Immersive VR Foundations

Oculus Quest 2 

• • Poorly designed head strap - Oculus Quest Hardware Recommendations

  • Once you replace the head strap - it no longer fits into the box => purchase a case

  • A Facebook account which was a one time required, is not longer needed.  You create a Meta Account.  I recommend you use a generic email address rather than a personal or professional email.

  • The interpupillary adjustment can be set to three different preset distances

  • Using your Meta Quest 2 headset - the Basics - from Meta Support

Pico Neo 3 or 4, Meta Quest 3, or Apple Vision Pro

Select the VR headset which will support your learning objectives.  Those objectives will involve using an app.  At this time, the Meta Quest VR platform offers the most apps which support education.       

• Pico Neo - Pico has been a popular VR headset in Europe and for industry and museums.  It feels and looks similar to the Meta Quest 2, however it has a more comfortable built-in head strap and is a little more expensive.  Mobile Device Manager apps like that Pico headsets are easier to manage.  Companies such as Prisms VR offer classroom bundles using either Meta Quest 2 or Pico Neo headsets.   The newest Pico Neo 4 is not yet available in the US.  Pico is owned by the Chinese company Bytedance.

• Meta Quest 3 - The Quest 3, at $500,  offers higher resolution, faster processor,  and the option to use mixed reality apps - allowing a user to interact with an app within their environment.  I expect few educational focused apps utilizing these features until more schools have these headssets.  Note: all tech goes out of date sooner or later...so if your budget will allow, it's always smart to purchase the latest version so it will be longer before it is out of date.   

• Apple Vision Pro - the market for this $3,500 headset is not K-12 students.  Will developers of educational apps make a version of their app for home users?  The great benefit ==> competition.  

Safety

• Keep the lenses away from all bright lights or direct sunshine

• Using with student under 10 - get a signed parent’s permission, no “hard evidence” to show that it impacts vision in younger students

  • Meta lowers the minimum age for its Quest headsets from 13 to 10 (6-16-23)

  • VR Headsets May Be Safe for Young Children

• Take regular breaks.  Recommend use for only 20 minutes at a time

• Give students an option to "opt-out" or to watch the app being used by someone else from a screen/projected image 

• Take off the headset and sit down if you are feeling dizzy 

• Common Sense Media - VIRTUAL REALITY 101: What You Need to Know About Kids and VR (40 page .pdf) - from 2018 so a little out of date

• The Complete Guide to Oculus Quest 2 - Protect Young Eyes

• Dangers of VR Chat and friending others - currently there is no way to stop this - beyond not having the chat app installed

  • Metaverse app allows kids into virtual strip clubs

  • BBC report exposes VRChat app used to groom children

  • Oculus Quest 2: Meta to discuss children's VR safety with watchdog 

  • Meta Quest Safety Center

  • A sexual assault in the metaverse has investigators questioning the future of virtual crime prosecution (January 7, 2024) 

  • Dangers of Metaverse Chat Rooms - no age limit (BBC Report) - April 25, 2022

Permission Forms

• VR Permission and Waiver Forms (2019) - Educators in VR

• Virtual Reality Waiver & Parental Permission Form .pdf - (2018) Douglas County Public Library

• VR Waiver and Release Form.pdf - (2018) Gwinnett County Public Library 

• Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) Release of Liability - White Plains Public Library

• Virtual Reality Waiver and Parent Permission Form - Lewis-Palmer MS Library (Google Doc)

Cleaning

• • Clean lenses with a cloth made for lenses - do no use a kleenex or any Windex!

  • Clean the controllers and head straps with a disinfectant cleaning wipe

  • Consider the Cleanbox CX box (expensive) - uses UVC light