Similar to how standard monitors and TVs benefit from higher resolutions, so do XR headsets. But according to Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth we’re not even close to making a headset with a retina resolution display.
For context, a retina resolution display means a display where the user cannot see the individual pixels. Apple actually has a branded series of displays called Retina Displays for its various devices. However, Bosworth explained in a recent Instagram AMA (ask me anything) that display resolution is calculated differently for XR displays.
In virtual reality displays, the way we measure resolution is pixels per degree. The total number of pixels doesn't totally matter because it has to do with how far are they from your eye and how does the lens remap them.
XR headsets have made great strides since the Oculus Rift DK1. The Meta Quest 3 and the Apple Vision Pro have excellent displays which often make you forget you’re in VR. But the illusion never lasts too long before you spot something out of the ordinary.
Bosworth revealed that Meta’s division Reality Labs — formerly known as Oculus VR — has been experimenting with prototypes. According to him Reality Labs has made headsets with 100 PPD (pixels per degree) and it was still not enough for retina resolution.
The lenses in XR headsets affect pixel visibility. | Image credit — PhoneArena
That is quite mind-blowing to me because the Vision Pro, touted for its high-resolution display, only has a PPD of around 34. This very clearly suggests that it’s going to take a while before we’re capable of producing retina resolution XR headsets. And Bosworth agrees.
We don't know how to produce displays at that kind of density, the power required in the form factor required. Like it's we are not even there yet, so it's a ways off.
— Andrew Bosworth, Instagram AMA, May 2024
We may not have retina resolution headsets, but we’ve still got some pretty neat VR headsets and some very fun VR games to play on them. So I’m not that fussed, honestly. But it does make me wonder just how good XR devices might get in the future.
Abdullah is an ardent believer in the future of VR, and can't wait to see what more it brings to the table as technology improves. He enjoys covering new software releases in the XR industry, as well as major news about hardware and companies focused on VR.
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