Imaginative and prescient Professional is an unimaginable headset in some ways, however its most blatant weak level (after the cost) is consolation. Apple’s obsession with aesthetics made a headset that’s putting for these taking a look at it, however much less snug than it might be for these truly utilizing it. Fortunately, fixing this flaw is kind of easy.
Many critiques of Imaginative and prescient Professional’s consolation attribute the problem to the headset’s weight. It’s metallic in spite of everything! In order that have to be the problem, proper?
Effectively, Imaginative and prescient Professional truly isn’t a lot heavier than modern headsets. Quest 3’s show housing (the headset with out the headstrap or facepad) weighs 394g. Imaginative and prescient Professional’s show housing weighs simply 81g extra at 475g.
Weight is a key part of headset consolation, however means a headstrap distributes the burden can be a massively necessary issue.
And to be honest, even Quest 3’s default mushy strap isn’t significantly snug. Clearly recognizing this, Meta presents an after-market ‘Elite Strap’, which provides 183g, bringing Quest as much as 642g (together with the facepad). That’s truly heavier than Imaginative and prescient Professional, with its default strap and facepad, at 625g.
Within the case of Meta’s Elite Strap, including weight truly makes the headset extra snug.
Like Quest 3’s default strap, Imaginative and prescient Professional’s default ‘Solo Knit Band’ headstrap additionally isn’t that snug.
Clearly recognizing this, Apple additionally opted to incorporate a ‘Twin Loop Band’ headstrap with each Imaginative and prescient Professional. It’s a greater (because of a prime strap for improved weight distribution) however it’s nonetheless not nice.
It’s an actual disgrace as a result of on the one hand, the default Knit Band is definitely actually superior. It’s mushy, cups the again of your head properly, and is extremely straightforward to regulate with a built-in dial on the aspect. However in case you use it, you forgo the good thing about the highest strap that comes with the Twin Loop Band. So you possibly can have one or the opposite, however not each.
It’s apparent that Apple ought to have simply mixed the 2. Fortunately for us, third-party strap choices repair this problem for considerably lower than an official Elite Strap from Apple—even when they did provide one.
After making an attempt a number of third-party straps for Imaginative and prescient Professional, I’ve lastly discovered one which does precisely I need: it combines with the wonderful Knit Band, permits me to make use of the headset with out the facepad (thereby decreasing weight), and it will get my eyes nearer to the lenses for a wider field-of-view.
That is the ANNAPRO A2 strap for Imaginative and prescient Professional, and it’s just about what Apple ought to have provided proper out of the gate. The $45 pricetag feels very affordable contemplating how a lot better it makes Apple’s $3,500 headset.
I’ve been testing it for just a few weeks now and it has made utilizing Imaginative and prescient Professional for lengthy classes considerably extra snug. Actually, it’s an enormous consider making the brand new ultrawide digital monitor for Imaginative and prescient Professional truly helpful. The improved consolation makes Imaginative and prescient Professional rather more engaging for day-to-day work.
When the corporate despatched us the headstrap to take a look at, in addition they prolonged a ten% low cost code to our readers: make sure you use the code ROADTOVR at checkout on Amazon in case you plan to purchase one.
The Annapro A2 strap slides simply onto Imaginative and prescient Professional’s struts, and works seamlessly with the Knit Band (it could actually additionally work with the Twin Loop in order for you much more top-strap help). It consists of 4 completely different pad sizes (5mm, 12mm, 18mm, and 25mm) within the field, permitting it to suit to completely different head shapes.
I discovered the 5mm pad works greatest for me, permitting me to put on the headset with out the facepad, and convey the lenses as near my eyes as I comfortably can, leading to an expanded field-of-view and a extra pure AR expertise because of the open periphery.
Apple clearly prioritized form-over-function when it got here to Imaginative and prescient Professional. They wished to ship one thing that regarded no extra clunky than a big pair of ski goggles. However that purpose led them to compromises on consolation which have develop into one of many predominant critiques of the headset.
It’s good that this will now be mounted because of inexpensive third-party equipment. This explicit method works so effectively that I wouldn’t be shocked if the following iteration of Imaginative and prescient Professional comes adopts one thing comparable proper out of the gate.
