Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing
  3. News

Oculus developing ‘focal surface display’ for better VR image clarity

By
Oculus Research to Present Focal Surface Display Discovery at SIGGRAPH
Given all of the attention that it receives, it would be easy to forget that virtual reality technology is in many ways still in its infancy. Today’s VR experiences are better than they were a few years ago, but they remain limited in just how realistic they can be in a number of important areas.

One such area is in how well the technology mimics how our eyes focus on objects at various distances. This greatly impacts the overall visual clarity of the VR experience and Oculus is working on technology that should greatly improve its VR products and provide for sharper images and a more natural viewing experience.

Recommended Videos

Essentially, the issue revolves around the fact that our eyes are very good at focusing on objects no matter how close or far away. When we focus on one object, anything that is closer and farther away drops out of focus — creating the “bokeh” effect in photography.

Related

VR systems project images on a magnified flat screen and do well in focusing on objects at the depth we are viewing. However, when we look at objects that are not at the same distance in the image, then the system cannot focus correctly. That creates an effect where objects that are not currently in focus are incorrectly blurry.

The solution the Oculus is developing and that will be presented at the upcoming Siggraph conference is called the “focal surface display,” and it is intended to more accurately model how our eyes work. As Oculus describes it:

“Focal surface displays mimic the way our eyes naturally focus on objects of varying depths. Rather than trying to add more and more focus areas to get the same degree of depth, this new approach changes the way light enters the display using spatial light modulators (SLMs) to bend the headset’s focus around 3D objects — increasing depth and maximizing the amount of space represented simultaneously.”

The technology is not going to appear in an Oculus Rift system anytime soon, but it nevertheless represents an important and valuable field of research for future VR systems. The net result will be a significant improvement in visual clarity and systems that work better for users with eyeglass prescriptions using today’s VR technology.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Mark Coppock
Mark Coppock
Computing Writer
Mark has been a geek since MS-DOS gave way to Windows and the PalmPilot was a thing. He’s translated his love for…
This Lenovo laptop is usually $1,700 — today it’s $847
The Lenovo ThinkBook 16 Gen 6 laptop on a white background.

If you're looking for a new laptop that will have no problem keeping up with your daily workload, you should check out the sixth-generation Lenovo ThinkBook 16, especially now that it's on sale from Lenovo at 51% off. From its original price of $1,729, it's down to a more affordable $847, which is excellent value when you consider the capabilities of this machine. You need to complete the purchase as soon as possible if you want the $882 in savings though, because there's a chance that it's already gone by tomorrow.

Why you should buy the Lenovo ThinkBook 16 Gen 6
The sixth-generation Lenovo ThinkBook 16 is a dependable laptop for its price, as it will help you complete your everyday activities and tasks quickly and efficiently with its 13th-generation Intel Core i7 processor and integrated Intel Iris Xe Graphics. It's also got 16GB of RAM, which our laptop buying guide says is the sweet spot for most people. While the Lenovo ThinkBook 16 Gen 6 won't go as fast as the top-of-the-line models of the best laptops, it will surely boost the productivity of both professionals and students.

Read more
The Dell XPS 15, 16 and 17 all have huge discounts today
The open Dell XPS 16 on a table.

There's always high demand for Dell XPS deals because these laptops offer a combination of dependable performance and stylish designs. Three Dell XPS laptops are on sale right now with huge discounts from Dell, including the final versions of two models as they're being retired by the Dell XPS reset -- the Dell XPS 15, which is down to $1,199 from $1,499 for savings of $300, and the Dell XPS 17, which is down to $1,999 from $2,909 for savings of $910. In addition, the Dell XPS 16, one of the new models in the line of laptops, is also already discounted from Dell at $600 off, slashing its price to $2,949 from $3,549.

If you're interested in taking advantage of any of these offers, we recommend that you proceed with the purchase immediately because we're not sure how much time is remaining before they expire. This is particularly true for the Dell XPS 15 and Dell XPS 17, as once their stocks are gone, you may never get another chance at buying these laptop deals.
Dell XPS 15 -- $1,199, was $1,499

Read more
Scores of people are downgrading back to Windows 10
The screen of the Galaxy Book4 Ultra.

Microsoft continues to struggle with the adoption of Windows 11 among its users. Recent data from Statcounter reveals a notable decline in the operating system’s market share, specifically compared with Windows 10.

After reaching an all-time high of 28.16% in February 2024, Windows 11 has experienced a drop, falling below the 26% mark.

Read more