Setting up the Vive Pro 2 also takes a bit of work, but that shouldn't be a surprise to VR heads. The headset's displays also generate a decent amount of heat as well, which led to some sweaty play sessions.
Near-field speakers would have been a solid upgrade from on-ear headphones, especially since the Pro 2's cans tended to make my head feel warm. But the company could have taken a few cues from the Valve Index.
It's still very comfortable, thanks to its plush cushioning along the front and back, as well as its balanced weight distribution.
It also would have been nice to see HTC Vive upgrade the Pro 2's design a bit. Since it's a SteamVR headset as well, you could always use the Index gamepads with the Pro 2, but that's another $280 on top of an already expensive headset. They're particularly archaic after experiencing Valve's hand-tracking Steam VR controllers, which are bundled with the Index. They work decently enough, but they're not nearly as ergonomic as Oculus's touch controllers, or even the Focus 3's gamepads.
Its full kit includes the same enormous wands that came with the original Vive in 2016. That game already looked impressive on a normal monitor, but in 5K VR I could appreciate Senua's intricate character model even more.Īs impressive as everything looked, though, I really wish HTC had upgraded the Pro 2's controllers. I also spent more time than I expected gawking at just about everything in the VR version of Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice. And even though its aesthetic is relatively simple, the game's enemies, weapons and environments all looked more detailed than I remembered. I could make out plenty more detail in the game's cyberpunk introductory room. Hopping back into Superhot almost felt like I was playing Superhot 2.
You might not notice the difference at first glance, but once you start inspecting the finer details like grass and wood grain you can tell you're working with more pixels.
It's sort of like the jump from 1080p video to 4K. I kept getting distracted by the detailed environments in Half Life Alyx - a game that looked great on the Index, but has an extra level of polish with the Pro 2's resolution bump. I revisited old and newer games on the Pro 2, and everything just looked fantastic. And, honestly, even if I got that to work, streaming is still a clear step down from running natively. The Focus 3, meanwhile, has a limited selection of mobile titles, and I was never able to successfully stream higher-end VR from my gaming PC. But I came away far more impressed with the Pro 2, because it can easily run any PC VR game or app. These specs may sound familiar, because the Vive Focus 3 also has the same 5K screen, it just happens to have a slower 90Hz refresh rate. The screen can also refresh at up to a 120Hz, which is noticeably smoother than the previous 90Hz panel, and I appreciated the wider 120-degree field of view, which makes virtual worlds feel all the more immersive. Plus the Pro 2's LCDs have RGB sub-pixels, which helps make everything look sharper still. The difference becomes clear once you put on the Vive Pro 2, though: Its 5K screen offers 2,448 by 2,448 pixels per eye, a huge leap ahead of the 1,440 by 1,600 pixels from the Pro. The Pro 2 features a black and purple color scheme, but its front facia, strap and headphones all look the same as before. Just be sure to keep track of which Vive Pro is which, because they look practically identical. And if you've already invested in the previous Vive Pro or Valve Index, you can nab the new headset on its own for $799. For them, spending $1,399 on the entire Vive Pro 2 package would be worth it to play Half Life: Alyx in the best quality possible. But unlike that device, it also has plenty to offer gamers. Like the standalone Vive Focus 3, this headset is clearly geared towards professionals. That's not who HTC Vive is really targeted at, though. And let's be honest, it'll take a lot to dethrone the $299 Oculus Quest 2 as the ideal VR headset for mainstream users. But its high price and reliance on old controllers make it a tough sell. And while its design hasn't changed from the 2018 model, it's still very comfortable to wear for extended sessions. Its 5K 120Hz display delivers the sharpest desktop VR experience I've ever seen. The HTC Vive Pro 2 is a VR enthusiast's dream.
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