ABSTRACT
The complexity and cost of current virtual reality (VR) headsets are often listed as potential threats to the success of the VR industry. It is vital to improve the interface technology to make it more affordable and intuitive. There are two types of VR headset: mobile VR and high-end "tethered" VR. Mobile VR uses a smartphone as both the screen and the computing power for the headset; it is currently only capable of three degrees of freedom. The PlayStation VR headset uses a "visible light" system for positional tracking. The idea is as follows: the participant wears a headset with nine light-emitting diode (LED) lights on it and the PlayStation camera tracks them. The different display technologies and optics each headset uses greatly impact image quality, as well as the feeling of immersion. There are four important elements when it comes to high-end VR: display resolution, optics quality, refresh rate, and field of view.
