G2 still works on PC with WMR which is still in Windows 11 and will be there for a couple of years to come. All the other non-WMR headsets also work. Why should anybody switch from powerfull PC to underpowered XBOX, displaying 2D windows in 3D space?
No to even mention Quest standalone mode, with tiny Quest CPU, able to handle some casual games only (Goat Simulator is one of them), not the sims like MSFS or DCS.
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My experience with the G2 V2 has been and still is excellent. Only real issue I’ve had was having to replace a cable with the beefier version. I long ago replaced the STD face gasket with one from ‘Hapic Prints’ that gives a much improved sweet spot and slightly wider field of view. Supersampled to just over 4000 x 4000 per eye things look pretty good. Still running like a champ for me and lets just say I’m just a bit more than displeased with murkysoft and their decision to remove WMR support down the road.
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I have a Reverb G2 with v2 cable, as well as a Quest 2 that I use once in a while for MSFS, and the G2 is my favorite. It just works for me. Sure, I wish the sweet spot was bigger, but overall I can’t imagine any other headset being “better” than the G2 when it comes down to ease of use. I also believe that before it becomes a brick, someone out there much smarter than me will come up with a work-around that will replace the WMR requirement . This hmd is too good to just keep on the shelf.
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I agree regarding the G2 Reverb. Certainly something could be improved, but overall it gives an acceptable performance. I should also add that I got the best configuration when I simply used the Nvidia drivers with the global defaults and no longer used additional software for graphics. So I don’t understand this rush to recommend alternative solutions, also because surely by the time the G2 is no longer usable, more modern solutions will be available than those so warmly sponsored today.
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I wonder if, when the time comes, will someone figure out how to use the Reverb G2 with another software layer. 2 Years is a long time.
Likely, in that time there will better headsets out at various price points as well. I tend to stick with hardware as long as I can so this thread is quite interesting.
RotorRick
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The biggest handicap for the G2 are the fresnel lenses, which have now reached obsolence as far as new headsets are concerned. Pancake is just so much better and will likely improve further over the next years.
My G2 V2 went from really nice to amazing. Started out with an RTX 3080 and narrow gasket ( included in the V2 ).
Upgrades : DLSS Balanced, 140% resolution, optical lenses, then RTX 4090( ! ), DLSS Quality, 180% resolution.
It’s still jaw dropping at times.
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@SimonJones7660 I feel you are spot on!
It just feels better for some to remain naive about the VR situation.
Let’s be pretty blunt and honest here, this coming from myself a fellow day one DK1 VR enthusiast since 2013.
First impressions are everything with VR, our 2D playback vids aren’t exactly convincing as they can’t show a potential VR buyer the two main things that make VR. The native stereoscopic 3D and 6DOF FOV scale. As far as VR HMD storefronts and distribution again this falls on first impressions. Someone new to VR simply can’t go to an electronics store try out an HMD with the foreknowledge of setting up proper IPD and facial/nose fit. Most likely their first try before you buy VR experience will be a complete turn off with nauseating eye and facial discomfort.
These days post covid I’m not even sure if storefronts even offer HMD wear demos any longer, I’m certainly not putting a community demo HMD on my face while fully trusting a GameStop/Target Best Buy/Micro Center/ store employee to have fully sanitized it after every customer demo.
So there’s that…in 2024 unless you have family or friends who own VR HMDs you can try, you’ll most likely be doing a complete initial “blind buy” of a VR HMD.
As far as advertising campaigning a wired VR HMD in 2024, I just don’t see that selling. Meta has pretty much locked the wireless VR HMD advertising game down
with “dive into VR anywhere from your couch, on the bus, on a plane” Quest 3 commercials.
Lets think about this for a second, even if a new VR dev company like Sominium pushes a commercial advertising campaign with their new wired VR1, what potential VR buyer in their right mind wouldn’t feel absolutely intimidated by the required monster PCVR gaming tower or laptop purchase the wired HMD needs to be tethered to? So just imagine a commercial showing someone enjoying a wired high end HMD, it would be pretty misleading to not show the monster PC it needs to be tethered to. The wireless VR HMD wins in advertising every time! Great luxurious high spec 4K 165hz VR HMDs make’s everyone’s eyes big, but consumers also desire simplicity and convenience!
That would be an automatic intimidating initial impression of PCVR.
Just imagine that commercial…
New XYZ VR available online and in certain stores now!
GTX 1080 I7 or equivalent PC/Laptop NOT Included!
Todays modern consumer…
While high end PCVR looks super cool, but at that price investment I’d rather just buy a Quest 3 or PSVR2. With the hardware requirements(VR HMD+PC/Laptop) we are talking about a down payment on a house price wise to jump into PCVR.
So wrapping this up, I’m not sure what future VR holds as we have witnessed history of Nvidia’s 3D Vision Glasses/TV tech flopping as a niche fad. WMR is now on death row, because Microsoft/WMR bean counters couldn’t see the big picture of winning the hearts and minds of the core Microsoft Games/Windows Store base. WMR exclusive Halo VR and Forza VR titles to spearhead the WMR HMDs back then💡. Even PSVR left Microsoft/WMR in the dust. An XBOX console WMR HMD with exclusive Halo and Forza VR titles?
Hello?
Those are some of the most die hard loyal core consumers of the Microsoft Games/Windows store ecosystem.
Yea talk about dropping the ball, now here we are WMR is on death row suffering the same fate as the 3D Vision.
Wired high end PCVR just as a niche designed glass ceiling and it isn’t anything we can really do about that. I’m just happy us PCVR "Power Users’ have a vocal demographic that some VR developers keep a heart and ear to. The price of electronic hardware and todays inflation will forever keep us a niche demographic of Wired PCVR users out of the sea of console/pc gaming industry.
Lou
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If that is the case, I’m out of MSFS for good. They left us stranded when made FSX abandonware and sold it to Dovetail Games. This time, I’m not going to wait to see what’s going to happen and going to XPlane, altough I don’t like it at all.
This kind of “support”… it’s enough for me! I invested so much in HW to be able to run MSFS in VR… I’m in the middle of building custom motion platform, only to be surprised by this statement from MS!? This really ■■■■■■ me off!
I understand that they don’t want to develope it further, but be fair and make it open source, so independent developers can make it continue its life, jesus christ.
I have two G2 WMR HMDs… the newer bought just few months ago, just to find out it will be bricked a few years from now? Perfect NY greeting card from MS.
I would recommend to stay calm. You still have a couple of years to use your G2. In the meantime technology will advance and you will be probably tempted to buy a newer model like you probably do with your mobile.
Deprecation of WMR will have no impact on other headsets (Quest, Pico, Pimax, Somnium, Varjo, Bigscreen and whatever will appear in the coming years) and on MSFS which is in no way linked to WMR.
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You are forgetting that WMR was never intended to serve consumers, at least not initially. It was designed for Hololens, which was squarely aimed at commercial use. That endevaour appears to have failed and, thus, WMR has become useless to MS. If you really think about it, the only reason you and I know or care about WMR is the HP Reverb. If HP had made those devices purely OpenXR/SteamVR, none of us would be discussing WMR right now. Consequently, these worries about WMR going away affecting PCVR or MSFS are quite unfounded.
With two G2s I can certainly see why you are frustrated! However, you seem to have invested many thousands from PC to peripherals to the motion platform. Tacking on a few hundred bucks or a grand for whatever Meta, Pico, Valve, Pimax etc. may be offering in 2027 will likely be manageable for you, if you are still into this hobby by that time.
Concerning MSFS: adding a VR option to a flight sim is not that major of a development effort, it certainly isn’t trivial but it isn’t hugely expensive either. That’s why even small devs like X-Plane and Aerosoft could afford to add it. There is simply no logical reason for MSFS 2024 not to continue OpenXR support.
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You’re right, but this kind of “support” from MS also rises the question of support for VR in the MSFS.
If they’re ready to drop support for WMR just like that, although they know of WMR HMD’s sold just a weeks ago, what makes us believe that something similar won’t pop up as an issue with MSFS VR support as well?
That’s my ooncern, way more than bricking two of my pretty new HMD’s.
MS isn’t the company to be trusted, if you ask me. They stranded us so many times before.
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I cannot predict the future but let’s keep in mind that Hololens and WMR have nothing directly to do with MSFS, absolutely nothing.
MSFS 2020 is an ambitious flight simulator that already supports OpenXR VR, just as pretty much all major competitive PC flight simulators/games (X-Plane, Prepar3D, DCS, Aerofly, Ace Combat etc.) so for MS to ask Asobo to drop VR support in V2024, which already exists, would mean reducing their product’s competitiveness for no gain at all. Why in the world would they do that?
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Huh?
WMR has had a gamer following since the original Odyssey and Lenevo Explorer days. WMR was absolutely intended to serve consumers as well regardless of the failed AR push. Maybe to someone who’s jumped in the VR game later can see it that way, but I was around the WMR scene since the beginning before a Reverb was even a thing, when we actually had open lines of communication with WMR devs via Reddit. Now I do agree that HMD devs like Samsung, Lenevo and HP were better off skipping the WMR ecosystem and just going strictly SteamVR/OpenXR.
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The more I read the comments in this thread, the more I notice interventions that are inconsistent with the logical reaction that might come from disappointed users. There’s obviously nothing wrong with some headsets manufacturers trying to take advantage of the problem Microsoft will create with its decisions (at least two years from now…).
The point is that it might be nice if, in addition to MSFS, one could also use the headset for other interesting applications. But I’m afraid the market so far has little to offer. The only real masterpiece I have found is Half Life Alyx. I bought it, played it about half an hour. I stopped when I got to the first scary scene. VR can make a scene so scary that it ceases the fun of the game. So, apart from short-lived children’s games, what is left for VR today? MSFS is the only SW I know of that can engage in VR for an infinite amount of time without tiring. No wonder, then, that manufacturers of stand-alone headsets see an opportunity in MSFS, even if it disrupts the initial idea of stand-alone headset.
I should add that I would still be happy to buy a headset other than the HP Reverb G2 right away if someone could point me to an interesting use for it other than MSFS.
I understand what you mean but for the vast majority of VR users today, WMR does not matter outside of Reverb users. Can you think of any new (non-niche) WMR headset that was released in the last 5 years other than the Reverbs? WMR was kept alive for only 2 reasons, Reverb and Hololens. With Hololens dying, the only interested party left was HP and they decided apparently to leave the market completely, not even switching to their own OpenXR stack.
We are all better off in the long run with less VR middleware standards and we especially don’t need middleware owned by a single company.
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I’m one of those monitor using dummies, but one of my kids got a Quest 2 for Christmas. I got curious and got it up and running almost seamlessly to try out simming. Some systems may not be so easy, but it’s not an across the board problem.
Getting more curious, I looked into other headsets, specifically the Crystal. It seems great for simming, but I was curious about Beat Saber (it’s hecking fun) and saw a lot of people saying its controller tracking is basically garbage. May not apply if you’ll only use it simming, but don’t forget to consider all potential uses and not simply image quality. I’m looking at getting a second Quest for the entire family and occasional sim use, though really wanting the new Quest 3.
Unfortunately I cannot agree. If MS as a company decides to phase out. VR then msfs has to,follow. Have not seen any commitment in writing that msfs 2024 will support VR.
I fully trust them that they are able to do do so. Sorry to say
Because MS goes to AI full speed.
Really, why? That’s a strange jump in logic.
Conversely, that would mean only companies that produce VR middleware are allowed to make VR games? Makes no sense.
If Microsoft stopped making games, would that mean Windows would no longer support games?
Besides, VR support was already confirmed for FS2024 in dev/Jörg interviews, completely independent of WMR. Kind of unthinkable they’d go back on this based on the WMR deprecation, which was only a small slice of the Windows VR cake anyway.
In any case, if for some unfathomable reason they did, I’d be done with MSFS for good.
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