I don’t know that it is. BigscreenVR is not an Apple product, so your comment doesn’t feel particularly relevant.
They probably chose iPhones because they’re the most common device that has the capacity to get a 3D scan of someone’s face. They’re probably able to get semi-consistent results with this approach, whereas opening things up to the wide variety of IR devices in laptops and Android phones would increase the number of variables and make OP’s frustrating experience even more common.
There’s a little ramp on at least one edge of the socket that lets you lift the CPU so that you can then take it out. It may even be on both sides.
Voyager is giving me an error when I try to attach a photo, but it’s visible in the thumbnail for this video