Wide Field-of-View Mixed Reality

PubDate: Aug 2025

Teams:Meta

Writers:Lei Xiao, Yang Zhao, Dave Lindberg, Joel Hegland, Seth Moczydlowski, Eric Penner, Dan Tebbs, Daniel Terpstra, Ian Ender, Yu-Jen Lin, Julia Majors, Douglas Lanman

PDF:Wide Field-of-View Mixed Reality

Abstract

The human visual system has a horizontal field of view (FOV) of approximately 200 degrees. However, existing virtual and mixed reality headsets typically have horizontal FOVs around 110 degrees. While wider FOVs have been demonstrated in consumer devices, such immersive optics generally come at the cost of larger form factors, limiting physical comfort and social acceptance. We develop a pair of wide field-of-view headsets, each achieving a horizontal FOV of 180 degrees with resolution and form factor comparable to current consumer devices. Our first prototype supports wide-FOV virtual reality using a custom optical design leveraging high-curvature reflective polarizers. Our second prototype further enables mixed reality by incorporating custom cameras supporting more than 80 megapixels at 60 frames per second. Together, our prototype headsets establish a new state-of-the-art in immersive virtual and mixed reality experiences, pointing to the user benefits of wider FOVs for entertainment and telepresence applications.