A virtual display system with addressable focus cues, comprising a microdisplay for providing a virtual image for display to a user; a reflective active optical element configured to provide a variable optical power; a relay lens disposed along an optical path between the microdisplay and the reflective active optical element , the relay lens being positioned therebetween such that the microdisplay and an intermediate image of the microdisplay are disposed at conjugate planes of the relay lens , the relay lens being arranged in combination with the reflective active optical element to provide a folded, double-telecentric system such that a change of optical power on the optical element changes only the location of the intermediate image without changing the image magnification, the field of view of the system or the angular resolution in eye space, and such that corresponding pixels on multiple focal planes overlap with each other one-to-one; a beamsplitter disposed along the optical path between the microdisplay and the active optical element at an orientation to receive optical radiation from the active optical element characterized in that the virtual display system further comprises a see-through eyepiece being a freeform prism, the see-through eyepiece comprising a selected surface (S2) configured to receive optical radiation from the beamsplitter and reflect the received radiation to an exit pupil of the system, wherein the eyepiece relays a stop of the virtual display system defined by the reflective active optical element to form the exit pupil, and wherein the selected surface (S2) is also configured to receive optical radiation from a source other than the microdisplay and to transmit such optical radiation to the exit pupil to provide a see-through optical path. a microdisplay for providing a virtual image for display to a user; a reflective active optical element configured to provide a variable optical power; a relay lens disposed along an optical path between the microdisplay and the reflective active optical element , the relay lens being positioned therebetween such that the microdisplay and an intermediate image of the microdisplay are disposed at conjugate planes of the relay lens , the relay lens being arranged in combination with the reflective active optical element to provide a folded, double-telecentric system such that a change of optical power on the optical element changes only the location of the intermediate image without changing the image magnification, the field of view of the system or the angular resolution in eye space, and such that corresponding pixels on multiple focal planes overlap with each other one-to-one; a beamsplitter disposed along the optical path between the microdisplay and the active optical element at an orientation to receive optical radiation from the active optical element characterized in that the virtual display system further comprises a see-through eyepiece being a freeform prism, the see-through eyepiece comprising a selected surface (S2) configured to receive optical radiation from the beamsplitter and reflect the received radiation to an exit pupil of the system, wherein the eyepiece relays a stop of the virtual display system defined by the reflective active optical element to form the exit pupil, and wherein the selected surface (S2) is also configured to receive optical radiation from a source other than the microdisplay and to transmit such optical radiation to the exit pupil to provide a see-through optical path. <EOS>