Resolution
Resolution is the number of pixels that can be displayed. Resolution is usually shown as width x height. For example, a resolution of 1920 x 1080 means that it has 1920 pixels as its width and 1080 pixels as its height. A 1080p HDTV has the resolution of 1920 x 1080.
Higher resolution means sharper, clearer and more detailed images. Low resolution can cause the pixels to become visible to the human eyes. This is especially evident in Virtual Reality HMDs because the user's eyes are positioned very close to the display. Low resolution and low PPI, pixels per inch, can cause the user to feel pixelation and feel like he or she is looking through a screen door. For optimal immersion, pixels on the display have to be dense enough to be invisible to the human eyes when viewed from very close range.
For truly immersive Virtual Reality, 4K resolution (3840 x 2160) or higher is required. According to Plamer Luckey, found of Oculus Rift, pixelation will not go away completely until at least 8K resolution (7680 x 4320) per eye is achieved[1]. As of 2015, non of the VR HMDs have 4k or greater resolution.
Resolution of various HMDs
Virtual Reality
| Resolution | |
|---|---|
| ANTVR | 1920 x 1080 |
| Acer Windows Mixed Reality Headset | 2880 x 1440 (1440 x 1440 per eye) |
| Apple Vision Pro | 3660 × 3200 pixels per eye (23 million total pixels) |
| Apple Vision Pro M5 | 3660×3200+ per eye (10% more pixels than original) |
| Bigscreen Beyond 2 | 2560 × 2560 per eye (5120 × 2560 total) |
| Bigscreen Beyond 2e | 2560×2560 per eye (13.1 million pixels total) |
| Daydream View | 1920 x 1080 / 2560 x 1440 (Pixel / Pixel XL) |
| FOVE | 2560 x 1440 |
| Figment VR | Depends on the smartphone |
| Gear VR | |
| HP Reverb | 2160x2160 per eye |
| HP Reverb G1 | 2160 x 2160 per eye (4320 x 2160 total) |
| HTC Vive | 2160 x 1200 (1080 x 1200 per eye) |
| HTC Vive Developer Editions | 2160 x 1200 1080 x 1200 per eye |
| HTC Vive Pro | 2880 x 1600 (1440 x 1600 per eye) |
| Impression Pi | Depends on the smartphone |
| IonVR | Min. 720p resolution 1080p recommended 2K ideal |
| LG 360 VR | 960x720 pixels at 693ppi (per eye) |
| Lenovo Windows Holographic HMD | |
| Lynx R1 | 1600×1600 per eye |
| Lynx-R1 | 1600×1600 per eye |
| Meta Quest 3 | 2064×2208 per-eye |
| Meta Quest 3S | 1832 x 1920 pixels per eye |
| NVIS nVisor SX60 | 1280x1024 per eye (SXGA) |
| OSVR HDK1 | 1920 x 1080 960 x 1080 per eye |
| OSVR HDK2 | 2160 x 1200 (1080 x 1200 per eye) |
| Oculus Quest 2 | 1832x1920 per eye |
| Oculus Rift | 2160 x 1200 (1080 x 1200 per eye) |
| Oculus Rift S | 2560×1440 (1280×1440 per eye) |
| Oculus Santa Cruz | |
| Philips Scuba | 263 × 230 pixels per eye |
| Pico 4 Pro | 2160×2160 per eye |
| Pico 4 Ultra Enterprise | 2160×2160 per eye (4K+) |
| Pico G2 | 2880 x 1600 |
| Pico G3 | 3664×1920 (combined) |
| Pico Neo 3 Pro | |
| Pico Neo CV | 1500 x 1500 pixels/eye |
| Pimax 5K Super | 2560x1440 per eye (5120x1440 combined) |
| Pimax 8K | 8K (4K for each eye) |
| Pimax 8KX | 3840×2160 per eye (native 4K) |
| Project Alloy | |
| Samsung Gear VR (2015/2016) | 2560 x 1440 1280 x 1440 per eye |
| Samsung Gear VR Innovator Edition | 2560 x 1440 1280 x 1440 per eye |
| Shiftall MeganeX Superlight 8K | 3552×3840 per eye (8K total) |
| Simula One | 2448×2448 per eye (4896×2448 total) |
| StarVR | 5120 x 1440 (2560 x 1440 per eye) |
| Steam Frame | 2160×2160 per eye |
| Sulon Q | 2560x1440 pixels |
| Takara HMD Dynovisor | 180 000 pixels (320x240 per eye Estimated) |
| VPL EyePhone | 185 × 138 (Model 1) 320 × 240 (Model 2 LX) 720 × 480 (Model HRX) per eye |
| Valve Index | 2880×1600 (combined) |
| Varjo Aero | 3840×3744 per eye |
| Varjo VR-2 | Focus: 1920×1080 per eye Context: 1440×1600 per eye |
| Varjo XR-3 | Focus: 1920×1920 per eye Context: 2880×2720 per eye |
| Varjo XR-4 | 3840×3744 per eye |
| Varjo XR-4 Focal Edition | 3840×3744 per eye (4K×4K) |
| Virtual Boy | 384×224 per eye |
| Virtual i-O i-glasses! | |
| Vive Cosmos | 1440x1700 per eye |
| Vive Flow | 1600x1600 per eye |
| Vive Focus | 2800x1600 |
| Vive Focus 3 | 2448x2448 per eye (5K) |
| Vive Focus Plus | 1440x1600 per eye |
| Vive Focus Vision | 2448x2448 per eye |
| Vive Pro 2 | 2448x2448 per eye |
| Vive Pro Eye | 1440x1600 per eye |
| Wearality Sky | Depends on smartphone |
Augmented Reality
| Resolution | |
|---|---|
| Anduril EagleEye | High-resolution displays |
| Atheer AiR | |
| CastAR | 2560x720 1280 x 720 per eye |
| Google Glass | 640 × 360 |
| INMO Air | 640x400 per eye |
| Impression Pi | Depends on the smartphone |
| Magic Leap 2 | 1440 × 1760 pixels per eye |
| Magic Leap One | 1280 x 960 per eye |
| Meta 2 | 2560 x 1440 |
| Microsoft HoloLens | Holographic resolution: 2.3M total light points |
| Project North Star | 1600 × 1440 per eye (2880 × 1600 combined) |
| R-7 Smartglasses | 2560 x 720 (Two 1280 x 720) |
| RayNeo Air 2s | 1920×1080 per eye (Full HD) |
| Rokid AR Lite | 1080p-1200p per eye |
| Rokid Glasses | |
| Rokid Max 2 | 1920x1080 per eye (Full HD) |
| SmartEyeglass Developer Edition SED-E1 | 419 x 138 |
| Snap Spectacles | 1088 x 1088 (video) |
| Snap Spectacles 2 | 1216 x 1216 (video) 1642 x 1642 (photos) |
| Snap Spectacles 3 | Photos 1642 x 1642 Video 1216 x 1216 px at 60fps |
| Snap Spectacles 4 | 480 x 564 per eye |
| Snap Spectacles 5 | 37 pixels per degree |
| Sulon Q | 2560x1440 pixels |
| TCL NXTWEAR S | 1920x1080 per eye (2D) / 3840x1080 (3D) |
| Viture One | 1920×1080 per eye (Full HD) |
| Viture One Lite | 1920×1080 per eye (Full HD) |
| Viture Pro | 1920×1080 per eye (Full HD) |
| Vuzix M4000 | |
| XREAL Air 2 Pro | 1920x1080 per-eye |
| Xreal Air 2 Pro | 1920x1080 per eye |
| Xreal One | 1080p per eye |
| Xreal One Pro | 1920x1080 per eye (Full HD) |