My Varjo Aero VR Headset...A $2K MISTAKE?
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- Опубликовано: 28 авг 2024
- An first impressions review of my newly acquired Varjo Aero VR Headset including considerable thru lens video from the unit in Microsoft Flight Simulator and X-Plane. I answer the question, did I make a BIG mistake dropping so much money for this "state-of-the-art" HMD.
VR Flight SIM Guy. / vrflightsimguy
My system(circa 2019)
I7-9709K(water cooled)
RTX2080ti
M.2 SSD
Today these are selling for 990$.....Makes this purchase a no-brainer! Excellent video!
I was happy when that headset came out, not because I would buy it (can't afford it), but just to know the technology is already there. It's only a waiting game now. Thanks for the detailed and informative review.
exactly im excited for affordable headsets in a couple years, the quest 2 is already pretty amazing.
Same here. VR is really starting to make big improvements. My hope is that in 5 years or so 4k+ per eye at 60Hz+ will be very affordable.
I'd like to get into VR flight sims, but personally, I'm willing to wait for this next step.
The crazy thing is, that VR hardware took ages to drop in price. And still it really doesn't get any cheaper, because most hardware just does not get produced any more and you have to rely on new tech or buy used.
@@quecksilber457 well.. people ar dropping 3000, 4000 or even more eruos for a television,
1500-2500 for a sound system..
compared to that are the 300-1000euros for most vr-headsets not realy much
@@Kraeuterbutter 👍👍👍
As a real world private pilot, I'm used to spending a lot on my passions and that also goes for my flight simulator hobby, which predates my real world flying. So for me, it's always a question of.. "Is it worth it?". Glad to get your perspective on the Aero as I await the arrival of mine in the coming weeks! I recently sold my Pimax 8KX to help fund the Aero. The wide FOV was nice, but ever since my first VR HMD (CV1, then Rift S), I've always longed for the level of clarity provided by Varjo. I've watched a number of reviews on this and enjoyed yours the most. 😉. Been at this since the mid 1980s as a teenager, when I purchased my first computer for flight simulators (Commodore-64) and bought practically every flight simulator released, lol. My two favorites at the moment are, DCS World and MSFS 2020.
Yes Simmers complain about the cost of things that cost less than a few gallons of Avgas. Even an expensive sim setup is worth it if you can train and avoid expensive Hobbs time
@@rbarlow And when it comes to simming VR will always be a kind of cheap solution compared to a full homebrew cockpit.
Just to follow up. My Aero arrived a couple of weeks ago, but I had no time to used it.. After finally setting everything up and trying it... only in MSFS (so far). I'M BLOWN AWAY! This thing is incredible. The clarity and smoothness is what I've been dreaming of for a very long time. It actually feels like I'm in a real cockpit and when flying in IMC, it's very convincing. Can't wait to fire up DCS World this weekend 🙂
@@redtailpilot that's great news! I like hearing the full feedback
@Jip Jackson Well said. I started with the CV1, then Rift S, then 8KX (which I sold to help fund the Aero). Also sold the CV1 awhile back. Still have the Rift S and will probably sell that as well.
I've just stumbled across this video, this is an excellent review, very comprehensive. Thankyou also for the shout out. All the best.
Thanks. I really like your informative and well produced channel. I was not fully committed to VR since as a retired airline pilot I am always thinking training potential. Until now I loved VR for fun flying, air combat and sightseeing but the low resolution and inability to interact with charts/checklists and controls/switches was a limiting factor for serious training. I now see that the resolution issue is essentially solved in Aero as charts and displays are easily readable. I also see how pass through video for mixed reality and hand tracking is about to solve the interaction with controls issue. I am all in on VR now. I soloed at 16 in 1968, flew F-4 fighters in USAF , and 35 years of Airline flying but I have to say this is an exciting time in flight simulation. Thanks for your contribution to this rapidly evolving technology.
@@rbarlow I'm sincerely honoured to have someone such as yourself watching my channel thankyou! I agree, VR has finally reached a critical point where it can be utilised for serious flight training even for the consumer (although as you rightly say, the price of admission is grossly high at the moment). However, there's so much development happening and I am too, very excited for the future of our hobby. Take care (subbed)!
Hi Russ, I am at the moment looking to purchase my first VR headset. With the world in disarray financially speaking, we find funds are tight for hobby expenditure but, I am still on the lookout and your video has inspired another old guy to seriously save some pennies up for a good headset. I had not looked at the Varjo Aero but your comments and display of it convincing me to go down this route, I have decided to save for this headset. Thanks for a great review. Cheers, Brian.
A complete, honest, and thorough review.
I try, thanks
You are a true asset to the community
One thing you might have missed which I think is underreported with this headset is the professional-grade approach to the displays. Colour accuracy is 99% SRGB, 95% DCI-P3 which may not sound significant but accurate colors add so much immersion to the scene especially in a simulator like MSFS which of course is trying to reproduce the real world.
not only that:
with accurate colors you can use it also as desktop-replacement when working with pictures or videos
@@Kraeuterbutter Its not THAT accurate though. Needs to be over %99 DCI-P3 for that kind of work
@@Navhkrin for professional work..
for me as hobbiest i also have not a calibrated monitor.. but a monitor with good colors, yes (not fokused on gaming though)
with all of my 9 headsets so far: you can forget working with fotos... they often look like some cheap 6bit- notebook-displays..
so: i dont need over-the-top-colors which professionals need and use..
but whats now in most headsets is unusable
i think 99% sRGB would be already a great improvement to my current headsets
Black level is the most important thing next to colour accuracy and that is where this headset lacks on top of the barrel distortion
My day 1 order arrived (I'm in the US) late last week. I only needed 2-3 hours with it before I decided to pass it along to someone else on the Varjo discord who was eagerly trying to get their hands on one. The colors and clarity were absolutely next-level, but the lack of Motion Smoothing, limited vertical FOV, and barrel distortion made the Aero a no-go for me. The G2 has just gotten so performant and stable with recent software updates that it just made for a better overall experience in my sim rig. I wasn't expecting the Aero to make me breakfast, but given the $2,000 price point, I needed it to at least feel like a better headset than the G2. In terms of clarity, it certainly was. Most other areas? Not so much.
Great that you could unload it since it didn’t work for you. Thanks for your comments
I always shut motion smoothing off. Didn't realize anyone actually liked using it. Interesting.
Hey, long-term G2 user here. Would definitely recommend you try OpenXR and Open Composite with your G2 to cut Steam VR out of the loop. In a nutshel, even better clarity and FPS.
I can’t justify dropping that much cash for a VR set for myself, but I’m glad the technology is there. Can’t wait for it to become mainstream
Excellent real world review - thank you Russ. I want one. Now make another video telling us how you convinced your wife to allow you to drop $2K on another headset when you told her last time that the HP Reverb was the best 🙂
Thanks very much for the review Russ, very much appreciated to see a raw review against the fanboy reviews we've been seeing.
This was very helpful. It has been about five years or so since I have tried VR flight sim. I gave up on it due to the lack of clarity trying to view PFD’s and even the kollsman window on the altimeter. I am working on CFII Presently and this will certainly help shooting approaches, and MUCH cheaper than the Diamond at the FBO! So many headsets coming to market, one could easily get analysis paralysis. This piece of hardware appears to be a winner!
Thanks for taking the time.
Check out the PiMax Crystal as it is cheaper and has very good initial reviews. I will have one in a couple weeks and will do a review after I test it
@@rbarlow I also have my eye on that unit as well. A little nervous about lack of “pro” hardware pedigree that the Varjo has, however I am always open to less expensive options. Looking forward to your review!
Russ, THANK YOU so much for making this vid! Appreciate the short 17 minutes, to the point with a lot of comparison opinions you shared. I am now getting into home flight sim, bought the PC, and trying to figure out what controls, VR or traditional monitors, and other stuff I have to buy to make Xplane11 and DCS work. Please keep your reviews coming! Seems like we are both on a similar mission. I will hold off investing in the Varjo-Aero but will keep an eye on this to see how price and tech improves. I agree with you, $2k and lack of controllers and audio BASICS, this is not ready for purchase yet. Same the money, wait for Varjo to improve. You mentioned the HP G2, I was looking at that...thinking now I will just settle on that for VR. Seems like I will just focus on going the VR route for flight training and work out the deficiencies. Practice should be harder that real work anyways right?! HA. One thing I'm learning now that is daunting for a PC and Flight sim novice like me is that is seems like I have many software and other things to buy to make all this work. Crud. Guess will figure it out. Perhaps it would not be a bad idea to compare notes in trying to make all this work? Thanks for this, Dan
Great review, thank you! In Australia, the cheapest price for this headset is about $2400 USD, and I really need to spend another $2600 USD building a new computer to support it, big costs!
Luckily the cons you mention (SteamVR tracking, controllers, etc) are generally a non issue for people upgrading to this headset - which given we’re in maybe 3rd generation for headsets now, is pretty common.
I’m putting in my order today due to this video, thanks!
How is it?
If this headset had a larger FOV like 150 or 160°, I would have bought it in a heartbeat.
Thanks for the review.
This resolution will be cheaper in a year or two. Just a matter of time.
Really nice video, Russ. As a fellow real world pilot, I am excited to hear your positive feedback on this headset. I just ordered mine after the price dropped to $990, and I cannot wait to try it out. I likely would not have been able to make the investment at the original price!
Wow amazing I am also considering buying this headset when it's available in my country. Can't wait for hand tracking in the future to match with this amazing resolution. I am actually amazed VR developed so quickly.
Agreed ,the solid software's simplicity is almost as good as the resolution. I had to buy two bases cause I turn my head the whole time in DCS warbird missions
3:21 I'd just like to add, eye tracking offers a even simpler and cheaper solution to physical contact control systems. All the user would have to do is look at the switch they want to operate and use a universal input (this could be anything from simply binding a button on your flight stick, a double blink, or perhaps contact sensors on the finger tips to register a pinching action)
Interesting concept!
The day I hear it will utilize motion smoothing the same way the G2 does (with WMR Openxr), and there are prescription lenses available that work with it (again just like the G2), then I`ll seriously think about this HMD. Unless by then something else can compete. Until then, I’m very happy with my G2
I predict: In a year or two an equivalent headset will be the cost of the G2 at launch. Technology marches on.
So does hardware price :)
Love my G2! Had to do some mods on it to get it comfortable but it gives a plenty clear picture!
For someone who owns an old Vive, your iPhone videos says everything. What a dream. Sad i just can't afford hardware like that (and the PC to run that resolution). I did not work for 10 years now, because of my health. Maybe i can afford a G2 in the foreseeable future, wich already would be much better.
Thank you so much for your insights. This is very valuable. And you do it in a very profound and neutral way. Thank you.
That's so good, it's shocking.
In essence, the high price mandates a lot of thought before finally pulling the trigger.
Good luck with the replacement and thanks heaps.
Great review, Thank You. I've been a Varjo Aero user for about a week now and I have to agree with you, it was not a mistake buying this headset.
Excellent review. Especially liked the attempt to show what it "really" looks like in the headset. I haven't seen this perspective before and as someone without any VR experience helps in the long drawn decision on what to buy and and is it really that good (i think so).
Great review. Thanks so much. You have convince me to finally buy one of this. I have been back and forth with this decision.
Remember this is my first initial impression after only a couple days. So far I haven’t changed my mind but you might look at some other reviews before you spend this much money
Great review! Thanks for the hard work
Nice review. Thanks. Look forward to more thoughts on the subject.
Excellent review. Great iPhone in-headset footage. Gives a good image of what to expect (being a Quest 2 user myself). Thanks for uploading
Thank you so much for this awesome experience you gave us!
Mr. Barlow, your voice could pass for Kevin Costner! Thanks for the video. It was really informative. All I can say is lucky you to own it. Enjoy.
Thanks Russ you are a gentleman of complete integrity. another great review thank you.
As always a balanced objective summary. Thx Russ
Hi Russ, thanks a lot for the review. I enjoyed it a lot. I ordered mine a month ago, so I have a few months to wait. I have the G2 as well and ordered the varjo mostly for the wider sweet spot and the better resolution. Eventhough I really like the G2, I found it a bit hard on the eyes in combat in IL 2 as my head is constantly in motion and can loose the sweet spot easily.
You will like the Aero I feel sure
Awesome review. I bought my reverb G2 after watching your review of G, and I am really enjoying it. BTW can you share your system spec (cpu, gpu etc)? Thanks in advance.
What a great review ..your usual relaxed voice and informative information but...
What i enjoyed more was the fact that you managed to get a Varjo headset for yourself and i realise its a big investment but i can tell in your voice that your very pleased with your purchase 😀👍
Well done.
Ps.looking forward to more of your experiences with the headset.
It is unlike me to buy luxury items … I drive a 2006 pickup truck😊
@@rbarlow ..why change something when its not broken! 😄👍
Great insight. Appreciate it.
Enjoyed you're video Russ. As a VR user myself I did feel you should have mentioned that on top of the cost of this headset you will need a very high end PC to run it with good results. So really the spend is much higher than you mentioned.
Very true!
Omg. The Cessna through lense was incredible. What did you mean you learned to not move your head so rapidly? I think we may see a lot of pilots getting into VR sims. Good video. I'm really leaning towards getting one.
Glad you made that sinking feeling in my gut go away, Thankyou.
Nigh on £3k for HMD (Shipping & taxes) + base station/'s & controller's, here in the UK....
A hefty price tag indeed.
Clarification. the human res is closer to 60-70 ppd. That is what Varjo achieves with their bionic displays. But those are not included in the Aero. The Aero only uses the back peripheral displays and those are 35ppd
for further clarification: the bionic displays are also useless (in the moment) for gamers/Simmers...
games, steam, do not support the 4-display-approche
so of no use
infact the aero without bionic display looks in games even better, because it offers more light. the xr3 is darker in that matter..
and aero is also lighter, much more comfortable to wear
@@Kraeuterbutter Correct, So Varjo 3's are a waste, and the Aero is the current top of the food chain regarding image clarity at the moment for consumers
Hi Russ, thanks for your review, I find your reviews always helpful. I actually stopped watching VR flightsim guy as he was pushing this $2k device he got for free... I like your reviews and am happy you feel you did not waste your money. Anyhow is this after you spend 500-600 for the reverb? Is it really worth the 4 times as much? For me, I'm happy with the G2 for now. 2k is too much.
What you say is true. I drive a 2006 pick up truck and some of my neighbors have Mercedes. I think my pick up truck gets me to where I need to go just as well as near Mercedes but it is a personal decision. I was quite happy with my reverb G2 but honestly this is better if money is not a factor. Unfortunately it always is. Thanks for your comment.
@@rbarlow you are right. I have similar specs 3070 rather than 2080ti, what I wonder my issue is, I cannot really run the system at 100%resolution without drop of FPS. So when it says resolution is better I wonder if it makes sense on my system. What are your settings?
I'm sure it's a very good headset, however 2000 euro plus the extra for the tracking stations is an awful lot of money, I also have the G2 which I bought last November, with the NIS scaler it fine for me at the moment, I will give it 6 months and see where we are in the vr world. The explosion in New headsets coming in 2022 is certainly interesting.
Is it worth 4X as much as my G2? Is a Mercedes worth 4X as much as a Chevy? 😃 Both will drive you to the store. Personally if I didn’t have some “sim money” to buy it with I probably wouldn’t have bought it… My wife would see to that. I paid the early adopter premium and this technology will be mainstream in a year or two. In defense of VRFlightSimGuy I think he is well intentioned and honest but his excitement and enthusiasm for our hobby often misinterpreted.
@@julianhall2008 Give it time. We'll get this clarity in a few years for 500
This VR is magnificent, thanks for the preview and sharing this experience.
100% agreed 👍. Thank you.
Great video, thank you good sir, I hope to be able to afford something like this one day.
The through the lens video was better than what I am used to see. I just think squeezing a slr camera, with low refresh rate gives very stripy glitched video. The iPhone looked like it gave a little chromatic aberration, and saturated the colors, but I think it have a clearer idea of the resolution
A few more years the tech in this hu will be there norm in the g4 😀 looking forward to the future
Great video the Russ.. Was that landing in Innsbruck (Austria ) ? My work place recently purchased 2 x Oculus Quest Pro HMDs so I have one here at home running MSFS 2020 40th Ani. Looks very sharp and smooth on an RTX3080 i9 I just need to purchase a decent yoke and set of controls. note: My first HMD was the Oculus Rift (Kick Starter backer).
GREAT video as usual. Missed seeing you on here and was hoping all was well with you. Great looking headset, not sure I can afford one of those at this time, but maybe someday.
Have a 93 yo mom that needs a lot of my time since Pandemic but I manage to trickle out content
You make good points about mixed reality. But there is also something else to consider as the future. Haptics. More specifically haptic gloves. They could be used to manipulate the virtual cockpit, completely eliminating anything outside of the VR.
Yeah good point. I tried some non- haptic gloves and they were a bit. Of a disappointment
. If the technology works it is indeed a good option but still you lack to see a physical chart or checklist. Still building a physical cockpit is not for everyone so in that case haptic gloves would be a great way to go.
Very useful info, thanks
Great Video. Good review of critical VR factors and future using mixed reality and foviation.
Thanks for watching.
If you take in account the price of a homecockpit even the simpler one (3 tv, mip, overheads, etc) the solution you present is much cheaper. You can even go for VR with the pass throughly.
Pity I’m far to ahead to turn back!
Really nice sum up, thanks for sharing!
Good vid. One more big con for me that not got mentioned in your vid. No speakers for a psychoacoustic sound experience like on the g2. For 2k + you should expect a top tear acoustic system included. That this headset is lacking of it is a real dealbreaker for me.
Definitely a big negative. I also miss inside out tracking. The resolution is impressive however.
PiMax has that same resolution, with 160 degree FOV. I haven't looked back since I bought one.
Which model?
Terrific information and video Russ. Thanks. I am considering purchasing this, and your perspective helped a great deal. I especially appreciate the details of items needed and your experiences (ie: open xr). It IS a tough pill to swallow price wise. As an aviation obsessive whose dreams of flying in real life were stunted by Type I diabetes diagnosed at 10 years of age, I am a little more open to spending for the immersion than I should be perhaps. Given the cost of continued medical clearances, the lessons, potentially purchasing an aircraft, maintenance etc. the cost of the Varjo is probably justified in my own sick mind.
Have you considered a sport pilot license?
@@joelv4495 I have recently learned about this since my original medical special issuance training and subsequent solo. It is at least an option thankfully.
Hi Russ, cool video, Inwould love to experience more about how you and what extra products you needed to buy and why.
Then, did you get dizzy using this headset?
Last did you try with glasses?
The picture looked perfect. I wonder if the other lower priced ones like the HP Reverb comes anywhere close? I doubt it, considering the price difference! Great video btw, thanks for the info
Great video, and very well Thought out and delivered thank you Sr!
first time viewer - well done
liked and subbed :)
I saw Pimax had a sale where the Steam base stations and controllers were bundled. I hope that becomes more common until inside out tracking is more standard. I guess those who invested early on those items are in a good spot to now play with different headsets.
Thanks so much for the detailed review! I'm only on a Quest 2, but hope in the next year or so to upgrade to a higher quality headset for VR flight sims (I'm hooked on VTOL VR right now).
For sim-racing or flight-simming you don't need controller nor base-stations with the Pimax. I'm using it just with it's 9-axis only and don't miss anything substantial, but it's for sim-racing only and looking closer to the dashboard or leaning outside is just not what you do in race-cars or even can do because of the HANS-system. But in a figher jet you are strapped to your seat as well and one base-station alone is just enough for every seating position game. What's more missing with the Pimax is a passthrough-mode.
Wow !!! This VR headset sets the standard for sure
Update - the latest version of the OpenXR Toolkit supports eye tracked foveated rendering. This works perfectly with the Varjo Aero.
Russ, been following you a while - this was an important video, thanks. Having seen CAE & L3 Link imagery (a different class all be it) this is astounding information.
Yes the collimated displays are great but even they lack the 3D that a VR system can provide
@@rbarlow Working with MIL training, even they are using Varjo on limited basis. Its really pushing the envelope for training in realism. The big boys are on top for very specific reasons but MS/DCS could topple them in the right circumstance. A lot of UPT bases used those programs to grease the wheel during covid for things like formation flying - over the internet with instructors in dallas and studs at Vance (etc). Its just simple, it works and it works better than the $17M+ machines being used. A computer and a headset ushering in 3-5Hrs in the plane before solo, unbelievable for my 1980s flight training experience.
Ha ha I was a class76-06 grad from UPT at Vance. We had fixed base instrument sims with NO visual at all. How times have changed.
Thanks Russ!
Minor scientific error: the human eye resolution is about 30 cycles per degree; the smallest cycle you can display is by using 2 adjacent pixels. Therefore, you need about 60 pixels per degree (not 30).
I am really looking forward to Dynamic Foveated Rendering becoming popular. It could be a real game-changer in graphical performance.
Great video. Do you think I would be good to go with an i9 running at 5.0 and a 2080? Also, do you wear corrective lenses? Are there companies selling corrective lens incerts for this headset? Is there room for glasses in the headset? I seem to be doing well wearing my glasses with my rift s.
I have one as well and love it!!
As professional quality headsets go this one is relatively cheap. Less costly than Varjo VR-3 and much less than Vrgineers XTAL 3. XTAL has the higher FoV though which may be important for peripheral vision cues in flight training. Will be interesting to see if Vrgineers can get their price down.
Competition is good for all of us
Same here, it's uncanny how many of us have similar backgrounds in both computers and aviation, I've been involved in aviation since I was five years old, and computers since 1978, preordered my Atari 800 and got it the moment they hit the shelves and like so many of you I've owned every flight simulator written, I've actually managed to turn it into a cottage business creating 3D art assets and aircraft for flight Sims such as DCS and X plane 11/12. I currently have multiple VR headsets my main go to set is the piMax 8 KX, I was on the fence about this one, but I think what intrigued me most was not so much the $2K version because IMHO to be quite honest I don't see that as enough of an improvement over the 8KX. One of the biggest problems I have as an art asset creator is when testing assets in VR I am constantly putting on and removing my headset. And that gets annoying after a while. Having said that however I am extremely intrigued about that set with the pass-through video !
The cost of the headset versus using triple monitors is about the same or less. So, the $2,000 price tag becomes irrelevant. For a serious setup we need serious gear. Thanks for the review!
That’s a good point. Three quality big screen TVs could easily cost over $2000. Once reliable hand tracking inputs or mixed reality become affordable using VR will be a no brainer.
I was choosing between the Aero and a triple screen setup using 3 55in LG OLED TV's, so the Aero is actually a third of the outlay.
you can have all the screens you can fit, it will never allow your eye to triangulate and give you a true sense of depth,
that is the big wow factor and the major difference between monitor gaming to VR gaming
Thanks for the review. My money is already spent so your title was irresistible :) I am lucky enough to have the base stations and index controllers but still, 2k is a lot. I especially like your close, that it was not a mistake. I am less trepidatious. I had one other reason for this purchase and that is an IPD of 72.5, currently beyond everything on the market, although some get closer than others. The Varjo is up to 73mm. The idea of setting an IPD is new for me, I just wind it all the way up, and trust me, forget any VR unit that does not have a physical setting as software IPD is a joke.
Sadly so am already getting used to this new toy so the wow factor is being lost. I need to put my Reverb G2 occasionally to remind myself. Good luck.
I would love to see a near future where you can buy a board that is customizable to place behind your yoke that has dummy buttons and knobs you can easily reposition to match their relative position in the current plane you’re flying. they would do nothing on their own, however when merged with hand tracking and mixed reality could become the most immersive experience without having to build a home cockpit using arduinos and ect
Very experienced opinion, ty.
Also important to mention that you need quite a powerful PC/GPU to run it as well. In time should be more affordable.
great video and review !
Excellent analysis and review. I cannot afford the best, unfortunately.
Great video thank you
When Asobo implements DLLS and optimizes for VR the headset this headset will feel even better!!!
Watched this for the second time, just trying to convince me to buy one, will use this only for MSFT Flight Simulator and Racing games. A question though, do you really need a base station for MSFT Flight Simulator? BTW, now i have subscribed to your channel, the explain is really well done!
You need base station for headset tracking but the handheld controllers are optional. You can use a mouse to manipulate cockpit switches in VR.
on price.... I had to buy a 3090 for $1700 so I'm not surprised a VR to be $1500/2000 - however, I agree that at that price you need a comprehensive package of stations and controllers. That said, I hope the Aero 2 includes inside out
Congratulations on you purchase. What system are you running this on and what sort of FPS do you get? Thanks!
Nice insight, Im currently still on an Index, coupled with a motion rig I put together, its still providing me an excellent experience. I'm still holding out for an Index 2 hopefully. At least though the technology is there and will trickle down to more accessible options down the line.
Thanks much, excellent information. Been a flight simmer for many years with a lot of hardware; Honeycomb yoke, throttle, rudder pedals, Saitek panels, three 24” monitors. Think I would enjoy VR but not sure how to continue to use my other hardware toys. Information appreciated, good job!!
VR works great with all the above. I have the Honeycomb yoke, throttle quadrant and Thrustmaster pendular rudder pedals along with a Saitek radio and they all work fine in VR. If you're worried about not being able to see them you quickly get used to it. I haven't once looked at my keyboard as I type this either and have no problem typing.
VR will only replace your monitors not your hardware, seeing the yoke move in VR whilst actually pulling back on your real physical yoke feels amazing!
@@kevinbrook7033 Thanks much! I need to give it a go!!
@@ervmoore1111 You will not regret that decision 🙂VR is awesome - really another dimension. I have almost the same controller hardware as you, and I fly in VR. Exclusively, for over a year now. Not once did I feel tempted to go back to 2D flying...
Exactly as Kevin says. I bought a 49" ultra wide in anticipation for FS2020. I built a console with my Saitek switch panel, multi-function display and made a couple of G1000 interfaces with encoders and switches. Then tried VR. I never power on the monitors for my G1000's but with a bit of fumbling and familiarisation, you soon get used to reaching out to the right place or find a known reference point and feel across to the others.
@@djtaylorutube Appreciate you folks taking the time providing feedback! Appears I will be taking my flight sim to new level based on your input, my challenge now is selecting a product. To get my feet wet looking at Oculus Quest 2 but it appears there are several options 64, etc. Understand important to purchase cable. The Varjo Aero is worth monitoring, hope price does come down a bit! Thanks again guys!
Nice video and not as hyped as others. Why did you gave up on the Aero and bought a Pimax Crystal instead? I don’t mind that the Aero has no mic and requires base stations (for some a plus for the Pimax).
I had some conflict that Varjo could never figure out. I would intermittamtly loose video on the headset and then it would recover after a few seconds with incorreect tracking which recovered after about 5 more seconds. After about a year working with their excellent customer tech support I grew tired, My G2 and my Crystal worked perfectly and the Aero worked worked on my old RTX2080ti but never got it to work on my 13900K/RTX4080 setup. They felt it was my computer so I asked them to offer a 90 day warranty to anyone I sold the Aero to, They agreed. I understand the new owner had another issue and ended up with a replacement unit. I am happy with the Crystal.
Hi Russ, wow, this was quite illuminating and held my interest throughout. Question: Can you 'wear glasses' while using the Varjo Aero? That's important to many sim pilots! It was helpful to learn all the 'hidden costs' beyond the headset itself (controllers and outside-in receiver(s)). I was impressed at your video prowess, including a lot of captivating feature deep-dives. Good job! "Liked"
I tried the Aero with glasses and found that to be a very uncomfortable experience (tried two different pairs of glasses).
I can not use the Aero without corrective lenses. Luckily inserts will be available within the next two weeks. With inserts, I believe the Aero will be a rather comfortable headset. Noticeably heavier than the G2, though.
You can buy correction lenses. Should fix your problem. Its more comfortable than wearing glasses and its just about 100 $ extra.
Good video, but a couple of corrections. The Aero doesn't have the same resolution as the XR-3. Also, human eye resolution is considered to be around 60 pixels per degree, not 35.
Yes these errors were quickly brought to my attention as soon as it was posted. Thanks for your input, my bad.
Thanks for the info Russ. I actually ordered the Varjo but for some reason my payment didn't go through and it got cancelled. So then i the end i didn't buy it.
and kept using my HTC VIVE PRO2 and all in all i'm very happy with it. Honestly this technology is going so fast my wallet cannot keep up any more. so i'm weighing my choices more and more.
These units are made in China so like it or not there will be Chinese knock-offs for $500 in a year or two
Excellent review. I am expecting mine to arrive this month. Really looking forward to it. Have you used it in DCS?
No Only MSFS ans XP11 so far. I need to try it.
Excellent video, Russ. $2000 is a lot of money but $6000 is whole lot more. If only I could see my hands and be able to interact with the Virtual World I could then consider upgrading my HP G2.
I would wait. I think the technology is going to make great strides in the next year or two
@@rbarlow for sure. Same with the RTX 3000. I skipped it thanks to Bitcoin mining and have my eye on The 4090. I noticed Phillip pointed out the Brunner Yoke in one of his images. I know you have a Yoko yoke but if you have a chance you should, as a pilot, try the Brunner hardware. I have the MKII yoke and Pedals and will never go back. As a pilot myself it’s incredibly immersive and will take your VR experience to a new level.
@@MrScott_e I have a friend with the Brunner controls and my initial experience wasn’t that great. It felt like it was fighting me. He now has it tuned better and it worked much better. I need to give it another try but like some motion systems I’ve tried, it is hard to get it exactly right and if it isn’t it is very noticeable. Of course there is the cost too and trying to get maximum immersion return on sim investments. Right now I would advise people to get a G2 and a decent CPU/GPU for the best experience per the money spent. Unfortunately until good hand tracking or mixed reality are ubiquitous in headsets VR has its limits for real pilot training. I think most all the manufacturers have seen that mixed reality is future of VR and are working feverishly to beat the others to market. Varjo will have to lower prices or try to cater to high end professional and military contracts with deep pockets. I ordered a Lynx-R1 in a kick starter quite a while back which offers color stereo pass through video and ultraleap hand tracking but it is taking them a while and will probably. arrive late this year. It is only 1600x1600 per eye. By the time it arrives there may be other similar products available. Sad since Lynx really shocked the big guys with their prototype and probably spurred the big guys to add pass trough technology.
@@rbarlow correct. Getting the setting right for the plane you’re flying is key. I have great setup for the TBM in both X-Plane and MSFS. I feel the plane n the ground through the pedals and the tracking of the MKII in flight is incredible. It follows every movement of the Sims yoke whether hand flying or on AP. A truly amazing experience but comes at a steep price. I’ll stick with my triple 60” 4k screens until VR makes significant advancements - Heck, I hardly use my G2 as it is because so have a ton of hardware and displays that give me the tactile feel of actually flying and on long haul flights I can see sitting for hours with a headset on my face. Reno air racing….now that’s where VR shines. Take care and keep the great videos coming. Love your point of view.
honestly waiting for oculus or valve to release a competitior in next 12-16 months before i decide
Hi Russ, I have read on FS2020 forums that the Aero is not clear enough to easily read the buttons on the G1000, do you find it super sharp or somewhat blurry?
I love your stuff Russ.. I am a real world pilot, and have built a 737 Cockpit for X-plane, but VR and MSFS2020 is a new ballgame. Especially with the idea of the masking.. man.. that would be insanely great.. Can I ask you.. did you try a Valve Index headset? I know you had to get the base stations and controllers, and I am just wondering if the Varjo is that much better than the Valve Index?
Yes definitely better Valve is 1440 x 1600 pixels per eye. Vatjo Aero is 2880 x 2720 per eye. The HP Reverb G2 is 2100 x 2100 per eye. The Aero is way better than the G2 so although I haven’t tried Valve Index I gotta think it is much clearer.
I second this. I currently use the Valve Index and would love a comparison. I feel like I could use a wider FOV and am considering a PiMax.
Great review! But what are the hardware specs? Could you please tell me which CPU, VGA card and how much RAM your current system has to provide this kind of graphics quality? Or are the 2019 specs still valid?
It's important to note that many people are having a very rough time with the Aero, including myself. Coming from G2 and 8KX headsets. Colors are more bland and contrast is dull compared to the G2 and 8KX (after adjustment on the 8KX). Black levels are the worst I've seen in VR. It's possible there are variations in the headset and some people are getting better headsets than others. Chromatic aberration is a huge issue in mine (brightly colored outlines wherever something darker is next to something lighter). Whatever I'm looking at blurs when I move my head. Mine has pixel inversion / vertical screen door effect (vertical transparent looking lines that appear). This totally defeats the point of the clarity. I don't find the barrel distortion others complain about to be an issue. I think this could be the best headset for MSFS 2020, and other flight sims. For general VR usage, maybe not so much. Good chance I'm going back to my 8KX. If you want it for general VR use, you might consider waiting a bit. It's likely this year we will see something with the same clarity or close, for far less money, with better colors, contrast, black levels, etc. The auto-IPD is nice, but not necessary especially if you are the only one normally using the headset. The Aero wins in clarity. There are no god rays or glare. All fantastic, beyond that it is unfortunately a step backwards. There are serious compromises here. I also find the clarity of this headset somewhat overblown. Yes it's the best clarity out there at the moment, but people talk like you can see EVERYTHING clearly... not even close.
Not that I think you would do it, but I'm curious if your experience would be the same if you did a clean re-install of all relevant software and purged old cfg/ini files...or, better yet, re-installed Windows. You'd be surprised how much old setups can impact new.
@@TM-hl9kz Thanks for the thought! I purged SteamVR completely (and leftover files) and reinstalled it. Given that my G2 and 8KX function great now, I don't think I'd be willing to go as far as to reinstall Windows. I don't believe it would make a difference. I'm in communication with someone with the exact same problems as I have who has tried their Aero on both of their RTX 3090 rigs and has had the same issues on both (Win 10 and Win 11). Not likely a software error that we can resolve.
Sorry to hear this. I've had mine a week and have experienced none of what you have. It does seem to vary amongst buyers. Someone said they forced the latest firmware to reload and it brought that user around to be a happy user.
@@eddunham7259 I'm very happy to hear that you've experienced none of what I have! =D I did reload the latest firmware the first night I tried it. Thanks!
Wow. I am looking for the issues you have but just don’t see them so far. Of course it has only been a few days but I remember the issues I had with m6 G2 at first and almost went back to my RiftS since it was so stable and reliable. I didn’t and the G2 got better and better to the point I was very comfortable with it, this switch I expect to take a while to get used to also. I will keep looking for the issues you have had and report if I see them. Thanks for your input.
Im still waiting for the Pimax 12kx. Than I will upgrade from my quest 2. It may not have the same clarity as the varjo aero but its good enough, plus the wide FOV of the pimax just makes it better, along with the built in eye and body tracking which the 12kx will feature. Don't know how reliable it will be though, its refresh rate also isn't too bad. In my opinion it will be better than the varjo for immersion overall. It will only cost about $400 more than the aero as well.
I have the pixMax Crystal on order still not super wide FOV but many features missing in the Aero like headset, inside out tracking, hand tracking so I have hopes it will meet my expectations.
Just looking at the left eye view... it seems like it stops just past the middle of the fov. It makes me wonder if it has a small binocular overlap?