Hewlett Packard or HP has unleashed its latest series gaming products and accessories under the Omen brand for the Indian market.
But most importantly, HP becomes one of the first brands in the country to launch the consumer-ready virtual reality backpack set, which doubles up with the Mixed Reality headset, also introduced on our shores for the first time.
This wasn’t my first tryst with such products, but nevertheless, I was intrigued to see what a Rs 2.94 lakh worth device can offer pro-gamers that a conventional gaming gear can’t. Here’s my first impressions of the HP Omen backpack VR set which comes bundled with Mixed Reality headset (costs Rs 51,187 if bought separately).
Design
Backpack virtual reality gaming has always fascinated me, as to how manufacturers have managed to convert a high-powered machine into a mobile gaming solution.
But so far, most of them till date have been bulging, heating sensation (pun-intended), which is why I was pleased to see how the HP Omen backpack set changed my perception for the better.
How so? Well, for starters, HP has made sure the backpack doesn’t wear you down with its weight, and the heat management is taken care of by smartly designed heat vents that suck out all the heat emitting from the powerful system innards.
The battery placement holder on the backpack have slid to the side of the gear, ensuring that you don’t bump into the unit every time you move your hands while gaming.
Unlike the HTC Vive, which functions around a lot of wired connection, HP claims that the Omen backpack can work wire-free and you can even hook it up to a dock, connect to a screen, and use it like a traditional gaming PC.
Full marks to HP for making this complex product into a user-friendly device.
Powerful Gaming Gear
The backpack has been made with no half measures by HP, and gamers would love that passionate, wholehearted approach. Yes, it doesn’t come cheap but gaming has always been about experience, and with the latest technology in tow, the backpack assures you the best.
HP informed that in India, the backpack will be available as a single model that packs Intel Core i7 processor, with 16GB of RAM and 1TB SSD, which ensures you get fast boot time, plenty of storage space for games, and drastically cuts down the weight of the gear in general (big time) to 4 kg, which didn’t feel heavy at all during our time with the product.
Graphically, you get the 8GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 unit that caters to regular gaming, as well as optimised for 4K resolution game time as well.
The backpack power unit can be overclocked to suit the needs of the user.
The bundled version you’ll get in India comes with the Mixed Reality headset and its controllers. Along with that you get a mechanical keyboard as well as a gaming headset. That’s pretty much everything you’ll need while gaming in the virtual reality ecosystem.
Feels Like a Blast
The gaming bit on the backpack? Pretty cool. We spent a lot of time trying our hands with the Omen gaming unit, and most importantly, we felt at ease wearing the gear, hooked up to the headset, and the shiny controllers simply compliment everything the gamers would relish.
The heat management ensures that you can play around with it for an hour without any discomfort, and most importantly, the VR headset works its way around the equipment.
Before we forget, HP also launched a slew of notebooks in the Omen range. In addition to that, you have the Omen X desktop, which will be available from June 2018, starting at Rs 4,49,999, gaming headset 800 for Rs 6,999 and Mouse 600 at Rs 4,999 as well.
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