A Prospective View on AR and VR Optics

One of the main technologies that make Extended Reality (XR) headsets possible is near-eye optical technology. Lenses are needed to focus and magnify display systems so that immersive VR headsets can take us to new realms. Specialised optical combiners combine digital projections with the physical world so that AR glasses can overlay them on top of it. Emerging optical technologies have the ability to make these realities feel more real in a small device that may be worn all day. Optics govern how users view into manufactured realities, exert a major effect on headset design, and partially dictate how long their batteries can last. Significant progress needs to be made in this area during the coming