Apple VR Headset May Feature High Resolution Micro OLED Display With 3,000ppi

Apple's rumored virtual reality (VR) headset may feature a high resolution micro OLED display with up to 3,000 pixels-per-inch, according to Korea's The Elec.

apple mixed reality headset mockup feature orange
Apple has reportedly requested a sample of a display component called a fine metal mask (FMM) from the South Korean company APS Holdings. Apple has specifically requested samples of an FMM that can deliver 3,000ppi high-resolution displays for use in virtual reality (VR) headsets, the report explains.

The company is expected to test the FMM sample to see if it is suitable for use in the mass-production of a VR device. An FMM is a metal material board used to deposit the red, green, and blue organic materials and form pixels in the production of OLED panels.

APS Holdings has developed an FMM with a more advanced laser patterning technique that can deliver much higher resolution micro OLED displays. The current FMMs used in the production of OLED displays for smartphones offer up to 600ppi with a wet etching technique, but APS Holdings' laser patterning FMM has much smaller holes to make 3,000ppi possible. Laser patterning is therefore said to be Apple's preferred manufacturing technique for the rumored headset's display.

APS Holdings' panel is also an RGB panel, rather than the white panel commonly used in OLED displays, meaning that it does not need a color filter. A micro OLED display also offers some additional advantages, such as pixel sizes in the range of four to 20 micrometers, compared to 40 to 300 micrometers with standard OLED panels. Moreover, micro OLED has a much faster microseconds response time which is also expected to make it more suitable for VR and augmented reality (AR) applications.

It has repeatedly been reported that Apple is attempting to develop advanced micro OLED displays for its VR and AR devices, but this is the first indication about the resolution that the company is seemingly aiming for with these products. The reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that micro OLED displays will enable a "see-through AR experience," as well as VR experiences.

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Top Rated Comments

djcerla Avatar
41 months ago

I am getting very excited for this product. It has potential to be more impactful in my life, especially in work, than the original iPhone, which is saying a lot.
And of course it will be mocked like crazy at Gen 1.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
subjonas Avatar
41 months ago
3000 ppi OLED seems crazy, but either way I am getting very excited for this product. It has potential to be more impactful in my life, especially in work, than the original iPhone, which is saying a lot.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
yabeweb Avatar
41 months ago

people are still using VR headsets? that's so... 2018?
I am and LOVING IT!

Yes but the lcd display will be one inch in size for each eye so you still may see the screen door. :rolleyes:
Screen door effect is rapidly becoming a thing of the past!
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BugHunter Avatar
41 months ago

people are still using VR headsets? that's so... 2018?
So the headsets you have to hook into your computer with a long cable have gone out of popularity a lot (not that they were that practical in the first place - but they were a lot of fun).

The stand-alone headsets that don't need a computer, wires or tracking stations are pretty damn amazing though - see Oculus Quest 1 & 2.
I can put the headset on (from sleep state) and be playing Beat Saber in a matter of seconds and the tracking is perfect.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JosephAW Avatar
41 months ago

Is there any existing software that would use the goggles?
Driving your Apple Car remotely. :cool:
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
subjonas Avatar
41 months ago

How? Its two different tools, how are you comparing the two?
Yes very different, but just comparing the sheer impact each tool has (potentially) on my life. Like a refirgerator has more impact on my life than a coffee table.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)