The Varjo XR-1 , latest mixed reality headset , has been tested by Marc Audonnet, one of our experts.

Direction Finland, in the premises of VARJO , manufacturer of XR-1 helmet . Marc gives us his opinion on this new device that we are the only ones to distribute in France.

“Bluffing!” This is the first word that comes to mind when Marc is asked about his expert opinion on the Varjo XR-1 .

Let’s find out the strengths and weaknesses of this mixed reality headset, and for what uses we recommend it.

Varjo XR-1: all the performance of the VR-2

The XR-1 of VARJO developer edition benefits from all the latest features integrated in the VR-2, the virtual reality headset of the Finnish brand and in particular:

• Very High Resolution: equivalent to that of the human eye. Varjo talks about “Bionic Display”.
• Automatic IPD: interpupillary adjustment is done automatically, very convenient when the headset is used by several people.
• High performance eye-tracking: the integrated binocular eye-tracker is the most precise and the fastest on the market.
• Compatibility with Steam VR, tracking, Open VR, ART tracking, Optitrack tracking
• Fairly wide field of view (FOV): 87 degrees.

The XR-1 of Varjo is part of the promising new generation of mixed reality headsets or more broadly from augmented reality as the Microsoft HoloLens 2 or the Magic leap. They each have their strengths and weaknesses. Everything will depend in particular on your use, your budget, …

Why is the VARJO XR-1 so stunning?

According to Marc, our expert, the VARJO XR-1 develop edition is bluffing because extremely realistic. According to him, the quality of augmented reality is better than that of any other device.

Why ?

• It embeds all the strengths of the VR-2 mentioned above: very high resolution, 20/20 eye-tracking …
• It is thanks to technology “ video pass-through “: two cameras on the helmet capture the environment in real time and insert the digital content into the real world thus captured.
• Here, we are not talking about a hologram, it is the 3D model that fits perfectly into the real environment. Failure to see through the model – as is the case with a hologram that is “transparent” – greatly improves the experience.
• The fact of see his hands and the people around while in the helmet also contributes to the success of the experience.
• Regardless of the ambient light, the headphones work perfectly. This is a real plus.

The weak points of the mixed reality headset

The XR-1 developper edition from Varjo is a very powerful, very powerful helmet which makes it one of the most impressive on the market without a doubt. Now let’s take a closer look at the few weak points according to our expert:

• Weight: it reaches 1.3kg. However, it should be noted that it is well balanced. For comparison, the Microsoft HoloLens 2 weighs 566g and 325g for the Magic Leap.
• Wired: even if the cable provided is long (10 m), the fact remains that it is not a stand-alone headset.
• Cost: € 11,990. Even if it can very quickly be amortized by a large company or an industry, it is moreover the target of the range of helmets from Varjo, the cost is higher than these main competitors.
• Expert advice : to benefit from a successful experience, you will need a room with a real volume if you need to visualize large models at scale 1.

Varjo XR-1: For what uses?

It is not all to identify the weak points and the strong points of a helmet. augmented reality . The most important thing for our experts is your use , your need. Tell us what you need a mixed reality headset for and our experts will advise you which one is best for you. Thus, we can list the following uses for which the XR-1 will respond perfectly:

• Study office, design, pre-project visualization : your product is being designed, you need to visualize it before it is produced.
• Use requiring very high resolution : you need to be able to read documentation very precisely, see a dashboard, …
• Flight simulation, driving : you need to simulate a context and user actions.
• High-end showroom: you need your products and your know-how to be valued in a case, for their visualization to be very faithful.

What is Varjo preparing for the future?

During her visit, Varjo delivered lots of secrets to our expert Marc on their future projects in mixed reality and virtual reality ! We can’t tell you about it of course, but we assure you that you will love the new technologies of the Finnish firm.

Want to test the Varjo XR-1?

You have a visualization need in mixed reality or augmented reality ? You want to make your own XR-1 review ?

Join us for a private workshop in Paris on Thursday March 12, 2020. This will be the opportunity to experience the helmet and discuss with Immersion experts and those of Varjo .

Please note: the number of places is limited! Registration required

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