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You can comfortably work in VR, but the trick is that you can't use any of the headsets as is. There are upgrades that you really need: A better head strap, i

You can comfortably work in VR, but the trick is that you can't use any of the headsets as is. There are upgrades that you really need: A better head strap, ideally one with an adjustment knob at the back to easily loosen and tighten the headset. Also one with an extra battery that both gives you longer unplugged time but more importantly balances the headset front to back. And a better headset/face interface. You can get one that is much softer and thicker, which puts less pressure on the face and moves the screens a few extra mm away. They also have vented interfaces, which help cut down on the problem of getting hot face. And lastly, you know how all the experts advise that when you're working you stop and take a break to look away from your screens every 20 minutes or so? It's more important in VR to heed that advice. All you have to do is slip off the headset (you got the easy to adjust one that just slides right off, right?), take ten seconds to look at something far away our out the window, and then put it back on and keep working. If you do all that, there are a lot of great products out that that will give you great virtual monitors and keyboards.

clolege 4y ago
It looks like they put extra effort into making the Meta Quest Pro comfortable. Do you think those straps would need replacing? If so, do such straps already exist?
- jedberg 4y ago
  From the pictures is does look like they integrated some of the most common upgrades, but I haven't seen one in person yet, so I can't say for sure. But I can see they sell an upgraded facial interface that is billed as "full light blocking", which usually means thicker and softer, so they probably at least have that accessory. I doubt any other accessories exist yet, since it's too new and not a big enough market.
  - IceWreck 4y ago
    I have used both and I can say that the Quest Pro is so much more comfortable than the Quest 2.
  - modeless 4y ago
    By default the Quest Pro has no facial interface at all. It doesn't touch your face below the forehead.
  - GekkePrutser 4y ago
    Yeah it's integrated. You can't change it. Even if you break the strap apparently which is a bit worrying considering the elite strap for the quest 2 tends to snap.
    - clolege 4y ago
      well there goes my hope of handing my Meta Quest Pro down to my grandchildren
- chaostheory 4y ago
  According to reviewers, it is comfortable, but you can’t change any of it
PicassoCTs 4y ago
If you are working stationary, you might as well neutralize the weight with industrial pulleys, as they are used with robot cable packages and other situations were too much weight is in equipment for the work required.
rock_hard 4y ago
I started to use my Quest Pro with my MacBook when I am on the go and it’s pretty awesome if the alternative is a laptop screen! But it’s also not yet perfect I haven’t tried it in wired mode but wireless has a bit of latency (which is fine for coding and other productivity stuff but not workable for games for example) It’s really nice that it’s easy to switch between pass through to see your environment and VR mode to be able to focus and not get distracted It’s early but def where things are headed if you ask me! At home I have a 8k screen which is hard to beat…but just a matter of time until VR can match that resolution IMO
- epaulson 4y ago
  Can you share a pointer to setup information for this? I bought a Meta Quest Pro a little while ago (my first VR headset) and really have no idea what I'm doing with it yet.
  - rock_hard 4y ago
    Nothing special…I just use horizon workrooms Instructions https://www.meta.com/help/quest/articles/horizon/getting-started-in-horizon-workrooms/use-computer-in-VR/ https://www.meta.com/help/quest/articles/horizon/getting-sta... There is similar apps from third parties too but I haven’t tried those yet
    - trafficante 4y ago
      Workrooms is by far the best experience right now but, if you want multi monitors on Windows, Immersed is an okay runner-up. My biggest complaint about Workrooms is that the MacBook Pro keyboard recognition doesn’t have an option for the 14in model, oddly.
ilaksh 4y ago
This is outdated since the Quest Pro came out.
- jedberg 4y ago
  How so?
  - chaostheory 4y ago
    It addresses nearly all concerns for comfort without the need for 3rd party accessories. Even glasses fit well. The catch is that you can’t seem to change anything out for 3rd party options On the other hand, im not sure resolution is high enough for text heavy work
ilaksh 4y ago
Quest Pro addresses all issues you mentioned.
owlysian 4y ago
> A better head strap, ideally one with an adjustment knob at the back to easily loosen and tighten the headset. Also one with an extra battery that both gives you longer unplugged time but more importantly balances the headset front to back. You're pretty much describing the Quest Pro. This part also matches the Quest 2 with Elite Battery Strap for what it's worth, but the Quest Pro also matches your next criteria, whereas the Quest 2 didn't. > And a better headset/face interface. You can get one that is much softer and thicker, which puts less pressure on the face and moves the screens a few extra mm away. They also have vented interfaces, which help cut down on the problem of getting hot face. The Quest Pro only attaches at the top on the forehead, is open air by default and further away from the face, and for example I can comfortably fit it over my glasses, which I couldn't do on the Quest 2. It's a huge step up in comfort for long sessions, although you'd still want to attach a USB-C power cable for anything beyond a couple of hours. Disclaimer: I work at Meta but not on anything VR related, this is based on my own experience as a personal user of VR headsets.
- trafficante 4y ago
  > You're pretty much describing the Quest Pro. Speaking as a user of a heavily comfort-modded Quest 2 and recent Pro owner: the Pro is surprisingly comfortable (especially with the below lifehack) and mostly on par with a Quest 2 with a modded Bobo halo strap. Craziest thing about the Quest Pro is that you can (carefully) pop off the back cushion and flip it. I highly recommend anyone with a Pro try it out since it’s significantly more comfortable and brings a very noticeable increase in FoV. There’s a thread about this on one of the Quest subreddits - and there’s not a single comment from anyone who prefers the stock placement. It does make aligning the charging dock a bit finicky but otherwise it’s kind of strange that Meta chose the other cushion direction as the default.
- brainbag 4y ago
  How much better is the resolution for the Quest Pro for working? I spent a a few days working in a Quest 2, and even with resolution problems, it's an incredible and productive experience. I miss it when I'm not doing it, but the resolution is just not there yet. I'm hoping the quest pro is all that I need for a high-enough resolution virtual office.
Baeocystin 4y ago
I agree with all of this. I would add that there is a Quest 2 accessory that is a small exhaust fan that makes a huge comfort improvement as well. With a better strap, battery counterbalance, and fan, I've finally been able to use the Quest 2 for genuine productivity. Meetings without the wall of faces staring at you like Zoom are quite a bit more pleasant. I still don't think the systems are 'there', yet. But I feel that I can finally see the way forward to real success. [edit] I have the older version of this Bobovr fan: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B09Y58GC34/ https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B09Y58GC34/
janoc 4y ago
That's all fine and groovy - as long as your work doesn't involve any text or anything requiring high resolution/fine details. Then unless you spend $$$ for very high end hardware with high resolution (4k on a headset != 4k on a monitor!) you will not be able to work efficiently. There are also many problems with the applications and usability of the entire stack when it comes to doing actually productive work.
sneak 4y ago
Can you recommend one of these great products that won’t transmit my activity and usage off my device? Fortunately monitor manufacturers haven’t figured out that trick yet and I don’t want a privacy regression from my non-virtual monitor setup. Everything I have found in VR land assumes internet connectivity, demands a login/PII, and transmits data back to the mothership against my will.
- chaostheory 4y ago
  It’s not a dumb monitor. Even the new Apple headset will require internet connectivity and an online account. Also from what I’ve seen, most VR headsets have an option for not sharing your usage analytics. It’s not shared by default.
  - notpushkin 4y ago
    > It’s not a dumb monitor It could be. Just like you can use Android phones without signing into Google (or at least could, not sure how stock OS works nowadays as I'm on microG for the last couple years).
    - chaostheory 4y ago
      Then there’s only one possible choice: SimulaVR It’s a stand alone full system though
      - cesarb 4y ago
        > It’s a stand alone full system though AFAIK, it will be possible to use SimulaVR either in standalone mode (with its own portable computer running everything) or in tethered mode (plugged into a normal computer which runs everything); there's even an option on the preorder page to get a version without the portable computer (it is my understanding that the portable computer is detachable, so the full version can be transformed into a tethered-only version simply by detaching it).
      - notpushkin 4y ago
greggman3 4y ago
> There are upgrades that you really need: A better head strap, ideally one with an adjustment knob at the back to easily loosen and tighten the headset. Also one with an extra battery that both gives you longer unplugged time but more importantly balances the headset front to back. IMO, until VR gets the size and weight of safety goggles you need the device to rest on your forehead. The PSVR is still the single most comformtable VR system that's shipped because there is no pressure on your face whatsoever. Apparently you can get these for Quest 2. Here's one. Don't own a Quest 2 though so I haven't tried it https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B599S56K https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B599S56K I go have a Rift S. It tried to copy PSVR but failed to make it as good. You have really crank the back of the head strap below the ridge of the back of your head to get the HMD to rest on your forehead and not your face, and then it slowly slides and it's back to resting on your face. Let me also add, if the thing requires a strap that goes over the top of your head then it's a fail!
- moron4hire 4y ago
  I have that strap for my Quest 2. It's very good. Better than the 1st party battery-pack strap. This configuration is called a "halo" strap. I also have the Quest Pro now. It comes with a halo strap. Nothing touches your cheeks. Resolution is also very high, and the new pancake lenses are very clear. That's another problem with older headsets. The Fresnel lenses in previous systems cause "god rays" around any bright objects on dark backgrounds. Like, say, light text on a dark background for a dark-mode UI. Pancake lenses don't have that problem. They also have a much larger sweet spot, so you don't have to get the headset perfectly adjusted every time, and you can look around with just your eyes, not moving your head, more. I think the Vive Flow was the first commercially available headset to use the pancake lenses, but the Flow is otherwise not a great experience. The Quest Pro is really impressive.

clolege 4y ago

It looks like they put extra effort into making the Meta Quest Pro comfortable. Do you think those straps would need replacing? If so, do such straps already exist?

jedberg 4y ago
From the pictures is does look like they integrated some of the most common upgrades, but I haven't seen one in person yet, so I can't say for sure. But I can see they sell an upgraded facial interface that is billed as "full light blocking", which usually means thicker and softer, so they probably at least have that accessory. I doubt any other accessories exist yet, since it's too new and not a big enough market.
- IceWreck 4y ago
  I have used both and I can say that the Quest Pro is so much more comfortable than the Quest 2.
- modeless 4y ago
  By default the Quest Pro has no facial interface at all. It doesn't touch your face below the forehead.
- GekkePrutser 4y ago
  Yeah it's integrated. You can't change it. Even if you break the strap apparently which is a bit worrying considering the elite strap for the quest 2 tends to snap.
  - clolege 4y ago
    well there goes my hope of handing my Meta Quest Pro down to my grandchildren
chaostheory 4y ago
According to reviewers, it is comfortable, but you can’t change any of it

PicassoCTs 4y ago

If you are working stationary, you might as well neutralize the weight with industrial pulleys, as they are used with robot cable packages and other situations were too much weight is in equipment for the work required.

rock_hard 4y ago

I started to use my Quest Pro with my MacBook when I am on the go and it’s pretty awesome if the alternative is a laptop screen! But it’s also not yet perfect I haven’t tried it in wired mode but wireless has a bit of latency (which is fine for coding and other productivity stuff but not workable for games for example) It’s really nice that it’s easy to switch between pass through to see your environment and VR mode to be able to focus and not get distracted It’s early but def where things are headed if you ask me! At home I have a 8k screen which is hard to beat…but just a matter of time until VR can match that resolution IMO

epaulson 4y ago
Can you share a pointer to setup information for this? I bought a Meta Quest Pro a little while ago (my first VR headset) and really have no idea what I'm doing with it yet.
- rock_hard 4y ago
  Nothing special…I just use horizon workrooms Instructions https://www.meta.com/help/quest/articles/horizon/getting-started-in-horizon-workrooms/use-computer-in-VR/ https://www.meta.com/help/quest/articles/horizon/getting-sta... There is similar apps from third parties too but I haven’t tried those yet
  - trafficante 4y ago
    Workrooms is by far the best experience right now but, if you want multi monitors on Windows, Immersed is an okay runner-up. My biggest complaint about Workrooms is that the MacBook Pro keyboard recognition doesn’t have an option for the 14in model, oddly.

ilaksh 4y ago

This is outdated since the Quest Pro came out.

jedberg 4y ago
How so?
- chaostheory 4y ago
  It addresses nearly all concerns for comfort without the need for 3rd party accessories. Even glasses fit well. The catch is that you can’t seem to change anything out for 3rd party options On the other hand, im not sure resolution is high enough for text heavy work

ilaksh 4y ago

Quest Pro addresses all issues you mentioned.

owlysian 4y ago

> A better head strap, ideally one with an adjustment knob at the back to easily loosen and tighten the headset. Also one with an extra battery that both gives you longer unplugged time but more importantly balances the headset front to back. You're pretty much describing the Quest Pro. This part also matches the Quest 2 with Elite Battery Strap for what it's worth, but the Quest Pro also matches your next criteria, whereas the Quest 2 didn't. > And a better headset/face interface. You can get one that is much softer and thicker, which puts less pressure on the face and moves the screens a few extra mm away. They also have vented interfaces, which help cut down on the problem of getting hot face. The Quest Pro only attaches at the top on the forehead, is open air by default and further away from the face, and for example I can comfortably fit it over my glasses, which I couldn't do on the Quest 2. It's a huge step up in comfort for long sessions, although you'd still want to attach a USB-C power cable for anything beyond a couple of hours. Disclaimer: I work at Meta but not on anything VR related, this is based on my own experience as a personal user of VR headsets.

trafficante 4y ago
> You're pretty much describing the Quest Pro. Speaking as a user of a heavily comfort-modded Quest 2 and recent Pro owner: the Pro is surprisingly comfortable (especially with the below lifehack) and mostly on par with a Quest 2 with a modded Bobo halo strap. Craziest thing about the Quest Pro is that you can (carefully) pop off the back cushion and flip it. I highly recommend anyone with a Pro try it out since it’s significantly more comfortable and brings a very noticeable increase in FoV. There’s a thread about this on one of the Quest subreddits - and there’s not a single comment from anyone who prefers the stock placement. It does make aligning the charging dock a bit finicky but otherwise it’s kind of strange that Meta chose the other cushion direction as the default.
brainbag 4y ago
How much better is the resolution for the Quest Pro for working? I spent a a few days working in a Quest 2, and even with resolution problems, it's an incredible and productive experience. I miss it when I'm not doing it, but the resolution is just not there yet. I'm hoping the quest pro is all that I need for a high-enough resolution virtual office.

Baeocystin 4y ago

I agree with all of this. I would add that there is a Quest 2 accessory that is a small exhaust fan that makes a huge comfort improvement as well. With a better strap, battery counterbalance, and fan, I've finally been able to use the Quest 2 for genuine productivity. Meetings without the wall of faces staring at you like Zoom are quite a bit more pleasant. I still don't think the systems are 'there', yet. But I feel that I can finally see the way forward to real success. [edit] I have the older version of this Bobovr fan: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B09Y58GC34/ https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B09Y58GC34/

janoc 4y ago

That's all fine and groovy - as long as your work doesn't involve any text or anything requiring high resolution/fine details. Then unless you spend $$$ for very high end hardware with high resolution (4k on a headset != 4k on a monitor!) you will not be able to work efficiently. There are also many problems with the applications and usability of the entire stack when it comes to doing actually productive work.

sneak 4y ago

Can you recommend one of these great products that won’t transmit my activity and usage off my device? Fortunately monitor manufacturers haven’t figured out that trick yet and I don’t want a privacy regression from my non-virtual monitor setup. Everything I have found in VR land assumes internet connectivity, demands a login/PII, and transmits data back to the mothership against my will.

chaostheory 4y ago
It’s not a dumb monitor. Even the new Apple headset will require internet connectivity and an online account. Also from what I’ve seen, most VR headsets have an option for not sharing your usage analytics. It’s not shared by default.
- notpushkin 4y ago
  > It’s not a dumb monitor It could be. Just like you can use Android phones without signing into Google (or at least could, not sure how stock OS works nowadays as I'm on microG for the last couple years).
  - chaostheory 4y ago
    Then there’s only one possible choice: SimulaVR It’s a stand alone full system though
    - cesarb 4y ago
      > It’s a stand alone full system though AFAIK, it will be possible to use SimulaVR either in standalone mode (with its own portable computer running everything) or in tethered mode (plugged into a normal computer which runs everything); there's even an option on the preorder page to get a version without the portable computer (it is my understanding that the portable computer is detachable, so the full version can be transformed into a tethered-only version simply by detaching it).
    - notpushkin 4y ago

greggman3 4y ago

> There are upgrades that you really need: A better head strap, ideally one with an adjustment knob at the back to easily loosen and tighten the headset. Also one with an extra battery that both gives you longer unplugged time but more importantly balances the headset front to back. IMO, until VR gets the size and weight of safety goggles you need the device to rest on your forehead. The PSVR is still the single most comformtable VR system that's shipped because there is no pressure on your face whatsoever. Apparently you can get these for Quest 2. Here's one. Don't own a Quest 2 though so I haven't tried it https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B599S56K https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B599S56K I go have a Rift S. It tried to copy PSVR but failed to make it as good. You have really crank the back of the head strap below the ridge of the back of your head to get the HMD to rest on your forehead and not your face, and then it slowly slides and it's back to resting on your face. Let me also add, if the thing requires a strap that goes over the top of your head then it's a fail!

moron4hire 4y ago
I have that strap for my Quest 2. It's very good. Better than the 1st party battery-pack strap. This configuration is called a "halo" strap. I also have the Quest Pro now. It comes with a halo strap. Nothing touches your cheeks. Resolution is also very high, and the new pancake lenses are very clear. That's another problem with older headsets. The Fresnel lenses in previous systems cause "god rays" around any bright objects on dark backgrounds. Like, say, light text on a dark background for a dark-mode UI. Pancake lenses don't have that problem. They also have a much larger sweet spot, so you don't have to get the headset perfectly adjusted every time, and you can look around with just your eyes, not moving your head, more. I think the Vive Flow was the first commercially available headset to use the pancake lenses, but the Flow is otherwise not a great experience. The Quest Pro is really impressive.