Startup Looks to Boost VR Resolution by 70 Percent

The grainy resolution of current virtual reality headsets—even powerful ones similar the Oculus Rift—isn't likely to print people used to watching an HDTV, let alone a 4K set.

To alter that, a Finnish startup called Varjo is working on a new VR headset pattern that information technology says has a resolution 70 times greater than the Rift or the HTC Vive (pictured above). That kind of clarity, according to Varjo, will result in image quality that approaches the limits of what a homo eye can distinguish. The startup—which has recruited engineers from Nvidia, Intel, Nokia, and other companies—intends to brainstorm shipping headsets for professional users by the end of the twelvemonth.

Varjo VR resolution comparison A VR headset's screen resolution and refresh rate are crucial factors for determining a wearer's power to savour games or other apps. Lower figures tin can mean a fuzzy feel at best, or a potentially nauseating 1 at worst, especially for people who have never tried a headset. The Vive, for instance, offers a refresh rate of 90Hz and a combined resolution of 2,160 by 1,200, or 1.two megapixels for each heart. Compare that to Varjo's epitome, which has a 70-megapixel resolution for each middle.

The secret to achieving that resolution isn't packing in more pixels to an already-tiny screen, just instead making the existing pixels more efficient at rendering objects in the user's field of view, a technique known as foveated rendering. Varjo says its technology is able to create a "super-loftier-resolution paradigm" in the direction of the user's gaze. The rest of the field of view is rendered with a lower resolution to relieve processing power.

The Varjo headset—which will also come up with "video see-through" applied science (VST) for augmented reality apps—doesn't yet accept a price or an availability date for consumers. For now, the company is focused on proving its worth to professional users, according to its CEO Urho Konttori.

"This technology, along with Varjo VST, jump-starts the immersive calculating historic period overnight – VR is no longer a curiosity, but now can be a professional tool for all industries," he said in a statement.