Sony has showcased a 4K OLED microdisplay, which could be used in a future virtual reality headset. The prototype hardware was debuted during the organisation’s internal Technology Day, and was introduced by Sony’s R&D Center – not, it must be stressed, Sony Interactive Entertainment. In the video, engineers Yasuka Ishihara and Kei Kimura explain that the coronavirus pandemic has changed the way we work, but VR can help us to overcome a number of obstacles.

It’s important to note that this is not, currently, a commercial product – and is not related to the organisation’s next-gen PSVR headset, which will reportedly run at a resolution of 4000x2040. However, the 4K microdisplays here are incredibly exciting, as they pack an enormous number of pixels into a minuscule space, promising enhanced visual clarity and latency at less than 0.01 seconds – outrageously impressive stuff.

For those of you who don’t know, resolution is important when it comes to virtual reality because it helps to enhance the sense of presence you experience when you observe the scene around you. In the video, the engineers explain that it’s possible to examine small details, such as the numbers on a car’s dashboard dial. Clearly this technology isn’t commercially ready right now, but it’s one to earmark for the future – perhaps the next-next-gen PSVR headset.

[source youtube.com, via uploadvr.com]