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This $45 Headstrap Makes Apple’s $3,500 Headset Much Better

November 25, 2024 From roadtovr

Vision Pro is an incredible headset in many ways, but its most obvious weak point (after the pricetag) is comfort. Apple’s obsession with aesthetics made a headset that’s striking for those looking at it, but less comfortable than it could be for those actually using it. Luckily, fixing this flaw is quite simple.

Many critiques of Vision Pro’s comfort attribute the issue to the headset’s weight. It’s metal after all! So that must be the issue, right?

Well, Vision Pro actually isn’t much heavier than contemporary headsets. Quest 3’s display housing (the headset without the headstrap or facepad) weighs 394g. Vision Pro’s display housing weighs just 81g more at 475g.

Weight is a key component of headset comfort, but way a headstrap distributes the weight is also a massively important factor.

And to be fair, even Quest 3’s default soft strap isn’t particularly comfortable. Clearly recognizing this, Meta offers an after-market ‘Elite Strap’, which adds 183g, bringing Quest up to 642g (including the facepad). That’s actually heavier than Vision Pro, with its default strap and facepad, at 625g.

Quest 3 with its default soft strap is quite uncomfortable for me | Photo by Road to VR

In the case of Meta’s Elite Strap, adding weight actually makes the headset more comfortable.

Like Quest 3’s default strap, Vision Pro’s default ‘Solo Knit Band’ headstrap also isn’t that comfortable.

Clearly recognizing this, Apple also opted to include a ‘Dual Loop Band’ headstrap with every Vision Pro. It’s a better (thanks to a top strap for improved weight distribution) but it’s still not great.

It’s a real shame because on the one hand, the default Knit Band is actually really awesome. It’s soft, cups the back of your head nicely, and is incredibly easy to adjust with a built-in dial on the side. But if you use it, you forgo the benefit of the top strap that comes with the Dual Loop Band. So you can have one or the other, but not both.

It’s obvious that Apple should have just combined the two. Luckily for us, third-party strap options fix this issue for significantly less than an official Elite Strap from Apple—even if they did offer one.

After trying multiple third-party straps for Vision Pro, I’ve finally found one that does exactly I want: it combines with the excellent Knit Band, allows me to use the headset without the facepad (thereby reducing weight), and it gets my eyes closer to the lenses for a wider field-of-view.

This is the ANNAPRO A2 strap for Vision Pro, and it’s pretty much what Apple should have offered right out of the gate. The $45 pricetag feels very reasonable considering how much better it makes Apple’s $3,500 headset.

I’ve been testing it for a few weeks now and it has made using Vision Pro for long sessions significantly more comfortable. In fact, it’s a huge factor in making the new ultrawide virtual monitor for Vision Pro actually useful. The improved comfort makes Vision Pro much more attractive for day-to-day work.

When the company sent us the headstrap to check out, they also extended a 10% discount code to our readers: be sure to use the code ROADTOVR at checkout on Amazon if you plan to buy one.

The Annapro A2 strap slides easily onto Vision Pro’s struts, and works seamlessly with the Knit Band (it can also work with the Dual Loop if you want even more top-strap support). It includes four different pad sizes (5mm, 12mm, 18mm, and 25mm) in the box, allowing it to fit to different head shapes.

I found the 5mm pad works best for me, allowing me to wear the headset without the facepad, and bring the lenses as close to my eyes as I comfortably can, resulting in an expanded field-of-view and a more natural AR experience thanks to the open periphery.

Apple clearly prioritized form-over-function when it came to Vision Pro. They wanted to deliver something that looked no more clunky than a large pair of ski goggles. But that goal led them to compromises on comfort that have become one of the main critiques of the headset.

It’s nice that this can now be fixed thanks to affordable third-party accessories. This particular approach works so well that I wouldn’t be surprised if the next iteration of Vision Pro comes adopts something similar right out of the gate.

Pimax Changes Payment Structure to Make Flagships More Affordable, But Less Refundable

November 25, 2024 From roadtovr

Alongside updates to its PC VR headset lineup, Pimax revealed a new financing plan for Crystal Super and Crystal Light which makes both PC VR headsets more affordable, but also alters the payment structure and returns policy in a way that could raise a few eyebrows moving forward.

Announced back in April, Crystal Super is set to be the company’s next flagship PC VR headset, offering a base 57 PPD version with QLED panels that features a staggering resolution of 3,840 x 3,840 pixels per eye, a 120-degree field-of-view (FOV), and glass aspheric lenses with a reported 99% light transmission.

Additionally, Crystal Super supports eye-tracking, dynamic foveated rendering, inside-out tracking, and features swappable optical engines as well as offering a smaller, redesigned form factor for improved ergonomics. Principally targeted at VR simmers who already run a top of the line GPU, it basically represents a veritable wishlist of specs when the 57 PPD version arrives sometime in Q1 2025.

Pimax Crystal Super | Image courtesy Pimax

And even more so when the additional optical engines arrive at some point, which includes a micro-OLED engine for $699, and a 50 PPD QLED engine with 135-degree FOV for $399. Pre-orders for those optional add-ons are set to take place early next year.

Along with the fully updated spec sheet and launch of Crystal Super pre-orders, Pimax announced a new pricing structure for both Crystal Super and its previously released Crystal Light which reduces their overall prices, but makes some controversial changes to how the company’s payment structure and returns policy works.

While you can watch another one of Pimax’s patently byzantine video announcements to hear the marketing gist, we’ve dug a little deeper to find out what it means to the end user.

Pimax Prime (no relation)

On the face of it, the base price for Crystal Super is going down from the initially announced $1,800 to $1,695. Crystal Light, originally launched at $899, is going to $858. Notably, these pricing tiers both include controllers. As with all things Pimax though, it’s not so straight forward.

Now, the company is introducing a new mandatory financing/membership program, called ‘Pimax Prime’, which allows customers to purchase Crystal Super for $999 upfront, and Crystal Light for $599 upfront.

Pimax Crystal Light | Image courtesy Pimax

Similar to the previous Trial Payment scheme rolled out in May for Crystal Light, Pimax is offering a trial period so you can see if its right for you. When it ends, you’ll be on the hook to choose between one of two payment plans to keep the headset’s software working, or return the headset to Pimax for a full refund.

For Crystal Super, customers can choose between a one-time payment of $696, or a $33 per-month two-year plan ($792 total) for access to the required Pimax Play software. For Crystal Light, the one-time payment costs $259, or $12 per-month two-year plan ($288 total). If monthly payments are missed during the plan, software access is suspended.

After Prime payments are completed however, access to Pimax Play is entirely free for the particular headset in question. That’s seemingly great news if everything goes to plan, and you’re happy with the product, or if you find out it’s not right for you and you want a refund within the trial period.

While Pimax Prime hopes to sweeten the pot with extras such as early access to new software features, exclusive invitations to members-only events, and priority technical support, the payment plan is bringing along with it a fundamental change to how refunds work moving forward, effectively offering some customers less flexibility than before despite a lower overall price.

Through its previous Trial Payment scheme released in May, Crystal Light gave users a 15-day trial period, where customers could make free returns, provided the device wasn’t damaged by the user, and 30 days if damaged in transit. Now, Pimax only offers a 10-day return window in both cases, meaning you’re on the hook for a payment plan after the trial period no matter what.

While return policies vary in the United States, as that country lacks any such federally mandated consumer protection laws, the EU and UK provide consumers with the right to return any physical product within 14 days without justification, and provides two years against faulty goods, which doesn’t cover the usual suspects: user error, misuse, accidental damage, normal wear-and-tear, etc.

Herein lies the problem. As keen-eyed Redditor ‘TotalWarspammer’ points out, Prime is basically non-refundable after the 10-day period. It is however refundable if purchased within the 10-day period, or at the discretion of Pimax thereafter (see update below). Essentially, if you’re on day 10 of your headset and choose to get the best deal by signing up for the one-time payment, and then you change your mind a few days later, it’s up to Pimax to determine whether it will process the refund in full, which would include the purchased Prime subscription.

Notably, Pimax’s 12-month limited warranty does not include “any software whatsoever, whether developed by PIMAX or a third party, even if intended or labelled as for use with the Product.”

The jury is still out on whether this calculated gamble could actually be a misstep, as it has the potential to overshadow ostensibly good hardware from a company that has been able to offer niche PC VR headsets at increasingly reasonable prices. Then again, it may be just what you need to see whether a Pimax headset is right for you, as you’ll have a few days to figure it out and send it back for free. Still, paying for access to middleware that should be included for free may simply not sit right with some, no matter the justification behind it.

Pimax says Prime membership won’t be limited to Crystal Light and Crystal Super either, as the program will expand to include the future Pimax VR headsets too. So we’ll just have to wait and see how the community reacts, and whether Pimax’s new strategy really is here for good.

Update (November 26th, 2024): An early statement found on the headsets’ FAQ stated Pimax Prime was non-refundable, which is not the case—at least within the 10-day trial period, or at the discretion of the company beyond that date.

“If a customer has upgraded to Prime and decides to return the headset within the 10 day window (or at discretion of Pimax, which we sometimes do), both the base price as well as Prime would be refunded,” says Jaap Grolleman, Director of Overseas Marketing Operations.

We’ve included that information in the text above, and also added a statement regarding the limited 12-month warranty.

Varjo Launches ‘Teleport’ Service to Easily Scan Real Places and Bring Them into VR

November 25, 2024 From roadtovr

Varjo, the high-end XR headset creator, today announced the release of a new smartphone-based 3D scanning service for enterprise that promises to let users quickly build photorealistic environments and explore them in both VR and on traditional screens.

Called Teleport, the paid app allows users to capture and recreate real-world locations, something the Finland-based company says takes just 5–10 minutes, which is notably faster than traditional photogrammetry methods.

Supported capture devices include iPhones and iPads running iOS 17 or later, which includes a fairly large swath of hardware—from iPhone XR and above, and Apple’s 8th gen iPad and above.

The resultant “digital twins” can be accessed on phones, PCs, or explored with either Varjo’s XR headsets or other major PC VR headsets, the company says.

Powered by advances in Gaussian Splatting and NVIDIA GPU-trained generative models, Teleport’s 3D models are processed in the cloud and then rendered on-device, which means an Internet connection is only required to initially download the model, but not explore it.

Priced at $30 per month, Varjo is currently offering a seven-day free trial of Teleport. Signing up also allows users to view a host of captures for free in standard and high-definition via its web viewer, as well as the highest-level quality captures via its desktop client.

The launch of Teleport comes alongside an expansion of Varjo’s Series D funding round, bringing in new investors such as Beyond Capital, Nishikawa Communications, and NVIDIA. Varjo hasn’t disclosed to amount of its latest funding raise, however the company tells Road to VR this brings its lifetime funding to approximately €180 million ($188 million USD).

The company says funding will support its efforts to accelerate adoption of its XR hardware and software solutions for industrial applications, with CEO Timo Toikkanen noting Varjo will leverage AI and machine learning to further integrate real and virtual environments, enhancing productivity and efficiency for its industrial clients.

Meanwhile, Meta is working on a similar consumer-facing product, which was announced in September, called Horizon Hyperscape. Released as a demo experience to showcase Meta’s vision for photorealism, Meta says that at some point creators will also be able to “build worlds within Horizon by using a phone to scan a room and then recreate it,” although there’s no word on when we can expect the company to roll out the service.

Meta Opens Project Aria to Researchers Tackling All-day AR Challenges

November 18, 2024 From roadtovr

Project Aria is a pair of sensor-packed glasses which Meta has been using internally to train its augmented reality perception systems. Now, Meta revealed it’s released Project Aria to a number of third-party research teams aiming to tackle some of the most complex challenges in creating practical, all-day AR glasses of the future.

Announced in 2020, Aria doesn’t include AR displays of any type. Instead, the company designed the glasses to help develop the “safeguards, policies and even social norms necessary to govern the use of AR glasses and other future wearable devices.”

One early collaboration was with BMW, exploring how Aria might inform how AR glasses will one day serve up stable virtual content in moving vehicles—undoubtedly a big piece of the puzzle considering Americans spend around one hour in a car per-day on average, according to AAA.

Now, Meta announced it’s also partnered with a number of universities to develop research projects centered around the sort of things that will be important for all-day AR.

Meta says partners using Aria are currently researching advanced topics such as goal-driven human interaction (University of Bristol), sound localization for hearing aid innovation (University of Iowa), driver intent prediction for accident prevention (IIIT Hyderabad), and audio-based indoor navigation for the visually impaired (Carnegie Mellon University).

Notably, Meta is still accepting applications, which gives approved teams access to Meta’s Aria Research Kit (ARK), which includes the Project Aria hardware and SDK. The company says it also hopes to spark a variety of research topics such as embodied AI, contextualized AI, human-computer interaction (HCI), and robotics.

Meta envisions a future where AR is an integral tool for communication, entertainment, and utility, although getting there requires slim, all-day wearable AR glasses, which hasn’t been easy.

At Meta Connect in September, the company revealed one such prototype, called Orion, which features an impressively slim glasses form-factor, a separate wireless compute unit, and EMG wristband that can detect subtle movements of the user’s hand and fingers.

While Project Aria focuses on foundational research, Orion showcases Meta’s future ambitions for wearable AR, which is expensive. According to a report from The Verge, it cost Meta nearly $10,000 per unit to build due to its difficult to produce silicon carbide lenses, which feature a class-leading 70 degree field-of-view.

While Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth says the company hopes to launch such a pair before 2030 based on its work with Orion, at its unveiling, Meta made a point to note that Orion is “not a research prototype,” making it doubtful we’ll ever see this particular iteration in the hands of university teams.

Meta Quietly Rolls Out ‘Horizon Worlds’ Premium Digital Currency in US, UK and Canada

November 15, 2024 From roadtovr

Meta has added an important puzzle piece to Horizon Worlds, as the company has quietly rolled out its premium digital currency on the social VR platform in the US, UK, and Canada.

Roblox has Robux, Rec Room has Tokens, and Horizon Worlds now has Meta Credits, letting users buy in-world digital goods from creators, such as avatar outfits and access keys to premium worlds. Unlike Quest Cash, Meta Credits can’t be used to buy hardware or accessories, just stuff in Horizon Worlds.

While it’s a big step, this isn’t the official start of the Horizon Worlds economy. Meta has been experimenting with monetization on Horizon Worlds since 2022, allowing users to buy digital goods directly with their local currency. The difference with Meta Credits (like all premium tokens) however is the all-too familiar obfuscation of the amount of real-world money being spent.

As seen above, you can buy packs of Meta Credits that come along with various bonus amounts, or go for the straight 10:1 conversion at the lowest 300 Meta Credit tier, which costs $3 and doesn’t come with a bonus amount.

Similar to how Meta rolled out Horizon Worlds itself, the company is keeping a short leash on Meta Credits; they’re only available to users in the US, UK, and Canada for now. Horizon Worlds-supported regions still waiting for Meta Credits include Australia, New Zealand, most of Europe, and many countries in East Asia.

Meta says parents or guardians of children aged 10-12 (ages vary by region) must approve any purchase requiring a credit card, including the purchase of Meta Credits, through a parent-managed Meta account.

Meta Credits can’t be transferred from one account to another either, meaning they’re tied to your individual account—i.e. not like a cryptocurrency—and can only used within Horizon Worlds, either in Quest or its standard mobile app.

With Meta Credits, Horizon Worlds is taking a definitive step towards building a sustainable virtual economy, although we’ll simply have to wait and see whether it’s enough to strip creators (and users) away from more mature ecosystems, like Roblox, Rec Room, or VRChat.

With Meta’s reach though, there’s more than a good chance we might see Meta Credit gift cards at the checkout aisles as we near Holiday Season.

Apple Releases The Weeknd’s Immersive Music Video Exclusively for Vision Pro

November 15, 2024 From roadtovr

Apple has released a new immersive music video from The Weeknd featuring his latest single ‘Open Hearts’, which is available exclusively on Vision Pro for a limited time.

Captured in Apple’s Immersive Video format, Open Hearts serves up 180-degree immersive views and spatial audio set to eponymous single from the Canadian pop artist’s upcoming album ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’.

Putting viewers in the center of the action, the music video—or more of a immersive music experience—lets viewers journey alongside the Weeknd on what Apple calls “an electrifying sonic voyage,” as he makes his way through a surreal, haunting cityscape.

The five-minute experience is free on Vision Pro through the Apple TV app, although users looking to view the experience for entirely free can technically request to demo Open Heart at their local Apple Store starting today.

Apple says it’s soon bringing out more experiences for free, including the upcoming Concert for One, which is launching globally on Friday, November 22nd, which invites fans to enjoy intimate performances from the world’s biggest artists.

This follows the release of Submerged, Apple’s first scripted short film, and potentially one of the most expensive immersive videos to date. Also filmed in Apple Immersive Video format, Submerged was filmed on a full-scale 23-ton submarine set made with real metal, modeled after WWII-era vessels.

Final Cut Pro 11 Finally Unlocks Spatial Video Editing, But Lacks Vision Pro Preview

November 15, 2024 From roadtovr

Apple has released Final Cut Pro 11, which finally lets you edit spatial videos captured with Vision Pro, or iPhone 15 Pro or later.

The latest Final Cut Pro now lets users make adjustments to the left- and right-eye angles on their Mac display, add effects, color correction, and titles to spatial videos.

Of course, thanks to Mac Virtual Display, you can also now edit those spatial videos captured with Vision Pro on Vision Pro.

While the added virtual screen real estate is undeniably better for organizing complex workflows, Final Cut Pro 11 tethered with Vision Pro is still essentially a 2D editing experience, just bigger.

Still lacking is the ability to actually preview spatial videos in-headset while editing—i.e. having a 3D window inside of Final Cut Pro that renders stereoscopically.

Granted, spatial videos can be exported directly to a user’s Photos library after editing, and viewed immediately on Vision Pro, although just not previewed during the editing process, which feels like a miss.

Still, Apple is bringing out its expanded Mac Virtual Display options, which will let users blow up either Mac Virtual Display to a massive 32:9 ultra-wide curved display, which the company likens to two 5K monitors side by side.

For now, the panoramic Mac Virtual Display option is available in beta, which only requires a few simple steps to download, which may come in handy (but not too handy) when editing spatial videos on Final Cut Pro 11.

Roguelite VR Shooter ‘The Light Brigade’ Gets New Class and Weapon in Latest Update

November 14, 2024 From roadtovr

Funktronic Labs, the studio behind roguelite shooter The Light Brigade (2023), just dropped a major content update that brings a new playable character, new ability, and a new procedurally generated region.

Called the ‘Phantom of Time’, the free update introduces the ‘Saboteur’, a revolver-wielding gunslinger who comes part and parcel with a new ability, called the ‘Timepiece’.

The new ability lets you cloak yourself and deploy a ‘deadringer’ copy, letting you make a swift escape, or tactical move to outmaneuver your enemy. Check it out in action in the trailer below:

A new region, called ‘Memorial Grounds’, is here too, bringing a new procedurally generated, war-torn crypt that the studio says was “once a resting place for honored soldiers, now reduced to ruins by endless battle. Uncover secrets buried in the chaos.”

Initially released in February 2023, we were mightily impressed with The Light Brigade, giving it a solid [8.5/10] in our full review thanks to its clever upgrade system and engaging WWII-era weapons.

The free update is available starting today across all supported platforms, including PSVR 2, SteamVR headsets, and Quest 2 and up, where you’ll find it priced between $25 and $17.50 depending on platform-specific sales.

Xiaomi Reportedly Partners with Goertek to Chase Success of Ray-Ban Meta Smartglasses

November 13, 2024 From roadtovr

Xiaomi makes everything, from phones and vacuum cleaners to massage guns and even electric cars. Now, according to a report from Chinese media 36kr, Xiaomi may be developing a device that goes toe-to-toe with Ray-Ban Meta smartglasses.

The report maintains Xiaomi is planning to launch a new generation of AI-assisted smartglasses, which will be built in collaboration with Goertek, the China-based ODM behind a bevy of XR parts, reference designs, and finished white-label hardware.

The rumored Xiaomi smartglasses are said to “fully benchmark” against Ray-Ban Meta, which includes AI functions, integrated speakers, and camera modules. Notably, Ray-Ban Meta smartglasses aren’t officially available in China.

Ray-Ban Meta Glasses, Image courtesy Meta, EssilorLuxottica

Citing insider sources, the report maintains the device is slated to arrive in Q2 2025, with 36kr noting it may launch in time for the Mi Fan Festival, which is typically held in April to mark Xiaomi’s founding anniversary.

The report further maintains, Xiaomi co-founder Lei Jun expects to ship more than 300,000 units.

Xiaomi has dabbled in XR hardware in the past, although it really hasn’t entered full force. The Chinese tech giant hyped a widely reported AR glasses prototype at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in 2023. A year prior, the company launched a pair of smartglasses, called Mijia Glasses Camera. Much like the now defunct Google Glass, the device featured a single heads-up display.

All of that is changing though, it seems. Next year is shaping up to be a big year for smartglasses in China, as the country’s largest brands may be hoping to replicate Meta’s success with Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses.

Baidu announced at its Baidu World Conference on November 12th its own co-product with Xiaodu, the Xiaodu AI glasses, which is launching in China in the first half of 2025.

The 36kr report also notes that Chinese heavy-hitters OPPO, vivo, Huawei, Tencent, and ByteDance are also currently evaluating their own smartglasses projects.

Sony to Discontinue Free PSVR Camera Adapter for PlayStation 5 This Month

November 11, 2024 From roadtovr

If you’re one of the few remaining PSVR owners looking to use the original 2016 headset on PlayStation 5, you only have a few more days to request your free PS Camera adapter, as Sony is discontinuing the device later this month.

Sony released its PlayStation Camera Adapter for free in 2020 to help bridge the gap for PSVR users looking for a console upgrade to PS5, which notably didn’t offer full PSVR support out of the box.

The PlayStation 5 HD Camera that launched alongside PS5 can’t track the original PSVR headset or PS Move controllers spatially, requiring the additional adapter.

Of course, this was nearly three years before Sony released PSVR 2, making the adapter indispensable for playing any VR title on PS5.

Now, Sony says it’s discontinuing the free adapter program come November 26th, or “until supplies last.”

If you still haven’t requested a free adapter, all you need is the serial number on the PSVR Processing Unit. In the US, requests can be directed to Sony’s toll-free number 1-800-345-SONY (7669).

Notably, the adapter has never officially gone on sale. There are however heaps available through eBay if for some reason you own a used PSVR that has already technically claimed its one free adapter. You’ll need it!

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