HP Reverb G2 | Faulty headset? What you SHOULD and SHOULDN'T do! | RMA tips, contacting HP support

[@TappingTV]

Update 1/31/2021: Looks like RMA's are taking even longer. Until March rumor has it(?). So yeah, HP really needs to rectify this situation because at this point they are sending out new headsets without addressing RMA's. Not a good look, to say the least. Update 12/07/2021: I started my actual RMA process again last month... HP still doesn't have an update to when I'll get a replacement headset. Crazy. I know this video won't be as applicable to most, but I hope that it helps the few that it needs to. There's been a lot of discussions on faulty G2's online... of course, there's a bias for people to be vocal about issues... but this seems particularly bad, seeing as how me and a friend I know both had some issues. Anyway, I hope HP gets their act together to handle RMA's, but for now, RMA's take a very long time to process... so TL;DW, make sure you are aware of the RMA process before you start! Learn from my mistake!

[@secton]

Good advice and cool shirt!

[@BlueRootbeerz]

omegalul

[@TappingTV]

Thanks! It's from crazy shirts. Pima cotton, super comfortable, but a bit pricey, if you're interested lol

[@MrTurbine777]

I can't say I agree with the current RMA handling but I can say I'm glad to hear it. If my number finally comes up to where mine is to ship to me (finally, if ever... Ordered 3 Sept and still backordered...) and it goes to someone with 2 dead pixels or similar minor BS I would lose it. Really dumb though that they didn't tell you about the delay prior to shipping it.

[@TappingTV]

Oof, are you in the US? How have they not gotten preorders through September yet? yikes. Sorry to hear dude. I hope you get your headset soon! I don't understand why you're glad to hear it though. HP should be able to do RMA's. How about people who preordered in May and June who got a broken headset? Are they supposed to wait for all the other preorders now before they can get a functioning G2? Because I've heard there are people in that boat, and it's baffling to me. I do see what you're saying though and I agree: if they were clear/communicated with me that I should hang on to mine because my issue is more minor (the microphone bothers me much more than the pixels tbh, as a streamer). Maybe offer to extend the warranty while I hang on to it waiting. But nonetheless, they should be able to send out preorders AND keep some stock for the severe RMA's. It shouldn't be made into a "me vs you" scenario, and shouldn't leave weird decisions forced upon the customers.

[@MrTurbine777]

"Broken" headsets are another story and I said minor issues, however there lack of inventory is because their rollout but also due largely in opening the gate earlier than someone like Oculus would. They did last minute upgrades and then said they were shipping when they didn't have diddly for inventory to actually ship (who does that?). RMA's should be shipped back to sender, but new units should come from HP's primary shipper in this case (so China). This close to the holidays and their current shipments already backed up though would still put that off two to three weeks at best. If my unit doesn't work flat out I'd be pissed about any additional major wait but knowing the process and the fact that they had such an awful rollout I'll simply wait until things catch up. I no longer have any VR headset since I sold my other two but if I had either one still then I would still send it back and deal with the wait. As for you being a streamer, all I can say is I have 12 channels and with the one exception of doing a "Mic for the G2" video I would never use it since I have much higher end professional equipment that put any VR or other headset way aside.

[@TappingTV]

​@@MrTurbine777 Looks like I understood you, I just hope it's clear what I was saying. But, I'm glad for you that you don't care about the mic. Good for you. I shouldn't have to justify why I value the mic, it should be as simple as "it matters a lot to me" and that's that. For playing roomscale VR games and streaming live, it is not feasible to use "professional" microphones, like the one you probably use. I, along with many other VR streamers, use the built in mic, because we move around the room while doing so. Not everyone makes the same style of videos, and also not everyone has professional microphones lying around. I don't even see how that's relevant though, but goodluck with your 12 channels, I really do wish you the best.

[@MrTurbine777]

Hahaha, wow! Passive aggressive much? Why you taking things so out of context. I commented initially then answered your questions. If anyone here is the youtube diva it's you with your "well I stream..." attitude, so your words back at you, good for you and good luck with it.

[@TappingTV]

@@MrTurbine777 I’m explaining why I value the microphone. I’m not special; anyone can stream.

[@Bong_Jovi]

I ended up cancelling my pre-order because I didn't want to deal with troubleshooting and potential hardware issues, nevermind the extremely long RMA process. I'm going for the Valve Index, I heard Valve support is very good and the Index will run better on my computer anyway. Maybe when the G2 has better support and fewer issues I'll check it out again.

[@TappingTV]

Yeah that's very fair. The Valve Index also went through it's own phase with the controllers/joysticks needing to be RMA'd a lot... but at least replacements were fast. The Index is an awesome headset! I hope you enjoy it!

[@campus438]

Same here, I refunded my order after people who ordered oct 25th and November got their head sets first. Now im waiting for my index. My computer would only run the g2 at half resolution anyway

[@Bong_Jovi]

@@TappingTV Exactly, the Index is already out of it's edgy teenager phase and most of the issues with sticky thumbsticks and the like have since been resolved. I'm sure the same will happen for the G2 it's just not there yet.

[@sanalgerceklikdoktoru]

damn cry in your corners .. index+g2 is best

[@Bong_Jovi]

@@sanalgerceklikdoktoru HP is an awful company and I don't plan on dealing with them when the hardware eventually fails

[@colin8877]

Good advice, thanks.

[@Kianfox]

Is there a known fix for my controller randomly getting stuck in mid air and only being able to rotate? :( It's really making my G2 unusable

[@Rex-ii2yz]

My lenses are terrible. been trying hard to see if its on my end but there is nothing I can seem to do. There is no IPD or facemounting that fixes it. The sweet spot for me its so small I cant get both eyes to line up at the same time. I have hundreds of hours in the DK, DK2, CV1, and the S and I can spend all day in VR. With this thing after 20 min its painful, and after 2 hours of DCS my right eye still hurts. I really think they had a bad batch of lenses because what I am experiencing is nothing like what the early reviewers have experienced.

[@Bajomano]

My G2's power supply died after a couple of hours of use. Hopefully the RMA in Spain works faster cause right now I have a very expensive piece of garbage.

[@GokuPlaysUK]

hello everyone please excuse this mini rant and ill try my best to make sense of the situation im dealing with really hope someone can help , ok so I received my g2 as you can imagine extremely excited after watching videos setup was fine upon putting the headset on I was expected to be blown away as only VR headset iv used is the original quest, safe to say it is a upgrade but I expected a massive difference that is my only complaint regarding the visuals now comes my problem , upon loading games I took almost 3 days of troubleshooting etc just to get a game to load constant black screen, blue screen , steamvr crashing then the game would eventually load and be a stuttering complete unplayable mess so I lowered the steamVR SS which seems to have fixed my problem but also made me even more frustrated why I need to lower settings I have an i9/3080/32gbram overclock system surely I should be maxed out? would love to hear feedback as im really thinking about sending my headset back because I think something is not right, what steamvr settings are people using is it supposed to be 100% for default? if thats the case definitely doesn't seem right i need to lower if anything I should be able to increase the % , thanks guys just a frustrated owner trying to seek help

[@TappingTV]

Oh no! I'm sorry to hear. Yeah the G2 is like "troubleshooting, the headset". I'm not totally sure how to help, but you should be able to play games at 100% or close to it (like 80-90%). My 2070 Super is comfortable with 50% for most games, and I can stream at the same time. As for help with performance, there's a really good thread that brings up some of the main bottlenecks of performance to look out for: www.reddit.com/r/HPReverb/comments/lo2s11/wmr_devs_identify_performance_bottleneck_between/ Let us know if it helps! If you have monitors that are above 1080p/60Hz you may want to manually set the displays to that setting to help troubleshoot.

[@lraiden7]

Lol. Now you tell me. Is the feeling I have after I sent mine in for a faulty right channel sound. :( Thanks for the advice.. I will call this week to request they send back the headset. I hope they do.

[@TappingTV]

Oh no! I hope it works out. This is exactly why I felt the need to make this video... HP really needs to give these ETA's earlier -- before the RMA is started.

[@dmacell4110]

My right speaker was buzzing at low frequency from day one. I tried the pin fix but it didnt change anything. I called hp and the speakers are backordered but they will send them out ASAP. I get email updates weekly of my status so that's kinda cool. Its plenty useable but I know QC has been a major issue with all the vendors since the pandemic started. I was very nice and so was my rep( btw)

[@JaVAPicard]

Good advise in relation to the speakers, mine is wobbely on the right side, the is a smal movement on the speakers of +- 1 mm, and that movement causing some distortion sometimes, I think I am gonna put some tape over it and defneletly not sending it back it looks like worldwide de big tech is in some demand crises, so once again thank you fore your helpful footage.

[@HoldenRiot]

Hey man, great video! How did you find out about your dead pixel!? Was it super noticeable or what did you use to test that!?

[@TappingTV]

Hey, thanks! They are fairly noticeable, although require a good eye -- I found my first one because I was doing lots of troubleshooting actually lol. It's a stuck on pixel at the very edge of my display, so that one is "easy" to see in dark scenes. The other pixel is a dead (stuck off) one closer to my center vision. Looks like a spec of dust on my lens in bright scenes, but can determine that it's a pixel after cleaning the lens. Basically it'll look like there's a spec in your game, but as you move around, it travels with you. Sort of like seeing "floaters" in your eyes, if you know what I mean?

[@HoldenRiot]

@@TappingTV makes sense! I haven’t really noticed dead pixels on my G2 but I’ll be sure to check it out in some dark scenes and light. (I’m assuming even the WMR Portal should work for testing for those in light spaces). Some dark scenes with bright lights either at the center, or at the edges, will make them most obvious.

[@TappingTV]

@@HoldenRiot Yup! WMR portal is really good as a bright background for finding stuck off pixels. To be honest, I wouldn't spend too much time looking for them, you'll see them if they're there! Just be aware of what they can look like, and their behavior. I had no experience with dead pixels before the G2, but once you see a dead pixel, you immediately know what it is. Just one of those things lol

[@HoldenRiot]

@@TappingTV Forsure. I have a few on my desktop monitors so I feel ya. I’m brand new to VR as well (Just started my KZbin channel making similar content like yourself). Have you notice god rays on occasion like on light backgrounds or load in screens or in certain spots? I see them from time to time moreso like a line of light from the upper right or left lens. Its not always and not a constant thing, but just thought I’d ask I’m assuming they are normal across most vr headsets

[@TappingTV]

@@HoldenRiot Oh gotcha -- I imagine finding them on the G2 is way easier than finding them on monitors, since your eyes are so close to the display, and the display moves with your face haha. And nice! I saw your channel, keep up the good content! It's always important to hear everyone's view of a headset because VR is so personal, imo. For godrays, they are noticeable for me on the G2 (brightness around the bright object, especially seen around text on black backgrounds like a "halo"). That is true on every headset I've tried, but they are more minimal on the G2 compared to other headsets I would say, especially the Index. I don't think I've see the line of light on the edges of the lens though? Is there a specific scene you see this in usually? But yeah getting rid of all the extra light, glare, and/or "smudge" features is something I'm always seeking too haha

[@_od_7825]

Unfortunately, mine died after two days of barely being used. HP was fine on the phone but there is no stock in the UK for people who pre-ordered (mine was an early July order) and so I can't get a replacement. HP told me to contact the UK seller, they said I had to go to HP, HP then told them that they had to solve it. I've got no further than that. I've got a brand new, dead, G2 in the original box waiting for instructions for how to return it. I've been told it will be collected, but not how long I have to wait. I don't see any point asking a refund as I want the G2 and I'll probably have to wait longer to get a new one. Unfortunately, it seems to have been a badly bodged launch. They're not the only ones this year. I'm still waiting for my RTX 3080 to power it. The 1080Ti seemed fine for most things but I really want this for DCS World, anything else I could've played on the Rift-S just fine.

[@_od_7825]

@@reiro83 interesting. I chased them yesterday and they’re trying to get me to send it to HP direct now. There doesn’t seem to be any consistency and I can’t get an answer to phone calls to their customer care line.

[@TappingTV]

@@_od_7825 Oh no, this is one of those horror stories, I'm really sorry to hear dude :( HP really needed to keep some headsets available for these severe RMA's... I'm in the US, and found contacting the workstations team to be the way to go. But nonetheless they might still take a while to process. That's frustrating. Keep us informed; it's very valuable to know how HP's RMA's are handled.

[@_od_7825]

@@TappingTV I have to say that HP were very good, when I’d got through to them. I also spoke to the workstations team. The guy went through everything and listened and said “No, that’s a DOA headset. We’ll get a replacement sorted.” He took all the details down and then sent me the DOA letter to send on to the UK reseller. They’re the ones saying they have no stock, but that HP would pick it up. I pointed out to them the letter said that they would sort it. They said “Oh, that’s new. We’ll be in touch to collect it in the next few days.” A week later I’ve chased them and they are back to telling me to go to HP. I’ve found that it has a bad cable. I’ve reconnected everything and rolled back the drivers to the ones you suggested and it started working but...it’s still flicking on and off when I look left and the left screen can flicker quite a lot when I turn my head left.

[@TappingTV]

@@_od_7825 Yeah I had good experiences when I talked with the reps from HP too. Their workstation team is awesome. It's just insane to me that HP isn't prepared to be able to handle situations like yours. It sounds to me like HP should be able to send you a replacement cable or something. You may even want to try getting in contact with the higher-ups like Voodooimaxx on Reddit (or Imaxx on the Reverb G2 discord). Sometimes they can pull a few strings, or help you navigate the customer service landscape. I hope you can get things sorted!

[@The_Triangulator]

@Tapping are you in the US? Do we in the US contact HP directly for RMA or Connection the company that sold it? Also you said you will RMA in the future, is there a time limit for being able to still RMA after using? I have a cluster of bad pixels :( Cheers!

[@TappingTV]

Oh no! Yes I'm in the US. My understanding is contact HP for RMA, contact Connection for returns (which includes the alternate strategy of return/repurchase, but this will also put you in the back of the line and take time). Of course, hear what the rep on the phone has to say, but if it sounds weird, try calling again or talking to their supervisor etc. As for time limit - there is a one year warranty! Which includes any dead pixels. I wish you the best of luck with your headset!

[@The_Triangulator]

@@TappingTV Thank you! Really appreciate the information and the content you bring to the VR community.

[@-........]

sadly, i will probably return my G2. i don't even want a new cable or whatever. i just want a vive pro. it just doesn't work anymore on my pc

[@wolv3y252]

I wish to return mine too! My left lens keeps flickering, so it's practically impossible to use.

[@EndermanTheMan]

Why did you expect from day one that you would RMA the headset at some point?

[@TappingTV]

whoops, sorry I should have worded that more clearly! -- I meant on the first day I used my headset I saw the two dead pixels and also noted the microphone issue.

[@EndermanTheMan]

@@TappingTVAh, I thought that might be the case

[@Vykori]

@Tapping Well honestly I think competitive RMA speedrunning takes the fun out of the process. Not necessarily here but some competitive G2 owners end up looking like an idiot flailing their long ETA times in such ridiculous ways to get support from HP. It's not the have patience/wait kind of mentality that the process is built on. Same with the packing foam in the box. That feels like cheating.

[@WORLDGAMESETECNOLOGIA]

I believe 99% problems comes with USERs. I dont have any problems, and tracking its a big good surprise !