Varjo Aero: Opinion

[Callsign.Vega]

I haven't used my Aero since last night and I'm sitting at my desk and the Aero fan keeps turning on and off. This is with the Varjo Base and SteamVR software not running. There is a orange on indicator on the side, but when the fan is running there is a green light seen through the bottom of the vent ports and the LCD panels are on. Only way I can find to completely turn off the Aero is to unplug it. Seems quite the oversight.

 

Update from Varjo:

"Thank you so much for reaching out. The Aero doesn't have a power button so in order to shut it down you need to either unplug it from the adapter or pull the power from the adapter.

Please let us know if you have any other questions,

Thank you,

Hannah/Varjo Support"

Edited January 25, 2022 by Callsign.Vega

[dburne]

So is it at this point a given that one will need to use the Debug Tool that DCS offers with the Aero?

[peachmonkey]

Quite reminiscent of the vivepro2 release when HTC 'recommended' to unplug the headset because it couldn't enter a standby mode.

It's fixable in software. Question is how quickly Varjo will update it to remove this 20th century dependency.

[Supmua]

Got my headset and have been playing around with for about an hour.  I need a lot more time with it to make a meaningful judgement so the following remarks are just things that popped up in my head as I played.

 

Super early impressions:

-Clarity: almost as good as my 4K TV.  The resolving power of this headset is very good, probably a combination of optics and screen.  The easiest way to test this is by bringing SteamVR desktop up and use 100-125% zoom setting.  In most VR headsets including the Vive Pro2, the window contents especially texts don't look good unless the zoom level is 150%.  This also includes edge to edge clarity.  This headset also has a sweetspot, still too early for me to judge but when it is in the right position the image is super crisp.

-Distortion: Noticeable in the top part of the image and 4 corners.  I would describe the corner distortion as stretching (kinda like when you use VR zoom in DCS but to a much lesser degree).  There seems to be parallax effect as well where background objects move further than foreground when you turn your head side to side.  I don't really notice distortion in MSFS2000, it seems the headset was made just for this game.  Now the distortion I find in general usage such as web browsing is actually pincushion not the barrel type.

-Images:  the default brightness is a bit too high for me and hence contrast and black level isn't superb in my book.  If Varjo provide options to adjust brightness/contrast/saturation separately, this would be perfect.  The saturation isn't as good as Vive Pro 2 especially red color but likely due to brightness being high.

-Black level and white saturation:  not good.  Checked with www.lagom.nl via headset.  Definite loss of detail (washed out) in very black or white areas.  While the clarity is unmatched, it seems that this headset needs to be calibrated better and this is definitely fixable via software.  Right now this is fine in games that provide manual brightness/gamma settings, but it can be problematic in games that you have no control of those settings.

-Chromatic aberration:  quite prominent, everywhere when you look at something off center.  I'm a camera buff so I do notice these things, especially on white texts against black background.

-Glare and screen door: none.  This looks just like a regular PC monitor except slight hint of micro-shimmering, not sure if this is related to the compression artifacts from use of DSC technology.  This is on HIGH setting which isn't the highest one.

-Index controllers:  don't go to sleep when leaving them alone for a while.  No sleep function for the base stations either.  So this is bluetooth issue or lack of that functionality.

-SteamVR: optional for OpenXR games such as MSFS2000, although I do believe that even the main SteamVR app isn't running it still requires the SteamVR framework running in the background.

 

DCS:

-definitely need the cross-eye correction tool.  Use swap top to bottom for both L and R screens to minimize peripheral distortion.

-very good frametime, 13ms with Hornet Caucasus free flight with 100% Steam SS (no motion smoothing).  This is typically 18 with my Vive Pro 2, but with motion compensation on)--forgot to add that I run per app SS at 74% here.

-I can read everything in the cockpit even the tiniest texts, the best I've seen.  For example, in F-16 cockpit all those small dials to the right are completely legible and sharp.  Distant detail is ok may be similar to or a bit better than my Vive Pro 2 with CAS sharpening.

-edge to edge clarity is much superior to the Vive Pro 2.

-Shimmering is slightly less than Vive Pro 2, which also doesn't have much if you run MSAA with high enough rendering resolution.

-Lack of motion smoothing/compensation is bothering me a bit since I'm so used to it, hopefully they'll add that in soon.  The easiest way to test for this is to move your body left to right inside the cockpit view, you will see tearing/juddering effect of the cockpit without motion smoothing.  With a good motion smoothing/compensation algorithm everywhere you turn everything will stay sharp and smooth.

Edited January 26, 2022 by Supmua

[dburne]

Thanks for the tip on using the debug tool to swap top to bottom on both screens, I will be sure to do that first off. 

re: Motion Smoothing, I actually am not using any motion compensation in my Vive Pro 2, and I fly with fps maxed at 45 fps with pre-rendered frames set to 2 and get a very good experience in DCS. Hoping I can get similar results doing the same with the Aero.

Edited January 26, 2022 by dburne

[Callsign.Vega]

So this is my quick run-down of Pros/Cons versus the Index:

1. Clarity: Obviously the Aero blows the Index away here. Although with the Aero I really cannot see individual pixels, I can still see vertical rows of the pixel structure. So not perfect.

2. God rays: Pretty bad on the Index, none on the Aero.

3. Distortion: Holy smokes a lot of barrel distortion in the Aero. Maybe not as noticeable in flight sims, but really bad in standing/FPS games like Alyx. The Index has a little bit of warping, but almost unnoticeable compared to the Aero's distortion.

4. Smoothness. The Index blows the Aero away here. 144 Hz on the Index and it's smooth as glass. The Aero at only 90 Hz starts at a deficit, and yet there is still some stuttering that I cannot solve. Even in the Varjo Base software, not even in SteamVR I get this stutter. It's super annoying, and if I cannot get it solved with Varjo support, I'm afraid it's heading back. NO way should a RTX 3090 running a VR headset with basically nothing going on in a loading room be stuttering. And I've tried just about every combination of Varjo Base settings to no avail.

5. Fan: Pro is that it helps keep your face a little cooler but con is it's definitely audible with the Aero. 

6. Colors: Aero wrecks the Index here. I've always thought the Index looked washed out, but ya the Aero colors pop quite a bit more.

7. Contrast/blacks: Both suck. Non FALD LCD sucks. Grey blacks and poor contrast on both. Really need a OLED. I'll also be looking into the new Panasonic MeganeX. 

8. Comfort. Both to me seems to be about equal.

9. Sound. I use IEM on both, so tie. 

10. IPD adjustment: Aero's automatic is cool if you have different people trying the headset. But if you are basically the only one that uses it, kind of a waste. You can manually set the IDP in the software, but every time you turn on the head-set, it moves the lenses. Kind of pointless, as it just wears out those motors more for no reason. I prefer the set-it and forget-it slider of the Index.

11. Field of View: Horizontal; they are about the same. Both leave some to be desired. Vertical, the Index crushes the Aero. When I first put on the Aero, I was kinda taken-aback by how small the "view portal" of the world is. 

12. Chromatic aberrations. I really really hate you. Aero has a ton of it. Index just a small bit. Basically as much as the god rays in the Index piss me off, the Chromatic Aberrations in the Aero take their place. 

13. Usability. With the Aero, you have to manually unplug the headset to turn it off. You also have to manually unplug your base stations to turn them off. There is no Bluetooth communication between the Aero and the base stations for power management like there is on the Index. The Index also powers itself off after you close down SteamVR. I know, super advanced!

 

So I am pretty torn. There are a lot of tradeoffs with the Aero. In order to get that great clarity, good colors and no god-rays, you have to put up with narrower FOV, Chromatic Aberrations everywhere, only 90 Hz (and with stutter for me, TBD), the same poor blacks and contrast as every other LCD HMD, and barrel distortion out the Wazhoo. For $2,000. I think I am on the fence on returning the Aero, using the Index a bit more until the MeganeX comes out. If I cannot get the stuttering resolved, it's 100% going back. Too me that is too distracting.       

[DavePastry]

38 minutes ago, Callsign.Vega said:

So this is my quick run-down of Pros/Cons versus the Index:

1. Clarity: Obviously the Aero blows the Index away here. Although with the Aero I really cannot see individual pixels, I can still see vertical rows of the pixel structure. So not perfect.

2. God rays: Pretty bad on the Index, none on the Aero.

3. Distortion: Holy smokes a lot of barrel distortion in the Aero. Maybe not as noticeable in flight sims, but really bad in standing/FPS games like Alyx. The Index has a little bit of warping, but almost unnoticeable compared to the Aero's distortion.

4. Smoothness. The Index blows the Aero away here. 144 Hz on the Index and it's smooth as glass. The Aero at only 90 Hz starts at a deficit, and yet there is still some stuttering that I cannot solve. Even in the Varjo Base software, not even in SteamVR I get this stutter. It's super annoying, and if I cannot get it solved with Varjo support, I'm afraid it's heading back. NO way should a RTX 3090 running a VR headset with basically nothing going on in a loading room be stuttering. And I've tried just about every combination of Varjo Base settings to no avail.

5. Fan: Pro is that it helps keep your face a little cooler but con is it's definitely audible with the Aero. 

6. Colors: Aero wrecks the Index here. I've always thought the Index looked washed out, but ya the Aero colors pop quite a bit more.

7. Contrast/blacks: Both suck. Non FALD LCD sucks. Grey blacks and poor contrast on both. Really need a OLED. I'll also be looking into the new Panasonic MeganeX. 

8. Comfort. Both to me seems to be about equal.

9. Sound. I use IEM on both, so tie. 

10. IPD adjustment: Aero's automatic is cool if you have different people trying the headset. But if you are basically the only one that uses it, kind of a waste. You can manually set the IDP in the software, but every time you turn on the head-set, it moves the lenses. Kind of pointless, as it just wears out those motors more for no reason. I prefer the set-it and forget-it slider of the Index.

11. Field of View: Horizontal; they are about the same. Both leave some to be desired. Vertical, the Index crushes the Aero. When I first put on the Aero, I was kinda taken-aback by how small the "view portal" of the world is. 

12. Chromatic aberrations. I really really hate you. Aero has a ton of it. Index just a small bit. Basically as much as the god rays in the Index piss me off, the Chromatic Aberrations in the Aero take their place. 

13. Usability. With the Aero, you have to manually unplug the headset to turn it off. You also have to manually unplug your base stations to turn them off. There is no Bluetooth communication between the Aero and the base stations for power management like there is on the Index. The Index also powers itself off after you close down SteamVR. I know, super advanced!

 

So I am pretty torn. There are a lot of tradeoffs with the Aero. In order to get that great clarity, good colors and no god-rays, you have to put up with narrower FOV, Chromatic Aberrations everywhere, only 90 Hz (and with stutter for me, TBD), the same poor blacks and contrast as every other LCD HMD, and barrel distortion out the Wazhoo. For $2,000. I think I am on the fence on returning the Aero, using the Index a bit more until the MeganeX comes out. If I cannot get the stuttering resolved, it's 100% going back. Too me that is too distracting.       

I've been meaning to ask someone coming from index to aero, I use my index with the lenses as far away from my eyes as they go (so smallest fov possible for index) how would that compare to the aero? 

[Supmua]

Just found out that the firmware that is on the shipped Aero might not be the latest, ah well.

 

EDIT: disregard that it seems this is true for the very first shipment in Europe.

Edited January 26, 2022 by Supmua

[Brainfreeze]

6 hours ago, Callsign.Vega said:

4. Smoothness. The Index blows the Aero away here. 144 Hz on the Index and it's smooth as glass. The Aero at only 90 Hz starts at a deficit, and yet there is still some stuttering that I cannot solve. Even in the Varjo Base software, not even in SteamVR I get this stutter. It's super annoying, and if I cannot get it solved with Varjo support, I'm afraid it's heading back. NO way should a RTX 3090 running a VR headset with basically nothing going on in a loading room be stuttering. And I've tried just about every combination of Varjo Base settings to no avail.

Nobody has this problem so more likely not aero related but more to do with other software settings on your system.  You'll probably figure it out quickly

[Supmua]

This is interesting, probably foveated rendering stuff.

Varjo support in DCS - Varjo.com

 

In the next DCS openbeta, you can use "dcs.exe --force_varjo_VR" to enable this functionality.  Personally, I don't think I need extra detail in the center as the current clarity is plenty but if this isn't going to affect fps then why not.

[dburne]

11 minutes ago, Supmua said:

This is interesting, probably foveated rendering stuff.

Varjo support in DCS - Varjo.com

 

In the next DCS openbeta, you can use "dcs.exe --force_varjo_VR" to enable this functionality.  Personally, I don't think I need extra detail in the center as the current clarity is plenty but if this isn't going to affect fps then why not.

 

Great find thanks!!

[dburne]

Seems Varjo may have removed that page.

[Supmua]

I find much similarity with the VP2 in terms of operation.  The headset stays on as long as it's plugged in, so it is probably a good idea to unplug or use a smartplug for on/off function to minimize wear and tear issue.  The Varjo app also overrides SteamVR, so I'm not even sure it's using the xxx.vrsettings parameters at all.

 

For new owners, I suggest startup process by running Varjo app first (the default setting has it on with Windows startup, of course I turn this off since I don't want to spend extra CPU or GPU power when not in VR) followed by SteamVR which can be activated by just pressing the recessed button on the Index controller.  For shutdown process, quit SteamVR first then Varjo app.  For MSFS2000, you can just run Varjo app then start the game without activating SteamVR GUI since it uses OpenXR rather than OpenVR.

 

5 minutes ago, dburne said:

Seems Varjo may have removed that page.

great, it's probably not ready for prime time.

Edited January 26, 2022 by Supmua

[Brainfreeze]

1 hour ago, Supmua said:

This is interesting, probably foveated rendering stuff.

Varjo support in DCS - Varjo.com

 

In the next DCS openbeta, you can use "dcs.exe --force_varjo_VR" to enable this functionality.  Personally, I don't think I need extra detail in the center as the current clarity is plenty but if this isn't going to affect fps then why not.

I believe this is vor VR-3 XR-3 headsets, not Aero

[Callsign.Vega]

5 hours ago, Brainfreeze said:

Nobody has this problem so more likely not aero related but more to do with other software settings on your system.  You'll probably figure it out quickly

Problem is I'm super sensitive to any kind of stutter/frame pacing issues, stuff that most people probably wouldn't notice. It's almost like the Aero is trying to do Asynchronous Reprojection and failing at it, even though I have that garbage turned off. 

Plus I'm coming from a buttery smooth 144 Hz Index experience, so 90 Hz with some slight stutter/shimmering will be quite noticeable. One thing I forgot to do is turn off foveated rendering to see if that helps at all. 

[dburne]

8 minutes ago, Brainfreeze said:

I believe this is vor VR-3 XR-3 headsets, not Aero

 

No - wish I had of took a screen grab when it was up - but it specifically stated the update for the Aero would be in the next Open Beta update of DCS. Could be ED had them take it down - maybe not ready yet or something.

[dburne]

1 hour ago, Supmua said:

This is interesting, probably foveated rendering stuff.

Varjo support in DCS - Varjo.com

 

In the next DCS openbeta, you can use "dcs.exe --force_varjo_VR" to enable this functionality.  Personally, I don't think I need extra detail in the center as the current clarity is plenty but if this isn't going to affect fps then why not.

@NineLine

For a brief period this morning there was a statement on Varjo website concerning the new Aero headset and multi-rendering support coming in the next DCS Open Beta update for it. Varjo has since removed that page.

Any info on this you can share?

Edited January 26, 2022 by dburne

[Supmua]

I found that superb mage quality can be achieved with ReshadeVR.  It provides extra sharpening which brings out more ground and distant details, as well as ability to manually adjust brightness/contrast/saturation sort of mitigating the weakness of this headset.  Personally, I think this headset has too much contrast and brightness, which can cause loss of detail at the extreme bright and dark areas.  I'm currently using default CAS parameters with 0.5 brightness, 0.999 contrast and 1.3 saturation.  DCS gamma 1.8.  I'm still testing various combinations but the image quality is already glorious with the above settings, comparable to flatscreen.  The only thing or two that would make this a perfect experience would be implemented motion smoothing (equivalent to vsync for flatscreen mode) and higher framerate 90 fps at 100% SteamSS (which isn't really achievable with current gen hardware).

 

The optimal sweetspot is not easy to find in my case, surprisingly.  I couldn't find the optimal position until I pulled the counterbalance headstrap kit from my VP2 and use it on this headset, also had to use thicker facepad so my eyes are a bit away from the lens to achieve optimal image clarity.  With this setup, the Varjo is basically as sharp as a PC monitor except for the pincushion distortion and chromatic aberration in the periphery.

 

EDIT:  I did a manual firmware update, and it seems to improve the black as well as white level a bit which is strange.  Not sure if this is real or my eyes are getting better adjusted to the headset.  Had to change ReshadeVR settings to accommodate this so disregard my posted settings for Reshade for now.

 

EDIT2:  It seems the poor black/white levels are specific to the Varjo's Workspace app.  When I do web browsing or movie watching with Virtual Desktop app, the black and white levels are perfect without detail loss.  The brightness is still a bit high but so much better.  So if you are going to watch movie or browse web sites, don't use Varjo's native workspace app.  I have emailed the tech support on this issue and hopefully they will improve it in the future.

Edited January 26, 2022 by Supmua

[dburne]

Mine is out for delivery!

Been using my Vive Pro 2 without Motion Compensation and pretty happy with it. Hoping the same for the Aero.

[redcoat22]

56 minutes ago, dburne said:

Mine is out for delivery!

Been using my Vive Pro 2 without Motion Compensation and pretty happy with it. Hoping the same for the Aero.

About time, I was feeling quite guilty.  

[peachmonkey]

56 minutes ago, dburne said:

Mine is out for delivery!

Been using my Vive Pro 2 without Motion Compensation and pretty happy with it. Hoping the same for the Aero.

awesome!

I may have missed the customs/border bullet, mine is showing to be in Memphis right now..

[dburne]

32 minutes ago, peachmonkey said:

awesome!

I may have missed the customs/border bullet, mine is showing to be in Memphis right now..

That would be great if you do miss that bullet!

[dburne]

Fed Ex is teasing me, it is out for delivery but has been updated from before noon to now by end of day.

Nothing else I can do on my end, everything uninstalled and cleaned out, previous headsets been boxed up and put away. Thinking very positive on this Aero!  So now I just sit here twiddling my thumbs. Flight controllers still mounted and hooked up waiting to go on a moment's notice!

 

Edited January 26, 2022 by dburne

[dburne]

It is finally here - woohoo!!

[Callsign.Vega]

 I've sent the diagnostic data. I also made a video of what I'm seeing through the headset:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgdDZdyge3g

 

 

It's almost as if the headset was running at like 45 frames per second instead of 90. I've also tried different USB 3.1 ports on the motherboard, turning off eye-tracking, different Displayports on my RTX 3090. Nothing seems to fix it. Reminding: My Valve Index on the exact same system using the same ports runs 144 Hz with 200% super sampling completely butter smooth.

I'm curious for other Aero users, if you go into Varjo Base and slowly look around, is the image really smooth or does it stutter like in my video above?