US-based video game developer Valve has announced that it will license more of its VR technology to hardware makers that can develop VR HMDs based on its technology. In addition to the tracking and input tech that was already licensed before, HMD makers can now use Valve's optical system, calibration tools and a supporting software stack.
Currently pretty much all high-end HMD devices adopt OLED displays as these panels offer faster refresh rates compared to LCDs. But Valve says that recent LCD advancements combined with VR specific calibration now make LCD a viable technology choice for high end VR systems.
Valve says that LCD makers have demonstrated "fast-switching liquid crystals, low persistence backlights, and high PPI displays" that can match the highest-quality VR experiences when calibrated and paired with the right software. It's likely that Valve means OLEDs when they say highest-quality VR. It will be interesting to see how these high-end LCDs compare to OLEDs when such HMDs are actually released.
