In 2022, two thirds of virtual reality headsets will have 2K resolution

Summary

• In 2022, 4K in VR should be commonplace
• Eye Tracking, essential for display quality

The screen resolution of virtual reality headsets is currently insufficient. Even the best VR headsets currently on the market such as the HTC Vive or even the Oculus Rift suffer from a gap in the display. Placed very close to the eyes, screens with insufficient resolution offer a pixelated display with a grid effect that hinders immersion. A problem which should be solved in the coming years with the arrival of 4K in virtual reality according to the American research firm "ABI Research".

In 2022, 4K in VR should be commonplace

According to the consulting and market analysis firm for new technologies "ABI Research", virtual reality should benefit from displays with a very high pixel density by 2022, i.e. within 5 years. The New York cabinet considers, moreover, that a Wider field of view (FOV) and higher refresh rates are also in development and will provide users with a more immersive experience in virtual reality.

Still according to the firm "ABI Research", screen resolution remains one of the main challenges for virtual reality along with energy consumption but also the size and weight of VR headsets. According to Khin Sandi Lynn, analyst at the firm, VR devices running on PCs support higher resolutions compared to stand-alone headsets or those running on a smartphone. A number of these devices offer 2K resolution, but some that offer 4K resolution are already in prototype stage.

Eye Tracking, essential for display quality

The resolution of the display is not the only thing to consider. Indeed, with a 4K display, the amount of information to be processed is colossal and requires too much computing power, especially at the level of the graphics card. The solution is therefore based on the use of "Eye Tracking" technology.. This technology aims to follow the movements of the user's eyes.

The research firm on emerging technologies recalls that, combined with high resolution screens, “Eye Tracking” technology makes it possible to implement the blurred rendering technique. VShis technique is simply to display excellent resolution where the eye looks and blur the unobserved parts. Thus, only the part seen by the eye benefits from a very high definition.