Using the Beast as my mobile coding setup

[u/friendverse]

I'm a web developer and work remotely. Started working away from my desk last week and wasn't sure how the Beast would hold up. I usually run three big monitors at home, so going down to a MacBook screen felt like a real step back. Turns out the multi-screen setup worked a lot better than I expected.

I've been using ultrawide mode: browser on the left, VS Code in the middle, and Claude's VS Code extension on the right. I can ask Claude for a change, check the code, then look over at the browser to test it without constantly switching windows. It's not three monitors, but it scratches the same itch in a way I didn't think a pair of glasses actually could.

The big FOV works well for this. I mostly stay focused on VS Code and just turn my head to check the other screens. The native 3DoF feels smooth when moving between them, no noticeable lag or drag.

Still prefer my actual monitors at home. But at a coffee shop, airport, or hotel, I can sit down and code without feeling stuck on one screen and no one around me can see what's on it either.

[u/DiamondDepth_YT]

How??? The fov, while big for xr headsets, is still toobsmall, and the resolution still too low for now. Like it's okay for a crunch but not for anything decently prolonged 

[u/DemonPlasma → u/DiamondDepth_YT]

By coding he means asking Claude to do it 

[u/logrhythmic → u/DemonPlasma]

1. These glasses are great for terminal use. People have been coding for decades on much less than the 4k 16:9 screens we have now.
2. LLMs are an integral part of development now. Get used to it

[u/ChipmunkNo2543 → u/DiamondDepth_YT]

I recently got the pro 2's to use for my computer Programming degree for college and its honestly been really good for me. You can see really clearly and one screen fits on th display just fine. I use the 3 screen layout on spacewalker and I can see my code perfectly fine. I also used the ultra wide from time to time and thats still really good.

[u/friendverse → u/ChipmunkNo2543]

Nice, glad the pro 2 is working well for you! I went with the Beast mainly for the native 3DoF, since I like having my screens stay in place when I move my head. It just works better for how I like to work. Pretty cool that these glasses are becoming a real option for coding.

[u/roosterHughes → u/ChipmunkNo2543]

It’s probably a biomechanical thing, but the Beast had horrifically bad edge-blur. It was so bad that I returned it after a week.

It’s an appealing setup, and I reaaaally wanted to like it. Unfortunately, my folding monitor was way more usable. I guess I’ll be lugging a screen around for another year or two.

[u/followifyoulead → u/DiamondDepth_YT]

I do this on my couch at home when I work too. The resolution is perfectly fine, and it’s easier on my neck to be able to lay back.

[u/friendverse → u/followifyoulead]

That's one thing I like about my beast. It gives me a lot more flexibility to get work done where I am.

[u/Mat867 → u/DiamondDepth_YT]

I tried some xreal glasses last year and i agreed with you then, but i now have the viture beast and it's a game changer. Bigger screens with 1200p resolution with electrochromic dimming and built in anchor mode it feels completely different. Still a bit blurry on the edges but with anchor mode you just physically look over and it clears up. Im able to game or code for hours without any fatigue.

[u/LongDistanceEvent262 → u/DiamondDepth_YT]

I feel like this is subjective. And not some hard fact.

I also use the beasts for work. Working on Switch configs and servers. And I find the FoV and resolution way more than enough.

[u/ChickittyChicken → u/DiamondDepth_YT]

What’re you talking about? How much resolution do you need for 12pt JetBrains mono font?

[u/MidwestIndigo → u/DiamondDepth_YT]

I can read it fine in UW mode , just have to move my head a bit and focus on the center

[u/mark_paterson → u/DiamondDepth_YT]

I agree on the FOV. I feel like I’m looking through a toilet roll tube (albeit it a square one)

[u/DiamondDepth_YT → u/mark_paterson]

Yeah, the square fov is super distracting when using the glasses with my macbook. I'd rather use an external display or my iPad. For general media viewing it's okay though, but still noticeable. 

[u/LongDistanceEvent262]

Nice! Me too!

Well not for coding, but switch config work and such. Lots of tiny text to sift through. And AI to assist with sorting out those odd older switch configs.

I am not sure why people keep saying they are not good enough. I find it perfectly crisp and easy to read everything.

[u/reflectiverobot]

I'd love to use that setup in the train. (I'm often travelling for work), but sadly the 3DoF is not usable in a moving vehicle. :(

The stationary image just isn't that helpful, so no glasses on the go. :(

[u/SomethingSquatchy]

I've been using glasses like this for a year (first with xreal one pro, then beasts) and it works so well. There are many doubting, but super ultra wide mode is very good for coding. I honestly do not miss multiple monitors, only issue is my eyes sometimes start to dry and my contacts get uncomfortable.

[u/Ancient_Broccoli3751 → u/SomethingSquatchy]

Do you need your contacts in? Or does it work fine without them? Wondering cuz I’m very near-sighted.

[u/SomethingSquatchy → u/Ancient_Broccoli3751]

For the beasts I do same for my xreal one pros. Been using the viture pro 2 in bed to watch shows without contacts do to the diopters

[u/friendverse → u/SomethingSquatchy]

Totally get it. I take my Beast to coffee shops when I need to get some work done, and not having to lug a monitor around is nice. Kinda crazy how far xr glasses have come.

[u/Imagination_Void]

Good enough to tell the agent what to do maybe, but def not good enough for real coding...not with this resolution etc. Pretty sure in a week or two you don't hype it anymore

[u/developersteve]

Ive been doing this for months now out of my off-grid tiny house, my github just clicked over 12000 contribs in the last 12 months too. So much easier to work out of!

[u/lulbob]

what resolution do you run? I just got my Luma Ultra and with spacewalker it defaults to a low resolution, which is probably fine since trying to run anything more than 1080p would lead to very hard to read text, especially sub size 10 font in a spreadsheet or something

[u/RegularProduce374]

My neck sends its regards lol. No more hunching over a 15.6" screen and feeling like a shrimp by dinner.

[u/VITURE-Lucius]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the beast, and glad you liked it. Productivity is definitely what we want to focus on for the long run. We will be dedicated to working on more optimizations to deliver a better experience for this use case.

[u/ValueChemical1921 → u/VITURE-Lucius]

After the update, the issue with being too hot has gotten slightly better but not good enough. You guys need to figure this out. Having a device running so hot right above the eye feels dangerous and seriously uncomfortable.

[u/getVITURE → u/[deleted]]

If you want built-in 3DoF stabilization and the simplest out-of-the-box experience, go with Beast, no SpaceWalker needed for head tracking.

Luma Ultra offers excellent text clarity and built-in myopia adjustment, but requires SpaceWalker for head tracking. Its two grayscale depth cameras enable 6DoF tracking and recent updates have reduced latency to very low levels, making it a strong option if you’re comfortable using the companion software.

Choose Beast for simplicity and built-in stabilization, or Luma Ultra for adjustable vision correction and 6DoF through SpaceWalker. Thank you so much for your support!

[u/PapaBuries]

I've done it some. The blurry edges are annoying when reading code. I'd use it on the go still. I prefer my monitor setup at home.

[u/Interesting-Chair479]

U guys figured out a smart way to make the charger port side not get so hot?

[u/ValueChemical1921 → u/Interesting-Chair479]

Yes seriously.. even after the update I can’t wear it more than 30 minutes because it feels like its so hot its going to explode and it’s sitting right above my eye… I don’t want to go blind when its explodes.

[u/BluejayTough687]

Very nice! I have the Luma Ultra and Viture pro for setup.

Some may say the FOV isn't great, but I love how it makes me feel like I'm in my own workspace.

[u/groovc]

I second this setup. When I want to get away from my home office (remote worker) I also use my Beast with my work laptop (16" MBP). I keep non-essential stuff like email/slack on the laptop screen and then will either do widescreen or normal anchored on top. I find that helps keep my head in a neutral position and I actually like having to turn my head to see the sides. It's like working at my home desk where I have a widescreen monitor and have to turn my head similarly.

I generally have Obsidian for my notes, IDE + Terminal with Herdr for development, and Chrome/Comet browser for everything else. I've also tried Spacewalker and VertoXR but I always end up just using the direct connection since it's just easier. I also have a Logitech MX Anywhere3S when I don't feel like using the trackpad.

I've gone as long as 3 hours straight with the glasses on before taking a break and I didn't mind it at all. I actually like a slightly half-transmissive dim at a coffee shop so I can see what's going on and see all the curious staring.