Meta Quest Pro proves that the perfect head mount does not exist
Small, light, balanced and resting on the forehead: That sounds like perfect wearing comfort. But there are also reports to the contrary.
Meta Quest Pro has a narrower and lighter housing than older headsets thanks to new lenses. The battery is also housed in the back of the head mount, which results in better weight distribution. Finally, the forehead rest allows the case to rest in front of the face instead of pressing against the face and cheeks as before.
We read plenty of good things about the comfort of the headset. Some testers claim that they can wear the device for hours without any discomfort.
As with all headsets, there are outliers. Some users report that they have to choose between the best possible picture and the optimal wearing comfort due to the relatively stiff construction.
Others simply can't get the forehead support in position. Some complain of headaches after a short time because the device exerts unnatural pressure on the forehead. They long for the upper bracket of older headsets.
Meta Quest Pro is meant to fit all
Heads and faces are shaped differently. The challenge of designing a universally comfortable head mount is correspondingly great. Meta seems to have tried that with Meta Quest Pro.
In fact, the head mount is difficult to replace or modify, unlike Meta Quest 2. Either it fits or it doesn't. A dangerous lottery for a device for which Meta charges $1,500.
Now, one could imagine a future where mixed reality headsets are so common that there are different head mounts in different sizes for each device that you can try out in advance in a store. Unfortunately, we're a long way from that.
Meta Quest 3 could offer more flexibility
Perhaps the best solution is not to try to please everyone in the first place. I prefer the way of the Meta Quest 2, which comes with a cheap and flexible, but not very comfortable, fabric strap that you can replace with a higher-quality solution from Meta's own production or from third-party suppliers and thus adapt it to your needs.
When it comes to ergonomics, choice is key. Because, as I said, every head and face is shaped differently.
If leaked blueprints are to be believed, Meta Quest 3 could use the same solution mentioned above as Meta Quest 2. I welcome this, even though I also have my fair share of problems with Meta's Elite head mount.
The goal of a perfect head mount remains illusory. Let's hope that headsets will generally become smaller and lighter and, above all, more successful in the upcoming years. The market will find a solution.
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