BigScreenBeyond2 vs. Quest3: Ergonomics and comfort

October 1

Apart from the better visuals of the BSB2 over the Quest3 I thought it is even more important to look at the ergonomy and comfort of the devices.

Weight: Without the strap and with the mask, the BSB2 is 161 grams, the Quest3 is 466. So near 3 times less.

The Quest3 is heavier becasue it has a 4900 mAh batery (about 75g) and larger lenses, cameras, chips, fans etc.

So, Yes!, less weight is always good for comfort, and in principle, you might think that the BSB2 is more comfortable than the Quest3.

Rotational Inertia: Phisically is the sum of every point of mass multiplied by the squared distance to the rotation axis. In other words, the more mass the more inertia, it is linear grow, but the farther that mass from the head the inertia rise at squared rate.

I didn´t calculate the rotational inertia of both devices but I can tell you that the Quest3 has 6-8 times more than BSB2.

So, Yes!, less rotational is always good for comfort when quick turns of head.

So, with this two factors everyone would think that the BSB2 is the king of Comfort, right?

Edited October 1 by chiliwili69

October 1

What a cliffhanger.

October 1

Sorry, I went for dinner, so let´s continue, don´t hold your breath!

As you can image the answer is NO!!.

I find the Quest3 more comfortable than the BSB2 (I should note that I added some iron pieces at the back to counter-balance the weight of the Quest3, but I also added a Studioform top strap to the BSB2).

It is true that the Quest3 feels like a little brick hanging in my face, and in quick turns left-to-right anfd right-to-left you can really feel the rotational inertia but in the BSB2, with the custom mask, less weight and less inertia, everything is well fixed to your head.

But, but, what I am not totally happy is with this rubber custom mask of the BSB2. For long flying session (3+ hours) it hurts my nose, it get also a bit hot, and it is less comfortable than the Quest3.

Why? It is due to the small area where the BSB2 is resting in my face. If it would be larger it would solve the problem. For the same force, the less area -> the more pressure.

As you can see , the Quest3 is using a larger area to rest the headset in my face, adn also that material is not rubber, it is somehow more breathable and comfy than the BSB2.

I can´t negate that the idea of doing a custom individual mask for the BSB2 is nice, but on practice I would prefer a type of mask like the Quest3.

Let´s compare them with one over the other:

The BSB2 is resting in the area of my faces aorund my eyes, which is more sensible for pressures than the outer area used by the Quest3.

Hey, what the heck!, What happen if I use the Quest3 on top of the BSB2???

LOL, obiously it doesn´t work at all, but it would be nice if BSB people or any other third party company like VRCover or Oblik would creat a breathable and comfy mask for the BSB2.

Now, looking at the Quest3, it the absolute overall best device for that price. It is very well designed, but not perfect. The same than the BSB2, a piece of art, but not perfect.

Edited October 2 by chiliwili69

October 2

Which one are you keeping, @chiliwili69? 🙂

October 7

On 10/2/2025 at 7:35 AM, Picchio said:

Which one are you keeping, @chiliwili69? 🙂

It is not an easy choice, I am still testing them: 1 hour BSB2, 1 hour Quest3, 1 hour BSB2 ... and so on, but I think I already have a winner.

October 7

HEEEYYYY!! exactly what I want:

October 7

This YT video has always struck me as a carefully contrived sales pitch:

From the start I have viewed the BSB as a gimmick. For me the negatives outweigh its' size advantage. Most onerous is the face scan requirement. Eventually, that data will be part of a package sold to some new owner. I think the Index is still the best combination of form and usability features. Its' facial cover is magnetically attached making it simple to have a separate facial interface for each user. That is one failing of the Aero in comparison to the Index. With a magnetically attached facial interface the Aero would be a near perfect HMD as it has auto IPD adjustment. OTOH it lacks the Index' audio solution. I can't imagine trading a working Aero for the BSB2, then having to buy so many add-ons to make up for deficiencies inherent in its' design. The "It's Here" video is a prime example.😊The Aero also has eye tracking that works flawlessly at present for me in DCS. I wonder whether eye tracking for BSB2 variants will work as well. If so, how much cpu overhead will it consume? When my Aero eventually dies I'll look for a replacement, but that's unlikely to be a BSB in its' current form.

October 7

It does kinda look sexy though. And that is important for combat flight simmers. We get the chicks and yet again civil aviation enthusiasts miss out.

October 7

I ordered than facial mask, just 39$ on top of the BSB2 price is a minor thing, but ideally BigScreen company could produce a similar option when ordering the device.

Meanwhile I have been investigating the source of my discomfort with the BSB2 and I realized that most of the device weight was resting in my nose, so then I opted to do an extra customization of my rubber mask by cutting the rubber which touch my nose. The result is quite good, I have been now testing it for 3 hours and no pain in my nose!

In any case, the Studioform mask should arrive in 3-5 days and I will see if it is better than the original as it is now.

I also realized that from all my previous VR devices (DK1, DK2, Rift, 5K+, VP, VP2, G1, G2, Pico4, Index, QuestPro, Crystal Light, Quest3) none of them was resting the weight in my nose but in a bigger surface around my face.

October 8

11 hours ago, Dagwoodyt said:

I can't imagine [...] having to buy so many add-ons to make up for deficiencies inherent in its' design.

The issue with headsets is that it is something that is worn on the head, and people have very different head shapes, nose sizes, nose shapes and other peculiarities. And people also have different preferences, like outside light being completely blocked off, or a very open design where they can see as much of the real world as possible, or something in between. And preferences like where the pressure is applied.

So it's almost impossible for a single design to work for everyone. That's why I put great value in a headset being very popular, resulting in people making it work for pretty much any head shape and preference, and there being a large aftermarket.

Of course, you need to factor the price of the extra stuff into the total costs. But I'm personally pretty happy that with my Quest they just cut costs, and pass that on, and then you can get whatever add-ons you prefer.

October 8

Unless Bigscreen is going to commit to building new light houses it's destined for a paper weight. They're already scarce, questionable life left in highly recycled used up units, and already way overpriced compared to the headsets with no new manufacture in sight.

Don't understand why nobody continued with the low cost IR lamps like the original Occulus CV-1 had, was simple, cheap, and effective.

October 8

24 minutes ago, [CPT]Crunch said:

Unless Bigscreen is going to commit to building new light houses it's destined for a paper weight.

But I understand HTC is still manufacturing and selling them, right?, they are needed for VivePro series and Vive Cosmos.

Here at special price today V2 at 161€ and V1 79€

https://www.vive.com/eu/accessory/base-station2/

https://www.vive.com/eu/accessory/base-station/

In fact I am going to grab one v1 today, just to have a spare part in case it breaks. (It has been working fine for more than 5 years)

Perhaps next BSB3 iteration they opt for inside-out tracking, like the G2.

October 8

21 minutes ago, [CPT]Crunch said:

Unless Bigscreen is going to commit to building new light houses it's destined for a paper weight. They're already scarce, questionable life left in highly recycled used up units, and already way overpriced compared to the headsets with no new manufacture in sight.

Don't understand why nobody continued with the low cost IR lamps like the original Occulus CV-1 had, was simple, cheap, and effective.

At one point light houses were selling for $150 via Steam. I bought one to keep in reserve and also got a replacement for a malfunctioning LH that I am also keeping in reserve. With LH's now NLA from Steam it looks looks like the days for all HMD's needing lighthouse tracking are numbered. I have no reason to doubt that Bigscreen has taken this into account and will use a different tracking system IF they decide to stay in the HMD market. As the limitations of tiny form factor HMD's become more and more obvious I have doubts that their current main selling point will suffice for sales success in the long term.

October 9

10 hours ago, Dagwoodyt said:

At one point light houses were selling for $150 via Steam. I bought one to keep in reserve and also got a replacement for a malfunctioning LH that I am also keeping in reserve. With LH's now NLA from Steam it looks looks like the days for all HMD's needing lighthouse tracking are numbered. I have no reason to doubt that Bigscreen has taken this into account and will use a different tracking system IF they decide to stay in the HMD market. As the limitations of tiny form factor HMD's become more and more obvious I have doubts that their current main selling point will suffice for sales success in the long term.

My BSB1/2 works fine with HTC base stations (I have two 1.0 base stations). I had no problem ordering them on Amazon.

October 9

36 minutes ago, Goldwrench said:

My BSB1/2 works fine with HTC base stations (I have two 1.0 base stations). I had no problem ordering them on Amazon.

I've no experience with 1.0 base stations. I know they are still available as are 2.0 base stations:

How long HTC will continue to sell VR HMD's that use them is the issue. I'd probably buy a 2.0 station even at the $229.00 price if I weren't already well stocked with base stations. Mine may last longer than my Aero remains usable though, so I don't plan to buy another in the near future.

October 9

@chiliwili69 Speaking of comfort, why did you choose not to try the halo mount?

October 9

2 hours ago, Picchio said:

Speaking of comfort, why did you choose not to try the halo mount?

When I was placing the order in April-2025 prefered the standard custom one since I thought it was going to be ideal.

The halo mount has delays (see latest blog news: https://store.bigscreenvr.com/blogs/beyond/universal-fit-cushions) , so people who ordered the BSB2 with the Halo mount are still waiting for them. But it is going to be dispatched with the Universal-Fit Cushion (which is also made of rubber and resting in the same place than the standard)

Removing some of the foam-rubber from the nose has solved mostly my issue, but let´s see how the Studioform mask feels when arrive next week.

October 9

34 minutes ago, chiliwili69 said:

When I was placing the order in April-2025 prefered the standard custom one since I thought it was going to be ideal.

The halo mount has delays (see latest blog news: https://store.bigscreenvr.com/blogs/beyond/universal-fit-cushions) , so people who ordered the BSB2 with the Halo mount are still waiting for them. But it is going to be dispatched with the Universal-Fit Cushion (which is also made of rubber and resting in the same place than the standard)

Removing some of the foam-rubber from the nose has solved mostly my issue, but let´s see how the Studioform mask feels when arrive next week.

Thanks for the replies. In a month or so I should be able to see for myself... I have an OLED monitor so I'm already spoiled in terms of image quality, I'm curious to see how these displays behave in this VR headset.

Will it replace my Quest Pro?

To be continued...

Edited October 9 by Picchio

October 9

14 hours ago, chiliwili69 said:

When I was placing the order in April-2025 prefered the standard custom one since I thought it was going to be ideal.

The halo mount has delays (see latest blog news: https://store.bigscreenvr.com/blogs/beyond/universal-fit-cushions) , so people who ordered the BSB2 with the Halo mount are still waiting for them. But it is going to be dispatched with the Universal-Fit Cushion (which is also made of rubber and resting in the same place than the standard)

Removing some of the foam-rubber from the nose has solved mostly my issue, but let´s see how the Studioform mask feels when arrive next week.

Have you used the top strap with the basic strap? The top strap makes it so that I don't need to tighten the headset against my face. It's fairly loose but stays in place and still has maximum light sealing. I did have to shorten the top strap though because my head is smaller than the Death Star! I use a rubber band to take up the slack in the top strap.

October 10

9 hours ago, Goldwrench said:

Have you used the top strap with the basic strap? The top strap makes it so that I don't need to tighten the headset against my face. It's fairly loose but stays in place and still has maximum light sealing. I did have to shorten the top strap though because my head is smaller than the Death Star! I use a rubber band to take up the slack in the top strap

I still didn´t try the basic strap with the top strap, in fact, I was waiting to have a headphone with USB-C type connection to have audio at the same time. But yes, I have to try it. Thanks!

October 11

On 10/10/2025 at 12:03 AM, Goldwrench said:

Have you used the top strap with the basic strap?

Thanks for the advice. This afternoon I have been using the basic strap with the top strap and my headphones with a usb-C to 3.5mm adapter and it is definetely even more comfortable and lighter than the 159€ BSB2 audio strap!

If I knew it, I had not ordered it! too late!

Now it is easier to put it on my head and remove it, and using a strap it is better to rest the head in the back seat and aslo to use it with my favourite headphones.

Anyone thinking on the BSB, DON´T ORDER THE AUDIO STRAP, try the basci strap with the top strap first.

November 3

My new X1-B face mask from StudioForm arrived a couple of weeks ago and this is how it looks like:

In the face side there is velcro to put the facial interface (soft or PU leather, I put soft) and the spacers as required. I also had to use a wood file to remove of of the plastic around the nose, so my nose will not touch the mask.

It is easy to put it in the BSB2:

November 3

The front side doesn´t cover any of the ventilation orifices in the top or bottom side:

The soft facial is larger and rest in a bigger area of my face:

November 3

And of course, the Studioform mask can go with the simple original strap (with top strap) or with the Audio Strap.

I also put the extra foam from Studioform for the back side of teh Audio strap which is nice.

They made a plastic piece to fix the top strap to the laterals arms of the audo strap, it works well:

So now there is like 4 combinations (all of them with top strap, of course!):

1. Rubber custom mask with normal strap (with Denon headphones)

2. Rubber custom mask with Audio Strap

3. X1b mask with normal strap (with my Denon headphones)

4. X1b mask with Audio Strap

I have discarded the combination 2 (I don´t know why but for me Audio strap put too much pressure in the rubber mask) and the combination 3 (the X1b is better fixed to my face with the Audio Strap).

So the viable options for me are 1 and 4. I still need to test them more to know which one is better for me.

In principle, the option 4 is more breathable and the audio is quite ok, but both options are good.

BigScreenBeyond2 vs. Quest3: Ergonomics and comfort

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