iFixit: Oculus Rift uses separate OLED screens and hybrid Fresnel lenses

The first Oculus Rifts have been shipped and iFixit also has a copy of the VR glasses. The teardown performed by the website shows that the consumer version of the VR glasses has two separate OLED panels and uses hybrid Fresnel lenses.

The Oculus Rift displays images with a resolution of 1080×1200 pixels per eye. Thanks to the teardown of iFixit it is now clear that the VR glasses use two separate OLED panels, each of which has a diameter of 90 mm, which brings the pixel density to 401ppi.

A Fresnel lens is mounted on both OLED panels. These lenses ensure that the 90mm displays appear large when the user puts the VR glasses on their head. According to iFixit, the Rift uses hybrid Fresnel lenses, with a layer added that mimics a traditional convex lens. This makes it possible to focus by placing the headset higher or lower on the face. In doing so, the wearer looks through a different part of the lens, with the focus constantly changing.

It’s not the first time iFixit has taken apart an Oculus Rift. The website previously did a teardown of the development versions DK1 and DK2. The latest development version used the entire front panel of the Samsung Note 3, including the 5.7″ AMOLED screen. At the time, one screen was used to operate two eyes.

The consumer version uses separate panels, making it easier to get the sharpness right for each eye, because the screens can be moved independently of each other. The development versions of the Rift also used traditional lenses for focusing and came with different lens sets. With the hybrid Fresnel lenses, Oculus has made sure that this is no longer necessary.

According to iFixit, the Oculus Rift is also relatively easy to repair. The VR glasses score a 7 in the field of ‘repairability’. However, the website notes that many vulnerable ribbon cables are used and that it is therefore very difficult to remove the lenses, displays and the motherboard.