Varjo Aero: A New, ULTRA-High-Resolution Consumer VR Headset

The new Varjo Aero VR headset offers a resolution of 2880 x 2720 pixels per eye!
(image source)

Varjo, the Finnish manufacturer of ultra-high-end virtual reality and mixed reality headsets for the corporate market, which boast photorealistic levels of resolution, has announced a brand new VR headset intended for the consumer/prosumer market: the Varjo Aero.

This new PCVR headset (selling for US$1,990, which is just the price for the headset alone, but you can use Valve Index Knuckles controllers and base stations with it) has the following key features:

  • Dual Mini LED LCD lenses with a resolution of 2880 x 2720 pixels per eye at 90Hz (which completely removes the screen-door effect seen in lower-resolution VR headsets);
  • Automatic interpupillary distance (IPD) adjustment (i.e. you just put it on and the device automatically adjusts to your eyes), plus ultra-fast, built-in eye-tracking at 200 Hz;
  • Weighing in at 617 grams, offering 4 separate adjustment dials for a custom fit, with active cooling and optimized ergonomics for long-duration usage; and
  • Unlike Varjo’s corporate line of VR/AR/XR headsets, there is no annual software subscription fee.

However, there are also a few drawbacks to the Varjo Aero: there is no built-in audio and, even worse, no built-in microphone! (There is, of couse, an audio jack to attach an external set of headphones.) Also, as Jamie Feltham notes in his review of the product on UploadVR:

So let’s start with what has been my biggest issue in my time testing the headset. Yes the Aero is impeccably clear and I’ll touch on that in a second, but over the past four weeks using the headset I’ve noticed significant peripheral distortion when rotating my head. As I look away from a virtual object or surface, it appears to warp as if not entirely solid. Only the very center of my view looks stable. It’s incredibly distracting (which, ironically, is only enhanced by the clarity of the display).

In pretty much all the apps I’ve tested, including big-budget titles like Half-Life: Alyx and The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners and indie projects like Gorn and Sweet Surrender, it’s been a noticeable issue.

Crucially, Varjo itself knows about this. I’ve been on multiple troubleshooting calls with the company over the past few weeks to talk about it and have been repeatedly assured that this is a software issue it’s aiming to fix with subsequent updates. In fact, the company says it expects to have its Base software fully ready for the Aero in December, which is when it also expects the first units ordered today to arrive.

And, of course, the YouTube VR vloggers were all over this new release! I have attached review videos by Thrillseeker, Cas and Chary, and Sebastian Ang of MRTV below (if you only have time to watch one, watch Thrillseeker’s; his mind is just blown by the Varjo Aero, although he also notes the visual distortion Jamie mentioned, and says that the company assured him that they would fix the issue before shipping product):

As Thrillseeker says in his review video, improvements to virtual reality hardware and software are accelerating, and slowly but surely filtering down to the consumer market! It’s an exciting time to be in VR!

I leave you with another video showing how the Varjo Aero VR headset is being used in aircraft pilot training:

Varjo Announces an Academic Program for Its Ultra-High-End VR/XR Headsets with Photorealistic Resolution

Varjo, the manufacturer of ultra-high-end virtual reality and mixed reality headsets for the corporate market, which boast photorealistic levels of resolution, has announced a new academic program offering its VR/XR hardware at significant discounts to colleges and universities. Given that the Varjo VR-3 virtual reality headset normally retails for US$$3,195.00, and the Varjo XR-3 mixed reality headset sells for an eye-watering US$5,495.00, this is very good news for many institutions of higher education!

The Varjo XR-3 mixed reality headset and the Varjo VR-3 virtual reality headset

According to the official announcement:

Users of Varjo’s virtual and mixed reality headsets for academic and research applications can:

• Visualize complex data in 3D, and work on a true one-to-one scale for maximum productivity
• Experiment with engaging, immersive learning applications with integrated eye tracking
• Collaborate remotely in true-to-life immersive environments, without the need to access physical facilities
• Create limitless research scenarios with pixel-perfect clarity

An illustration from the Varjo website, demonstrating the difference in visual resolution between most VR headsets (the so-called “screendoor effect”) and Varjo headsets

With the world’s only true-to-life VR/XR and integrated eye tracking, Varjo makes it possible to conduct academic, clinical and commercial research in a completely realistic virtual environment. You can visualize data in 3D, reduce cognitive load in education, and achieve better learning results. The photorealistic fidelity of Varjo’s Bionic Display allows even the most complex and detailed virtual models to be explored.

Get in touch with our experts to learn more about the significant discounts available in our Academic Program. Please note that the discounts and benefits cover Varjo products only – you will need to acquire your VR/XR compatible workstation separately. The program is only eligible to academic institutions and organizations. 

If you’re interested, here’s the online application form; the deadline is September 30th, 2021. Good luck!

Spurce: Varjo’s Twitter

For further information about Varjo, you can visit their website, or follow them on social media: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.