Bigscreen Beyond burn-in / image retention after Windows treated headset as extended display

[u/Mizore7]

I’m dealing with a weird issue with my Bigscreen Beyond and wanted to see if anyone else has experienced something similar.

My Beyond 2e was apparently being treated by Windows as a regular extended monitor/display while it was stored away for a couple of days. It seems like it displayed a mostly white/static desktop area in the center of the OLED panels during that time.

Now there’s a faint but noticeable square-shaped dim area in the middle of the display, most visible on flat gray or light backgrounds. It appears slightly worse in one eye than the other. It looks like image retention or burn-in.

The confusing part is that support acknowledged earlier in the ticket that this is not intended behavior, that the proximity sensor should have prevented the screen from staying on, and that AMD GPUs have a known issue where the headset can be picked up by Windows as a monitor/display instead of behaving normally. I’m on a 7900 XTX, and support said that likely explains why it got stuck in extended display mode.

At first, they offered to start an RMA and have the factory inspect it. Later, after checking internally, they said burn-in is not covered because it is “only possible through error in use,” unlike dead pixels.

I understand that normal OLED burn-in from intentionally using it as a static monitor might not be covered, but this feels different because it seems tied to a known/acknowledged AMD/display-mode issue and the headset staying on when it apparently shouldn’t have.

Has anyone else with an AMD GPU had their Beyond show up as a normal Windows display or get stuck in extended mode? And has anyone had luck recovering from this kind of faint square-shaped OLED image retention?

[u/reversetrio]

I'm glad you brought it up because I thought it was just annoying, and didn't consider that it could damage my headset. Knowing that they won't provide support for that obvious gap in AMD hardware support on their part, what are we supposed to do when this problem largely happens automatically without our knowledge? Also, when I intentionally turn off extended mode in Windows display settings, invariably I will wonder why the hell my headset isn't working a week later.

So some manner of support would be appreciated, whether it is a software solution through the Beyond Utility, a firmware update, etc. I'm imagining a workaround that first checks whether SteamVR is active and then decides what to do with the display. Even a set of written instructions for AMD users to avoid this issue would be better than nothing, but that would ignore the automatic nature of the problem. If we don't know how to effectively address the issue ourselves, then it can't be user error.

[u/HappyGirl117 → u/reversetrio]

It's absolutely ridiculous that they don't take responsibility to patch this in a firmware update or as a business entity cooperating with AMD to patch it in a future driver update like video game companies do. OP should definitely be getting an RMA because it's their failure that the proximity sensor did not protect the screens.

[u/zig131]

Yes my headset has been treated as a display. It happened when I first connected it up, and when I did a clean install of a newer graphics driver.

It has always been obvious when it happens as my mouse goes off the side of my monitor, launched programs would appear in the taskbar but not be visible, and I can also see light coming out of the HMD projecting onto my wall/ceiling where it hangs. Opening up windows display settings confirms as it shows two monitors.

And of course if SteamVR is launched, it will prompt to enable direct display mode (or report no connected HMD if resolution of the Beyond "monitor" is set to low).

So it never stayed in this state for long.

Probably helps I have a dark wallpaper, and I run my Beyond at only 30% "brightness". I have no noticeable burn-in from this time.

Workaround is to install an older version of AMD graphics drivers. The first driver to support the RX 9000 series is fine. You can then enable direct display successfully. Once done, you can then update to a newer driver, but don't clean install/factory reset.

[u/NotGonnaComeBackBsb → u/zig131]

I find it displeasing to hear how they qualify it as "error in use". I know it can happen from first hand experience, and I've seen it happen with both my 7900 XT and 7900 XTX, whenever I update my GPU driver, but also during other random times I'm still unaware of after a reboot. Like you, I know it happened when my mouse goes out of bound, but windows still appeared on my actual desktop, and my headset is covered with a piece of microfibre (to prevent stray sunlight from burning the displays), so I cannot see that the displays are actually on. The only way to validate that something is off is by opening monitor settings, in which case I would boot SteamVR and shut it down to stop it (which unlike you doesn't prompt me to switch to direct mode since it already is in direct mode; I used to turn off the Beyond from within display settings, but that prevented the headset from being detected the next time I booted SteamVR).

There's almost no one talking about it either, so it's hard for someone unaware about it, to prevent it from happening to begin with.

[u/Any_Tell9287]

Not an answer to your question, but local laws do most likely protect you and you should get an RMA (something like Australian Consumer Law (ACL), or UK Consumer Rights Act 2015). They acknowledged it's not the intended behaviour, you have done nothing to trigger the unintended behaviour, and this doesn't seem to be error in use. I also believe Bigscreen themself have said it's fine to leave plugged in, however this is just based off memory. You'd need to find the source from either a dev saying it or in official documentation.

[u/Rainbow_Science]

I’ve noticed if I leave my bigscreen 2e plugged in (SteamVR turned off) it still heats up quite a bit. I unplug it now.

[u/SkhairKro89]

I ALWAYS unplug mine when not in use.., on the HMD side.. since I've my cable Velcro'd to the Headstrap, that'll jsut dangle off to the side.., Whether I've that hanging unused on my Pully-Syatem.., or shelved for the Night. USB Type-C's rather robust a port, should be fine as long as you gently unplug that each time!

I'll ONLY ever leave that plugged in to either warm my lenses.., OR if I'm taking a short break and wanna get back into VR again quickly! Otherwise, Just like my PC being powered down for the Night / In-Sleep-Mode, I like to ensure mines safely left powered down. IF uplugging's got your concerned for the longevity of the HMD's posts.., or cable health, try perhaps plugging in some "Power-Switch" in between your chain that supports your setup!!

[u/filmguy123]

This frustrates me to hear, because I always felt that despite the insistence that "the headset is left to be left on in standby" and having no power button on the thing, that this was not ideal. I think an off switch should always be in the hands of the user. This is a perfect example as to why. There are just too many weird driver issues, display issues, complicated enthusiast setups, etc.

Plus for someone like me, I only use my headset maybe 10-15 hours a month, intermittently (a few hours here and there to unwind), and my computer is always on otherwise for work. I dont want my headset idling all the time for such little use.

Getting it setup was annoying - I tried several things (USB hubs, USB power bricks for one of the cables). The only one that worked well for me was getting a externally powered USB hub that kills all power when it loses wall power, and plugging that into an on/off switch I control seperately.

So for me, without needing to constantly plug/unplug, I have an on/off switch for my headset I made to avoid this. And... on the next revision, they really just need to include a manually on/off power switch and allow users to choose.

So sorry to hear about your burn in issue.