In a recent episode of The AIXR Podcast, Ian Hamilton, founder of Good VR, argued that OLED display technology is essential for delivering truly immersive virtual reality experiences. He emphasized that "darkness matters" in VR: OLEDs can render true black, making caves look like actual caves and stars shine against a pitch-black sky. Without this capability, he says, the illusion of reality falls apart.
Hamilton pointed to Apple's Vision Pro, which bets heavily on OLED and eye tracking, as a signal that the industry recognizes where realism must begin. However, replicating that level of quality in a Meta headset would add $800 to $1,500 to the cost, pushing it out of the mass market. He sees Meta's pivot to AI glasses as a strategic escape from this dilemma.
The full episode is available on YouTube at https://youtu.be/x5wQy4HBhYE.