Karl Guttag: why transparent microdisplays are impractical for AR glasses

The following is a guest article by Karl Guttag of KGOnTech, a display industry veteran and one of the leading independent analysts of AR and VR display technology - and a good friend. We asked Karl why we do not see transparent OLED or MicroLED displays placed directly in front of the eye in AR glasses - and this is his detailed answer.

Introduction

Ron Mertens of OLED-Info, MicroLED-Info, the MicroLED Association, and one of the organizers of MicroLED & AR/VR Connect asked for my input on “Why is there no 'simple' solution, where we place a transparent display in front of the user [for AR]?” Or more simply, why aren’t ‘transparent’ OLEDs/MicroLEDs being used in optical-see-through (OST) AR headsets?

When evaluating OST AR solutions, we need to consider the following:

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Posted: Aug 10,2026 by OLED-Info-Editor