Week 2 Lab: Device Comparison and Hardware Exploration

Lab Overview

This lab is a structured hands-on exploration of the XR devices available in this module. Rather than building a Unity project, you will spend this session experiencing and documenting the differences between devices.

By the end of this lab you should be able to:

  • describe the key differences between the available HMDs
  • identify how hardware constraints affect the user experience
  • document observations in a structured format
  • begin forming opinions about device suitability for different use cases

Device Stations

The lab is organised into stations. Spend approximately 15 minutes at each station.

Station Device Focus
A Meta Quest 2 Baseline VR, inside-out tracking
B Meta Quest 3 Mixed reality passthrough, pancake lenses
C HTC Vive Pro Outside-in tracking, tethered VR
D HoloLens 2 Mixed reality, narrow FOV, hand tracking
E Pico Neo Eye Eye tracking
F Snap Spectacles Lightweight AR

Observation Template

Use this template for each device. Record your observations in your lab notebook or a shared document.

Device Name

Type: VR / AR / MR

Tracking: Inside-out / Outside-in

Standalone: Yes / No

Visual Quality

  • How clear is the image?
  • Can you see individual pixels (screen door effect)?
  • How wide does the field of view feel?
  • Are there any optical artefacts (god rays, distortion)?

Comfort and Fit

  • How heavy does the device feel?
  • Is it comfortable to wear?
  • How long could you wear it comfortably?
  • Is there any pressure on the face or nose?

Tracking

  • Does the tracking feel accurate?
  • Is there any drift or jitter?
  • What happens when you move quickly?
  • What happens when you move to the edge of the tracking volume?

Interaction

  • What input methods are available?
  • How natural does the interaction feel?
  • Are there any latency issues?

Presence

  • How immersive does the experience feel?
  • What contributes most to the sense of presence?
  • What breaks the sense of presence?

Guided Tasks at Each Station

Station A: Meta Quest 2

  1. Put on the headset and adjust the IPD (interpupillary distance) slider.
  2. Open the default home environment.
  3. Try teleportation and smooth locomotion if available.
  4. Grab and throw a virtual object.
  5. Note the FOV — where does the image cut off?

Station B: Meta Quest 3

  1. Enable passthrough mode.
  2. Observe how digital content overlays the real world.
  3. Compare the lens clarity to the Quest 2.
  4. Note the colour quality of the passthrough cameras.

Station C: HTC Vive Pro

  1. Note the base station setup.
  2. Try moving to the edge of the tracking volume.
  3. Compare the visual quality to the Quest 2.
  4. Note the difference in controller design.

Station D: HoloLens 2

  1. Put on the headset and complete the eye calibration.
  2. Open a holographic application.
  3. Note the FOV — where does the holographic content disappear?
  4. Try hand tracking interaction.
  5. Try gaze interaction if available.

Station E: Pico Neo Eye

  1. Complete the eye tracking calibration.
  2. Try a gaze-based interaction demo if available.
  3. Note how gaze feels as an input method.

Station F: Snap Spectacles

  1. Put on the Spectacles.
  2. Note the display size and position.
  3. Observe how the AR content relates to the real world.
  4. Compare the experience to the HoloLens 2.

Comparison Table

Complete this table after visiting all stations.

Feature Quest 2 Quest 3 Vive Pro HoloLens 2 Pico Neo Eye Spectacles
Visual clarity
FOV (wide/medium/narrow)
Comfort
Tracking quality
Interaction naturalness
Presence rating (1–5)

Reflection Questions

Answer these questions in your lab notes.

  1. Which device felt most immersive and why?
  2. Which device had the most noticeable hardware limitations?
  3. How did the HoloLens 2 FOV affect the experience compared to the Quest devices?
  4. What surprised you most about any of the devices?
  5. For which use cases would you choose each device?

Lab Deliverable

Submit your completed observation template and comparison table.

This contributes to Assessment 1: Continuous Lab Work.

Extension Task

If time allows:

  • Research the specifications of one device not available in the module (e.g. Apple Vision Pro, PlayStation VR2)
  • Compare it to one of the devices you used today
  • Note what design constraints or affordances it would introduce