HEAD-MOUNTED DISPLAY SYSTEM HAVING AN INTERFACE WITH MOBILE COMPUTING DEVICE, E.G. SMARTPHONE, FOR RENDERING VIRTUAL-REALITY CONTENT

Systems, methods and computer readable media are provided for rendering virtual reality content. One example system includes a housing to be attached to a head of a user using a strap that connects to the housing. Display optics are integrated in the housing and are oriented on an internal side of the housing that is configured for orientation toward eyes of the user when the housing is attached to the head of the user. Further, electronics are integrated with the housing and a holder is integrated in the housing. The holder is configured to retain a smartphone. When the smartphone is retained by the holder a screen of the smartphone is oriented toward the display optics of the housing. A connector is integrated in the housing to enable connection of the smartphone to the electronics when the smartphone is retained by the holder. The smartphone includes a camera facing away from the display optics. The screen of the smartphone is configured to render images of a virtual reality (VR) space that is viewable through the display optics, and a program executed by the smartphone is configured to enable the camera to provide a pass-through view of a real world environment. The pass-through view provides images of the real world environment instead of the VR space.