I have a 7900X3D and a 6800XT, looking to get into VR…
I’ve found a Pico 4 (400 USD new) and an HP Reverb G2 V2 (270 USD new)…
The Pico 4 seems the much more compelling option and is the one I’m inclined towards buying, but I’m not sure if my GPU can run it on VR at 4K? Many youtube videos say you need a 4080 as a minimum, and there’s no way I’m getting a GPU of that caliber.
Because of that, I’m considering the HP Reverb G2 V2. The display port seems fantastic and no bothering around with compression due to my internet (my internet is capable of running the pico though I believe based on this screenshot I took testing local internet speeds: sxcu.net » file 61oGVW5DM.png )
Which one would be better suited for me? I’m at a loss here…
This is a difficult question to answer for me, despite owning both a Pico 4 and a G2, plus I have a 5800x3D and used a 6800XT, before I bought my 4090.
When I was running the 5800x3D with the 6800XT I only had the G2. It worked OK and was certainly workable for VR in MSFS, but the AMD GPU gave disappointing results using motion reprojection in Windows Mixed Reality. Something to do with the video encoders that are used to create the interpolated frames not being as fast as say a comparable nVidia 3080. Without MR I could get 30-45 fps using the toolkit and FSR set about 80-85%. The image was sharp enough, but not stellar. With a 4090 the G2 can be way oversampled and is tack sharp in the sweet spot, plus I can use MR which makes it way smoother, the Pico 4 by comparison is close, but for me there are noticeable compression artifacts and the scenery flying low just lacks the clarity I want.
Now the Pico 4 needs Steam VR and Virtual desktop to work well and actually does so very well with a 4090 (have not tried it with my 6800XT which is now on my wife’s PC). How well it would work with or without MR with a 6800XT I cannot tell, but even with a 4090, despite running a stable 45fps with MR it does not have the clarity of the G2’s sweet spot, but does have a much nicer wide area of clarity thanks to the pancake lenses versus the G2’s Fresnel lenses. It’s pretty much a personal taste.
My guess though is that the G2 will perform better with your rig, although I doubt you will be able to use motion reprojection and so will have to learn to fly by looking at areas of your vison least impacted by the micro judders and as I did put up with things taking a moment to settle down when you move your head.
Hopefully someone who has a similar system as yours and a Pico 4 can give more up to date advice.
i got my new system with a 4090 and now looking at vr. would you say the pico is worth it? have you tried other sims like il-2 or dcs? are you happy with the performance for the money invested?
The Pico is good value for its price point and although opinion is divided on which is better for MSFS compared to the G2, it works quite well once you get the settings dialled in. Bear in mind you will need to buy Virtual Desktop in the Pico store, as the Pico’s own connection software is rubbish. You will also most likely want to add a better fitting and more comfortable after-market facial interface, as well as a BoboVR B2 battery and charging dock to extend playing time (links below). Oh and you will also need a Wifi-6 router, preferably one that is dedicated solely to VR use and connected via an ethernet cable directly to the PC. I bought an Asus RT-AX55 which is inexpensive, but does the job well.
I haven’t tried the Pico 4 in DCS as I don’t play it, but I have tried it in IL-2 and of course Half Life Alyx; the latter looks stunning in the Pico 4.
In MSFS the pancake lenses give a much much greater area of clarity than the G2, but at the price of some loss of sharpness and some compression artifacts. But you do get a cable free experience and you will walk into a wall sooner or later, lol.
Facial Interface & Face Cover Pads for PICO 4 VR Headset Foam Cushion Cover
BOBOVR Battery Pack 5200mah For PICO 4
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I don’t agree you need a Wifi6 router for the Pico. I’m still running a Wifi5 router in the room next to my office but my connection in the headset shows a rock solid 866Mbps. Given Virtual Desktop and Streaming Assistant both top out at 150Mbps, this is absolutely fine. The key thing is to ensure you have a strong, solid signal. Too far away or lots of interference will have an impact on your streaming experience. Absolutely ensure your host PC is connected to the router via Ethernet though.
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Good to hear. My main modem/router provided by my ISP is only 2.4GHz and proved useless for the Pico 4, hence my need for a new dedicated router.
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