New PCVR Headset: Bigscreen Beyond

[kojack]

The makers of the Bigscreen app decided to make their own VR headset, the Beyond.

It's already up for preorder (delivery Q3 this year) and they've had youtubers testing it (under NDA) for a year already, so apparently it's a real device.

 

The main specs:

- PC only with cable. It's not a hybrid headset

- 2560x2560 per eye at 75Hz and 90Hz using micro oled screens

- SteamVR tracking (Lighthouse 1 & 2 compatible)

- weighs 127g. (A single Quest 2 controller with no battery is 126g)

- stereo microphones

- $999us (hmm, australian price is $1255us, that's 25% higher but we only have 10% tax)

- uses displayport 1.4 and two usb ports (one for data, one for power iirc)

- comes with a 5m fibre optic cable

- has a usb-c (at usb 2 speed) accessory port, I'm guessing for plugging in addons

There's no audio out built in. You need to provide your own, or buy the $99us audio head strap from them

There's one very distinct oddity that is both good and bad. The padding on it is custom made to a 3d model of your face, for perfect fit. To buy one you have to run an iphone app that lidar scans your face so they can sculpt the foam to exactly fit. Apparently its very comfortable, however nobody else can really use the headset. So it's not good for sharing with a family or showing off at exhibitions, etc. Maybe they will make a generic fit one. People (including me) complain about Quests needing a phone to set up, but this one explicitly needs a lidar iphone just to buy it.

There's no IPD adjustment, they get your IPD from the 3d face scan and send you a headset that has the same IPD (they make 15 models ranging from 58mm to 72mm). Another reason why it can't be shared with others.

Also you can't use it with glasses due to how close the fit is. But it will have prescription magnetic inserts.

It's looking a bit expensive. $999us for just the headset, then you need to get lighthouse base stations and controllers and your own audio solution. There's also no wireless option. But 2560x2560 oled that weights almost nothing (compared to others) sounds awesome.

The second hand market will be odd. While you could probably get a new padding for it, the IPD is fixed to the original buyer. That would also mean not great for kids, as they grow their IPD changes.

Cas & Chary have been using one, they have a video on it:

[TomCgcmfc]

Nice to see the micro-oled tech but I doubt that I'll ever buy another wired-only VR headset.

[DaftnDirect]

I like that companies are doing different things, there's definitely a market for this headset.

If you only do PCVR and comfort is the priority... and price isn't a prohibitive factor (including controllers and base stations being extra)... and you don't plan on sharing it... and you're not too concerned about resale, then it's perfect.

I sound a bit sarcastic there but this is probably the future of VR... personal custom fit VR headsets, in the same way the we have spectacles right now. These may be a little too ahead of their time to be a big enough success to push this form factor to the public. I honestly really like that they've done it though.

[kojack]

The CEO of Bigscreen has given a hint that they've boosted the FOV thanks to an optics breakthrough. It was around 90 degrees, but he says it now beats the Quest 2 and Reverb and comes close to Index and Quest Pro. So probably around 100-104 degrees.

The actual numbers will be announced in 2 weeks.

Let's see, if I got one, I'd also need 2 light house base stations and controllers.

HTC sell base stations, they are $326au each, and out of stock.

Valve won't sell here directly, so can't buy from them.

The only official Index supplier for Aus is EBGames, and they've stopped selling the Index. No base stations either. But they do have either a right Index controller for $240au or both controllers for $500au. Hmm, no indivudual left controller and the pair is more expensive than buying them separately.

I can get HTC base stations from HTC on Amazon (actually in stock) for $406au each.

Ends up being a bit expensive.

[RuneSR2]

It's an interesting hmd - devs say it's a native Steam hmd, but I'm not sure what that means. I do not buy hmds needing two layers of drivers for everything - so got Index for Steam (direct SteamVR driver support), Rift CV1 for Meta exclusives (direct Meta driver support) and PSVR2 (direct Sony driver support). If BigScreen loses about 25-30% or more performance due to having to use dual driver layers in native SteamVR games, then that's a no-go for me. I've seen results were Index is 50% faster than Aero when using same software res, these are not small and insignificant numbers. 

Also I have special anti-glare glasses for VR, which perfectly fits in my hmds, and these will not work with BigScreen Beyond, instead I'll have to buy cheap inserts. BigScreen Beyond is also more or less locked to your face and ipd - thus guests may not be able to use it, and the resell value may be very low if any. 

I'll await some users reviews, YouTubers usually are very biased and miss reporting many small but important details. 2c.