VR Headset Lens Types... Aspheric vs Pancake

[temps]

I've heard both lens types reduce god rays, but that pancake lenses have a problem that specifically creates god rays and/or lens glare when the pancake lenses are combined with a microOLED display. I suppose that's why people say Bigscreen Beyond has lens glare problems despite using pancake lenses.

If getting rid of lens glare and god rays is a priority, does this mean that aspheric lenses are better than pancake lenses?

I guess aspheric lenses are better because they get rid of lens glare and god rays while also improving display brightness and thereby making colors look more vibrant, right?

So aspheric lenses are simply the best...?

[grzegorz77]

Originally posted by temps:

VR Headset Lens Types... Aspheric vs Pancake

I've heard both lens types reduce god rays, but that pancake lenses have a problem that specifically creates god rays and/or lens glare when the pancake lenses are combined with a microOLED display. I suppose that's why people say Bigscreen Beyond has lens glare problems despite using pancake lenses.

If getting rid of lens glare and god rays is a priority, does this mean that aspheric lenses are better than pancake lenses?

I guess aspheric lenses are better because they get rid of lens glare and god rays while also improving display brightness and thereby making colors look more vibrant, right?

So aspheric lenses are simply the best...?

It seems that more important than the type of lenses is their quality. There are many vr kits that have lenses with defects. These are, for example, geometry distortions, rays, worse image at the edges.

It seems to me that the matter should be considered separately for each vr headset.

In general, fresnel lenses seem to be a better choice for vr.
Biggest drawback is the small sweet spot, you need to position the vr headset on your face accurately. When moving the head, the VR headset must not slip.

Flat lenses do not have this disadvantage, their main disadvantage is the need for very bright displays. Very expensive displays.

It seems to me that you need to listen to good reviews that compare the quality of lenses and show their problems, for a given VR headset.


In general, the rift and quest kits have good lenses. The same with ps vr2, and index, vive pro.
Quest 3 will be ok (flat lenses), but you probably need to buy a good quality headband for Quest 2 and Quest 3s.


So again, saying that flat lenses, or fresnel lenses are better is not objective. Good quality lenses are better and their design is expensive. And here it is often a problem for less popular VR design companies.

[temps]

I think Fresnel < Pancake < aspheric

Aspheric is best.

Because fresnel have god rays & lens glare. Pancake has less glare and god rays, but has a glare problem that comes from using them with microOLED displays. And aspheric seems like it is potentially best of all with good clarity, good size sweet spot, and no glare or god rays.

Strongly disagree with your view that Valve Index has good lenses because I have a Valve Index and can confirm there is a huge problem with lens glare and god rays on that headset. At least by 2024 standards, I mean, there are other headsets that seem to have better lenses.

[carrot.crisis]

The most practical drawback to aspheric over pancake seems to be their weight and thickness.

It's been a few years since I've looked into Pimax headsets, which generally use aspheric, but I remember a couple reviews saying how the clarity was consistent across the field of view, but it was never as clear as fresnel at it's optimum focal point. I think this couldn't be considered conclusive without more cross-references, because the quality of the lenses, screens, etc. would also impact those results.

It also seems like people report pancake lenses are more ideal for LCD screens than LED, since their visual anomalies are supposedly much more apparent with LEDs. Aspheric don't seem to have issues with LED screens.

LED screens have typically not been as bright as LCD screens, but that has definitely changed in the last couple years, so is moot, now. But this would have also led an initial preference for aspheric on devices with LED screens. Some people think the LED anomalies in pancake lenses wouldn't be so bad with a very bright screen. I don't know.

It makes sense why Meta went with a LCD/pancake combo with the Quest 3. They wanted to optimize the size and weight, so that lends preference to pancake. And since LED screens have been problematic, they chose LCD.

I think for PCVR, and LED screen and aspheric might provide the best experience.

(I have a DK2, Index, PSVR2, and Quest 3. The Quest 3 is my favorite solely for the pancake lenses; it's just like wearing glasses. I've never tried aspheric lenses, just read about them.)

[grzegorz77]

Originally posted by carrot.crisis:

The most practical drawback to aspheric over pancake seems to be their weight and thickness.

It's been a few years since I've looked into Pimax headsets, which generally use aspheric, but I remember a couple reviews saying how the clarity was consistent across the field of view, but it was never as clear as fresnel at it's optimum focal point. I think this couldn't be considered conclusive without more cross-references, because the quality of the lenses, screens, etc. would also impact those results.

It also seems like people report pancake lenses are more ideal for LCD screens than LED, since their visual anomalies are supposedly much more apparent with LEDs. Aspheric don't seem to have issues with LED screens.

LED screens have typically not been as bright as LCD screens, but that has definitely changed in the last couple years, so is moot, now. But this would have also led an initial preference for aspheric on devices with LED screens. Some people think the LED anomalies in pancake lenses wouldn't be so bad with a very bright screen. I don't know.

It makes sense why Meta went with a LCD/pancake combo with the Quest 3. They wanted to optimize the size and weight, so that lends preference to pancake. And since LED screens have been problematic, they chose LCD.

I think for PCVR, and LED screen and aspheric might provide the best experience.

(I have a DK2, Index, PSVR2, and Quest 3. The Quest 3 is my favorite solely for the pancake lenses; it's just like wearing glasses. I've never tried aspheric lenses, just read about them.)

Flat lenses in VR require huge amounts of light. Such very bright oled screens are very expensive. That was the reason, flat lenses and oled are just very expensive.

I think there is no point in judging vr headsets by lenses as the only criterion. The VR headset must be evaluated as a whole.