OLED-on-silicon: the future for VR/MR?
TrendForce’s latest report '2025 Near-Eye Display Market Trends and Technology Analysis' says that OLED-on-silicon (OLEDoS) displays, a preferred technology for mid-to-high-end virtual reality/mixed reality (VR/MR) devices, are experiencing breakthroughs in supply chain and application areas.
As a result, the company forecasts that OLEDoS adoption in VR/MR will rise to 58 percent by 2030.
Weak performance from Meta, Apple, Sony, and other major brands is expected to lead to a decline in global VR/MR shipments, dropping to 5.6 million units in 2025. But despite these short-term challenges, TrendForce anticipates a recovery in the market, with global shipments rising to 14.4 million units by 2030, driven by ongoing software and hardware upgrades from key brands.
TrendForce highlights that display technology significantly influences VR/MR product pricing. Recently, LCD has become the dominant choice because of its cost advantages. However, as Chinese panel makers expand OLEDoS production and global brands increasingly use OLEDoS for higher resolution and slimmer designs, the adoption of this technology is expected to grow rapidly in the coming years.
On the supply side, besides Sony, over ten Chinese companies including Seeya, BOE, and Sidtek are actively developing 12-inch OLEDoS fabs. As yields improve, production costs are expected to decrease.
On the application side, Apple and Samsung are using application platforms and generative AI to enhance their software experiences. Apple’s upcoming upgraded Vision Pro headset aims to drive the next generation of head-mounted devices with more computing power, longer battery life and better weight distribution. It still uses OLEDoS display panels.
Samsung, in collaboration with Google and Qualcomm, plans to release the Galaxy XR headset featuring a 4K OLEDoS display. It will use the Android XR platform to expand mobile and tablet application capabilities.
Meanwhile, Meta is strengthening its headset ecosystem, according to TrendForce, and planning to use a 0.9-inch OLEDoS with a Pancake optical module. This aims to overcome current product size limitations and cater to the growing need for lightweight VR/MR devices.
TrendForce predicts that as costs decrease and technology advances, OLEDoS will move from the mid-to-high-end market into mainstream applications. This shift is expected to play a significant role in transforming and upgrading the VR/MR industry.
