Bigscreen Beyond - 5k OLED and tiny

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Iā€™m not sure why any manufacturer making a tethered headset obsesses on size. Yes it makes sense when itā€™s a mobile device and you want to keep it small and light.

PCVR is all about the experience and less on the weight or the size. The Index is perfect so just drop a pair of 4k panels open the FOV slightly and keep the price below $1000. Job done.

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Why is PSVR2 so big? Because pancake lenses are not needed in a tethered headset. Better use fresnel with OLED panels and not lose all that brightness.

I doubt Bigscreen Beyond will make it beyond 12 months life.

For watching movies, playing sim games and productivity then the cable doesnā€™t matter and the small form factor does, allows for hours in VR comfortably. Definitely not ideal for all situations ofc.

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You mean it wonā€™t be onsale for more than 12 months or the physical units will fail?

Interested in your reasoning behind that tbh.

PSVR2 went with fresnel most likely for cost and ease. They had aspheric on PSVR1, so not like pancake were the only other option. Do you specifically not like pancake lenses?

Anyone that has tried it said the brightness is decent from what I could tell. Like the panels I could find matching these microOLED ones are rated for 3k nits, so yes pancake lesnes are very inefficient but you also have huge brightness with microOLED.

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If I was Bigscreen my priority would of been movies so No1 on my list would of been 4k displays and HDR. That alone would make more sense than having an ultra small tethered headset.

Second would be mobility - to be able to watch movies anywhere. So plugging into a mobile phone and using a Big Screen App would of made more sense than being tethered to a PC.

HTCs XR elite is more of a Big Screen headset than Bigscreen Beyond is imo.

Any HMD manufacturer in 2023 needs to beat the Index on all fronts which is now 4 years old Technology.

Downgrade to upgrade makes no sense and unfortunately for Bigscreen itā€™s a downgrade on FOV and has non of the mobility of the Pico4.

Bigscreen is a weird combination of technologies with no strategic end goal.

I doubt it will be on sale in 2025 if it goes on sale at the end of 2023.

Why? I donā€™t see why it would stop so fast, unless like they iterate with a newer version. As for it failing, I donā€™t see why it would (not that it couldnā€™t, I just donā€™t see any compelling reason why it would fail so spectacularly).

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Pancake has its place in stand-alone headsets but not for $1000 high end headsets. Iā€™d much rather pay to have Aspherical and OLEDs on a PCVR headset.

One day the Index replacement will come.

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I think Crystal is a better buy for one.

I actually think Pico4 is a better buy as well.

Then we get into the coming headsets of 2023.

Even if Valve dropped OLEDs into the current Index it would be a better headset as it would be way cheaper and still have a bigger FOV.

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With Oled, the Godrays would become unbearable. Even with an LCD, they are already at the barely acceptable limit.

Even though I see the Index as the best overall package for consumers, the visual representation was not good enough for me to buy it.

Iā€™m sure you can turn the brightness down and still get the benefits of OLEDs. PSVR2 has OLEDs and Fresnels.

Iā€™d have to agree with Atmos here, Iā€™m struggling to see a strong niche for this headset.

If Iā€™m going ultra-light, ultra small form factor and sacrificing POV, I really donā€™t want to be tethered down to my PC.

If they had done the same small form factor front, with a Q2 level processor and battery pack on the back for counterbalance, that might be really really interesting. Alas.

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But no double lens system, in which the glare builds up.

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Sorry guys this thing blows Crystal out of the water at a lower price point with better displays and optics (imo). 100% in for this.

On top of that bigscreen actually put together a professional campaign, had the big streamers come and WORK WITH THEM to test the unit and they got some good branding and a real spec sheet up on the website.

This thing looks good, best thing I seen in the PCVR space since the Index.

Pimax has a lot to learn from this imo.

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On size it does totally agree. BigscreenVR is incredibly small.

OLEDs v Crystals OLED backlit LCD panels is debatable.

Lenses you have Pancake v Aspherical Iā€™m siding with Aspherical.

FOV Iā€™m siding with Crystal.

Crystal has built in audio and free DAS if you preorder.

Crystal has a chance of wireless. Bigscreen does not have a Wigig port as far as I can see.

Crystal comes with controllers and better Headstrap.

Crystal has built in eye tracking, Bigscreen goes not.

Crystal has motorised IPD adjustment.

Value for money goes to Crystal imo.

Bigscreen needs to be $700 but I doubt low volumes will make that a possibility.

Iā€™m not in either race but Crystal gets my vote in this one.

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Customization is great, butā€¦

Resale will be difficult if you want to sell it later to purchase up.
This also means that anyone whoā€™s still in development (physically), i.e. young ppl/teenagers. will potentially need multiple customizationsā€¦ (cost/time)?
The above, could ultimately contribute to e-waste sooner.

Resolution is ok.
FoV wouldnā€™t meet use-cases for FSimmers IMO.
No stand-alone mode
Price okā€¦

If this thing was Stand-Alone capable, it makes more sense due to size factor.

How long of a display port cable Iā€™d need to run it from the PC to the living room or bedroom?

Hmmm

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If one of these new micro OLED headsets was to be successful and tick all the boxes it wonā€™t be from this small startup. This is just another prototype announcement. One of the big players will be working on the exact same thing with plans to launch end of year/next year. If the panels were available in quantity HTC would have used them for the XR Elite

Bigscreen already claimed end of year which will defiantly be extended as usual just like every other headset prototype using ā€œnext genā€ components. Then thereā€™s the costly time it will take to customize each headset. That will surely make fulfillment a pain in the as*s. By that time all the bugs are worked out we will likely be in Deckard territory and whatever else gets announced. Pico 5, Samsung etc

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