GoPro Max 2 review – first hands on experience with the Max 2

When GoPro started experimenting with panoramic cameras, bolting together loads of GoPros in 2015, the world of surround imaging was barely even discussed. Now it's a very competitive place, and the legendary action camera brand has been seen to be slipping behind. Will the long trailed and delayed GoPro Max 2 deal the company back in the game of photography's future?

Who are these two competitors? Insta360 is now the biggest brand in 360 imaging, bringing out a new X-series camera every year, now on the X5, while the Chinese giant best known for its drones, DJI, that has also been pushing hard against standard GoPro cameras launched its first Osmo 360 just a few weeks ago.

GoPro, however, hasn't been down and out. The original GoPro Max, with it's 5.7K resolution, has still been around and that means GoPro has also kept its eyes on the other crucial aspect of 360 imaging – the software.

Because if you have a camera that can see in every direction at once, you're going to need it to be easy and fun to cut that down to something you can view and share afterward. It also helps to have a very good image to work from because, in all likelihood, you'll be cropping and discarding a good portion of the resolution.

The GoPro Max 2 promises 8K, which matches its competitors – but it also promises more in terms of real imaging resolution on-chip. Does that make for better video? And is the user experience up there? I've been waiting a long time to find out...

GoPro Max 2: Pricing

The GoPro Max 2 launches at $499.99, announced on September 23 2025 and shipping a week later. That's a competitive price for an 8K 360 camera from a premium brand, and given the standard of image and software, it seems fair. You will need a MicroSD card.

GoPro Max 2: Specs

GoPro Max 2: Build & handling

First impressions of the Max 2 are very good indeed, it has the reassuring look and feel of a modern GoPro camera with the radiator like grille styling built out of durable matte black plastic, which has a reassuring weight in the hand.

At the front – in so far as a 360 camera has a front – is the GoPro logo while at the 'back' – or the operator side – is another lens, this time arranged in back-to-back form (which should help ensure better stitching than previous cameras), and a touchscreen.

At the top of the camera is the shutter button (which can be set to start recording even when the camera is off), and on the side is the power switch – a button pairing which is likely familiar to users of most GoPro devices. The shell also conceals an array of microphones.

A hinged door on the side, with firm sprung clip, reveals all in one access to the battery compartment, micro SD card slot and USB-C socket. I was worried at a glance that the battery might fall out as I charged it this way, but it didn't happen.

The menu system will not be a surprise for users of other GoPro cameras, and begins with a straightforward tutorial. It is filled with tool tips in easy to understand language, and I also found the process of picking between resolution and frame rate pleasingly straightforward (pick 8K from the default 5.7K and the frame rate drops to the best available, move up to 90fps and the resolution drops accordingly – the trade offs are made easy to understand.

At the base of the camera is a version of GoPro's versatile magnetic folding-flaps mounting system with a screw hole in the centre to which the principle accessory for any 360-degree camera – the invisible selfie stick – is placed.

I must admit that I found the rubberised grip to the selfie pole to be of a very high standard in my testing, too. The telescopic design isn't visible to the lenses – in an approach long established on 360-degree cameras – so is relatively easily removed when the images from the back-to-back lenses are stitched together to make a single spherical image.

The camera also features GPS, voice control and a variety of other features which can be enabled or disabled through the settings menu. The option to record 10-bit video, however, is more easily accessible from the main menu. This does feel designed with creators in mind, never more complicated than necessary.

The lenses are twist-off removable and replaceable, meaning the GoPro Max 2 can be taken into the field and – should the worst happen – repaired in the field too. With the necessity of a lens on both sides, that's a consideration that every pro creator needs to consider, and GoPro's approach is in line with the company's image.

GoPro Max 2: The app

Setting up the camera required me to connect it to the app, which was also able to recognise it. Like its key competitors, the app is then able to offer remote control, and provides an easier and clearer way to navigate the settings.

The other aspect of the Quik app is the editing functionality. There were a few quirks that frustrated me – when I was trying to use subject tracking the first time (so that AI would follow someone in my video) the camera wanted to load the AI features. Not only was this weird to me (why wasn't it loaded with the rest of the app?) but even more frustrating because the camera and app were connected using my phone's wi-fi connection so the app couldn't then download the extension it needed without breaking that connection.

Once solved, though, I generally found that editing in the phone felt like a reasonably polished experience. Features like the ability to tilt the phone to re-point the camera retrospectively make the 360-degree photography experience feel intuitive.

GoPro Max 2: Performance

The first thing I noticed about the Max 2 was how painless the setup process was, connecting to the Quik app was very easy on my iPhone, and that was the device I used to download sample images and to edit video with during my testing.

Something I noticed immediately was the detail the app was able to find in the image, even stills I took on a cloudy day. The 8K resolution clearly improved matters, but that wasn't all.

I'll upload a few more sample images when the clouds leave my area, but some indoor testing was encouraging too – I just don't want you to see that I've not tidied the house first :)

GoPro Max 2: Overall verdict

Going into this review, I was really hoping that GoPro could pull something out of the bag to revive its reputation in 360 cameras, because, frankly, it is a tech I love and it was definitely beginning to belong to other companies. Now I can safely say that the GoPro Max 2 has hit the bar I needed it to clear, which (in a much more crowded market than before) is saying something.

For one thing, it is simply delightful – in a rugged serious feeling way – to hold and handle. It feels just right, inspiring exactly the confidence the brand GoPro should.

I am not without reservations. The screen is not a crisp as it might be, and it is easier to tap and drag around preview images on competing devices (especially the DJI Osmo 360) if you want to. Most of the time, though, this is something you'll do on your app or computer, so it's not a big issue.

But, overall, the image quality impressed me, and though I've not yet tried the camera in the full variety of conditions I'd like, I feel confident in saying that it is better able to capture the scene than I had anticipated. GoPro has clearly invested time and effort in the image processing – and of course Quik also lets you add your own tones too. (Pro processing lets you turn to LUTs too)

In other words, in most conditions, I think most people would find the Max 2 is the 360-degree camera that meets their needs, whether pro recording capability or mere ease of use. Things will only get better, too, with software updates.

Alternatives

The Insta360 X5 established itself as the leading 360 camera while GoPro was taking a several-year rest, so is the most obvious alternative (especially in the USA where the DJI Osmo 360 is harder to come by). It's also 8K and, as that 5 in the name implies, it boasts a lot of maturity when it comes to features. It also had user-replaceable lenses, and Insta360's mature software offering also includes plugins for FCP and Premiere, as well as standalone apps.

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The GoPro Max (2025) is a cheaper alternative you might find lying around – it's actually a much older camera than the name suggests (adding a USB-C port doesn't make it new!) with lower imaging resolution and offset cameras that mean the stitching isn't as good as its replacement. Still, if you want a cheap route in and love the GoPro name, it's an option – for now!

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How I test 360 cameras

As someone who enjoys 360 degree cameras, it's my belief that the best way to test them is to use them in the real world repeatedly. I like to cycle, walk, and take photographs with friends and family, so that's what I do – and that means all those people also offer their thoughts on the experience, adding to the depth of the review.