# Bigscreen · Ten Years — All Text Blocks Every visible text block on the page, in scroll order. Each block has a stable `[id]` tag so when you send edits back I can find and replace exactly the right string. Edit the text under each id; leave the id line alone. Notes: - "Eyebrow" = the small all-caps label above a headline. - "Meta" = the small `01 · Origin · April 2016` style label at the top of a chapter. - Real Yotpo customer reviews (the big review wall) are auto-generated from an export and not included here. The wall *title* is included below. - The block at the bottom of `index.html` (after the `wip-marker`) is currently hidden/locked legacy content and not shown on the live page, so it's omitted. Tell me if you want it included anyway. --- ## NAV / TOP [nav.logo-alt] Bigscreen [hero.title] Bigscreen · Ten years --- ## 00 · HERO [hero.eyebrow] / ANNIVERSARY · 2016 → 2026 [hero.h1.line1] 10 years [hero.h1.line2] of Bigscreen [hero.sub] From pioneering the social VR experience to the world’s smallest headset. [hero.tick.label] / Since launch [hero.tick.units] Days · Hours · Min · Sec [hero.scrollcue] Scroll --- ## THRESHOLD → 2016 [thr.2016.label] Ten years [thr.2016.cap] Begin --- ## 01 · ORIGIN — April 2016 [01.meta.step] 01 · Origin [01.meta.date] April 2016 [01.headline] Bigscreen Beta launches on Steam. [01.lead] A free VR app that put your entire PC desktop, and your friends, inside virtual reality. [01.body] Bigscreen launched on the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive as the first social desktop in VR. From inside a headset, users could spawn unlimited virtual screens, share their monitor with friends across the world, watch movies together, and play PC games on wall-sized displays. Within minutes of going live, more than a hundred concurrent users joined. In the first 24 hours, they spent 35 cumulative days inside virtual living rooms and theaters, sharing screens, working, watching, and chatting together. ### Photo band (under chapter 01) [01.fig.a.caption] 01 · APRIL 28, 2016 · LIVE ON STEAM [01.fig.a.meta] FIG. 01a · Store page [01.fig.b.caption] 01 · APRIL 2016 · The VR LAN party is born [01.fig.b.meta] FIG. 01b · Living room --- ## THRESHOLD → 2017 [thr.2017.label] Chapter 02 [thr.2017.cap] Funding --- ## 02 · FUNDING — Feb & Oct 2017 ### Photo band (above) [02.fig.caption] 02 · OCTOBER 2017 · Series A [02.fig.meta] FIG. 02 · Workbench ### Editorial [02.meta.step] 02 · Funding [02.meta.date] February & October 2017 [02.headline] Bigscreen raises Series A funding. [02.lead] Fuel for the vision. [02.body] With $14M raised in less than a year, we proved that VR's killer app is a place, not just a game. This support allowed us to scale the Bigscreen platform and start designing the hardware of the future. [02.spec.a.value] $3M [02.spec.a.label] Seed · 02.2017 [02.spec.b.value] $11M [02.spec.b.label] Series A · 10.2017 --- ## THRESHOLD → 2018 [thr.2018.label] Chapter 03 [thr.2018.cap] Remote team --- ## 03 · REMOTE TEAM — 2017 → 2019 ### Remote-stage overlay [03.stage.meta.tl] FIG. 03 · SNAPSHOT FROM ONE OF OUR TEAM CALLS IN 2018 [03.stage.meta.tr] LIVE · {{utc}} UTC [03.stage.eyebrow] / CHAPTER 03 · REMOTE FROM DAY ONE [03.stage.h.line1] A dozen cities. [03.stage.h.line2] No office. ### City pins (overlay) Los Angeles · UTC−8 Toronto · UTC−5 Buenos Aires · UTC−3 London · UTC+0 Amsterdam · UTC+1 Helsinki · UTC+2 Auckland · UTC+12 ### Editorial [03.meta.step] 03 · Remote team [03.meta.date] 2017 → 2019 [03.headline] A small team, all in. [03.lead] Designers, engineers, and operators from a dozen countries. One discord server. No office. [03.body] Bigscreen is remote from day one. Distributed before remote was a phrase. Mornings overlap across time zones. Pull requests follow the sun. Once or twice a year the whole company gathers for a retreat. A rented house in Park City or Lisbon, whiteboards on hotel walls, prototypes passed across the dinner table. The rest of the year, the company is a Discord workspace and a shared sense of mission. ### Polaroid captions [03.pol.1] Retreat · 2019 [03.pol.2] Lisbon · 2018 [03.pol.3] SF · 2019 [03.pol.4] Coast · 2019 [03.pol.5] Dinner · 2019 [03.pol.6] Prototype [03.pol.7] Park City · 2020 [03.pol.8] Late night · 2019 --- ## THRESHOLD → 2019 [thr.2019.label] Chapter 04 [thr.2019.cap] The platform --- ## 04 · THE PLATFORM — 2017 → 2019 [04.meta.step] 04 · The platform [04.meta.date] 2017 → 2019 [04.headline] Watch. Play. Hang out. [04.lead] Bigscreen isn't an app. It's a platform that kept growing. [04.body] Cinemas, lounges, living rooms shipped every quarter: mid-century, sci-fi, movie palaces. Bigscreen TV brought always-on channels you could leave running in the background. Games filled the lobbies: VR LAN parties, board games on virtual coffee tables, Rocket League on a big cinema screen. Public rooms turned strangers into regulars; private ones reunited friends across continents. Live events drew thousands at a time. Power users spent twenty to thirty hours a week here. Not as escape, as routine. ### Mosaic tile labels [04.tile.1] Co-working [04.tile.2] Watch party [04.tile.3] Multi-screen [04.tile.4] Streaming YouTube --- ## CHAPTER BRIDGE — into Cinema [bridge.05.eyebrow] / CHAPTER 05 · 2019 → 2020 [bridge.05.h.line1] Lights down. [bridge.05.h.line2] Curtain up. --- ## 05 · CINEMA — 2019 → 2020 ### Triptych labels [05.fig.a] A · Cinema [05.fig.b] B · Sci-fi room [05.fig.c] C · Lobby [05.section.caption] 05 · 2019 → 2020 · BIGSCREEN CINEMA [05.section.meta] FIG. 05 · Three rooms ### Editorial [05.meta.step] 05 · Cinema [05.meta.date] 2019 → 2020 [05.headline.line1] Real movies. [05.headline.line2] In a real theater. [05.headline.line3] That doesn't exist. [05.lead] Bigscreen Cinema was the first to bring legal, first-run Hollywood movies into VR. We partnered with major studios like Paramount and Funimation to create a shared social experience on a scale impossible in the real world. [05.body] Experience films on a scale that physical architecture simply cannot match. By combining synchronized playback with immersive spatial audio and real-time social presence, we turned a solitary activity into a global event. Whether joining a public premiere with hundreds of fans or hosting a private screening for friends, it wasn't just about watching a movie, it was about the feeling of actually being there together. ### Partners block [05.partners.eyebrow] / CINEMA LAUNCH PARTNERS [05.partners.paramount.meta] Pictures · First studio [05.partners.funimation.meta] Anime catalogue --- ## MANIFESTO (pivot to hardware) [m.but] But… [m.text.line1] Nobody was building [m.text.line2] the VR headset [m.text.line3] we believed should exist. ### Discord popup [m.discord.channel] # bigscreen-team-discord-chat [m.discord.msg1.name] Darshan [m.discord.msg1.time] 10/11/2019 23:19 [m.discord.msg1.text] update: let's make our own VR headset [m.discord.msg2.name] Chris [m.discord.msg2.time] 10/11/2019 23:20 [m.discord.msg2.text] I'm in, lets make the best hardware in the world!! [m.discord.msg3.name] Max [m.discord.msg3.time] 10/11/2019 23:21 [m.discord.msg3.text] _(GIF, no text)_ [m.discord.msg4] → Philip joined the chat.. [m.discord.disclaimer] / Close reconstruction of a real Bigscreen Discord conversation. A few weeks after this post, we actually started working on hardware. --- ## THRESHOLD → 2020 [thr.2020.label] Chapter 06 [thr.2020.cap] Hardware --- ## 06 · HARDWARE — 2020 [06.meta.step] 06 · Hardware [06.meta.date] 2020 [06.headline] The decision. [06.lead] Every existing VR headset is too heavy, too bulky, and too compromised. [06.body] In 2020, while the VR market was heavily focused on standalone headsets like the Quest, the team makes a private decision to build what doesn't exist. The technology is there, micro-OLEDs and pancake optics, but nobody has combined them with the discipline of a watchmaker. For two years, we work in secret to shrink every internal component. The mission is to make the hardware so small and light that it effectively disappears. The product has no name yet. The deadline is "when it's right." ### Hardware photo [06.fig.num] 06 [06.fig.text] 2020 [06.fig.meta] FIG. 06 · Our factory in LA --- ## 07 · PROTOTYPES — 2021 → 2022 [07.meta.step] 07 · Prototypes [07.meta.date] 2021 → 2022 [07.headline.line1] From breadboard [07.headline.line2] to body. [07.lead] Humble beginnings. Eighteen months inside a secret R&D office, the team's hardware lab in LA. [07.body] Improvised mockups. 3D-printed shells with exposed boards. A network of ideas built out one part at a time. Custom optics machined and rejected and machined again. Each prototype answers one question and surfaces three more. ### Proto contact-sheet captions [07.proto.1] Temporary R&D office [07.proto.2] First boards [07.proto.3] Factory visit [07.proto.4] Comparison [07.proto.5] Tracking flex [07.proto.6] Optics iterations [07.proto.7] Early prototype of the Beyond --- ## 08 · R&D — 2022 (two USPs) [08.meta.step] 08 · R&D [08.meta.date] 2022 [08.intro.headline.line1] Two breakthroughs. [08.intro.headline.line2] One headset. [08.intro.lead] Beyond exists because we made two non-obvious engineering choices in 2022. ### USP 01 [08.usp1.num] 01 [08.usp1.title.line1] Obsessive focus on comfort, [08.usp1.title.line2] weight and size. [08.usp1.body] In 2022, the goal was to kill the bulk. Traditional VR was heavy because it relied on generic mechanical parts to fit a wide range of people. We chose a different path: shrinking the internal footprint using dual 2.5K micro-OLED panels and pancake optics. Every millimeter of the shell and every internal component was scrutinized to reach a weight of just 107g. This was hardware designed not just to be worn, but to disappear. ### USP 02 [08.usp2.num] 02 [08.usp2.title.line1] Built to the shape [08.usp2.title.line2] of your face. [08.usp2.body] To achieve this tiny form factor, we replaced heavy adjustment knobs and bulky foam with a personalized silicone interface. By using a 3D face scan, we could craft a headset tailored to the individual's bone structure. In our Los Angeles factory, these scans are converted into unique CNC paths to mold a custom cushion for one human only. This wasn't just a comfort feature; it was the engineering breakthrough that allowed for a perfect light seal and a weightless experience that the industry had never seen before. --- ## THRESHOLD → 2022 [thr.2022.label] Chapter 09 [thr.2022.cap] Testing --- ## 09 · TESTING — 2022 → 2023 [09.meta.step] 09 · Testing [09.meta.date] 2022 → 2023 [09.headline.line1] Hundreds of heads. [09.headline.line2] Thousands of hours. [09.lead] Before Beyond shipped, it was worn. By engineers, by partners, by hand-picked early testers. [09.body] Every cushion molded to a real face. Every fit checked. Every complaint listened to. The headset that launched in February 2023 had already been through hundreds of fittings. ### Testing reel — photo card captions [09.reel.philip] Philip · Engineer [09.reel.ville] Ville · Engineer [09.reel.darshan] Darshan · Founder [09.reel.anton] Anton · Game dev [09.reel.earlycust] Early customer [09.reel.thrillseeker] ThrillSeeker · Reviewer [09.reel.sadlyitsbradly] SadlyItsBradly · Reviewer ### Testing reel — quote cards [09.reel.quote.1.text] "After two weeks of daily wear, I forgot it was on my face. [09.reel.quote.1.attr] Early tester · Tokyo [09.reel.quote.2.text] "Every prototype came back with a sticky-note novel of feedback. [09.reel.quote.2.attr] R&D engineer · Bigscreen [09.reel.quote.3.text] "I shipped my own cushion mold to LA. The next pair fit perfectly. [09.reel.quote.3.attr] Early tester · Berlin [09.reel.quote.4.text] "Lighter than my swim goggles. We knew it was different. [09.reel.quote.4.attr] Early tester · San Francisco [09.reel.cue] Drag → --- ## THRESHOLD → 2023 [thr.2023.label] Chapter 10 [thr.2023.cap] The reveal --- ## 10 · BEYOND REVEAL — February 2023 [10.headline] Bigscreen Beyond. [10.subhead] The world's smallest VR headset. [10.body] A software company, daring to take on the giants of VR hardware. Bigscreen Beyond caught the industry off guard: dual 1-inch micro-OLED displays at 2560×2560 per eye, custom pancake optics, SteamVR tracking. Tethered to a PC, custom-fit to the user's face, priced at $999. Within 48 hours, the reveal trailer crossed a million views. --- ## 11 · RECEPTION — Feb → Mar 2023 [11.meta.step] 11 · Reception [11.meta.date] Feb → Mar 2023 [11.headline.line1] A million views. [11.headline.line2] A wall of headlines. [11.lead] The press picked it up the same day. Reviewers had hands on it within weeks. [11.body] From The Verge to Tom's Hardware to Linus Tech Tips, the message was the same: this thing is real, this thing is small, and nothing else in PC VR feels like it. ### Press & reviewer reel [11.reel.eyebrow] / Press & reviewers · tap a card ### Carmack pull-quote [11.reel.carmack.text] "Bigscreen Beyond feels like a prop for a futuristic movie, but it works. Far and away the smallest and lightest PC VR headset. [11.reel.carmack.attr] John Carmack · Former CTO, Oculus ### YouTube review cards [11.reel.ltt.cap] Linus Tech Tips · "Finally excited about VR again" [11.reel.tested.cap] Adam Savage's Tested · "Micro-OLED VR arrives" [11.reel.thrillseeker.cap] ThrillSeeker · "Goodbye, Valve Index" [11.reel.optimum.cap] optimum · "I should have tried this earlier" [11.reel.tyriel.cap] Tyriel Wood · "The world's smallest, and it's nuts" [11.reel.vrflight.cap] VR Flight Sim Guy · "The final retail version" [11.reel.urgaming.cap] UrGamingTechie · "Wow, they weren't kidding" ### Press cards (headlines) [11.press.techcrunch.headline] "Bigscreen's new VR headset goes small." [11.press.techcrunch.date] Feb 13, 2023 [11.press.roadtovr.headline] "A little headset that could be a big deal." [11.press.roadtovr.date] Feb 2023 [11.press.uploadvr.headline] "Exceptional comfort, in a headset like no other." [11.press.uploadvr.date] 2023 [11.press.engadget.headline] "Gunning for the VR throne." [11.press.engadget.date] Oct 2023 [11.press.hypebeast.headline] "Said to be the world's smallest VR headset." [11.press.hypebeast.date] Feb 2023 [11.press.techeblog.headline] "Hands-on with the world's smallest VR headset." [11.press.techeblog.date] Feb 2023 --- ## THRESHOLD → 2024 [thr.2024.label] Chapter 12 [thr.2024.cap] Back to the lab --- ## 12 · ITERATION — 2024 [12.meta.step] 12 · Iteration [12.meta.date] 2024 [12.headline.line1] Beyond 2. [12.headline.line2] Every dimension [12.headline.line3] pushed. [12.lead] Pushing the limits of what a custom VR headset can do. [12.body] Through 2024, our lab focused entirely on upgrading the core technology. We engineered next-generation pancake optics to deliver a wider field of view and significantly improved visual clarity. We integrated advanced hardware features like Eyetracking and adjustable IPD, all while managing to reduce the overall weight of the shell. It was a year of strict refinement, turning every piece of user feedback into hardware breakthroughs. ### Beyond 2 feature cards [12.b2.card1] Next-gen optics [12.b2.card2] Adjustable IPD [12.b2.card3] Eyetracking [12.b2.card4] More colors [12.b2.card5] Halo mount [12.b2.card6] Weight reduction --- ## 12b · THE TEAM — 2024 [12b.meta.step] 12b · The team [12b.meta.date] 2024 [12b.headline] The team grew. [12b.lead] Engineers, optical specialists, manufacturing leads, joining from hardware companies across the US and Europe to build something unreasonable. [12b.body] By the end of 2024 the team had doubled. Twice the bench depth. Same obsessive standards. The factory grew with it, meaning new lines, faster cycle times, and tighter tolerances on every part. ### Team photo captions [12b.fig.a] 12.a · All-hands [12b.fig.b] 12.b · Together [12b.fig.c] 12.c · Full team --- ## THRESHOLD → 2025 [thr.2025.label] Chapter 13 [thr.2025.cap] Beyond 2 --- ## 13 · BEYOND 2 LAUNCH — March 2025 [13.headline] This is Beyond — 2 [13.triptych.a] A · Shell detail [13.triptych.b] B · Beyond 2 [13.triptych.c] C · Colour editions [13.section.caption] 13 · MARCH 2025 · BEYOND 2 [13.section.meta] FIG. 13 · Launch [13.body] March 2025. The same obsessive engineering, two years of iteration, and one of the most anticipated launches in PC VR history. Same form factor everyone fell for, with a wider field of view, lighter shell, and next-gen optics. [13.watch-cta] Watch the launch film ↗ --- ## CINEMATIC FINALE (scroll-locked) [fin.block1.eyebrow] / Launch day · March 2025 [fin.block1.line] On launch day, Beyond 2 sold as many headsets as Beyond 1 did in its entire first quarter. [fin.block2.h] Bigger than ever. [fin.block3.line] Thousands of headsets in thousands of homes, on every continent. [fin.block4.line] And we're happy with the results you've shared. [fin.block4.cta] Play --- ## WAVE OF BELIEVERS (review wall) [wb.title] A wave of believers [wb.loadmore] Load more [wb.mute.label] Sound on [wb.mute.invite] Tap for sound [wb.mute.muted] Muted [wb.readmore] Read more _(Card body copy in this wall is auto-loaded from a Yotpo export — verified real customer reviews — and is not edited here.)_ --- ## 2026 · TEAM FINALE / LETTER [tf.hero.headline] The future. [tf.dateline] May 2026 [tf.para.1] Ten years ago we started Bigscreen with one idea: what if you could virtually hang out with people you care about, really hang out, not just a chat window, even when you're thousands of miles apart. [tf.para.2] We did not know then that this path would lead us to building the world’s smallest VR headset. We only knew that the experience was worth obsessing over. Today, the horizon of virtual reality stretches farther than ever. Having mastered both hardware and software, we are uniquely positioned to erase the line between them entirely. We have watched this technology spark to life in profound, unforgettable ways. Now, our mission is to deepen those core moments while pushing past current boundaries, expanding into spaces yet unimagined. [tf.para.3] Every face scan. Every firmware update. Every call from the factory floor at 3 a.m. The team in this photo is the reason any of it happened. [tf.para.closer] The next ten start now, and we are excited for it. [tf.team-label] The Bigscreen Team · 2026 --- ## YEAR-RAIL (right-edge nav) 2016 · 2017 · 2018 · 2019 · 2020 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · 2026