spectacular. It’s providing a 5K decision show (2.5k to every eye), and is aiming to take care of a silky-smooth 120Hz refresh charge. That’s a a lot sharper show than is current with the Oculus Quest 2, with the Quest 2 additionally solely able to focusing on 120Hz refresh charges on chosen titles.

It’s not nearly decision with the display screen although, but in addition the standard of the panels in use. The headset is packing a fast-switch LCD with RGB sub-pixels, and IPD-adjustable goggles that help a 120-degree discipline of view. That’s broad sufficient to catch motion out of the nook of your eye, because of a dual-stacked lens design. It’s a really superior optics system, with the LCD show shrunk in comparison with earlier fashions, supposedly for improved warmth administration – although in follow this isn’t fairly the case.

Pushing this many pixels could make your rig rightly quiver at what’s going to be anticipated of your PC, and HTC is focussing totally on fanatic (and enterprise) customers right here. You’re going to wish a robust machine to get essentially the most out of the Vive Professional 2. 

However HTC has carried out what it might to take the pressure off your parts as greatest as doable – it’s labored alongside Nvidia and AMD to make Show Stream Compression optimised for the VR headset. It permits for sooner compiling and recompiling of visible information between the PC and headset when crunching down the big property wanted to make the 4K display screen shine. DisplayPort 1.2 continues to be supported too, even with DisplayPort Compression energetic. HTC’s Vive Wi-fi adapter will even be supported – although customers will be unable to hit the native 4896 x 2448 / 120Hz decision and body charge goal that the tethered arrange delivers.

These opting to buy the entire HTC Vive Professional 2 package deal will even obtain a pair of cuboid, powered monitoring stations, and a pair of wand-style controllers. The controllers are basically the identical design HTC has used now for years – reliable and sturdy, they’ve a round touchpad, set off and pressure-sensitive grip handles, under a big monitoring ring. They observe nicely and are suitable and acknowledged by virtually each VR recreation yow will discover on Steam, however they’re beginning to really feel a little bit quaint compared to the Valve Index’s “knuckle” controllers, and the extra compact Oculus Contact controllers.

Consolation and compatibility

• Display generates so much warmth resulting in steamy lenses
• A lot of methods to regulate the match to go well with many head sizes
• Stays suitable with all current HTC Vive equipment

HTC has made some changes to its headsets to enhance upon the ergonomics for the HTC Vive Professional 2. In addition to the fine-tunable IPD slider, it’s ensured that its headstrap is fast to regulate and lock because of a dial system, whereas its facial interface is broad sufficient to accommodate glasses wearers. Weight is evenly distributed to keep away from pressure in your neck, however that is nonetheless a chunky headset. You very a lot really feel encased in its design – particularly when you flip down its over-ear, built-in headphones.

These 3D spatial sound audio system hover over the person’s ears, that means you continue to have a way of what’s happening of their real-world environment. However they are often cranked up loud because of on-cup quantity controls. The audio supply is one other spotlight right here, with wealthy and deep bass sounds that means you gained’t essentially must carry your personal headphones to the social gathering – the audio interface can be Hello-Res licensed although, that means you may hook up audiophile-grade headphones to the headset and respect a extra richly-detailed sound expertise if you’d like.

The place the HTC Vive Professional 2 is at its least snug is within the quantity of warmth that its display screen generates. With the display screen wrapped near your face, it will get highly regarded and steamy. We struggled to discover a match that saved the headset tight and safe to our face, and prevented lens fogging on the identical time, an issue that was exacerbated by glasses. It’s an issue that may range from individual to individual, however higher air flow across the goggles may have prevented the problem altogether – I’d personally settle for a little bit exterior gentle bleed if it counteracted steamy lenses.

These on the lookout for an untethered, all-in-one headset from HTC ought to look in direction of the newly-revealed HTC Vive Focus 3 – although that’s primarily being focused at enterprise customers. Current HTC Vive homeowners can discover some solace in the truth that all current HTC VR equipment can be suitable with the brand new HTC Vive Professional 2 nonetheless, that means you gained’t want to purchase extra gear apart from the headset in the event you’re already rocking VIVE Trackers of any era, the VIVE Facial Tracker, Vive ‘wand’ controllers, or Steam VR equipment such because the Valve Index ‘knuckle’ controllers. Oculus controllers aren’t suitable.

Arrange

• Base station monitoring placement will be tough
• Requires a lot of cables and plug sockets
• Optimum play area dimension will not be doable for everybody

If there’s one factor that is probably not fairly so accommodating for the budding VR gamer, that’ll be the continued reliance on base stations for monitoring with the HTC Vive Professional 2. Together with the tethered connection to the PC, it’s one other impediment to fast, hassle-free VR engagement, that means you’re going to wish to seek out area to deal with two small monitoring cubes round your play area in order that the Vive Professional 2 is aware of the place you’re. Together with the cable tether, that’s the commerce off to get the highest-possible visible high quality from a VR headset at current – although the hole is closing with inside-out monitoring methods as seen in use with the Oculus Quest 2.

The HTC Vive Professional 2 connects to your PC utilizing a breakaway Vive Hyperlink field. It requires an influence outlet, USB 3 connection and DisplayPort connection to your PC. From there, you may plug within the cable operating from the headset into the Hyperlink Field, providing you with a complete of about 5m distance to roam out of your PC.

HTC Vive Professional 2 makes use of Steam VR as its underlying platform (and Valve’s base stations), so in the event you’ve expertise organising a VR headset via that, you’ll know what to anticipate. You’ll must put the bottom stations excessive up in reverse corners of your play area – ideally above head peak, and angled barely downwards. Ideally, you’ll have a minimal of 2m x 1.5m for ‘room-scale’ walk-around play, although you may get away with smaller areas in the event you’re taking part in seated as an alternative of simply standing.

The Steam VR arrange software program does a great job of holding your hand via the set-up course of, asking you to position the Bluetooth-connected controllers on the ground to ascertain the bottom stage and tracing the corners of your digital play area. Word although that you will need to angle these base stations good – initially, Steam VR thought I used to be about 3 foot excessive as I’d not correctly established my peak. The bottom stations will be wall mounted or positioned on a tripod, however with every needing an influence outlet, discovering a everlasting area in your VR periods can be greatest, otherwise you’ll need to undergo the set-up rigamarole every time you progress the package.

Efficiency

• Unparalleled constancy
• Excessive refresh charge makes for {smooth} gameplay and reduces movement illness
• Vast discipline of view and glorious audio will increase immersion

If you may get previous a number of the consolation and warmth points we skilled with the Vive Professional 2, you’ll have the ability to take pleasure in an unparalleled VR expertise from a visible standpoint. The excessive decision display screen and quick refresh charge is jaw-dropping, with an unbelievable sense of presence and realism in a position to shine via on the headset. Offered you’ve bought the high-end PC to energy it, it truly is the very best-looking VR headset you need to use at house.

We recurrently wax lyrical on the likes of Half-Life Alyx and Lone Echo in VR circles and, as you’d think about, these kinds of titles take pleasure in an extra sense of polish, constancy and environment via the mixture of the Valve’s class-leading optics and audio. 

However what was much more placing was going again to earlier VR titles, and seeing them profit from an upscaled decision. For example, the environments in Batman Arkham VR appeared much more detailed than remembered, with Wayne Manor, the Bat Cave and the numerous crime scenes oozing with gothic surprise. As anticipated nonetheless, it’s onerous to return to HTC’s wand controllers after spending prolonged time with the splendidly ergonomic Oculus or Valve Index choices. At round 5 hours of play, the battery lifetime of the controllers may very well be higher, too.

There’s an enormous quantity of video games obtainable to Vive Professional 2 gamers via the Steam retailer entrance, whereas HTC affords its personal retailer with at Viveport. Half-Life Alyx, Superhot VR, Beat Saber and The Room VR characterize only a style of what’s on provide. It additionally affords an all you may eat Viveport Infinity subscription, opening up limitless entry to a variety of huge titles for a month-to-month payment. Word there are additionally unofficial workarounds that may be discovered on-line to entry video games pushed via the Oculus storefront too, although neither Oculus homeowners Fb nor HTC formally helps them. 

Must you purchase the HTC Vive Professional 2?

Purchase it if…

Do not buy it if…