Kevin,
I believe there was a fairly glaring omission from your otherwise thorough review.
WMR requires Bluetooth 4.0. As BT is more prevalent on laptops than desktops, that might be a gotcha when people get their WMR unit, regardless of manufacturer & model.
"Cool! It's finally arrived!".... "Wait, WTF...I need a BT adapter??? GAHHH!"
Here's a couple of tips that I didn't note in
my own review from my month+ spent with the Odyssey.
1) Before anyone purchases
any WMR device, you should run Microsoft's WMR PC Check tool. It's a free download in MS' App Store. (
HERE) If there's any "X" that it calls out as a problem, WMR will not work. Period.
2) This is the BT adapter that MS officially(?) endorses on their website.
Link goes to product on Amazon.
3) I found the controller tracking to be very inconsistent with the Odyssey. In your gaming/testing, did you do much movement where the controllers needed to go to the outer stretches of your arms or behind your head (for games such as
Space Pirate Trainer and
Beat The Blitz)? My controllers with fully juiced batteries would lose sync which really detracts from the total immersion.
Also, you are correct about the battery cover. As I noted in my review, my grip on the controller was dislodging the battery cover.
4) If my understanding is correct, the controllers pair to your BT adapter. This potentially causes signal attenuation if your BT adapter is plugged into a rear USB port or is simply not always in line-of-sight with the controllers.
5) I too found the tether to be too short. So I ended up buying some extension cables which resolved the problem. Be aware, not all extension cables are created equal. For example, a 'standard' USB extension cable does
not infer USB 3.0 compatibility. And WMR is very specific if you aren't plugged into a a USB 3.0 port. I thought maybe it was just power delivery, but I was initially using a powered USB 2.0 extension cord. No go. It has to be a USB 3.0-rated extension cable. Same thing with HDMI certifications.
So here's what I recommend for people looking to extend their playing area. (Obviously, I confirm these work with the WMR headsets, specifically the Odyssey)
-
6' HDMI extension cable
-
USB 3.0 extension cable
- Any run of the mill USB 2.0 extension cable so get your BT adapter closer to the play area.
6) Lastly, with regards to the comparison of built-in audio on the Odyssey compared to the lack-of on the Vive... The Vive has the 1/8" headphone tap on it. A solid set of earbuds fill the need nicely. Their cable drapes over the back of your head and are never in the way. So people don't have to resort to placing big, over-the-ear headphones over the Vive's head strap. I will say that the AKGs on the Odyssey do work exceptionally well!
Again, a nice thorough review. I just wanted to help plug what I consider to be a few holes so the readers can avoid a lot of the delays and headaches that I initially dealt with.
And I also agree- especially given the Vive's price drop since the Vive Pro released- the Vive is still the overall HMD winner.
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