The era when the G2 was the king has passed.
Now you can get cheaper headsets with aspheric, pancake lenses.
Fresnel lenses are now old gen.
Also, the support for the headset will stop soon.
I give it 5 stars only because it was the king until technology advanced to where it is now.

The evaluation concerns the G2 V2 and was purchased online from the Netherlands for €650.
In general, I would say it is a quality construction, with good headphones that do not touch the ears, resulting in no fatigue. The fit on the face is not so good (personally, the mask feels a bit tight on me), but it has good tracking with few exceptions where it loses its position, which may be due to poor lighting in the room. I did not encounter any problems with its connectivity (AMD motherboard).
Its major drawback, and the reason why I bother to write this, is its lenses. I bought it "blindly" for simracing, based on the rave reviews for the cleanest image in its category. Unfortunately, this is not true, except for a small area in the center of vision, the so-called "sweetspot". From what I read (after the fact), this is due to the type of Fresnel lenses it uses. Yes, in the center of vision, the resolution and clarity are very good, but beyond that, it becomes blurry. Even with my old Oculus Rift, despite its lower resolution, I could use the entire visual surface, unlike the Reverb G2 where the difference in clarity between the center of vision and the peripheral creates such a contrast that it causes discomfort in my vision.
The good news is that after a few days of use, I have started to get used to focusing, no longer searching for objects with my eyes within the visual field, but by turning the device towards the object with my eyes "locked" on the center...
Unfortunately, in its category (resolution/price), it plays without rivals. There is also the Oculus Quest 2, but due to image compression for use with a cable on a PC, it will likely lose in resolution - and since I haven't tried it, I can't give an opinion.

I have had this specific VR for a month now and I am quite disappointed FOR THREE IMPORTANT REASONS: Firstly, many people have reported that it is very comfortable personally I cannot wear it for more than 2 hours as it is front heavy and it caused the so-called VR cover ring.
Secondly, in order to connect to SteamVR, you have to open the Windows Mixed Reality app and from there open it. Within this program, there are various applications that consume a lot of VRAM, fortunately there is an application called VR Worlds that you can download and go to an empty room, where everything is fine (the app is called SkySpaces).
Thirdly, and most importantly, what saddens me is that the VR sometimes simply does not want to work. If I connect it to the front port on the PC, everything is fine until yesterday when it gave me a blue screen inside the VR, the application crashed, and in other ports on the PC the sound does not work well, in other USB ports the tracking simply does not work (This is because I have an AMD motherboard and this specific VR does not work well with AMD motherboards, it doesn't even connect for others. For those who don't know, there are 2 versions of this VR, the HP Reverb G2 v1 or HP Reverb G2 v2, the v2 comes with a new cable which causes the aforementioned problems)

I use it every day for 3 months.
I have a total of over 500 hours in games.
I play games that require minimal movement.

The good:
-good speakers
-good microphones
-good resolution
-relatively lightweight
-for very fast movements, the controller tracking works outside the cameras' field of view

The bad:
-it loses the position of the controllers (even if they are in front of the cameras)
-it loses its position in space (*1)
-it is extremely uncomfortable for my head and causes pain on my cheeks
-my palms sweat because the controllers do not have straps like the index knuckles, and I cannot let them go
-the controllers with the batteries only last 2 days (*2)
-the surface of the joysticks is not capacitive, so you have 2 fewer buttons compared to Oculus (*4)
-it does not have brightness control
-the face cushion has started to come off after only 3 winter months (there is no heat excuse)
-for 3 replacement face cushions, HP asks for $160, and the replacements are not available in Greece
-the 'disks' with the LEDs on the controllers are huge compared to Oculus (you will hit the VR when you want to see something up close that you are holding, and you cannot bring one hand close to the other to hold something small with both hands)
-the full Reverb G2 v2 is only available in the US (*3)

*1:
| Suddenly the VR thinks I'm looking elsewhere or that my head is somewhere else, and after about half a minute, it returns.
| This happens even when I am completely still: it gets confused without me moving and then returns without me moving.
|
| The cameras are working, they are clean, and they have no hits.
| There are no mirrors or other reflective surfaces in the room.
| I have tried changing the lighting of the room with all combinations of: [sun, 40w LED, 2 * 5w LED]
| I have done the room setup multiple times.
| I have reset the space memory from the Windows settings.
| I have tried putting fiducial markers on the walls.
| HP and Microsoft do not provide diagnostic programs for the user to see how the VR is tracking.
| If such a program existed, I could find out what confuses the VR and adjust my space accordingly.

*2:
| I use rechargeable AA 1.2v 1300mAh batteries, not included with the VR.

*3:
| From https://press.hp.com/us/en/blogs/2021/award-winning-hp-reverb-g2-vr-better.html
|
| HP Reverb G2 Key Updates:
| -Improved Controller Tracking: Get improved tracking below the waist with 30% more vertical area coverage (1).
| -Increased vertical tracking coverage will also be included on the HP Reverb G2 Omnicept Edition (2).
| -Cable: Updated 6M cable for increased compatibility with AMD systems, resolving connection issues (2)
| -Face Gasket: New design enables eye relief to be set to either 9mm or 15mm, enabling users to better dial into their visual sweet spot (2).
|
| (1) 30% vertical tracking improvement based on an average user with arm length of 70cm. Only available with headsets sold in the US.
| (2) Only available on headsets sold in the US.
| ...
|
| We see that it is exclusive to the US.

*4:
| The Oculus joysticks are capacitive and function as extra buttons when you lightly touch their surface.
| The HP Reverb G2 can simulate pressing this button.
If you slightly move the g2 joystick in one of the 4 directions (left, right, forward, backward), the controller will register it as if you pressed the capacitive button.
This movement requires a lot of precision, and usually I move the joystick more than necessary, causing the player to rotate or move.
Many games rely on these 'buttons' and their absence will disappoint you.

Opinions:
-Personally, I would save my money for the future index v2.
-If you don't have money for the index, you probably don't have money for a GPU that runs the g2 well.
-If you want to get full body, you will need to get base stations and it's not worth it

Regarding the value for money compared to the flagship PCVR headsets on the market, I believe it is possibly the best. At €700, it was a much easier purchase for me compared to the Valve Index at €1080.

Currently, it has the highest pixel density among commercial headsets, and the image quality is truly amazing.

Of course, like all VR headsets, there are always compromises, but you find ways to live with them and enjoy very immersive experiences.

I will start with the (relative) negatives to get them out of the way.

1. Controller tracking:

Yes, yes, we have all heard that it doesn't have the same tracking range as anything that uses lighthouses. However, in terms of controller tracking, the complaints are a bit exaggerated in my opinion, especially since I mainly play Roomscale games like Pavlov VR, Skyrim VR, Valheim VR, No Man's Sky, and seated games like Elite Dangerous, Assetto Corsa, Dirt Rally 1/2, IL-2: Great Battles.

It's funny how quickly you get used to finding ways around the limitations to the point where you don't even notice them. The only downside for me is perhaps that the haptic feedback is a bit weak, and you will need 1.5v rechargeable AA (Li-ion) batteries, which can be a bit expensive. Otherwise, you will have issues with the battery circuit with typical rechargeable batteries (1.2v) - It will seem like they discharge quickly and the controllers will enter power-saving mode even though they still have charge.

2. Cable:

It is quite thick (although very durable), and if you don't manage the cable properly, it can be distracting because you can feel it pulling.

3. Room setup:

It may require some attention to the lighting in your space (try to avoid areas with intense lighting).

Now for the positives:

1. That Display:

While it doesn't have the field of view of the Index, the display is incredibly crystal clear at full resolution. Even though it's not OLED, it doesn't have poor contrast and blacks, and it's truly a delight (although you need to make sure you have properly adjusted the HMD on your head for the sweetspot to sit correctly).

2. Inside-out tracking/Headset tracking:

While it doesn't have as large of a tracking volume for the controllers, the headset tracking is excellent so far. I can even lie down and it maintains tracking even in fairly low lighting. It also solves the hassle of having to mount anything on walls. You just set up your space and play.

3. Sound:

Truly the best solution for VR sound since it shares the same audio system as the Index. I understand that, for example, the Quest 2 is relatively cheaper, but if you add some comforts like good headphones, a good headstrap, etc., it starts to approach the G2 in terms of price. If you're interested in standalone VR and wireless, the Quest 2 might be for you. For pure PCVR with all the comforts, I would still go for the G2.

4. Ergonomics:

Although it takes a little time to set up correctly, once I had it properly adjusted, I could wear it for hours. I think I spent a 5-hour session in Elite Dangerous one day, and I didn't have any intense pressure hotspots or marks. It's important to emphasize that when you put a headset on your head, it shouldn't squeeze your head tightly. You should tighten it just enough (it should go on and off like a snug cap). The only potential downside here is that it adjusts with Velcro and not with a knob like, for example, the The Index, so it may take a while to set it up to your liking, which may also create a bit of a problem if you want to apply it quickly and to other people you want to try it.

Conclusion:

Overall, as a setup and immersion experience, I would say it's amazing (although I'm biased because I didn't get it for free, I paid for it and obviously I want to like it). Someone might mention the field of view compared to the Index as a negative, but this HMD literally has double the resolution. It's a bit difficult to willingly go for a more expensive device with objectively worse display. Also, someone might say that even 700 euros is a lot for something like this, but I would put it differently.

For a similar screen with an IPS panel, with the same field of view, 90hz, with some head tracking device (TrackIR) and headphones, I think the price would definitely go higher.

Extras:

And the support from HP is also quite good when I discovered a sound distortion that was due to a hardware error in the left headphone. The best money I've spent on entertainment.