Bigscreen Beyond
The Bigscreen Beyond is a PC VR head-mounted display developed by Bigscreen, announced in February 2023 and shipped in Q3 2023. Marketed as "the world's smallest VR headset," the Beyond weighs just 127 grams—approximately 6× lighter than competing headsets—and measures less than 1 inch at its thinnest point. It features dual Micro-OLED displays with 2560×2560 resolution per eye (2-3× higher than most competitors), custom pancake optics, and a unique custom-fit design manufactured based on each customer's 3D face scan. The Beyond requires SteamVR base stations for tracking and is tethered to a PC.
| Bigscreen Beyond | |
|---|---|
| Basic Info | |
| VR/AR | Virtual Reality |
| Type | Head-mounted display |
| Subtype | PC VR |
| Platform | SteamVR |
| Developer | Bigscreen |
| Manufacturer | Bigscreen |
| Announcement Date | February 2023 |
| Release Date | Q3 2023 |
| Price | $999 USD |
| Website | https://store.bigscreenvr.com/products/bigscreen-beyond |
| Successor | Bigscreen Beyond 2e |
| System | |
| Storage | |
| Display | |
| Display | 2× Micro-OLED |
| Resolution | 2560×2560 per eye (5120×2560 combined) |
| Refresh Rate | 90 Hz |
| Image | |
| Field of View | 90° × 93° |
| Optics | |
| Optics | Custom pancake lenses |
| Ocularity | Binocular |
| IPD Range | Custom (factory set) |
| Tracking | |
| Tracking | Outside-in (SteamVR Lighthouse) |
| Eye Tracking | No |
| Hand Tracking | No |
| Audio | |
| Audio | Optional (3.5mm jack) |
| Connectivity | |
| Connectivity | DisplayPort, USB |
| Device | |
| Weight | 127g |
History and Development
Bigscreen, known primarily for their social VR cinema application, announced the Beyond in February 2023 as their first hardware product. The company designed the headset to solve what they saw as fundamental problems in VR: size, weight, and resolution. By using cutting-edge Micro-OLED displays and custom pancake optics, they achieved an unprecedented form factor at the expense of features like inside-out tracking and adjustable IPD.[1]
In March 2025, Bigscreen announced the Bigscreen Beyond 2e with improved field of view, manual IPD adjustment, and optional eye tracking.[2]
Design and Hardware
Form Factor
Revolutionary miniaturization:
- 127 grams total weight (6× lighter than competitors)
- Less than 1 inch at thinnest point
- Ski goggle-like form factor
- Custom-fit to each customer's face
- Unprecedented comfort for extended use
Display
High-resolution Micro-OLED technology:
- Dual Micro-OLED displays
- 2560×2560 resolution per eye (2-3× higher than Valve Index)
- 5120×2560 combined resolution
- 90 Hz refresh rate
- 90° × 93° field of view
- 28 pixels per degree (PPD)
- 7.2 μm pixel size
- RGB stripe subpixels
- High fill factor—no visible screen door effect
- 18mm display width (extremely compact)
Optics
Custom pancake optical design:
- Pancake lenses (not Fresnel)
- Compact optical path
- Wide field of view in small form factor
- Note: 90% light loss from pancake design (compensated by bright OLEDs)
Custom-Fit Manufacturing
Unique personalization process:
- 3D face scan required before manufacturing
- iPhone XR or newer needed for scan
- Bigscreen iPhone app captures face shape
- Eye position measured for optical alignment
- IPD configured at factory (not adjustable)
- Each Beyond custom-made per customer
- Will not fit well on other users' faces
Tracking
Uses SteamVR ecosystem:
- Outside-in tracking via Lighthouse base stations
- 6 Degrees of Freedom
- Requires SteamVR 1.0 or 2.0 base stations
- Compatible with Valve Index controllers
Audio
- 3.5mm audio jack
- No built-in speakers (external audio required)
- Supports any 3.5mm headphones
Limitations
Features not included:
- No eye tracking (added in Beyond 2e)
- No face tracking
- No inside-out tracking (requires base stations)
- No wireless capability
- No adjustable IPD (factory set)
- Custom-fit means no sharing
- PC tethered only
Specifications
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Resolution | 2560×2560 per eye (5120×2560) |
| Refresh Rate | 90 Hz |
| Field of View | 90° × 93° |
| PPD | 28 |
| Tracking | SteamVR (external base stations) |
| Weight | 127g |
| Price | $999 USD |
Reception
Praise:
- World's smallest VR headset
- 127g weight revolutionary for comfort
- 2-3× higher resolution than most competitors
- 28 PPD eliminates screen door effect
- RGB stripe Micro-OLED displays
- Pancake optics in compact form factor
- Custom-fit maximizes comfort and optics
- SteamVR compatibility with existing equipment
- Ideal for simulation enthusiasts
- "Unprecedented form factor"
Criticism:
- $999 price (headset only)
- Requires SteamVR base stations
- No adjustable IPD (factory set)
- Cannot share with others (custom-fit)
- No eye or face tracking
- No inside-out tracking
- No wireless option
- iPhone required for face scan
- Missing "next-gen" features[3]
See Also
References
- ↑ "Bigscreen Introduces Beyond—the World's Smallest VR Headset". TechPowerUp. https://www.techpowerup.com/304754/bigscreen-introduces-beyond-the-worlds-smallest-vr-headset/.
- ↑ "Bigscreen Beyond". Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bigscreen_Beyond.
- ↑ "Micro OLED Application: Bigscreen Beyond, smallest VR". Panox Display. https://www.panoxdisplay.com/application/micro-oled-application-bigscreen-beyond.html.
- ↑ "Bigscreen's Debut VR Headset Said to Be World's Smallest". Hypebeast. https://hypebeast.com/2023/2/bigscreen-beyond-vr-headset-smallest-release-info.