A major factor behind the recent surge in Virtual Reality investment and development has been the introduction of small, low-cost, high resolution LCD displays with refresh rates sufficient for low-latency experiences. Samsung have been one of the pioneers in this field (as well as just about every other field in consumer electronics), so it's no surprise to see some exciting new developments from them which could be part of the next generation of VR Head Mounted Displays.

The first is a 3.5" OLED panel which has a pixel density of 858ppi (pixels per inch) that has been 'optimised for VR'. This display is nominally capable of refresh rates up to 120Hz, surpassing the 90Hz standard of current premium HMD's, but it's perhaps most interesting due to a reduction in the 'screen-door effect' - the thin grid you can sometimes see when looking through an HMD or when looking very closely at a smartphone display. Current HMDs such as the HTC VIVE and Oculus Rift are equipped with panels around the 450PPI per eye mark, and upscaling techniques could be used to ensure that processing requirements don't increase proportionately.

Second up is a 1.9" 4K resolution panel, a prototype design perhaps most suited to a variety of wearables due to its size. This display has a stunning 2250PPI pixel density, and could potentially allow for HMDs supporting 4K resolutions per eye. This will be some way off - Samsung need to ramp up refresh rates and response times to make it a comfortable experience - but shows the direction the technology is headed.

According to TrustedReviews Samsung held a behind closed doors demonstration of VR HMD prototypes, including a design with a purported 1500PPI display. It may be that the South Korean giants are looking to get their hands dirty beyond the already popular GearVR smartphone clip-in HMD.

SOURCE: Tweaktown.com