2023-11-28 18:40:15
Known for its high-end virtual reality headsets for professionals, Varjo has just launched a new headset for mixed reality. This comes in direct competition with the Apple Vision Pro announced earlier this year.
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The Finnish company Varjo has just announced its latest headset dedicated to mixed and virtual reality, the XR-4. Although the brand is less known to the general public, it is a reference in the market for high-end headsets intended for professional use. At 3,990 euros, it is actually not a competitor for the new Meta Quest 3 (sold at 549 euros), but it rather competes with the Apple Vision Pro, announced for next year at 3,499 dollars. Still, it’s a significant price drop since it only costs half of its predecessor, the XR-3.
Just like Apple, Varjo is banking on mixed reality, in other words the possibility of integrating virtual elements into the real world. The XR-4 integrates two 20 megapixel cameras for passthrough, in other words the display of the real world on the display inside the headset, or 33 pixels per degree (PPD). It is also equipped with Lidar, which allows it to measure the distance of objects and thus analyze the world in 3D.
Presentation of the Varjo XR-4 with a session answering questions from Internet users. (In English, enable automatic translation of subtitles.) © Varjo
The headset already available… for businesses
The headset integrates two mini-LED displays, one for each eye, each with a definition of 3,840 x 3,744 pixels, a refresh rate of 90 hertz and a brightness of 200 nits. Aspherical lenses offer a field of view of 120 by 105 degrees, and according to Varjo they provide a sharper and brighter image than pancake lenses. The headset integrates eye tracking with a refresh rate of 200 Hz, which allows it to automatically adjust the pupillary distance and should allow foveal rendering (the image is of better quality where the user is looking). With a total weight of more than 1 kilo (665 g for the bare helmet and 356 g for the strap), the Varjo XR-4 is however one of the heaviest helmets.
Varjo also offers a more high-end version, with a passthrough which goes to 51 PPD and benefits from autofocus that uses eye tracking. It will still cost 9,999 euros… Note that the Varjo XR-4 does not have autonomous operation, unlike the Apple Vision Pro. You will therefore necessarily need to be equipped with a computer with a powerful graphics card, which quickly increases the price. It is compatible with Windows 10 and 11, as well as Steam VR, which should allow the use of games. Companies can already order the headset, and Varjo announces delivery within one to two months. The firm has not yet announced an availability date for the general public.
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