Out of all the phone-based VR headsets I've tried, this Utopia 360 has the best spec sheet. It's got variable focal distance adjustment like Samsung Gear VR. It's got a Bluetooth remote control like Google Daydream. It even has interpupillary distance (IPD) adjustment, an appreciated but rare feature that I didn't get again until recently with my Valve Index. But spec sheet bullet points aren't everything. Lack of software support for many of those features, combined with a weak mechanical design, sabotaged this ReTrak Utopia 360 Virtual Reality Headset with Bluetooth Controller (Model ECVRC)

The generic phone holder mechanism didn't work for my phone, so I replaced it with a more reliable phone-specific bracket as one of my earliest 3D printing projects.

Now that I am retiring the headset, I'm going to remove my old project on my way to taking everything apart.

With my custom holder removed, I can access the clips holding this front panel together.

Taking the front panel apart, I finally have confirmation that those ventilation holes we can see in the front are just useless, as they were blocked by the next layer.

Implementation of focal distance adjustment is far simpler than Gear VR's implementation, with a single axle rotating a pair of rack and pinion mechanisms. But this is a finicky thing that didn't work as smoothly as Gear VR's implementation.

Removing the center cover did not free the rotating axle: it is still held by either side.

But it did allow the axle to flex enough for me to pull off the front. I still couldn't get to all of the remaining fasteners, though. The focal distance adjustment axle remained stubbornly in the way. My search for fasteners or retention mechanisms came up empty, I concluded it was glued in place.

Two snips with a diagonal cutter and the axle is no longer in my way. I could access all of the remaining fasteners now.

One set of fasteners held the rear of the headset in place.

The other set of fasteners held down the IPD adjustment mechanism: a single pinion gear moving the two eyepieces in opposite directions.

Both eyepieces were removed so I could salvage the lens, held by a retaining ring with two tabs.

With the headset disassembled, I turn my attention to the controller. Which also looked great on the spec sheet but would frequently lose connection to my phone and felt cheaply made in the hand. (I suppose because it was.)

It runs off a pair of AAA batteries, which I forgot about and left them in this controller and now it is damaged from battery leakage. What matters today for disassembly is the pair of fasteners visible in the battery compartment.

The top piece came free easily, uncovering the button array and a two-axis joystick mounted on the mainboard's top. A few screws held the mainboard in place.

Removing them freed the mainboard, so we can see the trigger switches board held by another pair of screws.

Removing the trigger button board for a closer look, I see a very straightforward implementation.

Mainboard backside. The biggest chip has the following markings:

ST17H26
CH1620
CH1512 1

Web search pointed to Lenze Technology ST17H26.

This controller was easier to take apart than Google's Daydream controller, with no glue holding things in. If it had a piece of weight like Daydream did it might feel more substantial in the hand, but that would not have improved the tactile feedback of its buttons.

Mechanically speaking, this headset was more complex than Daydream headset and simpler than Gear VR. Too bad it didn't work as well as its spec sheet suggested. I think it's because it tried to do too much. In contrast, Mattel View-Master VR keeps its feature scope constrained and does its job well.