Varjo Aero

[peachmonkey]

yup, I did too. Early adopters all the way!

[Harlikwin]

2 hours ago, nawarren said:

Base Station

SteamVR™ 2.0 base stations track the exact location of your headset. Base stations are a mandatory accessory for using Varjo Aero.

Guys, I am reading this correct? As well as 2K + tax. You need to buy 2 x base stations at 500EUR + tax as well? That 2K just became 3K if thats the case!!!

 

 

 

I'm seeing them for like 150 bucks a pop. 

 

[Supmua]

40 minutes ago, Harlikwin said:

 

I'm seeing them for like 150 bucks a pop. 

 

Used basestation 1.0 typically goes for 90 to low 100s (each) on Amazon and eBay.  Then you'll probably want to buy the controllers also (Index controllers are quite expensive).  These do add up quite a bit, unless you already own a SteamVR headset.  The basestation setup does support multiple headsets at once if you have multiple headsets in the household, I've played multiplayer VR games with my kids with Index, Vive Pro, Vive Pro 2 and 2 basestations setup.

Edited October 21, 2021 by Supmua

[Burt]

What to do what to do … hhmmmm.

[dburne]

34 minutes ago, Supmua said:

Used basestation 1.0 typically goes for 90 to low 100s (each) on Amazon and eBay.  Then you'll probably want to buy the controllers also (Index controllers are quite expensive).  These do add up quite a bit, unless you already own a SteamVR headset.  The basestation setup does support multiple headsets at once if you have multiple headsets in the household, I've played multiplayer VR games with my kids with Index, Vive Pro, Vive Pro 2 and 2 basestations setup.

 

 

Yeah had it not been for me already having the Lighthouse 2.0 base stations along with Index controllers I doubt I would have made this purchase. Getting good use out of them as I used with Index, Vive Pro 2 and now will with the upcoming Aero.

Ironically prior to the reveal I had told myself if this was a great looking consumer VR headset without the subscription costs and if it was not any more than 2k dollars I would probably get it.  And there it was.

[TimberWolf]

How many base stations are needed? Since you would be sitting down and basically not moving, would a single station, mounted above the monitor in front of you be sufficient? I can imagine if you have to turn your head and look down, say at the panels beside your seat, it might be an issue.

Also controllers, I assume a single one is fine, just for working with the Vr menu. I never use my controllers while flying.

[Supmua]

For sit down play a single basestation is fine.  I only know about basestation 1.0 operation since I don't have the 2.0 version--you can switch to mode a for single basestation 1.0 setup (small switch in the back of the base).  For typical 2 basestations setup you set one to b (master) and the other one to c (slave).  This might not apply to the 2.0 version.  As for the controller, I don't really use it with flightsim just use my head to point the cursor and press the command switch on the headset to activate the system menu/commands for SteamVR operation.

Edited October 21, 2021 by Supmua

[Supmua]

43 minutes ago, Burt said:

What to do what to do … hhmmmm.

If you're unsure, wait for the Oculus and Pimax annoucement first.  Or wait for the review from one of us here

[dburne]

43 minutes ago, TimberWolf said:

How many base stations are needed? Since you would be sitting down and basically not moving, would a single station, mounted above the monitor in front of you be sufficient? I can imagine if you have to turn your head and look down, say at the panels beside your seat, it might be an issue.

Also controllers, I assume a single one is fine, just for working with the Vr menu. I never use my controllers while flying.

 

Yep as already mentioned one "should" be ok for just flight sims. Two of course is ideal and covers all situations.

Controllers only needed really if one is going to play games that use them, in which case you would want both of course. If sure never will want to play games that use them then not needed. I will tell you when I first got into VR I did not think I would use controllers, but man once I took the plunge and got them ( the original Oculus Touch) I discovered a whole new world of VR gaming. Flight sims are my main course, but I enjoy other VR games for dessert occasionally.

[wormeaten]

For us Europeans is still too much. Varjo Aero + tracking + controllers without the audio is 3000€. Is this price justifie upgread from G2 (650€)?

Have in mind in some anouncemant for Quest2 PRO same display was anounced, same as better controlers, full 4K color camera for AR for 1/4 of the Aero price.

I don't know we will see soon.

[Harlikwin]

1 hour ago, wormeaten said:

For us Europeans is still too much. Varjo Aero + tracking + controllers without the audio is 3000€. Is this price justifie upgread from G2 (650€)?

Have in mind in some anouncemant for Quest2 PRO same display was anounced, same as better controlers, full 4K color camera for AR for 1/4 of the Aero price.

I don't know we will see soon.

I've been following their community response on their discord over this a fair bit. Looks like the sets have some serious distortion issues at high head turn rates (i.e. fast look left/right etc), which sounds to me is a big issue for something like DCS. They claim it will be fixed by the time they ship though. Several guys have posted about downsides to the set and the XR-3 but its all been taken down/deleted for now. So, it doesn't exactly seem like the miracle headset it might be at that cost quite yet.

 

 

 

Also no actual reviews in DCS worth anything either from what I can find which is sadly the proof in the pudding. 

 

 

Edited October 22, 2021 by Harlikwin

[ShaunX]

 What always gets me when new headsets are released is the way the Youtube VR "influencers" absolutely and unreservedly gush about them like they're the second coming.

I guess I'd do the same if it meant I'd always be handed a free one on release day.

"I've never seen anything like this!!!" they spout, when clearly they have as they've all tried and reviewed the VR-3 and XR-3 months ago.

(I remember when the XR-3 was the hot Ford hatchback we all craved in the late 80's. Jeez I'm getting old.)

As @Harlikwin points out, no actual DCS or even MSFS performance stress testing by any of them and the motorised IPD adjustment for me, is an unnecessary gimic that inflates the price. Reminds me of the pen NASA specially designed to write in zero-g. The Russians took a pencil.

Much as it appears to be a game changer, I can't personally justify the 3 grand to upgrade from my G2 and shall wait for a competitive market. A Reverb version with aspheric lenses perhaps ? Nice easy inside-out tracking and off ear headphones for me.

[Supmua]

There was already a talk about the distortion in the VR-3 thread by L0ngbow. There is also prominent chromatic aberration at the very edge of the images. That is the downside of aspheric lenses, so you can’t have it all. On the other hand, it provides superior image fidelity—no imprinted rings on the lenses, near edge to edge clarity, and wide sweetspot no need to hunt for the best position to wear.

If you are into cameras then these issues are actually prevalent especially in cheaper consumer zoom lenses. You can get much better optics that would minimize these but at a high cost (often >$1K with large/thick glasses). Software correction can help reduce the distortion (people have already done this with the Vive Pro lens mod).

Also don’t discount eye tracking tech, it has much more use beyond auto IPD adjustment and dynamic foveated rendering. If implemented well imagine operating cockpit switches or comm menu options by pointing your eyes there while your head is staying stationary.

[ShaunX]

I wasn't knocking eye tracking tech, just the motorised IPD adjustment. Maybe useful in their commercial headsets which might get passed around a lot, but let's face it, we're alone in our man-caves here..or is that just me

Don't get me wrong, I think this headset is exciting, but for me that's just because of the near display wide sweet spot. Seriously, if HP brought out a Reverb G2 variant where the only improvement was aspheric lenses and software (at maybe half that price) I'd jump on it. And personally, I'd rather ED completed their Leap Motion integration rather than eye tracking for cockpit control.

[Harlikwin]

4 hours ago, Supmua said:

There was already a talk about the distortion in the VR-3 thread by L0ngbow. There is also prominent chromatic aberration at the very edge of the images. That is the downside of aspheric lenses, so you can’t have it all. On the other hand, it provides superior image fidelity—no imprinted rings on the lenses, near edge to edge clarity, and wide sweetspot no need to hunt for the best position to wear.
 

On the lenses, I recall the G1 had a fair amount of chromatic aberration which annoyed me to no end. And you can clearly see it in some of the Aero Teaser videos on the "eye chart" sections. AFAIK you can get rid of it with various lens coatings on aspheric lenses, but they are quite expensive so that would unfortunately drive the price up substantially. 

[Harlikwin]

5 hours ago, ShaunX said:

 What always gets me when new headsets are released is the way the Youtube VR "influencers" absolutely and unreservedly gush about them like they're the second coming.

As @Harlikwin points out, no actual DCS or even MSFS performance stress testing by any of them and the motorised IPD adjustment for me, is an unnecessary gimic that inflates the price. Reminds me of the pen NASA specially designed to write in zero-g. The Russians took a pencil.

Much as it appears to be a game changer, I can't personally justify the 3 grand to upgrade from my G2 and shall wait for a competitive market. A Reverb version with aspheric lenses perhaps ? Nice easy inside-out tracking and off ear headphones for me.

Yeah, like many here, I've been in VR since near the beginning. And yeah it seems like the same ol "ZOMG its Ah-Mah-Zing" reviews each time a new generation of headsets comes out. And then they get into the hands of the consumers, and well, then all the "issues" actually come out. As far as the Aero being a game changer IDK, on the surface it seems to tick many of my boxes (edge to edge clarity, higher PPD etc), but then I consider things like FOV, and then the issues with the distortion (potential major issue for DCS), and the chromatic aberration which is a major problem if its really bad or a minor inconvenience if its only at the very edges of the FOV. And then of course the 300lb gorilla in the room, performance, I recall everyone said the G1 would be unplayable in DCS due to how many pixels it pushed, and it turned out to be far better than anyone expected so who knows. I'm keeping my expectations modest however in this regard as we know alot more about high res headsets and up/down scaling in DCS than we did back then. Plus by the time its out DCS VR may be improved in ~4 months, or maybe not. 

From what I've seen of the side by side through the lens videos the Aero looks to be both better in some ways and worse in some ways to the G2 which is "interesting" to say the least (clearer up close, but blurrier further out is what I've noticed). But what it doesn't seem to be from those videos is some massive massive difference like what we say when going from G1.5 sets to the G1 (i.e. no more SDE). It does potentially look to be more clear though compared to the G2, so there is that, its certainly better than the index in those shots but it should be. 

If this set were more toward the 1k side of the house i.e. inline with other consumer headsets, I'd probably jump on it. For 2K+, I still may jump on it once more is known, but for now I'll let someone else be the early adopter this time around. 

 

Edited October 22, 2021 by Harlikwin

[Jayhawk1971]

vor 6 Stunden schrieb ShaunX:

 What always gets me when new headsets are released is the way the Youtube VR "influencers" absolutely and unreservedly gush about them like they're the second coming.

I guess I'd do the same if it meant I'd always be handed a free one on release day.

"I've never seen anything like this!!!" they spout, when clearly they have as they've all tried and reviewed the VR-3 and XR-3 months ago.

Yup. Influencer marketing - and by extension, the whole trend towards "access media" (websites, blogs, even formerly respectable "legacy" media outlets)  - has become a huge factor in the marketing mix...and highly annoying for consumers. It's cheap (production costs are miniscule compared to final market price), you get instant metrics (via social monitoring tools) and since the "reviewers" basically would sell their own mother for access, a guaranteed fluff piece (to be fair: not all, a select few still give somewhat honest reviews) . It's the same (if not worse) with camera gear channels. 

[Tricky11]

i was interested until i seen the price lololol

[dburne]

Keep in mind the Aero is not fully baked yet, they are still 3-4 months out .

Probably better to wait till then to try and do a good comparison with say the Reverb G2 and Vive Pro 2.

[dburne]

Interesting read here discussing flight simulation, eye tracking and foveated rendering.

https://varjo.com/press-release/varjo-introduces-varjo-aero-headset-to-bring-the-highest-fidelity-virtual-reality-for-professionals-and-leading-edge-vr-users-alike/

 

In addition, its built-in eye tracking powers not just interaction and analytics, but also foveated rendering that further reduces compute requirements and enables a crystal clear resolution. The lower PC hardware requirements of Varjo Aero enable more scalable deployments and various multi-user experiences, including flight and racing simulations, enterprise training scenarios, design and creative use-cases, as well as delivering immersive experiences in showrooms, museums, and virtual arcades

[JayRoc]

The Lenses look way better and the HMD seems to be o good step in the right direction...but the overall quality doesnt really seem to be worth 2000+$ (imho)

Edited October 22, 2021 by JayRoc

[razalom]

Well its easy for me being in Australia as they dont sell it. So we have another Index situation where we wont get it for years if ever. Sorry in this day and ages there is no excuse to not release it worldwide so its a big fail to Varjo from me at least.

[L0ngbow]

1 hour ago, razalom said:

Well its easy for me being in Australia as they dont sell it. So we have another Index situation where we wont get it for years if ever. Sorry in this day and ages there is no excuse to not release it worldwide so its a big fail to Varjo from me at least.

I was able to get the VR3 for personal use even if it was a business only headset. I also live in the Philippines where we get next to nothing in terms of the latest tech stuff or anything for that matter. I can recommend a dealer where I bought the VR3, a guy from Singapore also bought his from that company. I cannot guarantee if they can get you the Aero as fast as buying from the Varjo store, but at least it's a way to get yourself one. Kindly PM me for the details if you wish.

I was happy I got it from them, it saved me a few bucks since they're in the US, was able to avoid the Euro tax.

[cordite]

But do you still have a warranty?

[razalom]

37 minutes ago, cordite said:

But do you still have a warranty?

That is always the issue you wouldnt i guess unless that company allows you to ship back to them but then that is going to be a big cost as well.