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takyon [soylentnews.org] writes:

A new, business-oriented VR headset uses a tiny, high resolution display panel within a larger panel [theverge.com] in order to display very high quality imagery to users looking straight ahead:

The VR-1 calls its center panel a "Bionic Display." It's a 1920 x 1080 "micro-OLED" display with a resolution of 3,000 pixels per inch. (For context, last year's high-resolution prototype display [theverge.com] from Google and LG had 1443 ppi.) Within that central strip, images are supposed to roughly match the resolution of the human eye. As Ars Technica [arstechnica.com], which checked out the headset, puts it, that section looks "every bit as detailed as real life." Outside that super crisp panel, there's a 1440 x 1600 display that produces images of more average quality.

The VR-1's total 87-degree field of view is smaller than that of the Oculus Rift or HTC Vive, let alone the 200 degrees offered by something like Pimax's more experimental VR headset [theverge.com]. The Bionic Display only comprises a slice of it. Ars Technica describes great image quality while you're looking straight ahead, with a noticeable downgrade outside that. And rendering that high-resolution slice requires more processing power than you'd need for average VR headsets, which are already fairly demanding.

[...] The VR-1 uses standard SteamVR base stations for tracking, and it supports both the Unity and Unreal engines, so you could theoretically play games or use other consumer software. But the headset isn't priced for consumers. It costs $5,995 with an annual service fee of $995, and Varjo stresses that it's "only available for businesses and academic institutions." The company is already working with Airbus, Audi, Saab, Volkswagen, and Volvo, among others.

Human eye - Field of view [wikipedia.org].

Also at Road to VR [roadtovr.com].

Related: Virtual Reality Audiences Stare Straight Ahead 75% of the Time [soylentnews.org]
Google Research Proposes New Foveated Rendering Techniques for VR [soylentnews.org]
Google and LG to Show Off World's Highest Resolution OLED-on-Glass Display in May [soylentnews.org]

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