Virtual Reality: Highend Headset Varjo Aero for fans of VR

The professional headsets Varjo XR-3 and VR-3 have been on the VR market since the beginning of the year, today the Finnish manufacturer has announced the technically modified model Varjo Aero for end customers and started presale. The price is slightly lower with around € 1,999 without taxes (or 2,369 euros including taxes on Bestashe.de) than the professional role models: At you, around 3,200 to 5,500 dollars plus have been due an annual support fee.

The Varjo Aero is also anything but a bargain, with its apparently very high quality image, but also on high-end enthusiasts and simulation fans. Highlights are according to the review of MRTV the two mini-LED LCD panels with 90 Hz and a resolution of 2880 x 2720 pixels per eye (Vive Pro 2: 2.448 x 2.448, HP Reverb G2: 2.160 x 2.160, Quest 2: 1,832 x 1.920), thanks to which the fly screen does not even show more in targeted search.

In the professional headsets, even a higher-resolution focus display was installed, which could not be operated with today s consumer graphics cards anyway. This extra screen was painted at the aero in favor of easier weight and price. Clearing and an automatic IPD adaptation are still on board. Varjo founder Urho Kontatori declared Mixed.de that the foveated rendering should improve the image quality and reduce the GPU load.

How well this solution works practically, does not emerge from the MRTV review. As a highlight, however, the aspherical lenses are already named without lens and called a large sweetspot for a clear view. In addition, the new coordination of colors and brightness benefit from the individual display per eye. Games like Half-Life: Alyx, the Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim VR and the Microsoft Flight Simulator had easily played with a GeForce RTX 3080, but graphics cards of other manufacturers such as AMD would not be supported.

The minimum requirement is an RTX 2080 or RTX 3070. For tracking and operation, Valves external Lighthouse system and index or Vive controllers are also needed.

With 487 grams (plus headband including counterweight), the VR glasses should weigh much as the HP Reverb G2 (550 grams). For the sound, however, the Aero additionally requires the enclosed in-ear headset (including micro) - thanks to common 3.5-inch mini-latch socket you can also use your own. The delivery of VR glasses starts at the end of 2021.