CES 2021: VR Glasses get 2.6k OLED display

Kopin’s Lightning 2.6K OLED display on-chip (DoC) has been incorporated into Panasonic’s new VR Glasses, introduced at the CES 2021 last week. This 2.6K OLED microdisplay on Si integrates many functional blocks, including MIPI serial interface, display stream compression (DSC) and memory.

The 2.6K DoC is designed specifically for high-performance, compact virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR) headsets.

The Panasonic VR Glasses are the world’s first high-dynamic-range (HDR) capable, ultra-high-definition VR eyeglasses and promise lifelike images. The Panasonic VR Glasses have a small form-factor thanks to 1.3” displays and slim Pancake optics. The lightweight form factor makes the glasses comfortable to wear for extended periods of time, unlike many bulky VR headsets.

The glasses feature integrated hi-fidelity audio, providing a more complete sensory experience when viewing sports, entertainment content, or games. The VR Glasses also provide for IPD (interpupillary distance) adjustment and diopter adjustment so they can be used without corrective lenses.

The tiny OLED panels feature “ColorMax” technology for high colour fidelity (> 100% sRGB) and a duo-stack OLED structure for high brightness (> 1000 nits). The 10-bit colour control, together with the high colour fidelity, high brightness and high contrast ratio (> 10,000: 1), enables the much-desired studio-quality, HDR-capable VR experience.

“We have worked very closely with Panasonic on the display and with 3M on the Pancake optics for the Panasonic VR glasses,” said John CC Fan, president and CEO of Kopin. “We have had a very collaborative development program with each company contributing core elements of the technology and design – the ultimate Panasonic VR Glasses have both high-performance and a sleek, comfortable design.”