So tomorrow is the start of something new for Varjo.
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i hope micro oled,and a wider field off view as the varjo aero and a intergrated mic and maybe headphones …And around 1000 euro…
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VR Flightsim guy has a video out later too.
Well, either he has some information under embargo, which would make the event much more interesting for me than I anticipated, because he clearly is not a guy addressing any kind of more professional market - so we could expect some kind of consumer/prosumer headset (which would fit perfectly with the selling off at 50% of the former price of the Aero).
Or he is just doing a cheap shot by not having any further information but making it appear as if he had.
In case it’s the former: bring it on Varjo - you’ve got my attention.
He knows what’s coming but he did say if you already have a BSB you don’t need to worry about what’s coming from Varjo.
What ever comes today I reckon will be in the 3k+ club.
Apple’s upcoming Vision Pro headset pushes the boundaries on headset resolution and camera quality for AR and VR, but some headsets are already looking beyond Apple’s headset. Varjo, a Finnish tech startup, has a new industrial mixed-reality headset for PCs that promises even higher headset resolution, and a multifocal passthrough camera that Varjo claims makes mixed reality and actual reality feel indistinguishable. But before you get too excited, the Varjo XR-4, available in December, is for industrial use.
I haven’t tried the Varjo XR-4 yet, but based on my previous experiences with Varjo headsets, I have little reason to doubt the claims. Earlier headsets have been jaw-dropping and demonstrated many of the “retina level” display quality and high-end passthrough camera-based mixed reality features Apple is now shooting for with Vision Pro. Varjo’s hardware is also a component of OpenBCI’s sensor-studded Galea headset.
Varjo’s new headset isn’t standalone and requires tethering to a powerful PC to make its software work. However, the newest Varjo XR-4 makes that process easier than before. The new headset finally has its own packed-in controllers co-developed by Razer, and the lidar-equipped headset’s outer cameras can now do all full motion 6DoF (six degrees of freedom) tracking without needing any external Steam VR base stations like the previous versions.
The headset has its own controllers this time, and tracks motion in the headset with its cameras, but still needs a PC for tethering.
Varjo
The XR-4’s specs sound wild. The field of view is bigger than before, adding a lot more vertical field of view than is normally standard: 120 degrees horizontal, and 105 degrees vertical. The pixel resolution is about 4K per eye (3,840x3,744 pixels per eye), with a density of 51 pixels per degree. (For reference, the human eye sees 60 pixels per degree in the fovea.) Varjo is using a single display panel per eye, instead of multiple panels used in previous headsets. The displays use Mini-LED, with 200 nits of maximum brightness.
Resolution 3840x3744 per eye
Aspherical Lenses - Yes
FOV - 120
PPD - 51
Mini LED
Nits - 200
Back lit - Yes
Mic - Yes
Headphones - Yes
Inside out tracking - Yes
Controllers - Yes
Lidar - Yes
Passthrough - Yes
Eye Relief - Yes
Price ÂŁ3990
Cool. Unfortunately they have declined to comment on the possibility of releasing yet another prosumer spin-off, i.e. an Aero 2.
Priced at 4k this is beyond what I want to afford for a headset. But I am excited to see them demonstrate what can be done, even if it for 2024 is priced outside of my comfort zone.
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They stated that an Aero 2 is not in the pipeline in the Q&A.
Where’s @Djonko lol, this was made for him.
I suppose Varjo have so many government contracts they can afford to sell at $3990. I guess we’ll have to wait another 12 months before we see a Aero 2.
At least Varjo have opened the doors to anyone without subscriptions.
The VR-4 looks incredible. Probably overkill for a gamer.
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For people who want SteamVR tracking it’s $1000 extra.
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They said they will sell the XR-4 direct to consumers, no subscription needed. Insane price point but at least consumers that want to spend that much can. It looks amazing, although I think I would actually prefer a trimmed down Aero style version that is lighter and much cheaper, of course the colour passthrough will be incredible but at this size and bulk I don’t think I’d want it as a monitor replacement headset and if it’s wired then I don’t see a huge amount of benefit for the colour passthrough personally (I’m not a simmer though, for simmers with proper controller rig setups it would be amazing).
Awesome to see the boundary being pushed though!
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Insta-buy!
That price is a steal!
Interested in hearing more about the auto-focus solution (EDIT: …and are we taking continuously varying focus, rather than just a startup calibration? (EDIT2: …I get the sense it is just about the passthrough cameras, and not the display…)) in the mid tier version.
The good thing is an Aero is an easy downgrade from the XR-4. Strip out all the tech like pass through cameras, LiDAR, etc and leave the panels, lenses and Headstrap.
Next stop, HTC at CES2024.
I will be very curious to read your review @twack3r
As a gamer I think the Somnium VR-1 is a better buy. It has slightly lower PPD but similar FOV. Has LH support built in. Panel is back lit. And the VR-1 is half the price of the XR-4.
I don’t think @twack3r was being serious. More sarcastic lol
Still waiting to see it actually in action. If it’s good though, then I agree, but I’m still skeptical as they have been just hype and haven’t shown off anything and I always see people shilling their crypto currency in the comments etc.
Has the price been confirmed? I thought we still didn’t know. If it’s half the price for the XR version of the VR-1 that would be amazing, but like I mentioned earlier I would probably not use that much with a tethered headset anyway.
Absolutely not, I am pre-ordering from bestware today.
I loved my VR-3, the XR-4 costs the same without an annual fee and is better specced than anything I am aware of in the foreseeable future. It’s the ideal HMD for my simrig.
For wireless I love using the light Pico4, will have a look at the AVP and am hoping for either a Pico5 Max or a Quest Pro2 at some point.
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