Bigscreen Beyond 2

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Display, Refresh Rate & Resolution

  • Many ask about 120Hz support; current specs list “up to 90Hz,” with comments that 75/90Hz may require reduced resolution or upscaling.
  • Several posters criticize marketing that calls it “5K” without clearly stating that’s combined (effectively 2560×2560 per eye).
  • Some argue that low weight and very short front-heavy leverage significantly reduce physical lag, so 75–90Hz on an ultra-light OLED headset can feel better than expected versus heavier LCD headsets.

Optics & Aberrations

  • The “Advanced optics” image on the site is criticized for obvious chromatic aberration; others suggest it’s just a magnifier tool, not the actual VR optics.
  • Commenters note that chromatic/spherical aberrations in VR can be corrected in software via per-channel pre-warping, a standard technique since early VR.

Motion Sickness & Accessibility

  • A study suggesting women are roughly twice as likely to experience VR nausea is discussed; causes (hormonal vs social/experience) are deemed unclear.
  • Some argue the industry doesn’t take motion sickness seriously enough, pointing to FPS-stick locomotion as default.
  • Proposed mitigations: tunneling on turns, teleport locomotion, 90+ FPS, high fidelity headsets; others stress these are helpful but not a complete solution.
  • Experiences vary widely: some users adapt with mixed control schemes (stick for translation, body for rotation).

Market Position & Use Cases

  • Bigscreen Beyond 2 is seen as an ultra-enthusiast PCVR device for heavy users of sims, VRChat, and a few staples like Beat Saber (especially modded PC versions).
  • Concerns: high price, shrinking PCVR-first content, Quest-targeted development, and abandoned or poorly maintained SteamVR titles.
  • Counterpoint: niche VR communities (sims, VRChat) are large and wealthy enough to sustain high-end headsets.
  • Bigscreen is viewed as focused on serving an existing niche (PC peripheral for Bigscreen app, social VR, sims), not expanding the broader VR market.

Productivity & “Virtual Monitor” Use

  • Bigscreen’s density is seen as marginal for coding/reading: text is effectively shown on 3D panes, so only a fraction of panel pixels hit the “monitor.”
  • Common pattern: make text large, use many large virtual screens; this can still cause neck strain and some motion sickness.
  • Multiple users note that all current VR headsets fix focus at ~2m; this is unlike staring at a phone inches away, but 8+ hours still risks digital eyestrain.
  • Dynamic focal-distance prototypes exist but aren’t yet in shipping products.

Virtual Monitors, AR Glasses & Alternatives

  • For a “giant monitor on a plane” use case, suggestions include: Apple Vision Pro, Quest 3, Pico 4, or AR glasses (Xreal, Viture) that look more socially acceptable but offer less sophisticated spatial behavior.
  • Disabling head tracking is called a bad idea: it doesn’t reduce latency and strongly increases discomfort.
  • Some argue a dedicated non-VR monitor-replacement HMD with much higher PPD could be viable, but current VR market optimizes for wide FOV and gaming.

Meta/Quest PCVR vs Alternatives

  • Several posts complain that Meta’s PCVR (Link) is fragile and second-class vs standalone; third-party tools (Virtual Desktop, Steam Link, ALVR) often give better quality and flexibility.
  • Debates cover whether wired USB or high-end Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi 6E) with better compression (VD) yields superior results; consensus: with good networking, wireless+VD can beat Quest Link.
  • Meta’s OpenXR behavior and broader standards drama are briefly mentioned as another pain point.
  • Bigscreen Beyond 2 is appreciated as a pure PCVR, non-Meta option, though lack of inside-out tracking and reliance on base stations is a downside for some.

Eye Tracking, Foveated Rendering & Meetings

  • Built-in eye tracking is seen as important for future foveated rendering to reconcile high resolution with high framerates. Users want independent reviews of tracking quality.
  • One thread claims “eye contact” in VR (driven by eye tracking) could be the killer app for meetings; others are skeptical, citing high hardware cost, avatar uncanny valley, and user reluctance to wear headsets for work calls.
  • Some report VR meeting tools feel much more “present,” especially for workshops and 3D model reviews; others think investment here is unjustified versus cheaper solutions (teleprompters, better 2D tools).
  • Debate continues over AR smart glasses vs full VR for work: AR passthrough (AVP) vs optical/transparent AR (HoloLens style), with multiple commenters arguing non-passthrough AR is technically and UX-wise worse for many tasks.

Miscellaneous Feedback

  • Many hope for a new Valve headset; some claim a next-gen device is already in developers’ hands, others think Valve is done with hardware.
  • Multiple reports of the Bigscreen site crashing or rendering a black page, especially on iOS or large viewports.
  • Bigscreen (the app) remains a “killer app” for some on older headsets, and there’s enthusiasm that the company is still investing in high-end PCVR.