Varjo, a Finnish startup that develops high-end virtual reality (VR) headsets, has unveiled a new headset aimed at creators and professionals. Called the Varjo Reality Pro, it offers a retina-resolution view to enable creators to see their designs and content in full detail.
Key Features of the Varjo Reality Pro
The Varjo Reality Pro comes with several standout features:
Ultra-High Resolution
The headset uses Varjo’s proprietary mini-LED technology to achieve unprecedented resolution. Each of the micro-OLED displays in the headset provides over 3,000 pixels per inch (ppi), resulting in a pixel density over 60 times higher than consumer VR headsets like the Oculus Quest 2.
This allows users to see fine details clearly, with the visual fidelity approaching what the human eye can perceive in the real world. The high pixel density eliminates the “screen door effect” seen on lower-resolution VR headsets.
Wide Field of View
In addition to the central high-resolution area, the Varjo Reality Pro provides a 100° field of view (FOV). This expansive view enables natural peripheral vision, increasing immersion. The headset combines the ultra-high-resolution focus area with a smoothly blended lower-resolution peripheral area.
Integrated Eye Tracking
The headset includes advanced eye tracking technology with a sampling rate of 200Hz. This allows foveated rendering, which concentrates the highest resolution on the area the user is looking directly at.
Eye tracking also enables user interaction through gaze input, creating more natural ways of selecting objects and menus in VR.
Mixed Reality Capabilities
The Varjo Reality Pro supports video see-through mixed reality when combined with the Varjo Passthrough AR addon. This overlays virtual content on views of the real environment captured by forward-facing cameras.
The see-through video pass-through allows creators to composite CGI and virtual objects onto real footage in real-time.
Target Users and Use Cases
Varjo designed the Reality Pro primarily for professional creators and companies:
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Design studios can use it to review designs for products, buildings, and other assets. The high resolution allows evaluating intricate details not visible on typical consumer headsets.
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VFX studios and game developers can leverage it for previewing visual effects, animations, and game environments with full realism. They can spot subtle issues before final render.
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Aerospace and automotive engineers can use it for design simulations, assembly planning, and virtual prototypes.
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Training simulations for machine operation, surgery, emergency response, and more can attain new levels of fidelity.
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Location-based entertainment like VR theaters can captivate users with more immersive experiences.
The headset enables creators to see their designs in higher quality during the creative process, rather than waiting for final renders. This facilitates rapid iteration.
Differentiating Factors from Other High-End VR Headsets
The Varjo Reality Pro competes with other high-end headsets like the Vive Pro 2 and HP Reverb G2. Some key advantages of the Reality Pro:
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Significantly higher display resolution than any other existing VR headset.
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Mini-LED technology delivers much higher pixel density and detail than LCD or OLED used in other headsets.
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Integrated eye tracking enables foveated rendering and advanced interactions.
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Seamless mixed reality capabilities when combined with the Passthrough AR addon.
However, the Reality Pro is priced higher than most competitors, given the cutting-edge display technology. The target professional market can likely justify the premium pricing for the massive resolution jump over consumer headsets.
Availability and Pricing
The Varjo Reality Pro starts at $4,995 for the headset alone, making it clearly aimed at professional use. The Passthrough AR addon will be sold separately for $1,495.
Varjo is taking orders now, with shipping expected to start in Q3 2022. This puts it on the horizon for design studios, VFX houses, and other creators looking to upgrade their VR hardware to the highest fidelity visuals available today.
Whileexpensive, the Varjo Reality Pro provides an exciting glimpse at the future of high-end VR for professional visualization uses. The remarkable retina-resolution view raises the bar for VR hardware and demonstrates promising advancements in display technologies. For creators demanding the utmost VR visual quality, the Reality Pro will likely become the new solution of choice.
