Apple VR display specs have leaked, and the future looks to be around 5000 nits bright

The Apple VR headset from the rear
(Image credit: Antonio De Rosa / ADR Studio Design)

A VR headset is nothing without its displays, and the Apple VR headset is going to be no different. Display Analyst Ross Young took to Twitter a few hours ago (May 30) to tell us what we can expect from the headset – and the specs look to be better than pretty much anything out there.

In a couple of tweets, Young reveals what he knows about the headset, including that we're getting a 1.41-inch Micro OLED screen that will sit mere fractions of an inch from your eyeballs – and more.

Some big numbers for little displays

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Those Micro OLED displays, something already uncommon, are going to have some impressive brightness. Around 5000 nits Young says – and that's a lot. HDR content requires high levels of brightness, with most HDR televisions hovering around the 2000-3000 point. But what does that mean?

In this case, it will denote the peak brightness of the display. This makes for richer colors, better color depth, and brighter white levels. Don't worry, you're not going to stick the headset on and instantly blind yourself when a super bright display launches itself into life.

It's also going to have ridiculously high pixel density, with Young telling us the display will feature 4000PPI, or pixels per inch. To put that in perspective, the iPhone 14 Pro Max, which has a marvelous screen, has 460PPI.

The little displays in Apple VR are going to be about as sharp as it's possible to be, and Young says you're going to get 4K resolution per eye – which could well look like 8K by the time your brain glues them together.

These are just rumors, of course, but Young has a very strong track record of nailing things down. Want to join the conversation about Apple VR? Head on over to the iMore Forums and you be able to comment on our articles.

Tammy Rogers
Senior Staff Writer

As iMore's Senior Staff writer, Tammy uses her background in audio and Masters in screenwriting to pen engaging product reviews and informative buying guides. The resident audiophile (or audio weirdo), she's got an eye for detail and a love of top-quality sound. Apple is her bread and butter, with attention on HomeKit and Apple iPhone and Mac hardware. You won't find her far away from a keyboard even outside of working at iMore – in her spare time, she spends her free time writing feature-length and TV screenplays. Also known to enjoy driving digital cars around virtual circuits, to varying degrees of success. Just don't ask her about AirPods Max - you probably won't like her answer.