There has been an effort made recently towards creating standards for virtual reality (VR). Weather that involves software standards, or specifications that hardware has to meet in order to acquire certifications from the likes of THX. Other companies are looking at standardising the ports and connectors used in wired VR.
Anyone who remembers working with computers before USB will know what chaos it can be when connectors are not standardised. It can make things difficult, confusing and often expensive for consumers when every company uses its own proprietary connectors. That is currently the case in the area of wired VR. There are a bewildering array of different cables, ports and connectors in use by wired VR solutions. Two companies, LG electronics and Dell are aiming to change that state of affairs by introducing a standard connector that can be used to connect VR headsets with accessories, PCs and phones.
The proposed standards will utilise the DisplayPort video protocol over a standard USB-C connector. Dell and LG Electronics have formed an industry group called ICVR in order to promote the proposed standard. The standard will be available to companies who are part of the ICVR from the third quarter of 2017.
Of course, standards don’t mean much unless other companies get on board, and it remains to be seen how many other VR and hardware companies will get on board. The new standard also doesn’t seem to take into account the various proposed wireless solutions for VR. It’s also been pointed out by some critics that the standard uses the USB standard, which means that Apple devices that use Apple’s Lightning connector, such as iPhones are somewhat out of luck, which cuts out a large part of the mobile VR market.
VRFocus will bring you further information about the new ICVR standard as it becomes available.