HP Reverb G2 Controllers

HP Reverb G2 Controllers
Basic Info
VR/AR	Virtual Reality
Type	VR Controllers
Subtype	Windows Mixed Reality Motion Controllers
Platform	Windows Mixed Reality, SteamVR
Creator	HP
Developer	HP, Microsoft, Valve Corporation
Manufacturer	HP
Announcement Date	May 28, 2020
Release Date	November 2020
Price	Bundled with the HP Reverb G2 (US$599 for the kit)
Website	https://www.hp.com/
Versions	HP Reverb G2 Controllers
Requires	HP Reverb G2 headset (for optical tracking)
Predecessor	Windows Mixed Reality Motion Controllers
Successor	None announced
System
Operating System	Windows Mixed Reality, SteamVR
Storage
Storage	N/A
Memory	N/A
SD Card Slot	No
Display
Display	N/A
Resolution	N/A
Refresh Rate	N/A
Image
Field of View	N/A
Horizontal FoV	N/A
Vertical FoV	N/A
Optics
Optics	N/A
Ocularity	N/A
IPD Range	N/A
Adjustable Diopter	N/A
Passthrough	N/A
Tracking
Tracking	Inside-out (optical, tracked by the headset's four cameras)
Base Stations	Not required
Eye Tracking	N/A
Face Tracking	N/A
Hand Tracking	No
Body Tracking	N/A
Rotational Tracking	Yes
Positional Tracking	Yes
Audio
Audio	N/A
Microphone	N/A
Camera	N/A
Connectivity
Connectivity	Wireless (pre-paired to the headset; embedded receiver)
Ports	N/A
WiFi	N/A
Bluetooth	Yes (pairs with the headset)
Power	2 x AA batteries per controller
Battery Capacity	N/A
Battery Life	Replaceable AA cells
Charge Time	N/A
Device
Weight	Approximately 167 g (0.37 lb) each
Material	Plastic housing with tracking ring
Headstrap	N/A
Haptics	Yes (vibration)
Color	Black
Sensors	IMU, infrared tracking LEDs
Input	Thumbstick, two face buttons, analog trigger, analog grip, menu button, Windows button
Compliance	Windows Mixed Reality, SteamVR compatible

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The HP Reverb G2 Controllers are a pair of Virtual Reality motion controllers developed by HP in collaboration with Microsoft and Valve Corporation, shipped as part of the HP Reverb G2 headset kit. The headset and its controllers were announced on May 28, 2020 and began shipping in November 2020, with the complete bundle priced at US$599. They ship as part of the headset kit rather than as a primary standalone purchase, though HP also sells them separately as a replacement pair. The controllers are optically tracked by cameras built into the headset, so they need no external base stations. They are a redesign of the earlier Windows Mixed Reality Motion Controllers and adopt a button layout with A, B, X, and Y face buttons similar to the Oculus Touch controllers.

Development

The Reverb G2 was developed through a three-way partnership announced on May 28, 2020. HP engineered the overall device, Microsoft supplied the Windows Mixed Reality inside-out tracking platform, and Valve contributed lens and audio technology drawn from the Valve Index. According to the announcement, the companies also worked together on the ergonomics of both the headset and the controllers.

The headset was originally slated for a "Fall 2020" launch at US$599, with pre-orders opening on the announcement date through HP.com, the SteamVR storefront, and select partners. Ahead of the November release, HP made several refinements to the product. The lenses were tweaked to reduce Fresnel ring reflections and improve clarity, and the controller's menu button was given a convex (domed) shape so it could be distinguished by touch from the similarly sized Windows button used across all Windows Mixed Reality controllers.

Design

Each controller pairs a rounded handle with a tracking ring at the top that houses the infrared LEDs used for optical tracking. Reviewers noted that the handles are more contoured and comfortable than the original Windows Mixed Reality controllers, though the large tracking rings give the controllers a somewhat top-heavy feel and the handles can feel short for larger hands.

The most significant change from the previous generation is the removal of the touchpad. In its place, each controller carries two face buttons: A and B on the right controller and X and Y on the left, alongside a thumbstick, an analog trigger, and an analog grip. Each controller also has two low-profile buttons, a menu (select) button and a Windows button used for pairing, power, and accessing the Windows Mixed Reality home environment. The A/B/X/Y layout is comparable to that of the Oculus Touch controllers, which eased cross-platform development, though the G2 controllers lack the capacitive touch sensing found on Touch and the Valve Index Controllers.

Each controller is powered by two AA batteries and weighs roughly 167 grams. The controllers connect wirelessly to the headset, which contains an embedded receiver, so no separate USB dongle is required.

Input controls (per controller)

Control	Type	Notes
Thumbstick	Analog stick with click	Standard directional input
Face buttons	Two digital buttons	A/B on the right hand, X/Y on the left
Trigger	Analog	Index-finger trigger reporting a continuous value
Grip	Analog grasp	Reports a stream of values from 0.0 to 1.0 rather than a simple pressed state
Menu button	Digital (domed)	Select / menu; convex shape to distinguish it from the Windows button
Windows button	Digital	Pairing, power, and Windows Mixed Reality home
Haptics	Vibration motor	Described by reviewers as weak

Tracking

The Reverb G2 Controllers use inside-out optical tracking: the headset's cameras observe the infrared LEDs arranged on each controller's ring, while an onboard IMU supplies motion data between camera frames. This delivers full six degrees of freedom without any external sensors or lighthouses.

The G2 was the first Windows Mixed Reality headset to ship with four tracking cameras rather than two. HP credited the additional cameras with roughly doubling the controller tracking volume compared with earlier two-camera Windows Mixed Reality headsets, widening the area in which the controllers stay tracked. Because tracking depends on the controllers remaining within the cameras' view, coverage falls off when a controller leaves the field of view, for example when held close to the face, behind the back, or low near the waist.

Software

Because the Reverb G2 controllers introduced new inputs (the two-button layout and the analog grasp) that were not exposed through the existing Windows and Unity input APIs, Microsoft published a dedicated Microsoft.MixedReality.Input package for developers. Inputs common to both classic Windows Mixed Reality controllers and the HP controllers remain accessible through the standard APIs, while the new inputs are read through the additional package, in which the analog grasp reports a floating-point value between 0.0 (fully released) and 1.0 (fully pressed). The controllers also work with SteamVR, giving access to the large SteamVR software library in addition to native Windows Mixed Reality titles.

Reception

Reviews of the Reverb G2 were largely positive about the headset's display clarity but consistently singled out the controllers and their tracking as the product's main weakness. UploadVR titled its review "Great Headset, Bad Controllers" and described the tracking as a recurring problem, with the controllers losing accuracy when moved out of the cameras' view; it also called the haptics weak and the build somewhat hollow. Tom's Hardware summarized the device as offering "amazing clarity" but "disappointing tracking." Reviewers generally agreed that the controllers were an improvement in comfort over the original Windows Mixed Reality controllers but still trailed the inside-out tracking of contemporaries such as Oculus and the precision of the lighthouse-tracked Valve Index Controllers.

Variants

The HP Reverb G2 Omnicept Edition, an enterprise-focused version of the headset that adds eye tracking, face camera, and a heart-rate sensor inside the headset, ships with controllers that are virtually identical to the standard Reverb G2 Controllers; the additional biometric sensors are built into the headset rather than the controllers.

See Also

• HP Reverb G2
• HP Reverb G2 Omnicept Edition
• Windows Mixed Reality Motion Controllers
• Oculus Touch
• Valve Index Controllers
• VR Controllers