The perceptual gap between video see-through displays and natural human vision

TL;DR

This study quantifies the perceptual differences between human vision and popular video see-through headsets, revealing significant limitations in current technology's ability to replicate natural sight across various lighting conditions.

Contribution

It provides a detailed psychophysical comparison of VST headsets and human vision, highlighting specific perceptual gaps and limitations in current devices.

Findings

VST headsets do not match the dynamic range of human vision.

Performance degrades significantly in low-light conditions.

High-end devices perform well in ideal lighting but struggle in challenging environments.

Abstract

Video see-through (VST) technology aims to seamlessly blend virtual and physical worlds by reconstructing reality through cameras. While manufacturers promise perceptual fidelity, it remains unclear how close these systems are to replicating natural human vision across varying environmental conditions. In this work, we quantify the perceptual gap between the human eye and different popular VST headsets (Apple Vision Pro, Meta Quest 3, Quest Pro) using psychophysical measures of visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, and color vision. We show that despite hardware advancements, all tested VST systems fail to match the dynamic range and adaptability of the naked eye. While high-end devices approach human performance in ideal lighting, they exhibit significant degradation in low-light conditions, particularly in contrast sensitivity and acuity. Our results map the physiological limitations of digital reality reconstruction, establishing a specific perceptual gap that defines the roadmap for achieving indistinguishable VST experiences.