HP partnering with Valve, Microsoft on new VR headset

HP is not new to VR/MR headsets with its Reverb headset among the first wave of Windows Mixed Reality headsets launched last year. One of the notable aspects about the Reverb at the time was that it also supported the Steam VR store. HP looks to be building on its partnerships from its first effort to launch a much more serious looking contender design in collaboration with both Microsoft and Valve.

The timing of the teaser coincides with the launch of Valve’s Half-Life Alyx this week which is already getting very positive reviews and could be the first VR game some might call essential. HP hasn’t revealed too much about the headset at this stage other than to give a sense of what it will look like and that it is “a more immersive, comfortable, and compatible experience” than the Reverb. It also boasts that it is a ‘no compromise VR headset’ which certainly sounds enticing, particularly if it is also sharply priced.

Although the HP Reverb didn’t exactly set the world alight, it did feature some solid specs which could be indicative of HP’s starting point this time around. It featured a very high resolution 2,160 x 2,160 pixel per eye resolution with a 114-degree field of view. It also combined a light design with integrated headphones that offered spatial audio and smart assistant-enabled dual microphones. A helpful touch was that its Bluetooth controllers were paired out of the box.

As soon as we learn more, we will post the details. With the SARS-CoV-2 virus enticing people to stay home, now seems like as good a time as any to get into VR.