by Virtual reality developer Bigscreen is expanding into hardware by introducing its self-proclaimed “world’s smallest VR headset,” the Beyond. This title is not entirely unfounded either.
Beyond (opens in new tab) is about 5.6 inches long, two inches wide, and weighs just over four ounces, barring additional accessories. For comparison, the Oculus Quest 2, another lightweight VR headset, weighs almost four times as much at 17.7 ounces. The company’s CEO, Darshan Shankar, told TechCrunch that as technology improved, VR headsets got bigger and bulkier. Heavier devices can cause neck strain, which restricts user movement and impairs gameplay. So Bigscreen decided to go the opposite way and create a more comfortable, compact machine. Granted, it achieves some of that weight loss by offloading batteries and some components to the connected PC.
And while it’s a lightweight headset, the developers haven’t skimped on performance as it boasts some admittedly impressive specs.
Under the headset hood
Unlike Oculus Quest 2, Bigscreen didn’t develop its own operating system. The Beyond runs on Steam VR, allowing it to support the platform’s base station, controllers, and variety of accessories. It even comes with you SteamVR tracking (opens in new tab) built in so it can track your body’s movements with high accuracy.
VR gaming output is delivered through two 90Hz MicroOLED screens with 5K resolution (5,120 x 2560 pixels) that the company promises will offer “stunning colors”. [and] crisp clarity.” And thanks to this technology, users don’t have to deal with unwanted motion blur or that annoying window screen effect. Then thin black lines appear between the pixels and ruin the image quality.
To achieve the Beyond’s lightweight design, the developers made some interesting design decisions. For starters, the headset comes with three-element pancake-style lenses that allow for a compact fit without sacrificing clarity. It also doesn’t have on-device controls or adjustment knobs to create a perfect fit, as each device is custom-fitted to your face. This fit is achieved through a 3D facial scan.
Tailor-made for you
When you order the Beyond, Bigscreen will email you a link to download the company’s face scanning app, which is exclusive to iOS. The app sends a detailed 3D mesh of your face to the company’s Los Angeles factory, which uses it to create your custom-made headset.
Pre-orders are currently open for (opens in new tab) the Beyond, which will retail for $999. A few accessories are also available for pre-order, with more on the way. You can get an audio strap, which is basically a pair of headphones, for $99 and a special magnetic prescription lens that goes over the eye socket for $79. You can later purchase a custom-fit face pillow and fiber optic cable, but at this point there’s no price tag for those two.
In the US, the Beyond will ship in Q3 2023 (around mid-summer). However, due to the custom-made nature of the headset, it may take a few weeks or months to arrive at your home. Other countries like Canada, Japan, and Australia won’t get the Beyond until Q4.
All in all a pretty interesting headset. As we noted above, unlike the Oculus Quest, it’s not a wireless headset. Other reports (opens in new tab) Point out that you need to connect the Beyond to its link box and connect that to your PC to provide both video and power. We asked Bigscreen if there were any plans to develop an Android version of its facial recognition app. This story will be updated when we get feedback.
While we have you, be sure to check out the recently updated TechRadar List of the best VR headsets of 2023.
