From box to first session
What you need, how setup works, how educators learn to run it and what happens after. It runs offline on standalone headsets, so most sites need very little.
Trainees start in the lobby, pick a scenario or join a team session.
Supported headsets
6DoF and room-scale on every device, with hand tracking or controllers. Chips marked “by model” depend on the exact headset, so ask us before you buy. How to choose a headset. Moving off HoloLens 2? Read this first.
Compatible with Meta Quest 3, PICO 4 Ultra Enterprise, PC VR, Meta Quest 3S, PICO 4 Ultra, Samsung Galaxy XR, HTC VIVE Focus Vision, Apple Vision Pro, Microsoft HoloLens 2 and Magic Leap 2. Product names belong to their owners. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by them. Which headset should you choose?
- Illustration
Meta Quest 3
Standalone
- 6DoF
- Standalone
- Hand tracking
- Passthrough MR
- Controllers optional
Our recommended headset for new deployments: VR and mixed reality on one device.
Meta Quest 3 for training - Illustration
PICO 4 Ultra Enterprise
Standalone
- 6DoF
- Standalone
- Hand tracking
- Passthrough MR
- Controllers optional
A strong choice for new deployments, especially for sites standardised on PICO.
PICO 4 Ultra Enterprise for training - Illustration
PC VR
Tethered to a PC
- 6DoF
- Tethered
- Hand tracking, by model
- Controllers
Teams that already own PC VR headsets and a capable PC. Compatible with SteamVR headsets including Valve Index, Steam Frame, Varjo, Pimax and HTC VIVE Pro.
Standalone or tethered? - Illustration
Meta Quest 3S
Standalone
- 6DoF
- Standalone
- Hand tracking
- Passthrough MR
- Controllers optional
The same app as Meta Quest 3. A good fit for lower-cost fleets.
Meta Quest 3 for training - Illustration
PICO 4 Ultra
Standalone, consumer model
- 6DoF
- Standalone
- Passthrough MR
- Controllers
The same app as PICO 4 Ultra Enterprise, on the consumer model.
PICO 4 Ultra Enterprise for training - Illustration
Samsung Galaxy XR
Standalone, Android XR
- 6DoF
- Standalone
- Hand tracking
- Eye tracking
- Passthrough MR
Hospital and enterprise fleets already on Android or Samsung device management. Managed through Android Enterprise.
Samsung Galaxy XR for training - Illustration
HTC VIVE Focus Vision
Standalone or PC VR
- 6DoF
- Standalone or PC
- Eye tracking
- Passthrough MR
- Controllers
Simulation centres that want one headset for standalone and PC. Managed with VIVE Business+.
HTC VIVE Focus Vision for training - Illustration
Apple Vision Pro
Standalone
- 6DoF
- Standalone
- Hand input
- Eye tracking
- Passthrough MR
Showcase and leadership demos.
Compare headsets - IllustrationSupported for existing fleets
Microsoft HoloLens 2
Standalone, see-through visor
- 6DoF
- Standalone
- Hand tracking
- Holographic AR
Firsthand began on HoloLens 2 and still supports organisations that own them. Microsoft has ended production, and security updates and support run to the end of 2027, so we recommend Meta Quest 3 or PICO for new deployments.
HoloLens 2 end of life - IllustrationSupported for existing fleets
Magic Leap 2
Standalone, see-through visor
- 6DoF
- Standalone
- See-through AR
Magic Leap says Magic Leap 2 is no longer for sale, with support and warranty for existing devices continuing through 31 December 2027. We support organisations that own them.
Compare headsets
What else you need
Not much. A hardware bundle with headsets, cases and charging, ready to run, is Coming
Headsets
One per trainee who is in the headset at the same time. Many sites rotate a group of trainees through fewer headsets.
Charging
Somewhere to charge every headset between sessions. A charging case or dock per headset keeps things tidy.
A computer for the fleet console
Any Windows or Mac laptop or mini PC on the same network. Optional, but it is how you see results across headsets.
A network
Local Wi-Fi for team sessions and the fleet console. No internet needed. A small dedicated router works where hospital Wi-Fi does not.
Space
About two by two metres of clear floor per trainee.
Setup, step by step
We do this with you. In a pilot, setup happens before the run starts.
- 1
Choose the headsets
We confirm the model and number of headsets on the scope call, based on how many trainees you run at once.
- 2
Install the app
Through an MDM platform that supports Meta Quest, through PICO Business Suite on PICO, or by us during setup.
- 3
Add licence and content
Your licence and your scenario packs go on each headset. With a fleet console, it sends them to every headset at once.
- 4
Check the network
We test team sessions in the room you will use. If the hospital network blocks headsets from seeing each other, we switch to a training router.
- 5
Connect the headsets to the console
An educator enters the site key once on each headset. After that, the headset checks in by itself.
- 6
Do a full test run
One solo scenario and one team scenario, end to end, debrief included, before any trainee arrives.
Educator onboarding and training
Educators run the sessions, so they get trained first: a hands-on session, in person or by video call, using your scenarios.
- Fitting headsets and setting the play area
- Practice mode and assessed mode
- Starting a team session and assigning roles
- Leading a debrief from the scored results
- Using the fleet console and exporting results
- The safety guidance
Connects to your learning systems
Results go where your organisation already keeps training records.
We set this up with your IT team during onboarding.
LTI 1.3
Assign a scenario as an activity in your LMS. Scores and pass or fail go back to the gradebook. Works with LMSs that support LTI 1.3, such as Canvas, Moodle, Blackboard and D2L Brightspace.
xAPI
Step-by-step performance records sent to your learning record store, for debriefs and accreditation evidence.
SCORM package
For hospital and corporate learning platforms that use SCORM.
Single sign-on
Trainees and educators sign in with Microsoft Entra ID or Google.
Offline use
Everything a trainee needs is on the headset: scenarios, voices, scoring and the licence check. It works in a classroom with no internet, on a mine site or in a regional hospital.
Results are saved on the headset and upload to your fleet console when it is in reach. If the network drops, nothing is lost.
Team sessions on local Wi-Fi
Headsets on the same network find each other and join one scenario, with roles for compressions, airway, defib and drugs. Observers can watch.
Many hospital networks stop devices talking to each other. Where that happens, a small router just for training fixes it, with no internet needed. Remote sessions across sites are not available.
Support and updates
Support
Use the contact form. During a pilot, your educator lead also has regular check-ins with us.
Content updates
New scenarios, voices and fixes arrive as content packs. They install themselves in the lobby, never in the middle of a scenario.
App updates
Less frequent. Silent through your MDM or PICO Business Suite, or one confirmation per headset without them.
Release notes
Every build is listed on What’s new, so you know what changed before it reaches your headsets.
Deployment questions
Does Firsthand work with Canvas or Moodle?
Firsthand connects through LTI 1.3, which LMSs such as Canvas, Moodle, Blackboard and D2L Brightspace support. You assign a scenario as an activity, and scores and pass or fail return to the gradebook. We set this up with your IT team during onboarding.
Can results go into our hospital’s learning system?
Yes. Results can go to your learning record store through xAPI, with step-by-step performance records, or into your learning platform through a SCORM package. We set this up with your IT team during onboarding.
Do we need internet?
No. Scenarios, scoring, licences, team sessions and the fleet console all work on a local network with no internet. Internet is only needed if your MDM or PICO Business Suite installs over the internet.
Our hospital Wi-Fi blocks devices from talking to each other. Will team sessions work?
Not on that network. Many enterprise networks block it on purpose. A small dedicated router that only the headsets and the console join solves it, and needs no internet.
Can trainees at two sites join one session?
Not today. Team sessions are for headsets on the same local network. Remote multiplayer across sites is not available.
How often are there updates?
New scenarios and fixes ship as content packs, which install themselves in the lobby. App updates are less frequent. Every release is listed on the What’s new page.
Do we need a PC?
Not for training. Meta Quest 3, PICO 4 Ultra Enterprise and HoloLens 2 run standalone. A computer is only needed for the optional fleet console, or for PC VR headsets.
Plan your deployment
Tell us your headsets, rooms and network. We will tell you what you need and what you do not.
