HTC Vive Pro 2 Full Kit Review

We thought we’d take a closer look at the HTC Vive Pro 2 Full Kit and see how it compares to other PC VR headsets. Compared to the first Vive Pro, the Vive Pro 2 has received some significant upgrades. In addition to the greatly improved resolution of 2448×2448 pixels per eye, the headset has also received a 120 Hz refresh rate and a 120° field of view.

In this comprehensive review of the HTC Vive Pro 2 Full Kit we will take a deeper look at the following points:

• Pros and Cons
• Specifications
• What is in the box
• Design and comfort
• Ease of use
• Display
• Tracking
• Controllers
• Price
• Conclusion

Pros and cons of the HTC Vive Pro 2 Full Kit

HTC Vive Pro 2 Specifications

The Vive Pro 2 has the following specifications:

• Display: 2x LCD panels
• Refresh rate: 120 Hz 
• Resolution: 2448 x 2448 pixels per eye 
• Field of view: Up to 120 degrees horizontal 
• Weight: 850 grams
• Material: Plastic
• Tracking: SteamVR Tracking 2.0 (marker-based)
• Audio: Hi-Res certified headphones

What is in the box

The HTC Vive Pro 2 comes in a nicely designed black box. HTC‘s packaging is always very well organised and logical, so that you can start setting up the headset in the right order straight away.

The following items can be found in the Vive Pro 2 Full Kit:

• HTC Vive Pro 2 headset
• 2x Controller (2018) with lanyard
• All-in-one cable
• Earphone hole cap x 2
• Link box (2.0)
• USB 3.0 cable
• DisplayPort cable
• Mini DP to DP adapter
• Link box power adapter
• 2x Micro-USB cable
• 2x Power adapter
• 2x Base station 2.0
• 2x Base station power adapter
• Mounting kit
• Lens cleaning cloth
• Documentation (Manual, Warranty documentation, Guides)

Design and comfort

When you look at the HTC Vive Pro 2, you could easily mistake it for the first version, the Vive Pro. The design has barely changed, only the color turned from dark blue to black. Otherwise, HTC again relies on integrated headphones and the ergonomic headband in the Vive Pro 2, which is supposed to provide a very balanced and comfortable wearing experience due to its curved shape. 

However, this only works to a certain extent because the headset is very heavy with its 850 grams and is therefore still uncomfortable to wear in the long run. In comparison, the HP Reverb G2 only weighs 498 grams and the Varjo Aero 717 grams.

As with the first Vive Pro, the Vive Pro 2 also has integrated on-ear headphones that are attached to the headband of the headset. These offer Hi-Res certified sound and ensure that the experience feels not only visually but also auditorially realistic and immersive. The headphones can be individually adjusted so that you can set the optimal height for each ear. This headphone setup is also seen on the HP Reverb G2, while the Varjo Aero comes without integrated sound.

To make wearing the HTC Vive Pro 2 as comfortable as possible for your eyes, the headset has a manual IPD (interpupillary distance) slider. It can be adjusted between 57 and 72 mm, so there’s a setting to suit just about everyone. This is the same IPD range as on the Varjo Aero, yet the HP Reverb can only be adjusted between 60 and 68 mm.

Ease of use

As soon as you open the box of the HTC Vive Pro 2 Full Kit, you will immediately find a manual that helps you with the initial setup of the device. In addition, the components of the Full Kit are divided into 5 numbered boxes inside the packaging. This ensures that the instructions guide you step-by-step through the initial setup of the headset and accessories. 

However, it must be said that the initial setup takes a number of steps due to the outside-in tracking and the setting up of the base stations. Similarly, the Varjo Aero uses tracking via base stations. In contrast, it is different with the HP Reverb G2, which uses inside-out tracking. This eliminates the need to set up and use base stations, making the Reverb G2 quicker to set up.

With the Vive Pro 2, you have access to HTC’s own VR app store, Viveport, as well as the entirety of SteamVR content, making the device suitable for enterprises and consumers in equal measure.

A high-performance computer is required to use the Vive Pro 2. HTC recommends at least an Intel Core i5-4590 or AMD Ryzen 1500 as the processor, while the graphics card should have a minimum performance of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 or AMD Radeon RX 480. Additionally, at least 8 GB of RAM and Windows 10 or 11 as the operating system is required.

Display of the HTC Vive Pro 2

The 5K dual LCD of the HTC Vive Pro 2 is one of the most important features of this headset. With 2448×2448 pixels per eye, the Vive Pro 2’s display is one of the sharpest displays on the market. This makes content look crisp and clear, making the experience even more immersive and realistic. In comparison, the HP Reverb G2 only has 2160×2160 pixels per eye, while the Varjo Aero even comes with an incredible 2880×2720 pixels per eye.

However, HTC stays ahead of both the competition from Varjo and HP when it comes to the display refresh rate. The Vive Pro 2 plays content at 120 Hz, while the Aero and Reverb G2 only offer 90 Hz. This makes content look even smoother and more pleasant to watch, which makes the experience more comfortable and helps to prevent motion sickness.

The Vive Pro 2 is also ahead in terms of the size of the field of views. With 120 degrees horizontally, it is slightly better than the 115 degrees of the Varjo Aero. The HP Reverb G2, on the other hand, only has a field of view of 98 degrees horizontally. The larger the field of view, the more of the screen the user sees and the more immersive and realistic the VR experience becomes.

However, one drawback of the Vive Pro 2’s display is that it quickly gets quite warm, causing the lenses in the headset to fog up easily and the viewing experience to become less enjoyable.

Tracking

With the Vive Pro 2, HTC uses marker-based 6-DoF outside-in tracking with the help of base stations. This means that the base stations have to be set up before use. This can be a particular hassle for businesses looking to quickly and easily immerse users in a VR experience. The Varjo Aero also works with tracking via base stations.

HP, however, does it differently with the Reverb G2, which uses inside-out tracking with integrated cameras. The advantage of inside-out tracking is that no external base stations have to be set up and you can get started faster. This is a great advantage, especially for enterprises, to keep the entry barrier into VR as low as possible.

One feature that the Varjo Aero has as the only headset in this comparison is eye tracking. This 200 Hz eye tracking makes it possible to track data and information about the usage and activities of the VR headset user. This can be very useful especially for training, experience analysis or marketing purposes. 

Controllers

The controllers included in the HTC Vive Pro 2 Full Kit are still the same Vive controllers as those of the predecessor, and they are one of the flaws of the latest Vive Pro headset. As a result, there is still no thumb stick on the controller, instead there is the trackpad to move around and the bulky finger buttons don’t seem up to date either. 

In contrast, the controllers of the HP Reverb G2 are quite different. They fit very well in the hand and are both compact and lightweight, making them very comfortable and intuitive to use. We would have liked to see a similar controller shape for the Vive Pro 2.

Price of the HTC Vive Pro 2

Currently, the price for the HTC Vive Pro 2 Full Kit is 1395 euros. If you only want to buy the headset without the accessories included in the Full Kit, you can do so for 890 euros. In comparison, the HP Reverb G2 costs only 577 euros, making it a headset with a great price-performance ratio. The Varjo Aero is the most expensive VR headset in this three-way comparison at 1990 Euros.

Conclusion

The HTC Vive Pro 2 has one of the best displays on the VR market. 2448×2448 pixels per eye, coupled with 120 Hz refresh rate and 120° field of view make most other headsets look old. The fact that you can access Viveport and SteamVR with the Vive Pro 2 makes it attractive to gamers and enterprises alike.

Still, the headset has a few drawbacks which are significant especially for business customers. By using the base stations, you have to take a few more steps to get started with the VR experience than compared to the HP Reverb G2, for example. Furthermore, it is incomprehensible that HTC continues to rely on the outdated controllers, which feel unintuitive. 

Still, the HTC Vive Pro 2 is an excellent VR device because of the exceptional specs mentioned above. However, for businesses that don’t want to spend close to 1400 Euros to take their first steps in the VR world, the HP Reverb G2 is the better choice due to its greater price-performance ratio. 

Depending on your use case, either one or the other headset might be a better fit. Let us advise you and contact us at sales@vr-expert.com.