This is a great value for your money headset. For some time I enjoyed a PSVR, but I wanted an upgrade—and this headset with the price point, internal tracking, and controllers with analog sticks (a huge problem for me with the Move controllers) was just that. I’m not disappointed. I have the PC and the money to run a Vive, but I couldn’t justify their foolish price point—I believe both Oculus and these higher resolution Mixed Reality sets are undermining any long game HTC thinks it has.
SETUP TIPS:
* I’ve seen that some others have had difficultly with the headset, and I believe they may have assumed that it came DOA. I initially thought mine was DOA, but one must go through the entire setup before the headset will show any visual at all.
* If you have a graphics card that does not have 2 HDMI ports, you will need to plug your display port into your monitor, and the headset into the HDMI port. Both will need to be plugged in simultaneously in order to complete the setup and turn the headset on.
* A well lit room offers far better tracking.
* Install Steam VR right away.
* Run the full room setup whenever you start using the set. I do this to make sure I’ve expanded the tracking zone to the entire room. (To run this setup, take the set off, and click on the setup icon on the left hand side of the Mixed Reality window).
Compared to the PSVR:
*Much better resolution. Going from the PSVR, it makes you feel like a person who puts on glasses for the first time and realizes that the world actually isn’t that blurry.
*Tracking.
*Capable of much higher frame rates (given your PC is sufficient).
*Though others have complained about the mixed reality default controllers, they’re incalculably better than the ridiculous Move controllers, and their confounding lack of analog sticks. The real downside to the Mixed Reality controller design is the sliding selection pad. A simple D-pad would have been far less frustrating in games and apps that require it.
*The PSVR was more comfortable to wear. I’m going to add some DIY padding to the Acer set and see how that goes.
*This set is quite a bit lighter than the PSVR, and the cable running to it is thick. I suggest a retracting cable management system and cable extensions to keep the cable out of your way.
*The PSVR also had better headphone placement. This is also an easy fix if you take the time to customize the setup to your liking.
Here’s the experience I had with a few games and apps:
FALLOUT 4 VR:
The first thing I did was push the headset to see what it could do. That meant Fallout 4 VR—which is probably the most system taxing VR game at the moment due to both the resolution required, and Bethesda’s poorly aging Creation engine. With the settings tweaked (running on a 1080ti and I7-8700K) I was able to get the game running silky smooth (if you’re having trouble, research how to adjust your fallout4custom.ini and fallout4prefs.ini settings). The headset resolution was excellent. The control pad suffers specifically when quick changing weapons—and by suffers, I mean it’s damn near impossible. I ended up mostly changing weapons through the menu system. Again, a separated D-Pad would be an easy solution that would open up more programming possibilities due to having 4 more buttons. This novelty should be eliminated. But the game was fun and looks great.
SKYRIM VR:
Vastly superior to the PSVR version—partially because of the smooth visuals, partially because of full room tracking (buy cord extensions, and a cord management system if you have a decent space to work with. The dual usb/hdmi cord for Oculus from Amazon didn’t work for me—I believe it could be due to the resolution of the images). Also, the ability to super-sample and add pc mods is huge for this game.
RACE THE SUN:
This game isn’t demanding on the headset or the system, but it is a lot of fun, and I thought I should mention it because in a game with a bright background—this is when you see the visuals of this headset falter. There is a circular lens glare that’s distracting, and the screen door effect is far more noticeable here. So I don’t think brightly lit backgrounds are this headset’s strong suit at all.
DOOM VR:
I thought this game was pretty lame on the PSVR, but with improved visuals, frame rates and controllers that allow for an immersive experience, it was quite a bit more fun and intense.
STEAM VR:
Steam is offering some decent support at the moment. Mixed reality itself will run through steam, there are quite a few games that have mixed reality headset compatibility, and Big Screen Beta is now a favorite of mine to watch movies or interact with the desktop in custom environments.
Conclusion:
If you’re on the fence, you should buy this. It’s an excellent price point for a high resolution set with good internal tracking. Given the review, it may sound like I dislike the PSVR but I actually really enjoyed it and appreciated what Sony could do with an under-powered system. It’s just that a solid PC, a headset with tracking, and controllers with analog sticks takes it to another level.
A few of the other Mixed Reality sets I’ve looked at also look quite good, and I’m really interested to see the next generation of these sets. It doesn’t appear that the incumbent quality champion HTC has any clue of how to address the new competition, while Oculus seems to be taking things more seriously with innovations, price point drops, and the interesting standalone Go.
What I’m hoping for out of the next generation of this headset:
* A front facing camera so that while detached I can see my apartment being broken into in real time.
* Expanded FOV.
* The elimination of lens glare.
* More thoughtful controllers (I’m really hoping Microsoft isn’t forcing their proprietary junk on these companies making Mixed Reality sets).
* Longer cord.
* Better headphone ergonomics.
| Standing screen display size | 2.89 Inches |
|---|---|
| RAM | 16 GB |
| Wireless Type | Bluetooth |
| Number of USB 2.0 Ports | 1 |
