I think the FOV limitations are a result of decisions made based on current tech capabilities. While I'm sure they could've made something with much wider FOV

I think the FOV limitations are a result of decisions made based on current tech capabilities. While I'm sure they could've made something with much wider FOV (and I believe earlier prototypes had this) it would mean being tethered to a more powerful computer or a bulkier/more expensive headset. When faced with this, it looks like they went with limited FOV in order to keep it standalone and relatively ergonomic. I think this makes sense because processing power and software will continue to improve and allow wider FOV with equally good performance. They just chose to keep the ergonomics and lower the FOV in these early units to keep performance good. With better chips and software, wider FOV will be akin to raising the resolution on a game when you get a new video card.