Avegant is developing a wearable display called Glyph that uses a Virtual Retina Display to beam images right into your retinas. It is lighter, use less power and should be clearer than screen alternatives. And the Avegant model is going to debut at CES in January.

When worn the Avegant looks like a large pair of headphones, but pull down the display visor and it transforms into a mobile display. Using custom optics and micro-mirrors a low powered LED light is directed onto the user’s retinas for a more vivid and lifelife image. This creates a virtual 80-inch screen viewed from 8 feet away for a 45 degree field of view and refreshes at 120 Hz.

CEO of Avegant, Ed Tang, said: "When you stare into something that’s glowing, like an emissive LCD panel, you get eye strain. We reflect the light – we take a low-power, low-light LED and shine it at a couple million microscopic mirrors. These mirrors bend and tilt, and we use the mirrors to control what light to reflect to your eye."

Avegant’s Glyph, which is in the final phase of production now, will be open source to work with consoles, computers and even phones and tablets. A wireless version is also being developed.

The current model, which should be on display at CES, packs headphones with 20 Hz - 20 KHz sound from 40mm drivers. Final specs show built-in batteries that should deliver two to three hours on a charge before needing a boost via micro-USB.

Avegant will launch a Kickstarter campaign for the Glyph on 22 January with pledges starting at $500 (£305). Check back at CES to hear our coverage of Glyph from the ground.