Reject modernity, embrace tradition
I paid $130 for a new HP Reverb G2 - unbelievable value, and it’s not bad at all compared to modern headsets. For a moment, I bought a Pico 4 Ultra for a tiny bit more than a Quest 3S (incredible value too), but I decided to return it. The stock face interface was horrendous, even though generally its comfort was nice once that was replaced. But even though its pixel density was pretty high, its subpixel layout is pretty noticeable (maybe pancake lenses are a bit too clear, lol).
With the Reverb G2, the sweet spot is smaller, but that’s not always a bad thing; the Pico 4 gave me a bit too much freedom (sometimes I felt something was off, but the image was pretty clear). The G2 forces you to keep the headset in the position you're supposed to. It’s pretty comfortable out of the box (however, for me, synthetic leather is far superior to fabric, but it is what it is). The FOV is worse, but for a quarter of the price, it’s not terrible.
The tracking was great honestly, even when it's lost, it can still tell its orientation, so it isn't that distracting. If you cover one controller with another, you have to perfectly block its tracking ring, which rarely happens unintentionally.