Panasonic shows prototype of VR glasses with OLED screens and HDR support
Panasonic has shown VR glasses at CES that, according to the company, are the first in the world to support HDR. It concerns a prototype with OLED screens that Panasonic will further develop for future commercial 5G applications.
For example, Panasonic thinks of VR sports broadcasts or virtual travel experiences as applications for which the glasses can be used. The company contrasts the concept glasses with ‘conventional VR glasses’, which according to the manufacturer are quite large and must be attached via a headband, which would not always be comfortable for the wearer. The glasses weigh about 150 grams, which is significantly lighter than an average VR glasses.
According to the Japanese manufacturer, the glasses have a high-quality screen that was made in collaboration with Kopin Corporation. Panasonic describes it as a micro-OLED panel that should provide smooth images without the screen-door effect. With this unwanted effect, the lines between the pixels are visible to the user.
According to the website UploadVR, which was able to try out the glasses, that effect was indeed absent during use. The editor also speaks of an ‘extremely high resolution’, although it is not clear exactly how high it is. It is a 60Hz screen where some ghosting appeared to occur. According to The Verge, the HDR addition is quite impressive, with lighting effects being displayed more beautifully. The manufacturer did not disclose the maximum brightness of the screen.
The field of view of the VR glasses is not too high and is about 70 degrees, Panasonic indicated. That is lower than most current consumer VR glasses. A Panasonic employee present said that it will eventually also be possible to achieve a field of view of 100 degrees, by means of larger OLED screens than the screens that are now in the glasses.
During the demonstration, the glasses were still connected to a powerful PC, but Panasonic would also plan to make the glasses function via a USB-C connection, in combination with a mobile phone. A lighter design of these glasses with USB-C connection was also present at CES, although it was not yet available for use. According to Panasonic, there are also several designs ready to add 6DoF tracking.