Disruptive Optical Lens Requirements for AR/VR Eyewear

The rapid advancement of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies has imposed unprecedented technical challenges and innovation demands on optical lenses. As core components of head-mounted displays (HMDs), optical lenses play a decisive role in imaging quality within AR/VR systems, directly impacting user immersion and comfort. Unlike traditional optical applications, AR/VR devices require lenses to achieve wide field of view (FOV), high resolution, and low distortion imaging within extremely compact spaces, driving revolutionary changes in optical design paradigms .  

Reconstruction of Technical Parameters

• Revolutionary Expansion of FOV Requirements:  

  Traditional smartphone lenses typically offer FOVs of 60°–80°, while VR devices demand ≥100° FOV to create immersion. This has spurred innovations in ultra-wide-angle optical designs, such as freeform optical technology, which employs asymmetric designs to deliver high-quality imaging at peripheral fields. However, FOV expansion introduces challenges like edge distortion and resolution degradation, necessitating more complex multi-lens configurations and aberration correction algorithms, significantly increasing technical difficulty .  

• New Standards for Human Eye-Level Optical Precision:  

  AR/VR lenses adopt unique optical designs where the aperture is positioned at the front rather than inside the lens, enabling the imaging system’s entrance pupil to be precisely aligned with the human eye. This design requires nanometer-level machining precision, with surface shape errors for each lens element controlled within micrometer tolerances. Otherwise, visual fatigue and motion sickness may occur. Industry tests indicate that VR lenses require 3–5× stricter optical tolerances than smartphone lenses, reducing manufacturing yields by 20%–30% .  

• Extreme Challenges in Miniaturization and Weight Reduction:  

  Traditional optical designs face fundamental constraints in AR/VR devices. Fresnel lenses emerged as an early solution by compressing lenses into flat ring structures to reduce weight but at the cost of imaging quality. Ultra-thin flat optical lens technology has since evolved—e.g., a 1mm-thick planar lens developed by Chinese researchers integrates hundreds of millions of micro-nano structures on its surface to replicate traditional curved lens functionalities. This innovation reduces lens module thickness by >50% and weight by 60%, enabling prolonged comfortable use of AR/VR devices .  

2.2 Explosive Growth in Market Demand

The proliferation of AR/VR devices has unlocked a billion-dollar incremental market for optical lenses. According to QYResearch, the global AR/VR lens market reached 500 million in 2024 and is projected to surge to 1.29 billion by 2031, with a 14.7% CAGR. China’s market has performed particularly strongly, with VR/AR optical lens市场规模 reaching ¥5.8 billion in 2022 (a 32% YoY increase), and is expected to exceed ¥20 billion by 2027, driven by a 28.5% CAGR .  

• Diversified Application Scenarios Drive Product Variety:  

  The consumer segment (e.g., gaming/entertainment via Sony PlayStation VR and Meta Quest) prioritizes cost-effectiveness and lightweight designs. The enterprise segment (e.g., education and healthcare) demands higher resolution and color accuracy. Industrial AR glasses (e.g., smart manufacturing and remote collaboration) emphasize all-weather stability and environmental adaptability. This diversity has prompted optical lens manufacturers like Goertek to develop differentiated product matrices, offering solutions ranging from entry-level to professional-grade .  

Industry Chain Collaborative Innovation

Breakthroughs in AR/VR lens technology rely on cross-disciplinary collaboration and vertical integration of supply chains:  

• Materials: High-refractive-index resins and specialty optical glasses enable thinner lens designs .  

• Manufacturing: Semiconductor lithography techniques are innovatively applied to micro-nano structure processing for flat optical lenses .  

• Electronics: Sensor fusion technologies enhance imaging performance. China’s Yangtze and Pearl River Delta regions have formed opto-electronics industrial clusters. For example, the Yuelu Mountain Industrial Innovation Center and Sunny Optical collaborated to develop flat optical lens technology, achieving mass production of 10cm-diameter lenses, eliminating manufacturing barriers for large-scale AR/VR adoption .  

AR/VR lenses demand exceptional thermal stability and environmental adaptability. Heat generated during device operation causes lens material expansion, degrading imaging quality. Solutions include using thermally matched lens combinations and developing temperature compensation algorithms. Goertek’s VR lens modules maintain stable performance in -10°C to 50°C environments, meeting usability requirements across global climatic conditions .