HP has begun shipping its latest virtual reality (VR) headset, the Reverb G2, this month and to give Windows Mixed Reality (WMR) customers an even better experience Microsoft has just released a new update improving the visuals.
The update comes thanks to Microsoft’s work with HP and Valve, improving Chromatic Aberration, light leakage and god rays for the Reverb G2 and some existing WMR VR headsets – the Samsung Odyssey+ and the original HP Reverb G1.
“Chromatic aberration is an artifact caused by red, green, and blue light refracting through lenses differently,” Microsoft explains in a blog post. This is most easily seen by red or blue fringing on the edge of objects. So the correction: “aims to adjust for this by pre-distorting the rendered image.” This is achieved via improved algorithms but it’s always worth remembering that properly adjusting a headset both vertically and via the IPD ensures a clean image. The correction applies to all aforementioned headsets.
As for light leakage (not the gap around the nose) which comes from LCD filters which don’t perfectly match the chromatic range of red, green, and blue light, this has also been corrected for. The above image highlights the effect, where colour tinting affects the scene. Only the Reverb G1 and G2 gain this correction.
The bane of any headset that uses Fresnel lenses is god rays. The announcement also adds that the new Reverb G2 has ‘almost no visible god rays’ thanks to Valve’s optics engineers.
The entire WMR platform has had a muted run since its launch several years ago, with only HP and Samsung really continuing the effort. While Facebook focuses on consumer, standalone VR, companies like HP are aiming to appeal to the public and enterprise alike with tethered PC devices. The Reverb G2 boasts a native resolution of 2160×2160 per eye at 90 Hz, the highest yet for a consumer headset and its main selling point.
For further updates on HP’s VR plans, keep reading VRFocus.
via Mint VR