At what level in resolution (4k, 8k, etc) is something higher resolution than average human eyes max out at and why?
In: Biology
I may be incorrect, as I’m no expert, but I believe its less about resolution and more about PPI (Pixels Per Inch) density in relation to distance and screen size. A 27″ 1080p panel and a 55″ 4k panel are going to look roughly similar in crispness if they’re both good quality and you’re viewing them from your respective proper distances. On top of that, a 70″ 4k panel is likely to look lower resolution than a comparable 55″ 4k, due to the inherent difference in pixel density because of the larger screen. A good way to think about it is with the screens at sports stadiums. They look pretty crisp since you’re usually a thousand-or-so feet away, however because they only made it high enough resolution to be clear from long distance, up close you can basically count the pixels.
Tl;dr, with today’s tech 8K would do it.
As far as resolution goes (aside from other aspects of the visual experience) there’s two competing limits: visual acuity (the smallest detail the eye can resolve) and field of view (the breadth of view that the eye can take in. Both are measured in units of angle so trigonometry comes into the picture.
Messing around with [Carlton Bale’s home theater calculator](https://carltonbale.com/home-theater/home-theater-calculator/), using a 65″ 8K monitor from 3-1/2 feet away (oof) you would be able to see the entire screen while looking anywhere on the screen (wide enough field of view) and also be unable to discern individual pixels (high enough resolution).
Follow up question if I may, what resolution per eye is needed for perfect VR vision? Or at what point you will not spot the difference? Is it bigger than 8K?
So here’s the actual answer: under motion we can see at a general maximum of 120 “pixels” per degree of vision, at the center of our vision.
For those wondering why it’s not 60 pixels like the eye charts seem to say, that’s because it’s a line “pair” that can be distinguished, thus 2 samples and not 1.
Thus what really matters is how much of your vision is taken up be the screen. Which should be obvious, smash your face against a 4k screen and of course you’ll see the pixels.
Thus, if you have a screen that takes up 60 degrees of view, really big tbh, an 8k screen is indeed needed to “match”your eye resolution. It’s a little over but whatever. The whatever part comes from another fun fact that if you are looking at a still image your visual acuity along a given axis increases by around 70% further still, in under a second.
PS, for all the wrong answers here, this really wasn’t hard to find: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visual_acuity
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