Digital fact programmer Bigscreen is actually growing in to equipment through uncovering its own self-proclaimed “planet’s littlest virtual reality headset,” hereafter. That name isn’t absolutely without quality, either.
The Beyond (opens up in brand-new button) has to do with 5.6 ins long, 2 ins vast, and also appear at a little bit of over 4 ozs banning any sort of included devices. For contrast’s purpose, the Oculus Journey 2, yet another light in weight virtual reality headset, analyzes almost 4 opportunities as considerably at 17.7 ozs. Provider chief executive officer Darshan Shankar said to TechCrunch that, as modern technology boosted, virtual reality headsets came to be greater and also bulkier. Bigger tools can easily bring about back pressure restraining individual motion and also influencing gameplay. Thus Bigscreen chosen to go the contrary path through generating an extra relaxed, portable maker. Given, it accomplishes a number of this fat burning through unloading electric batteries and also some parts to the linked personal computer.
And Also although it’s a lightweight headset, the developers didn’t skimp on the power as it boasts some admittedly impressive specs.
Under the headset hood
Unlike the Oculus Quest 2, Bigscreen didn’t create its own operating system. The Beyond runs on Steam VR, allowing it to support the platform’s base station, controllers, and a multitude of accessories. It even comes with SteamVR Tracking (opens in new tab) built in so it can accurately track your body is actually movements with a high degree of accuracy.
Outputting VR games are two 5K resolution (5,120 x 2560 pixels) 90Hz MicroOLED screens resulting that, the company promises, offer “breathtaking colors [and] razor-sharp clarity.” And because of that tech, users won’t have to deal with unwanted motion blur or the annoying screen door effect. That’s when thin black lines appear in between the pixels, ruining the image quality.
To achieve the Beyond’s lightweight design, designers made some interesting design choices. For starters, the headset comes with three-element pancake optic lenses allowing for a compact fit without sacrificing clarity. It also doesn’t come with any on-device controls or adjustment knobs to get a perfect fit as each device will be made custom fit for your face. That fit is achieved via a 3D face scan.
Custom made for you
When you order the Beyond, Bigscreen will email you a link to download the company’s own face-scanning app, which is exclusive to iOS. The app will send a detailed 3D mesh of your face to the company’s Los Angeles factory, which uses it to create your tailor-fit headset.
Pre-orders are currently open for (opens in new tab) the Beyond, which will retail for $999. A couple of accessories are available for pre-order, too, with more on the way. You can get an audio strap, which is basically a pair of headphones, for $99, and special magnetic prescription lens for $79 that go over the eye socket. Later on, you’ll be able to purchase a custom-fit face cushion and fiber optic cable, but at this time, there’s no price tag for those two.
In the US, the Beyond will ship out Q3 2023 (around mid-summer). But because of the custom-built nature of the headset, it may take a few weeks or months until it arrives at your house. Other countries like Canada, Japan, and Australia won’t get the Beyond until Q4.
All in all, pretty interesting headset. As we noted above, unlike Oculus Quest, this is not a wireless headset. Other reports (opens in new tab) point out you’ll need to plug the Beyond into its link box and connect that to your PC to provide both video and electrical power. We asked Bigscreen if there are plans to generate an Android version of its face-scanning app. This story will be updated if we hear back.
While we have you, be sure to check out TechRadar’s recently updated list of the best virtual reality headsets of 2023.
