AR Glasses FOV Calculator
Spec sheets list field of view and resolution in separate paragraphs nobody cross-references. Enter the numbers for two headsets and see which one shows a wider view and which one shows a sharper image. Nothing uploaded.
Results
Full comparison details
Verdict
Learn more: AR field of view and pixels per degree
How the calculator gets pixels per degree
Pixels per degree is horizontal resolution divided by horizontal field of view. That one division is the whole calculation.
The defaults on this page show what it does. Headset A at 1920 pixels across 50 degrees gives 1920 / 50 = 38.4 PPD, and headset B at 1600 pixels across 30 degrees gives 1600 / 30 = 53.3 PPD. A is wider by 20 degrees, B is sharper by 14.9 PPD, and since those are two different headsets the verdict flags the trade-off instead of picking an overall winner.
Why more pixels does not always mean a sharper picture
Extra resolution only helps if the field of view does not grow faster than the pixel count. Stretch that same 1920-pixel panel from 50 degrees to 100 degrees and the result halves, from 38.4 PPD down to 19.2 PPD, because each degree of your vision now gets half as many pixels.
So a spec sheet advertising both a wide view and a big resolution number is not automatically the sharper device. Do the division on both before deciding.
Spec sheets do not all measure field of view the same way
Some manufacturers publish diagonal field of view, others publish horizontal, and you cannot swap one for the other. Road to VR's report on how Microsoft presented the HoloLens 2's field of view walks through one case: the quoted 52 degrees is a diagonal figure on a 3:2 display, and the on-stage graphic comparing it to the first HoloLens showed a much bigger jump than the actual angles did.
The calculator divides horizontal pixels by whatever degree figure you type in. Put a diagonal number next to a horizontal pixel count and the PPD lands lower than the display really delivers, so check which axis a spec refers to before you compare two products.
FAQ
Should I enter horizontal or diagonal field of view?
Horizontal. The calculation divides horizontal resolution by the degrees you enter, so a diagonal figure paired with a horizontal pixel count gives a pixels-per-degree result that is too low.
What pixels-per-degree number counts as sharp?
Around 60 PPD is the usual reference point, because it works out to roughly one pixel per arcminute, which is about the finest detail 20/20 vision resolves. Plenty of headsets are still usable well below that for menus and navigation overlays, where the text is large anyway.
Can one headset be both wider and sharper?
Yes, and the tool says so when it happens. A 50-degree headset at 1920 pixels gives 38.4 PPD against a 40-degree headset at 1200 pixels giving 30 PPD, so the first one wins on width and sharpness at once and no trade-off gets flagged.