Calibrating the device

The first time someone puts on the device, it should be calibrated. Calibration means that the screens need to be aligned to the center of the wearer's pupils. Obviously, each person has a different number for this; this number is called the interpupillary distance (IPD). Mine, for instance, is 66.831 millimeters, meaning that my pupils are almost 67 millimeters apart. This is important since this determines how effective the three dimensional effect is. A lot of people skip this step or do it only once for the initial user, but that is a big mistake. If this number is not correctly set, you will have a slightly offset image that just doesn't feel right.

The calibration is done with the calibration tool, one of the applications preinstalled on the device. This application will guide you through the process. The tool first shows a blue rectangle and asks whether you can see all corners. Ensure that the rectangle is in the center of your view by adjusting the device on your head. If you got it right, you can say the word next to move to the next stage. Yes, this is voice controlled, which makes sense--the device is still calibrating your vision, so it cannot rely on airtaps. The next phase consists of showing you outlines of a finger in a circle; you are supposed to place your finger in that outline. You have to do this five times for each eye, with the other eye closed. This process should not take very long, but it is extremely important that you do this for every new user.

The resulting IPD number is not visible in the device, but can be read out in the device portal. The number is unique for the combination of this user for this device--you cannot use that number for the same user on another device. I suggest that you write down that number for users who will be using the device more than once. That way, you can enter it in the device portal without having to go through the calibration process every time.

One word of warning--the device is not meant to be used by children under the age of 13 years. The reason for this is that their eyes tend to be rather close to each other and thus need IPD values too small to work. There are limits to what this number can be, although Microsoft has not yet disclosed these numbers. Having a wrong IPD could result in motion sickness during its use, so it is recommended that you have this set right and prevent children from playing with the device.