Social VR firm Bigscreen has opened pre-orders for Beyond, its first virtual reality headset. The $999 model, which the company says is the “world’s smallest,” offers a custom-fit from a 3D scan of each purchaser’s face. The PC-only wearable is also lightweight, at just under 6 ounces, including the strap. Delivery int eh U.S. is slated for Q3. The slight packaging doesn’t come at the expense of resolution, with dual 5K (5,120 x 2,560) micro OLED displays. However, some say the 93- degree horizontal field of view (90 degrees vertical) is a drawback.

The company feels the lithe form factor and comfy fit will be enough to distinguish it from bulkier rivals. “For context, even a simple competitor like the HTC Vive Flow weighs 6.6 ounces,” writes Engadget.

With a refresh rate of 90Hz, the displays offer “six-degrees-of-freedom tracking and three-element pancake optics that reportedly eliminate the screen door effect (where you can see the gaps between pixels),” Engadget says, calling the field of view “decent.”

“The VR software studio wanted to build ‘the VR headset we wanted for ourselves. Today’s leading VR headsets have doubled in weight compared to headsets from 2016. We built Beyond because we felt VR was too heavy, bulky, and uncomfortable,’” Bigscreen founder and CEO Darshan Shankar told Road to VR.

Bigscreen’s custom fit is described as an “enthusiast-grade” feature that Road to VR says will be achieved “by doing a one-time scan of the user’s face using an iPhone XR or more recent Apple mobile device.” The Bigscreen 3D scanning app will measure the contours of the user’s face as well as eye positioning, “which allows the company to form a facial interface unique to the individual and determine interpupillar distance.”

Road to VR’s generally positive assessment that Beyond “checks a lot of boxes” is tempered by the fact that it’s missing some “next-gen” features “such as eye-tracking, face-tracking, optical 6DOF tracking, and the ability to use it wirelessly.”

Bigscreen has been around since 2016, and made its name with software that makes it possible for users in diverse locations to share communal experiences in 3D for platforms including Steam and Meta Quest.

Another social VR platform, Somnium Space, unveiled a PCVR headset at CES 2023.