In bid to usher in spatial computing Meta and Apple turn their attention to VR’s biggest enemy: comfort

1comment
We may earn a commission if you make a purchase from the links on this page.
A woman wearing the Apple Vision Pro
Meta has been focused on making VR the future of computing for many years, and Apple recently joined that effort with a headset of its own. But the one thing still putting people off of the otherwise excellent Meta Quest 3 and Apple Vision Pro is comfort. So now both companies are brainstorming new ways to let users wear their respective headsets.

Patents filed by both Meta and Apple in the past few weeks detail innovative head straps and new mechanisms for wearing headsets. Apple, for example, is trying to come up with a head strap that can be adjusted in more ways than one. The proposed design aims to let users customize how much force is applied to which parts of their face and head.

Meta, on the other hand, wants to design a strap where the tightness can be adjusted by a pulley system. The explanation Meta gives is honestly needlessly complicated and most of it flew over my head. Simply put, it’s a much better system than the current strap that comes with Quest headsets.


Comfort is perhaps the biggest reason a lot of consumers don’t get sold on VR. The visual experience is amazing but if you’re feeling sore and sweaty after 30 minutes you probably aren’t going to spend money on it.

It’s so off-putting that Apple actually swapped out straps at store demos to sell people on the Vision Pro. This, coupled with the social awkwardness of wearing a headset in public, is most certainly why Meta has been working so hard on AI-powered AR smart glasses.

Even the Vision Pro was a compromise according to Bloomberg’s Apple insider Mark Gurman. The company initially wanted to design lightweight AR glasses but the technology of the time didn’t allow it. Apple hasn’t given up on that either and is now looking to compete with the Meta-powered Ray-Ban smart glasses that don’t have a display.

Get iPhone 16 Pro Max at Amazon with Boost Mobile

Go Pro Max this fall with style and choose the supreme iPhone 16 Pro Max. The latest ultra-premium iOS smartphone is available at Amazon with Boost Mobile. The device sells for under $1 with Boost Mobile, plan and activation required ($70.55/mo).

Get the iPhone 16 Pro at Amazon with Boost Mobile

The latest AI-enhanced iPhone 16 Pro is available for purchase at Amazon with Boost Mobile. The smartphone arrives for less than $1, provided that you pick a wireless service plan by Boost Mobile ($65/mo) and activate your device.

Get the iPhone 16 at Amazon with Boost Mobile

Get the iPhone 16 to experience Apple Intelligence and get things done effortlessly. The smartphone is available at Amazon with Boost Mobile for 100% off. You have to pick a Boost Mobile wireless plan ($65/mo). The deal requires activation.

As a staunch proponent of VR I desperately want it to become the future of computing. But unless we can jam all that tech into a pair of glasses it simply isn’t going to happen. Which is why, though welcome, these new head straps are only yet another compromise.
Loading Comments...
FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless