This $17 DIY rig lets me record what I actually see in XR #FeedTheBeast
Ever wanted to show what your XR glasses actually look like?
The problem is, recording through the lenses with a smartphone basically requires a third hand… and you still have to keep everything perfectly aligned so the glasses and the camera don’t shift. That’s where a simple rig comes in. So I made a super cheap rig—here’s how.
First, can you get a cheap plastic towel hanger near you? Here in Japan, we have a dollar-store-type chain called DAISO, where I found a perfect one for about 110 yen (~$1). I just use a small hair clip to secure the XR glasses to the hanger.
Next, I combined a multifunction smartphone holder (with a camera hot shoe), a cold shoe mount adapter, and a small ball head (ETSUMI). The ball head was about 1800 yen, and the other parts were around 600 yen each. In total, the whole setup cost me roughly 2500 yen (~$17).
(links are not affiliate)
I’ve included some diagrams so you can see how everything fits together. One small note: you’ll need to drill a hole in the plastic hanger so a tripod screw can pass through.
For filming, I’m using a Galaxy S21 with the Blackmagic Cam app. It ends up being a vertical setup, but I like it because I can shoot in portrait while locking the camera lens I want to use.
I’ll also share some actual photos and videos captured through the Beast’s lenses. Hopefully, they really show how wide the 58° FoV feels, how bright it gets, and how good the image quality is.
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This $17 DIY rig lets me record what I actually see in XR #FeedTheBeastGive it a try and share what you see!
Posted Apr 7, 2026, 11:22 AM UTC