DJI Goggles 2 vs DJI Goggles Integra: Which is Best? (5 Differences)

It’s a common question among FPV enthusiasts – which goggles should you buy? The latest offerings from DJI, the Goggles 2 and the Integra, both promise an immersive flight experience. But which performs better in real-world use? I got my hands on both to find out.

In this in-depth comparison, I’ll be taking a granular look at the optics, image quality, comfort, and overall usability of the Goggles 2 and Integra. By the end, you’ll know exactly how they stack up across the key factors that matter most when choosing FPV goggles.

DJI Goggles 2

DJI Goggles Integra

The Contenders: An Overview

First, a quick rundown of the two products we’re comparing:

DJI Goggles 2

The second generation of DJI’s FPV goggles, the Goggles 2 feature a high resolution panoramic screen equivalent to a 201-inch display right in front of your eyes. With a 51° field of view and 810 ppi pixel density, they promise an incredibly immersive flight experience.

Other upgrades over the original Goggles include a new pancake lens design, a comfier fit with interchangeable foam padding, and compatibility with DJI’s Motion Controller for intuitive manual flight. At $619, they sit at the premium end for FPV goggles.

DJI Integra

DJI’s newest entry in May 2022, the Integra consolidate DJI’s FPV ecosystem into an all-in-one solution. They integrate a touchscreen controller, video transmission system, battery and charger into slick goggles. With smooth 60fps 1080p video, you get a live feed directly from your drone without needing any external modules.

While the Integra feature slightly downgraded optics with a 44° field of view, they make up for it with integrated diopter lenses and easy IPD adjustment. Starting at $429, they come in significantly cheaper than the Goggles 2.

So those are the basics. Now, let’s analyze how these two stacks up across the various factors that matter when choosing FPV goggles.

1. Comparison: Image Quality and Optics

The first and arguably most important consideration – how good does the actual video look when you’ve got them on? Let’s inspect the optics and real-world image quality you can expect with both models.

Field of View

A key specification that determines how immersive your FPV experience will be is field of view (FOV). This refers to how much of your peripheral vision is taken up by the video feed.

Here, the Goggles 2 have a clear advantage with 51° FOV, compared to 44° on the Integra. While 7° may not sound like much, you’d be surprised how big an impact it has when you’ve actually got the goggles on.

I found the Integra’s view to feel quite restricted, almost like wearing ski goggles. It relegated much of the video to central vision only. The Goggles 2’s expansive FOV, on the other hand, felt significantly more enveloping with video filling up more of my peripheral view.

This alone made the Goggles 2 video feel a lot more immersive during flight. Seeing movement at the very edges of your vision triggers that gut sense that you’re actually in the pilot seat, rather than just watching video playback.

Lens Quality and Sweet Spot

What good is a wide field of view though if you can’t actually focus on what you’re seeing? A common complaint about the Goggles 2 is ghosting, blurriness and distortion around the edges, even when using the integrated diopters.

Many users struggle to dial in the lenses to get crisp video across the entire FOV. Instead, you’re left with a very limited sweet spot in the centre where everything is sharp. As soon as your eyes wander slightly off centre, the image goes blurry fast.

I also encountered these edge distortion issues on the Goggles 2 at first. No matter how I adjusted the IPD and diopters, parts of the video at the periphery seemed inherently out of focus.

After close examination though, I realized the root of the problem lies not so much with the lenses themselves, but with human vision. The Goggles 2 lenses actually project sharp 1080p video over the entire panel and 51° FOV when you look dead straight.

But here’s the catch – the human eye can only focus on a tiny central spot at a time. As soon as you glance side to side, even slightly, the imperfections of your eyes’ lenses make everything blurry in your peripheral vision.

So that golden sweet spot on the Goggles 2 is simply the tiny portion where your foveal vision intersects with the lens’ sharp projection. This is why as soon as you move your pupils off centre, the blurring and ghosting everyone experiences occurs.

The Integra solves this to some degree thanks to its reduced 44° FOV. By not filling up as much of your peripheral view with imagery, more of its video feed lies within your eyes’ sweet spot zone. This is why I was able to achieve crisp focus across almost the entire Integra display without much distortion creeping in from the sides.

That said, Integra optics aren’t perfect either. There is still some alignment difficulty between the left and right eye feeds. Plus the very corners of the display get cropped out entirely. I’d estimate only about a 40° circular portion of its 44° FOV shows up without any cropping or quality loss.

Still, factoring in human vision limitations, the Integra ultimately projects excellently focused 1080p video where it counts the most – right in your central field of focus. The Goggles 2 also pumps out flawlessly sharp feeds, but mostly only usable in a narrow centre spot.

Glare and Internal Reflections

One other optical difference I noticed is glare and internal reflections. Whether it’s sunlight leaking in or lens flare from bright objects, reflections inside the goggles can heavily degrade image quality.

On the Integra, I found glare manifests quite evenly across the lenses. It appears as a uniform haze over the video, coalescing into a faint halo along the very edges. This also serves to slightly wash out contrast and vibrance compared to the Goggles 2.

The Goggles 2 exhibits more localized hotspots of glare, which translate into sharp mirror-like reflections of the video itself within the lenses. Under the right lighting, you may see ghost images of parts of the scenery overlaid in incorrect positions.

Both glare patterns have trade-offs. The Integra’s even haze avoids wild artifacts but does dampen contrast and color. The Goggles 2 mostly contain clear, glare-free viewing in the centre, but may surprise you with weird duplicate objects appearing here and there.

I personally find the Integra’s uniform glare less distracting overall during flights. But the Goggles 2’s higher native contrast when glare is absent produces a very bold, vibrant picture in the sweet spot.

Image Quality Score:

Goggles 2: 60%
Integra: 85-90%

2. Comparison: Comfort and Fit

A truly immersive FPV experience requires not just stunning visuals, but a comfortable fit you barely notice during flight. Long sessions in the pilot seat can get painful fast if your goggles don’t fit your face.

Here’s an assessment of the ergonomic designs and wearability of the Goggles 2 and Integra:

Weight Distribution and Adjustments

Both models weigh around 610g, but their construction differs substantially beyond the headline specs.

A suite of physical adjustments on the Integra provide a more adaptable fit to your face. You get two axes of interpupillary distance (IPD) tweakage via sliding lenses, plus a knob controlling the strap tightness across the back of your skull.

This lets you really dial in the Integra for maximum comfort across long flights. It cleverly shifts much of its weight aft onto the strap too, preventing the front of the goggles digging into your nose and cheeks. The strap helps lift them slightly off your face while keeping light leak minimal.

The Goggles 2 offer more rudimentary fit customization with some replaceable front foam spacers. IPD only slides along one axis though, so you have less wiggle room fitting them to your eyes. And nearly all 610g sits right upfront, often concentrating painful pressure points on sensitive areas like the nose bridge.

I certainly felt noticeable relief having the Integra weight supported by the rear strap versus the Goggles 2 smashing my entire nasal region.

Edge Light Leakage

An area both models struggle with is preventing external light entering your field of view, particularly from below and the sides.

The Goggles 2 ship with quite compressible foam padding that lets you squish the goggles right up to your face. This effectively blacks out ambient light when mushed on tight. But the trade off is amplified discomfort on your cheekbones and nose.

Conversely, the firmer facia material on the Integra resists squishing as easily. Out of the box, more external light leaks in even with the rear strap cinched down. On the flip side, nothing jams painfully into your nose or cheeks.

Comfort Score:

Goggles 2: 60%
Integra: 75%

3. Comparison: Accessories and Customization

An often overlooked aspect is upgradability and how well each model plays with accessories. Out of the box comfort only gets you so far. Expandability through custom mods can unlock a new level of user experience.

Moddability

Here the Goggles 2 jump far ahead. Its accessory port and standard face padding open a world of customization with third party mods. Owners have created plenty of DIY fixes for discomfort and light leak by hacking on alternate foam inserts and head straps.

Being able to tailor and tweak ergonomics goes a long way in achieving your perfect fit. It helps offset the Goggles 2’s more limited out-of-box adjustments somewhat. Just plan on an additional $30-60 for aftermarket mods to resolve discomfort issues.

The proprietary shape and construction of the Integra, unfortunately, precludes much user customization. Doing a removable face pad transplant doesn’t appear straightforward if possible at all. For better or worse, you’re largely stuck with how they ship from DJI. But that rear strap does help lift the bulk of weight off your actual face.

Prescription Lens Compatibility

Users requiring vision correction will also appreciate the Integra’s integrated diopter adjustment more too. Fine-tuning optical power from -1 to -8 means less fumbling with prescription lens inserts.

Speaking of, I found the included plastic inserts themselves quite flimsy and easy to get swirled up with scratches. Going the third party glass lens route for the Integra may produce better results if requiring heavy prescriptions.

The Goggles 2 ship with two sets of inserts maxing out at -6 correction. While sufficient for most needs, the inserts sit pretty far from your eyes deep inside the body. This somewhat constrains the usable FOV and eye box width when wearing correctives. You’ll also want quality third party lenses for the Goggles 2 avoid abrasions and glare issues on cheap plastic.

Additional Functionality

If we consider the all-in-one value proposition though, the Integra pulls back ahead greatly. Its integrated touchscreen with wireless video transmission replaces the need for an external controller and receiver module. Everything you need is self-contained in one slick package.

The goggles-only Goggle 2 still demands a smartphone plus controller to achieve a fully functioning FPV system. So building out a solution of comparable functionality requires purchasing extra pieces with cost and complexity penalties. The Integra certainly wins big on simplicity and convenience coming with everything built right in.

Usability Score:

Goggles 2: 80%
Integra: 90%

4. Comparison: Reliability and Durability

Ruggedness and longevity round out our comparison criteria. Even the finest optics and ergonomics matter little if your goggles break prematurely under real world abuse. Let’s see how durable and reliable the Goggles 2 and Integra shapes up.

Construction and Water Resistance

The Integra feature solid unibody construction with few openings vulnerable to moisture or debris ingress. Even the vents sport raised lips shielding the internals from light splashing or rain. Wisely implementing water and dust resistance earns more confidence taking these out for intense outdoor sessions. Or accidents do happen on occasion too.

This thoughtful sealing exceeds the Goggles 2’s mostly exposed chassis and vents placing crucial electronics in harm’s way. They lack any meaningful moisture protection in stock form. I’d stop short of drenching them carelessly without waterproofing mods though. Like any complex gear, better prevent than deal with malfunctions later.

Antenna Durability

Upgraded antennas on both units now come permanently attached too. So no more snapping off this critical transmission component which grounded many first gen Goggles mid-flight. Both DJI antennas seem quite rigidly anchored into chassis now, but time will tell whether they hold up long term.

I am mildly concerned about the Integra’s antenna hitting the ground if you set them face down. The hard plastic base forms a fulcrum possibly bending then antenna at extreme angles under load. The Goggles 2 lie flat on cushier foam instead. Just take caution not to torque the Integra’s antenna to avoid damage.

Lens Durability

An area of frequent damage on first-gen DJI goggles came from scratched lenses ruining the viewing experience. Many users necessarily replaced fragile stock lenses with aftermarket alternatives.

Thankfully lens durability sees a boost in both the Goggles 2 and Integra thanks to reinforced optics better resisting scratches. They pair thicker glass with recessed chambers shielding the surface area. Though still not indestructible, they finally seem able to withstand typical FPV abuse without destroying the expensive inner optics.

The Integra also wins extra resilience points implementing integrated diopters behind a second layer of protection. No need to constantly manhandle and swap delicate corrective inserts prone to swirling up. This integrated design better protects the finely tuned lens prescription inside against real world handling.

Battery Life

On battery runtime, I found both units deliver remarkably similar flying durations. The Integra’s integrated 2450mAh battery powers it solo for just over two hours per charge. Slightly lower than the replaceable 2800mAh pack in the Goggles 2 amounting to 2h10m runtime.

Considering the Integra’s screen also needs to run a battery hungry live transmission from the drone, getting equal lifetimes to the Goggles 2 proves impressive power optimization.

In practical terms, don’t expect to run either more than two hours before needing to top back up. Have backup power banks or swappable batteries on standby for marathon sessions beyond 120 minutes of continuous flight time. But both deliver equally capable battery life in a realistic context.

Reliability Score:

Goggles 2: 70%
Integra: 80%

5. Comparison: Pricing and Value

Let’s finally discuss the value proposition by comparing retail prices. Cost plays a pivotal role whether stellar specs translate into an achievable reality for most buyers.

At $619, the DJI Goggles 2 retails squarely as premium-grade FPV goggles. The cutting edge display resolution, smooth 60fps performance and best-in-class immersive viewing do command a premium price tag.

Factor in another $100-300 to remedy comfort and modular gear to achieve full FPV flight functionality too. You’re looking at a ~$800+ investment by the time all is said and done.

By contrast, the integrated Integra system delivers a comprehensively capable FPV solution for only $429 out of the box. No extra attachments needed. Considering you get a solid pair of goggles plus a standalone controller/video receiver – at a net $100+ savings over the Goggles 2 as just goggles – makes for outstanding value.

Yes, you sacrifice certain areas like outright field of view and native image contrast compared to the Goggles 2. But for most pilots, the Integra still represents a complete and polished platform delivering impressive real-world performance at a palatable price. Casual and intermediate FPV enthusiasts especially benefit most from the Integra’s blend of quality, reliability and integrated capabilities offered.

Value Comparison:

Goggles 2: 70%
Integra: 90%

The Verdict: DJI Integra Deliver Better Overall Value for Money

So in the battle of DJI’s leading FPV goggles, which model reigns supreme at the end of the day?

Factoring in all the criteria around visuals, wearing comfort, features and pricing, I have to declare the Integra the winner in real-world terms.

While the Goggles 2 excel at delivering ultra-rich optical performance, they falter in too many other areas critical for a positive overall user experience. Limited adjustments affecting comfort and fit, no included controller or receiver functionality, and zero waterproofing requiring ancillary mods to fix manifest as deal breaking shortcomings for many.

Their sky-high $800+ cost compounds the situation pricing them beyond justifiable reach unless you must have the absolute best visual acuity. Beginner and intermediate pilots gain little from levels of resolution exceeding their basic skill level.

This is why the Integra make so much sense as an accessible bridge product between toy grade FPV and high-end superlative optics reserved only for professionals. You sacrifice some degree of resolution and field of view yes.

But in exchange the integrated Integra offer outstanding real world handling, great reliability, surprisingly decent HD footage plus built-in controls at literally half the price of a comparable full-featured Goggles 2 setup.

For these reasons, the Integra stand out as my top recommendation for almost all hobby FPV needs under $500 today. Their smart compromises on paper translate into a impressively unified user experience in the field not possible on the Goggles 2 without heavy modding and financial investment.

So if torn between these options from DJI, seriously consider saving money and headaches by opting for the Integra instead. You access the same amazing world of digital FPV with 80% of the premium quality, but at 50% of the total cost burden.

Unless you fly professionally where that last 20% of perfection matters greatly, I believe the Integra hit the sweet spot as an outstanding ready-to-fly FPV platform. Their experience and value proposition simply add up better for the majority of real world users today.