VividQ, a tech startup specializing in computational holography, has ported Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II to its hologram-compatible viewing format.
The company said it can do this with any existing game content so it can be played on a 3D holographic display. VividQ ported the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II — a 2022 game with high-end graphics — to its hologram-compatible format to showcase its advances in holographic image quality, frame rate (frames per second, or FPS), and the next-generation holographic hardware display platform it is bringing to the gaming arena.
“When we think of immersive experiences — whether in gaming or other forms of content — we imagine transporting participants to another world,” said Darran Milne, CEO of VividQ, in a statement. “However, VR headsets and glasses can detract from the experience, often causing discomfort like nausea and headaches. VividQ’s holographic display removes those barriers, delivering superior image quality and frame rates to offer, for the first time, a truly seamless and immersive experience.”
In a message to GamesBeat, VividQ said it purchased the game and there’s no formal licensing agreement in place with Activision. The goal is to showcase the creative possibilities within the game, in hopes others see the innovation behind it since it can be used with other games as well.
How it works
Your visual system relies on focus to accurately locate objects in space, but conventional VR optics fix the focus of a scene at a single distance at around 2-3m. So, there is no “depth of field” and no focus effect in VR. A holographic display creates a true 3D image and so your eyes can focus on different distances naturally.
In these stills, captured from VividQ’s holographic Call of Duty demo, the company used a camera to mimic the focusing action of your eye. In the image below, the camera focuses on the near field, so you can clearly read the numbers on the weapon while the background is defocused and blurry (as you’d expect in the real world when focusing on something close by). In the still image at the top of the story, the team refocused the camera to look father away.
Now you can see the text on the street sign is sharp while the numbers on the weapon are out of focus. This demonstrates that the display is creating a genuine 3D image with true depth — something impossible for traditional VR and a vital feature to negate VR sickness and eye strain.
VividQ said the VR industry is struggling with user retention due to motion sickness, caused by the vergence accommodation conflict (VAC) — a persistent limitation of VR displays during prolonged use. But where traditional displays have failed, VividQ said it shines: Its holographic VR-style display eliminates VAC, presenting players with true depth that enables the virtual world to focus and defocus naturally, just like real-world vision. By eliminating VAC, players can now stay immersed in holographic environments for extended periods, engaging with narrative-based games without discomfort.
“The holographic display revolution is here. For the first time, players can experience triple-A games like Activision’s Call of Duty in true 3D without any modifications to the original content, facilitating a new era of immersive entertainment,” said Keyvan Peymani, venture partner at Griffin Gaming Ventures, in a statement. “VividQ’s holographic display offers an unprecedented level of digital realism and immersiveness for all VR content, allowing gamers to play for hours at a time without eye strain or nausea. This solution solves the long-standing challenge of image quality and frame rate, proving it is not only viable but superior to traditional VR.”
Accessed through VividQ’s Co-Reality development kit — without the need for source content — allows seamless integration with existing gaming titles, like Call of Duty, without modification. Running at over 100 frames per second, VividQ’s holographic VR system’s algorithms allow game-level graphics at game-play level frame rates.
VividQ’s ability to import existing content, in particular high-quality games, is an essential step to establishing its position as the standard in holographic display. VividQ was founded in 2017 in Cambridge, United Kingdom. And it has partnered with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) including JVCKenwood to integrate its advanced software and hardware solutions into augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), automotive head-up displays, and other consumer electronics.
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