Early adopter (VR)
Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay
A couple of weeks ago, my right-hand controller for my VR headset HP reverb G2 broke. It started to disconnect and reconnect at random, which was extremely annoying and interrupted my workflow and immersion. When I bought my VR headset about 1-2 years ago, I specifically chose the HP because it was marketed as a great productivity headset for professional use. Indeed, it is, when it works, that is. Unfortunately, the HP reverb is in a class of its own when it comes to technical problems. A while ago I wrote a post about divine intervention in a positive sense. This little VR story is perhaps the antithesis.
Everyone probably knows that being an early adopter usually comes with a couple of headaches. VR is no exception (literally). My VR journey has been anything but smooth. It started when I unboxed the product. I could not get the headset to connect. I tried several different USB ports to no avail, but only had random success every now and then. It turned out to be a well-known problem with AMD devices related to a bug in the motherboard BIOS. The only solution was to connect the headset through a powered USB hub and not directly to the motherboard. This is actually the complete opposite of what I would guess when I have a problem with a USB device.
Anyway, AMD released a bug fix a couple of months later and HP released a better cable in a later, updated version of the Reverb G2. So, those problems were solved, but only after tens of hours of trial and error. Not what you would expect from a premium product. After that, I had a couple of problem-free months with my HP (just like you probably will too, if you buy it today). Until the hand controller broke. If you have an HP device, they are usually excellent when it comes to service and repair. But the VR controllers are a different story. First, I tried to find replacement controllers online. They don’t exist. So, I called HP technical support to ask about how to proceed. We concluded that my controller was dead and needed replacement, so support redirected me to the HP store. After some waiting in the telephone queue with brain-hurting terrible music loops that are too short before they start over, I got through and could talk to a sales representative. Yes, I had to call them because the controller was not available in the online store. “Sorry sir, we don’t sell that part. You have to contact HP parts” which I did. Only to be met with more negative response. Nope, they didn’t sell controllers either and pointed me to some third-party supplier – now I wasn’t dealing with HP anymore. I got through and got to talk to a guy who promised he would help me and respond back after lunch. I told him that if I don’t hear anything, I give up and head over to Ebay. He never got back, so around dinner time I found a supposedly “new” controller in UK and pulled the trigger and ordered it.
About a week or two later, the package arrived, and finally, I was back in business! …I thought. The replacement was a new device, in a proper HP box with protective plastic still on it. So I would now just pop a pair of fresh batteries in and get going. Well, no. When I put the batteries in, they just fell out again. I then noticed that there was an error with the replacement controller: A metal piece that connected the two batteries and kept them in place with a spring, was missing! So the controller was 100% dead without that part. I started to hear the McGyver theme in my head when I glanced over at my old controller. I could scavenge that one for the parts I needed and bring the new broken one to life. But there was a caveat. There is always a risk that I break something in the process and brick my old semi-working controller and end up with two dead ones instead. I mean, I didn’t know if it was enough to replace the missing piece. To be safe, I brought out my electronic toolkit and built a temporary little copper piece that could allow the batteries to be inserted and the controller to power on. It worked! I proceeded to carefully disassemble the old controller part and installed it in the new one. And finally, now I was back in business again! But what an insane set of problems I had to push through. I could never expect that from HP.
Moral of the story is; If you have an HP reverb G2 VR headset – Be VERY careful with your controllers. If you break them, you will likely find it extremely difficult to replace them. Now, would I buy the G2 again if I had known all these issues? Hmmm… well probably yes. Because as I mentioned, when it works, it is truly wonderful. The screens are razor sharp which is very useful when working with engineering models etc. I guess I must have had maximum “bad luck” with my unit. Oh, and by the way. That spare parts guy, he did reply to me as he promised, and he had a link to a store that sold replacement controllers. But he had ended up in the junk email filter…sigh. Still, when I checked the stock status it read that they were completely out of stock and delivery time unknown. So, even if I had seen it earlier, it wouldn’t have helped me at all.
But who cares. VR is wonderful and stunning. And I love it anyway. I can’t live without it now once I have gotten used to it. I just hope that we can leave the early adopter status soon.