How to measure your IPD for a VR or AR headset
Your interpupillary distance — IPD — is the distance in millimetres between the centers of your pupils. Set your headset to the wrong value and the image goes soft, your edges distort, and you'll be reaching for ibuprofen within an hour. Here are four ways to get it, ranked by accuracy.
| Method | Accuracy | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| With a phone app (fastest, most reliable) | ±1–3 mm | Free |
| With the headset itself | ±2 mm | Free |
| With a mirror and a millimetre ruler | ±3–5 mm | Free |
| From your optician (most accurate) | ±0.5 mm | Often free with an eye exam |
1. With a phone app (fastest, most reliable)
The fastest way is a front-camera app that locks onto your irises. IPD Measure runs MediaPipe face tracking on-device — your camera frames never leave your phone — and uses the horizontal iris diameter (stable at 11.7 ± 0.5 mm across adults) as a built-in reference.
- Install IPD Measure on Google Play and grant camera access.
- Hold your phone at arm's length, face level, looking straight at the camera.
- Wait three seconds. Your IPD appears in millimetres — dial that number into your headset.
The free reading uses an average iris size as its scale and maps cleanly to Quest preset positions. Premium card calibration measures your own iris for a more precise, personal result — handy for continuously-adjustable headsets like Index, PSVR 2, and Pimax.
2. With the headset itself
If your headset has a continuous IPD slider (Index, PSVR 2, Quest Pro, Pimax) you can dial it in by feel — but you'll get there faster if you start from a known number.
- Put the headset on, focus on a sharp object in the center of the view (the home menu logo works).
- Slide IPD wider until that object goes soft, then narrower until it sharpens again. Stop at the point where everything is crisp andyou can see clearly out of the corners of the lenses.
- Read the IPD value off the headset's display. That's yours.
This is iterative — your eyes adapt, so you'll often settle 1–2 mm off the true ideal. Use it to refine an app reading rather than as your only method.
3. With a mirror and a millimetre ruler
The classic fallback when no app or headset is available. You need a flat mirror and a ruler with a millimetre scale.
- Stand 20 cm (about 8 inches) from the mirror.
- Hold the ruler horizontally across your brow, with the 0 mm mark over the center of your right pupil.
- Close your right eye, keep your head still, then read the millimetres directly under your left pupil.
- Repeat three times, average the readings.
Parallax and tiny head tilts cause most of the error here. If your numbers vary by more than 4 mm across three attempts, the ruler isn't level.
4. From your optician (most accurate)
A digital pupillometer is the gold standard — ±0.5 mm, which is tighter than any consumer VR headset can resolve. If you're due for an eye exam anyway, ask explicitly for your PD to be written on your prescription. Many opticians won't print it unless asked.
Worth doing if you're ordering corrective lens inserts for Quest, Index, or Vision Pro — the inserts have a one-shot fit and the lens lab will use the PD you give them.
Where to set IPD on common headsets
Once you know your number, here's how it maps to popular headsets. Ranges are approximate — refer to the headset's own settings menu for the exact readout.
| Headset | IPD range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Meta Quest 3 / 3S | ≈ 53–75 mm | Continuous wheel-style adjustment with millimetre readout in the headset menu. |
| Meta Quest 2 | 58 / 63 / 68 mm | Three physical preset positions. Round to the closest. |
| Meta Quest Pro | 55–75 mm | Continuous mechanical slider with on-screen indicator. |
| Apple Vision Pro | Auto-adjusts | EyeSight system finds your pupils on first use. Still useful to know your number for prescription inserts. |
| Valve Index | 58–70 mm | Continuous mechanical slider on the bottom of the headset. |
| PlayStation VR2 | ≈ 54–74 mm | Continuous mechanical slider, value shown in the headset menu. |
| XREAL Air / One / Pro | Fixed lens spacing | No IPD slider; comfort comes from adjustable nose pads and prescription inserts. |
| Pimax Crystal | 57–72 mm | Continuous motorised IPD with software readout. |
The fastest way: use the app
IPD Measure gives you a reading in about three seconds, runs the face tracker on-device so your camera frames never leave your phone, and is free.
FAQ
Why does IPD matter in VR?
Each lens in a VR headset has an optical sweet spot. If the spacing between the lenses doesn't match the spacing between your pupils, the image goes soft, you get edge distortion, and many users develop eye strain or headaches within 30 minutes. Setting IPD correctly is the single biggest comfort upgrade in VR.
What IPD do popular headsets support?
Meta Quest 3 has three preset positions roughly covering 53–75 mm. Quest 2 has three fixed positions (58, 63, 68 mm). Valve Index supports a continuous 58–70 mm slider. Apple Vision Pro auto-detects via the EyeSight system. PSVR 2 has a continuous mechanical slider. XREAL glasses ship with adjustable nose pads and prescription inserts rather than a true IPD slider.
My headset auto-adjusts. Do I still need to know my IPD?
Yes, for two reasons. First, auto-adjustment relies on cameras finding your pupils, which can be off by 1–3 mm with glasses or low light. Second, knowing your number lets you order corrective lens inserts (Quest, Index, Vision Pro all support them) where you need to supply your PD on the order form.
Are IPD and PD the same thing?
Yes. IPD (interpupillary distance) is the term VR and AR manufacturers use. PD (pupillary distance) is the term opticians and online glasses retailers use. Both are the distance in millimetres between the centers of your pupils.
What if my IPD falls between my headset's preset positions?
Round to the closer preset. The lens sweet spot has some tolerance — most users are comfortable within ±2 mm of the ideal. If you're exactly between two presets and one is sharper, that's the right choice. Soft edges in both positions usually means the lenses themselves need cleaning, not an IPD problem.