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VR Therapy for Seniors Rolls Out to 150 Living Communities Across the US

April 3, 2025 From roadtovr

Mynd Immersive, the immersive healthcare provider, announced its expanding its XR services to an additional 150 senior living communities across the United States.

The company says its recent milestone represents the largest deployment of XR therapies in senior care history, which it hopes will advance treatment options across physical, occupational, and speech therapy.

Founded in 2016 and operating the US, Canada and Australia, the Texas-based company has developed over 200 XR experiences which support HTC Vive Flow, the lightweight, compact VR headset released by HTC in 2021.

“We envisioned early on that Virtual Reality would profoundly enhance the quality of life and health outcomes for seniors,” said Chris Brickler, co-founder and CEO of Mynd Immersive. “Today, we’re seeing Mynd become an essential part of healthcare delivery, driving real-world gains in functional therapy, cognitive engagement, and staff training.”

Mynd Immersive has also partnered with Select Rehabilitation, the US-based contract therapy company, using the company’s platform to support cognitive, physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of elders.

“Our partnership with Mynd empowers therapists to engage patients in meaningful, motivating experiences that support real clinical outcomes,” said Anna Wolfe, CEO at Select Rehabilitation. “With these tools, we are creating the therapy room of the future – today. Our therapists can now work on improving range of motion, strength building, gait training, spatial awareness, and Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) through immersive environments that make rehabilitation both effective and enjoyable.”

The company says it’s deploying the Mynd platform and training staff in 25 communities per-week on average now. Its 150-community expansion is set to bring XR therapy to more than 45,000 residents, which it notes is just the “beginning phase.”

Filed Under: News

Meta’s Next-gen Smart Glasses Reportedly Set to Include a Display & Wrist-worn XR Controller

April 2, 2025 From roadtovr

Meta is reportedly working on a version of its Ray-Ban smart glasses which will include a single display for viewing photos and apps. Now, according to a new Bloomberg report from Mark Gurman, the company is aiming to introduce it sometime later this year alongside its wrist-worn XR controller for hand-gesture input.

As per a previous Bloomberg report from January, the device is allegedly codenamed ‘Hypernova’. Citing Meta employees, the device could cost between $1,000 and $1,400, although the final price likely still hasn’t been decided.

The price increase over the company’s $300 Ray-Ban Meta Glasses, which don’t include displays of any sort, is reportedly driven by the inclusion of a single display visible in the lower-right quadrant of the right lens.

Unlike augmented reality glasses, which correctly place digital images in the user’s field-of-view, the device as described would be closer to Google Glass in function. Find out more about the differences between Smart Glasses and AR Glasses in our full explainer.

Bloomberg’s latest report now maintains Hypernova will include dedicated apps for taking pictures, viewing photos and accessing maps. This also includes notifications from phone apps, such as Messenger and WhatsApp, the report maintains.

Ray-Ban Meta Glasses, Image courtesy Meta, EssilorLuxottica

It’s said Hypenova will rely “heavily on the Meta View phone app,” and may not include its own on-board app store despite running a customized version of Android—suggesting it’s more akin to a smartphone peripheral and not a standalone platform as such.

It is however said to include many of the same features of Ray-Ban Meta Glasses, such as capturing images and video, accessing AI via built-in microphones and pairing with a phone for calls and music playback.

Additionally, it’s said Hypernova is getting a spec bump in the camera department. The latest version of Meta Ray-Ban comes with a 12-megapixel camera, similar to an iPhone 11 (2019) in quality. Instead, Hypernova is hoping to “rival the iPhone 13 from 2021,” according to people familiar with the matter.

Like the company’s display-less Ray-Ban Glasses, the report maintains users can control Hypernova using capacitive touch controls located on the temples, allowing to scroll through media.

Wrist-worn XR Controller seen with Orion | Image courtesy Meta

It seems however Meta is looking to finally productize its wrist-worn XR controller, which uses electromyography (EMG) sensors to detect things such pinching and hand rotation for UI selection. Hypernova is said to come bundled in the box with the wrist-worn controller, which we’ve also seen in action with the company’s internal Orion AR glasses.

Bloomberg maintains a second-gen ‘Hypernova 2’ is already in the works, which is said to include a binocular heads-up display system (again, smart glasses, not AR) with people familiar with the matter maintaining it’s currently planned for release in 2027.

Granted, anything could happen. Meta regularly shelves products late in development, such as its allegedly canceled variant the device without a camera—a move targeting lower costs and increased user privacy.

Still, Hypernova likely won’t be the next smart glasses device Meta releases. The report maintains Meta is finalizing ‘Supernova 2’, which function like Ray-Ban Meta Glasses, but houses inside a sportier Oakley design.

All of this is leading up to the release of Meta’s first true AR glasses. The company revealed its internal developer kit Orion in late 2024; Meta CTO and Reality Labs chief Andrew Bosworth has said an AR device based on their work with Orion could come before 2030, priced “at least in the space of phone, laptop territory.”

Filed Under: Meta Quest 3 News & Reviews, News, XR Industry News

Vision Pro Update Adds Companion App, Improved Guest Demos, and Apple Intelligence Features

March 31, 2025 From roadtovr

Apple announced today that the latest update to Vision Pro, visionOS 2.4 is now available to the public. VisionOS 2.4 finally adds Apple Intelligence features to the headset, while adding an iPhone companion app to make using and sharing the headset easier, along with a new Spatial Gallery to curate spatial content for watching on the headset.

While the first Apple Intelligence features reached iPhones, iPads, and Macs back in October, 2024, Vision Pro was curiously left out. Not only did the headset not get any of the Apple Intelligence features, at that point Apple hadn’t even confirmed that the headset ever would get them.

That finally changes today with VisionOS 2.4, now available to the public, which adds the same Apple Intelligence features that users can access on other devices. That includes writing tools, like the ability to proofread, rewrite, and summarize text, and image generation tools like Image Playground and Genmoji.

View post on imgur.com

Beyond just adding the usual slate of Apple Intelligence features, VisionOS 2.4 directly addresses commonly cited pain points of using the headset.

Spatial Gallery App

View post on imgur.com

Spatial Gallery is a new app for the headset which includes spatial (stereoscopic) content curated by Apple. Think of it as a premier gallery of spatial photos and videos. While the content will change over time, at launch Apple says users can “discover stories and experiences from iconic brands including Red Bull, Cirque du Soleil, and Porsche; go behind the scenes with Apple Originals like Severance, The Studio, and The Morning Show; and listen to conversations with top artists like Bad Bunny, Charli xcx, and Keith Urban.”

Vision Pro Companion App for iPhone

Image courtesy Apple

Similar to Apple Watch, Vision Pro is getting a companion app that runs on an iPhone or iPad. The app highlights new apps and entertainment content available on the headset, without users needing to put on the device just to browse for new content.

The app also serves as a simple place to read up on tips & tricks for getting the most out of the headset, as well as finding important support information like version and serial numbers.

Guest User Improvements

Vision Pro smartly launched with a dedicated ‘Guest Mode’ to make it easy for headset owners to show off the headset to friends and family by calibrating the headset specifically for the guest, and gives the owner control over what apps the guest can access.

View post on imgur.com

VisionOS 2.4, in conjunction with iOS 18.4, now makes the process smoother by allowing the headset owner to start a Guest Mode session from their iPhone (rather than needing to put on the headset first). It also allows the owner to remotely start View Mirroring so they can see what the guest user sees in the headset. Previously this could only be started from within the headset, which meant needing to guide the guest user by memory through the menus to find the right button.

New Apple Immersive Video Content

Image courtesy Apple

Alongside visionOS 2.4, Apple is highlighting upcoming releases for its first-party Apple Immersive Video content with VIP: Yankee Stadium on April 4th, featuring an “all-encompassing look at how elite athletes, die-hard fans, dedicated staff, and epic moments make the Bronx ballpark legendary.”

Later, on May 30th, Apple is releasing Bono: Stories of Surrender, a documentary about the frontman of the band U2. Uniquely, this will be released on Apple TV+ as viewable both as a standard flatscreen video and on Vision Pro as an Apple Immersive Vide

Filed Under: Apple Vision Pro News & Reviews, News

Infinite Reality Acquires Napster for $200M to Create Social Music Platform & Virtual Concerts

March 26, 2025 From roadtovr

Napster. Now there’s a name you haven’t heard in a few years… or more likely decades. Now, immersive web company Infinite Reality announced it’s acquired the brand for $207 million.

Having just closed a $3 billion investment in January, Immersive Reality says the Napster music streaming service will soon include a “social music platform” that will include branded 3D virtual spaces for virtual concerts and listening parties.

Additionally, the company says Napster will also sell both physical and virtual merchandise, exclusive digital content, and event tickets.

“By acquiring Napster, we’re paving a path to a brighter future for artists, fans, and the music industry at large,” said John Acunto, Infinite Reality co-Founder and CEO. “This strategic move aligns with Infinite Reality’s vision to lead an internet industry shift from a flat 2D clickable web to a 3D conversational one – giving all creators modern tools to better engage, monetize, and measure their audiences.”

CEO Jon Vlassopulos, formerly of Roblox, will continue leading Napster, noting he envisions a next-generation platform where fans can interact with artists in 3D virtual spaces, making music consumption more social and immersive.

Founded in 2019, Infinite Reality’s flagship product is iR Studio, an engine for building immersive websites, replete with social virtual environments and avatars. iR Studio sites support WebXR by default, meaning any XR headset that supports WebXR can access it directly through a web browser.

While the company hasn’t said as much, we’d expect Immersive Reality to leverage iR Studio in future Napster virtual concerts, which would ostensibly include support for Quest and PC VR headsets.

This isn’t the first time the Napster brand has changed hands since its 2002 bankruptcy, which was due to its platform allowing for unlicensed P2P sharing of music, attracting the ire of rock band Metallica. Over the years, the company has been acquired by a laundry list of companies that hoped to leverage the brand’s wide appeal, most recently turning the one-time music sharing platform into a subscriber-based music streaming platform.

Interestingly, Immersive Reality also isn’t the first XR-focused company to purchase Napster either. In August 2020, London-based virtual concert company MelodyVR acquired Napster for $70 million, which hoped to bring immersive video concerts to VR headset users. Prior to the Immersive Reality acquisition, Napster’s most recent owner was blockchain company Algorand, which hoped to decentralize music.

Filed Under: News, XR Industry News

Smartphone Giant Vivo Announces ‘Vision’ MR Headset, Copying Apple’s Name & Design

March 25, 2025 From roadtovr

Another Vision Pro knock-off is coming to town, and this time it even has the ‘Vision’ name.

While not a household name, China’s Vivo is known for its sensible, mid-range smartphones, regularly ranking it in the top five smartphone creators by market share.

Now, at the Boao Forum for Asia in China’s Hainan Province today, the company showed off its first entry into the XR segment: Vivo Vision.

In a press statement, Vivo says the move comes as a broader push to pursue both robotics and XR devices, referring to Vivo Vision as “a significant milestone in vivo’s exploration of mixed reality technology.”

Image courtesy GSM Arena

While Vivo Vision is expected to be officially unveiled in mid-2025, specifics are still thin on the ground, with notable question marks surrounding the MR headsets specs, operating system, release date, global availability, price—pretty much everything besides the device’s externals.

A display model was present at Vivo’s booth at Boao Forum for Asia however, revealing the company is taking more than a few design cues from Apple Vision Pro, including its unique headstrap design, digital crown button, and magnetically-tethered external battery.

Notably, Vivo’s fleet of smartphones run modified versions of Android, with Funtouch OS used as its global-facing OS, and Origin OS used for those shipped in China.

As Vivo’s first XR device, it’s possible the company may attempt the same feat with Google’s upcoming Android XR OS, which is being launched with Samsung’s upcoming mixed reality, ‘Project Moohan’, which is said to release sometime this year, although that’s pure speculation for now.

This marks a growing trend of look-alike Vision Pros arriving from Chinese manufacturers, with the first notable arriving from Play for Dream; its MR headset not only stole the show at CES 2025 earlier this year, but also garnered high praise from former Quest engineer Amanda Watson, who called it “absolutely the best all around HMD demo I saw on the floor today.”

Filed Under: News, XR Industry News

Bigscreen Beyond 2 Sold the Equivalent of 6 Months of Beyond 1 Sales in First 24 Hours

March 24, 2025 From roadtovr

Bigscreen Beyond 2 orders flooded in last Thursday at a surprising pace. Now, the PC VR headset maker notes that its next slim and light headset outsold the original in 24 hours by an impressive margin, making its first day or sales equivalent to six months of what it did with Beyond 1.

We’ve already heard some impressive stats following Bigscreen’s launch for Beyond 2 orders. In 25 minutes, Beyond 2 outsold the first day of Beyond 1 sales. In the first hour, they doubled Beyond 1 launch day sales. Within 10 hours of launching orders, Beyond 2 sold more than the first four months of Beyond 1 sales.

In an X post on Friday, Bigscreen founder and CEO Darshan Shankar revealed the most impressive sales stat yet:

“In the first 24 hours, Beyond 2 has sold 10 TIMES as many Beyond 1s sold on its launch day 2 years ago. In the first 24 hours, Beyond 2 has sold as much as Beyond 1 did in its first 6 months of sales. That’s exceptional.”

Shankar says the company did this with zero ad spend, noting “[w]e didn’t pay influencers to pump our product. We didn’t pay an agency for an expensive video. No advertising.”

The company did however send a few early Beyond 2 units to reviewers, which Shankar says was “[l]ike 10 units,” which, among others, included Tested, Thrillseeker, MRTV and VR Flight Sim Guy.

In case you missed the news—you check out the specs, price and launch schedule here—Beyond 2 comes in two flavors, one with eye-tracking (Beyond 2e) and one without (Beyond 2), priced at $1,019 and $1,219 respectively.

While it’s packing in the same dual 1-inch 2,560 × 2,560 micro-OLED displays as the original Beyond, the biggest improvement overall is the headset’s larger field-of-view (FOV) and better clarity thanks to the inclusion of a new pancake lens design. This bumps Beyond 2 to a 116-degree diagonal FOV over the original’s 102-degree diagonal FOV, and also includes an adjustable IPD mechanism in a lighter 107g design.

Although the first batches were quoted to ship in April (Beyond 2) and May (Beyond 2e), at the time of this writing new orders of Beyond 2 and Beyond 2e are quoted to ship in June.

Filed Under: PC VR News & Reviews, XR Industry News

Quest Update Reveals More Vision Pro Features Are Coming, Including FaceTime-Style Selfie Cam

March 24, 2025 From roadtovr

Meta’s upcoming Horizon OS release is bringing a few more of Vision Pro’s most useful features to Quest, including a video chatting selfie cam for avatars and possibly the ability to share windows with other users when in its Horizon Home social space.

Discovered by serial dataminer ‘Luna’, a beta version of Horizon OS v76 is packing in a few new features, including the very Facetime-inspired avatar selfie cam which can be used in video chatting apps.

Quest’s v76 update is currently available on the Public Test Channel (PTC), although Luna went a bit further to implement the avatar selfie cam in a sideloaded version of Discord.

Meta Quest/Horizon OS v76 PTC – Avatar Selfie Cam running in sideloaded Discord. The call backgrounds aren’t enabled yet though.

Thanks @Phene420 for reminding me to test in other apps lol. https://t.co/6WkehJra8B pic.twitter.com/EzTeYPAop1

— Luna (@Lunayian) March 23, 2025

Backgrounds currently aren’t available, Luna notes, however they’re said to include multiple default options, such as Abstract, Beach, Greenhouse, Home Office, Light, Loft, and Office.

Luna also uncovered a hidden tutorial for an upcoming ‘Navigator’ system user interface overhaul on Horizon OS. Teased at Meta Connect 2024 in September, the new UI system restyles the current dock-based UI to a more traditional launcher overlay—putting it more in line with the sort of icon-based app selection you see in Vision Pro and mobile devices today.

NEW: I’ve datamined a tutorial for the upcoming “Navigator” system UI overhaul on Meta Horizon OS.

This was discovered in v76 PTC. You can find my previous reporting on this in the quoted post below, but TL;DR this is currently planned for v77+ https://t.co/mTtVv2KtSu pic.twitter.com/xIWTd2GQsP

— Luna (@Lunayian) March 22, 2025

While the tutorial was discovered in v76 PTC, Luna suspects the Navigator feature will arrive in v77 or beyond, possibly as an Experimental feature.

Furthermore, Luna’s datamining revealed that strings in the v76 PTC of Horizon OS “suggest that Meta is working on the ability to share windows with other users in Horizon Home (and possibly Worlds),” which they maintain “will likely work similarly to SharePlay on visionOS.”

The string in question states it “[s]hares a panel so that other users in your world can see it”.

Granted, Quest users have been asking for these features since well before Vision Pro was released, although it was Apple’s $3,500 mixed reality standalone that has ultimately been the key driver in the company’s quest to further mold the console-style Quest into a general computing device.

To boot, since Vision Pro’s launch in early 2024, Meta has released a number of features in effort to bring Quest’s software closer to parity with visionOS, including spatial video playback, pinch-style gesture controls, and better passthrough on Quest 3.

Still missing in action though is Meta’s long-promised photorealistic Codec Avatars though, which the company first teased in 2019.

Codec Avatars | image courtesy Meta

Like Vision Pro’s photorealistic avatars, Meta researchers demonstrated that Codec Avatars could use smartphones to scan and recreate a user’s face—much like Vision Pro does today.

The key limiter though is Quest 3’s lack of eye or facial tracking, which could mean Meta is waiting to release Codec Avatars with its next high-end headset—the totally hypothetically and still unconfirmed Quest Pro 2. And if we were betting, probably some more Vision Pro-inspired features too.

Filed Under: Apple Vision Pro News & Reviews, Meta Quest 3 News & Reviews, News

Samsung Reportedly Planning to Release XR Glasses This Year

March 24, 2025 From roadtovr

We’ve been waiting to hear about Samsung’s entrance into XR for a few years now, with the company’s still unnamed mixed reality headset ‘Project Moohan’ set to debut sometime this year running Google’s Android XR operating system. Now, a report from ETNews (Korean) maintains the South Korean tech giant may also have a pair of XR glasses up its sleeves.

Citing industry sources, the report alleges Samsung is developing XR glasses (noted as ‘smart glasses’ in the report—more on that below) with the goal of releasing them by the end of the year.

Samsung is reportedly now finalizing functions and specs of the device, which is said to be codenamed ‘Haen’ (‘coast’ or ‘seashore’ in Korean).

“With Apple’s Vision Pro already on the market, Samsung’s focus will be on providing a more advanced user experience,” an industry insider told ETNews.

Notably, the report doesn’t specify precisely what sort of device Haen is, which is why we’re simply calling them ‘XR glasses’ for now.

Samsung Project Moohan | Image courtesy Google

The report refers to the device as a pair of ‘smart glasses’ (machine translated from Korean), however this is sometimes used interchangeably to refer to two types of devices—AR glasses like Meta Orion, which blend digital images with the user’s physical surroundings, and smart glasses, which typically have a more simplistic heads-up display, like the now retired Google Glass. You can find out more about the differences between smart glasses and AR glasses here.

Since the report doesn’t specify Haen’s specific functions, we’ve referred to them as XR glasses for now.

While reports should generally be taken with a grain of salt, ETNews was the outlet that broke the news that LG was shaking up its XR product division, confirming that talks with Meta were going in a seemingly unplanned direction. Meta had tapped LG in February 2024 to partner on XR software and hardware, which at the time was rumored to include LG manufacturing a Vision Pro competitor for Meta. LG has since confirmed it’s closing its XR product division, instead focusing on long-term R&D.

Still, this isn’t the first time we’ve heard Samsung was getting ready to enter the XR glasses market. In 2021, Microsoft leaker ‘WalkingCat’ posted two leaked videos showing off futuristic AR concept devices from the company. Samsung has also filed a number of trademarks over the years, with its most recent ‘Galaxy Glasses’ patent filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

Then, a report from South Korea’s Yonhap News last year alleged Samsung would unveil a pair of XR glasses at the the company’s Unpacked product event in January, which unfortunately didn’t materialize. Small recompense: Samsung did show off a slide featuring XR glasses as a part of its future roadmap.

Image courtesy Samsung

The device mentioned in the Yonhap News report was said to include a payment function, gesture recognition, and facial recognition, noting that it was expected to launch around Q3 2025. Still, no mention of displays, or specific functions that would delineate it as smart glasses of AR glasses as such.

Whatever the case, Samsung seems to be gearing up to make the best use of its partnership with Google to integrate Android XR into its next big entry into the segment, Project Moohan.

Until now, we’ve gotten a hands-on with Moohan, and even seen a “near-final” version of the hardware back at Unpacked 2025 in January, although its launch date and actual name is still under wraps.

Provided Samsung wants to make a splash, it could reveal the device at a number of venues: Google’s upcoming I/O conference in May, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Summit in October/November, or even a hypothetical special event dedicated to both Moohan and possibly its XR glasses efforts.

Filed Under: News, XR Industry News

Bigscreen Beyond 2 Outsells Original in First Day, Surpassing Months of Beyond 1 Sales

March 21, 2025 From roadtovr

Bigscreen launched orders for its upcoming Beyond 2 PC VR headset yesterday, which is boosting field-of-view and clarity thanks to the inclusion of a new pancake lens design. Now, the company says that within a mere 10 hours of sales going live, Beyond 2 has already outsold the original Beyond by a significant margin.

In a series of updates on X, Bigscreen revealed just how well Beyond 2 was doing among PC VR enthusiasts.

“In just the first 25 minutes, Beyond 2 outsold the first day of Beyond 1 sales. In the first hour, we’ve doubled Beyond 1 launch day sales.” Bigscreen said early yesterday.

As the day went on, the company released more info on sales performance of Beyond 2 and its eye-tracking variant, Beyond 2e. And the most recent stat is pretty staggering.

“Within 10 hours of launch…Beyond 2 has sold more than the first FOUR MONTHS of Beyond 1 sales.”

Bigscreen Beyond 2 | Image courtesy Bigscreen

At the time of this writing, Beyond 2 and Beyond 2e are now quoted to ship in June 2025, already blowing past the first shipment batches, which were planned for April and May respectively.

But why the hype for Beyond 2? While you can read more about Beyond 2 here, including specs, it may come down to the easy upgrade pathway laid out by Bigscreen. Not only can Beyond 1 users purchase at a discount—$849 for Beyond 2 and $1049 for Beyond 2e—but it’s also backwards compatible with most Beyond 1 accessories, including the custom facial interface that’s required for Beyond 1.

Moreover, Beyond 2 packs in a new pancake lens design, offering up a wider 116-degree diagonal FOV, an adjustable IPD mechanism, and a lighter 107g design, with the 2e model adding AI-powered eye-tracking. It still has the same dual 1-inch 2,560 × 2,560 micro-OLED displays as the original Beyond, although its new lenses boast better clarity and FOV over the original.

Beyond 2 and 2e are priced at $1,019 and $1,219 respectively (or discounted for Beyond 1 owners). It was also unveiled alongside a new halo-style mount and Lightblocker facial interface, which is set to arrive in Q3 2025.

You can find all of that available for purchase over on the Bigscreen website.

Filed Under: News, PC VR News & Reviews

PC VR Headset Bigscreen Beyond 2 Promises Big Boost to Field-of-view & Clarity, Launching Next Month

March 20, 2025 From roadtovr

Bigscreen today announced its next-gen Beyond PC VR headset, promising a big boost in field-of-view (FOV) and clarity thanks to the inclusion of new pancake lenses. Bigscreen is also making the slim and light headset more attractive to at-home and enterprise users too thanks to its new adjustable interpupillary distance (IPD) and a universal Lightseal facial interface.

Bigscreen is releasing two versions of its next headset—Beyond 2 and Beyond 2e. Unlike the ‘e’ naming scheme seen in Apple’s recent iPhone 16e, the ‘e’ in Beyond 2e denotes the inclusion of eye-tracking.

Beyond 2e contains everything Beyond 2 does, albeit with a very small eye-tracking suite, which is said to feature AI-powered computer vision for low-latency, privacy-focused tracking, and integrated with SteamVR, OpenXR, and platforms like VRChat, with a beta program launching in Summer 2025.

Bigscreen Beyond 2e | Image courtesy Bigscreen

The headsets are priced at $1,019 (Beyond 2) and $1,219 (Beyond 2e), although Bigscreen is discounting that for previous owners of the original Beyond, bringing them to $849 and $1049 respectively.

The company says the first batches are slated to launch in April, with an optional halo-style strap mount targeting a Q3 2025 release. Both Beyond 2 models will be available in three colorways: Carbon Black, Crystal Clear, and Nuclear Orange.

Like Beyond 1, the slim and light PC VR headset uses the SteamVR tracking standard, which includes support for SteamVR 1.0 and 2.0 base stations, as well as the usual cadre of SteamVR accessories, such as body trackers, and controller like Valve’s Index controllers (aka ‘Knuckles’).

Of course, you’ll need a VR-ready PC to use Bigscreen Beyond 2 and the required base stations. Click here to find out if your PC is ready.

Bigscreen Beyond 2 | Image courtesy Bigscreen

While we’re not getting a resolution bump with Beyond 2, since they contain the same dual 1-inch 2,560 × 2,560 micro-OLED displays as the original Beyond (2023), Beyond 2’s biggest improvement is undoubtedly the inclusion of new pancake lenses. The new lens design is said to boost FOV to a reported 116-degree diagonal over the original’s 102-degree diagonal FOV.

It’s also lighter too, weighing 16% less than the original Beyond, now at only 107 grams—notably lighter than standalone headsets like Meta Quest 3 (515g) or Apple Vision Pro (650g), as well as other PC VR headsets in the slim and light category, such as the upcoming MaganeX superlight 8K (179g).

Unchanged displays notwithstanding, Bigscreen says Beyond 2 has improved brightness and reduced glare by a good margin; the new pancake lens design features “dramatic improvements over Beyond 1 with total edge-to-edge clarity and a very large sweet spot,” the company says.

Bigscreen Beyond 2 | Image courtesy Bigscreen

And for the first time, Beyond 2 is introducing an adjustable IPD mechanism, which can be modified with an included tool. Visible markings on the inside of the headset show the current IPD setting in millimeters for both lenses, so users can dial in each lens independently for the best viewing clarity.

The company calls the new IPD mechanism “a major improvement” over Beyond 1’s fixed IPD system, which required selecting from 18 different sizes, and required users to scan their faces with an iPhone for the required custom facial interface.

And what about accessories? While Beyond 2 supports the same custom-fit cushions as Beyond 1, the headset is shipping with a universal-fit Lightseal interface, all of which ostensibly makes Beyond 2 more attractive to at-home users looking for better shareability as well as enterprise users.

To boot, many of the original Beyond’s accessories are said to work with Beyond 2, including its five-meter fiver optic cable, link box, Audio Strap, and soft stap. Notably, prescription lens inserts manufactured before 2025 for Beyond 1 will work with Beyond 2, however they won’t fit Beyond 2e. Prescription lens inserts manufactured in 2025 and onwards are compatible with Beyond 1, 2, and 2e, Bigscreen says.

The headset ships with an included soft strap, however Bigscreen is also launching a newly announced halo-style mount, shipping in Q3 2025, which the company says was inspired by night vision goggles.

Bigscreen Beyond 2 | Image courtesy Bigscreen

The halo mount features fine-tuned controls for tilt and eye relief and supports multiple configurations, including with the headset’s included lightseal, Beyond’s original custom facial interfaces, or none at all.

As a mount, and not a whole strap unit as such, the accessory is compatible with various strap solutions, including the included soft strap, Bigscreen’s Audio Strap, as well as third-party options. There’s no pricing yet, although we’re sure to learn more closer to its Q3 2025 launch.

Bigscreen Beyond 2 will be taking orders over on its website, which will ship from its Los Angeles, California factory to customers in the US, Canada, Japan, UK, Europe, New Zealand, and Australia. The company says it’s also planning to expand to countries such as South Korea, Mexico, Israel, and UAE sometime later this year.

Specifications

  • Field of View: 116° diagonal
  • Weight: 107 grams
  • IPD: Adjustable, 48mm to 75mm (55mm to 70mm physically)
  • Resolution: 2,560 × 2,560 per-eye
  • Refresh Rate: 90Hz, 75Hz
  • 6DOF Tracking: SteamVR tracking
  • Tracking Requirements: SteamVR 1.0 and 2.0 Base Stations (not included)
  • Eye Tracking: Yes, on Beyond 2e
  • Full-body Tracking: Compatible with SteamVR trackers such as HTC Vive Trackers, Tundra Trackers (not included)
  • Controllers: Compatible with SteamVR controllers such as Valve Index Controllers (not included)

PC Requirements

  • Audio Input: Dual microphone array
  • Audio Output: Built-in on-ear speakers with the Audio Strap (not included)
  • Accessory Ports: 1 × USB-C
  • Cable: 5-meter fiber optic cable
  • GPU: Nvidia RTX 2070 or AMD RX 5700 XT or newer (DisplayPort 1.4 and DSC required)
  • CPU: Quad-core Intel or AMD
  • Ports: 1 × DisplayPort 1.4, 2 × USB 3.0 ports
  • OS: Windows 10 or Windows 11

Filed Under: News, PC VR News & Reviews

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