DisplayLink Demonstrates 60GHz Module to Make VR Headsets Wireless

DisplayLink is demonstrating an accessory at CES with which VR headsets can be made wireless. The company uses the 60GHz frequency and its own compression algorithm. The company wants makers of VR headsets to implement the technology themselves.

The setup at CES uses HTC Vive glasses, on which is placed a module containing a 60GHz receiver and a chip to decode the images. DisplayLink uses its own compression method and does not want to give any further details about it.

When asked, DisplayLink says it doesn’t plan to market an accessory itself to make existing headsets wireless. The company expects VR headset makers to knock on the door to use the technology, and talks are already underway with several brands, a spokesperson said.

Although DisplayLink emphasizes that the product is a concept at the show, the system already seems to work well. We were able to try out the wireless HTC Vive with Xortex 26XX, a minigame from HTC’s collection of VR demos The Lab. There seemed to be no noticeable delay compared to a wired VR headset. According to the exhibitors, the system adds about 1ms of latency and there is still room for improvement.

The Chinese company TPCast, with support from HTC, is also working on an accessory to make the Vive headset wireless. That module, which we were also able to try out at CES, works on the same 60GHz band as DisplayLink’s technology. The product of TPCast will be on the market as an add-on for the Vive. From March, that module will be delivered in China, for about 200 euros. The intention is that TPCast’s module will also be marketed in other parts of the world, but the company still has to get approval from regulators.