This $6000 Varjo XR-4 is NOT What I Expected! MSFS & DCS World | FULL REVIEW | The NEW LEADER in XR? 

OMG, what kind of dog is that? He or She is so cute, I want to pick he/she up and hug he/she lol.

Thanks for the impressions. These high end headsets are like a siren to me! Agreed about MSFS and foveated rendering-there’s a wishlist topic that we should all vote up!

For 4k it should almost make me faint when I put it on

Having invested in the Varjo before, and looking how they treated us who did, im not sure about them 🤔

I wish game developers were as enthusiastic about making AAA VR games as the headset manufacturers are on making high end headsets. I have more headsets, 9 going on 10, than games I play consistently whichbis about 4 or 5, MSFS, No Man's Sky VR, GT7 and a couple other novelty games. With that said, 4,000 is a lot, i love my Aero but if I'm psying 4K, I need perfection especially if there are comparable alternatives like the Crystal Light Super. Hoping that headset gets good reviews bc as of right now, that's what I'm mostly considering. Thanks for the video, since i started watching your content, it's your opinion I look out for the most.

Thanks for the video. As usual, very fair and accurate review.

I'm looking forward to the somnium VR1 comparison

Interesting to see this review not experiencing issues in a way others have. How can you ship a defective unit to start with. Unexcusable frankly. The consumer woes of Varno continue.

I think Varjo should stay away from the consumer market, their heart isn’t in it.

Poor binocular overlap is the only visual issue that can't be solved through software. Such a shame but a wider FOV required a sacrifice I guess..

A man can dream. Thanks for working with them in getting it dialed in. But still out of my range.

Thanks for the review. It's very interesting to hear the local dimming is far better than the Crystal. Do you by chance know how many local dimming zones (mini-LEDs) it has for each display? I didn't see that listed in the specs. It's good to hear they're making progress with the Software. But it's definitely not a good sign to see yet another reviewer who had to return their first headset. Both Bartman's Bits and MRTV also had to return theirs for issues with the display. If Varjo is going to charge $4k for their product, or $10k in Sebastian's case, I don't think it's that unreasonable to expect them to ensure every headset is in pristine working order. Somnium claims they'll be checking every lens plus checking every display panel for dead pixels/mura and calibrating them. If Somnium is doing that with a headset that costs roughly half the price, made in the EU no less, what excuse does Varjo have? Now with that said, Somnium hasn't even opened orders yet so it remains to be seen if they'll actually deliver on those claims. It sounds like Varjo really shouldn't have released the XR-4 in the state it's been in. Pimax did something similar with the Crystal and caught a lot of flak for it, and rightly so. This shouldn't become the norm where customers become beta testers of sorts. If they're going to put out a headset in that type of state the really should go out of their way to ensure customers know what they're getting in to. Between this and leaving some Aero customers feeling short changed, they're really shooting themselves in the foot at the moment. That rant aside, I'm excited to see some through the lens footage of this headset in its full 50 PPD glory with DCS. Even if it ends up a bit of a slideshow it would be great to get a glimpse at the potential this headset holds. And given that the Pimax Crystal Super may use the same display panels as this, it might also help to get a gauge of what potential that headset might have as well, provided Pimax can deliver on those lenses and provide decent stereo (binocular) overlap. I'm also excited to see the final version of the Somnium VR1 get reviewed and see how it stacks up against the XR-4 and Crystal. I don't think they're going to be able to do much about the comfort with the headstrap and face mask in such a short time but I wouldn't mind being wrong on that. With the chromatic aberration problems, perhaps Varjo should consider investing in an implementation of dynamic lens correction. Omniwhatever got to test a trial version of the almalence plugin with the Crystal's wide FOV lenses and he reported that the plugin helped dramatically reduce the chromatic aberration problems of those lenses. I hope Pimax reconsiders adding that. It could help give the Crystal Super a leg up and probably would be a game changer for the 12K whenever that comes out. Between the poor stereo (binocular) overlap reported by others and the quality control issues, the XR-4 doesn't seem to warrant anywhere near $4k. I hope Pimax doesn't screw up the Crystal Super, we'll see.

Great video, however I'm not a Varjo fan as they refused to let me buy a new cable for my Aero as I live in Australia. So will be a Somnium user.

Hi Steve, thanks for the video. I have the Varjo aero and I use the Steel Series 7 speakers behind my DOF P6. I even use the Steal series when I am using my Pimax Crystal. The sound is amazing and the base really adds the the experience.

@vrflightsimguy Hi Steve, I was waiting for the crystal super and the rtx 5090 to buy the 4090 a bit cheaper : ) but! now I realize with MSFS not supporting eye tracking, it doesn’t makes sense unless you mostly play dcs right? I mean the 4090 won’t be capable of running 4k VR unless you can benefit from eye tracking. Am I missing something? I think I should just order the crystal light. Please give us some feedback on this. Thanks!

Great review Steve really informative. Can't wait to see 50ppd in DCS though :)

Having brought the areo at full price I wouldn’t go anywhere near them ever again 😢they may have stung me once, but they won’t sting me again 😂

you didn't try this for MR? Two other youtubers mentioned that the XR4 passthrough is bad. What is your thought on this?

It looks great but not for 4K, some reviews say it's not as good as the Quest 3? interested to see a comparison.

I'm surprised by the reviews of X4, some have been scathing. Thought it was going to be the PC VR crown Jewels but not looking good. They really had an edge with brand quality over pimax now not so much. VR1 comfort not looking too great either, pimax could wrap the market up if they nail 4k oled in q4.....🎉

I have an x-4. I'm disappointed in performance so I'm going back to the areo. Not worth 4K

😲😲😲😲😲 WOW. Thanks, Steve! Great review ♥♥♥♥♥

Looks nice, for those who can afford it. I am looking at the Pimax Crystal Light as my upgrade from the Quest 2.

4000 bucks for an lcd ?? Are they serious ? Anyway good video steve as always

Well done .. Thank you Steve for another fair and detailed review … any news about the release of the crystal super??

I think Varjo will only exist for the next couple years before disappearing from the market. They fired a lot of employees early this year who have worked on xr4 and aero which explains the low quality sw released and dropping aero support this soon

Cheers for the review, and taking on a lot of the suggestions. It's nice to be able to have you an honest medium in which to test these products before investing your life savings. Keep em comin'

you forgot to mention that the outside in tracking faceplate is a prototype because they aren't planning on selling the headset with it or mass producing it since it is a niche market and it will be replaced by inside out tracking.

My first Aero had to be returned, the replacement was perfect thankfully. Varjo acted quickly. No plans to replace the Aero at the moment. Certainly won't be spending 4000 euro.

You can't change PPD. That's a measurement value of the hardware itself. I'm assuming you meant you had to lower resolution for non-DFR applications?

Consumers probably should avoid the xr-4. Its not ready and honestly I don't have much faith in varjo fixing all its problems before they move on.

Do you know how many dimming zones the screen has, or could you ask Varjo? Would be interesting to know if its more than the crystal

Wonder how this would stack with the Pimax Super later this year.

I was wondering why there wasn't any reviews on this headset and now I know why. I'm sure they'll solve it in a few months time and this will be one of the best headset. It would be nice if you can use the pass through for your panel in msfs.

Its a good time to be a vr fan, quite alot of decent headsets for a big range of budgets.

did you notice any difference in quality of tracking between base station and inside out at all?

Thanks Steve, I can't wait to see more videos on the XR-4. I really want this to be my next headset, but it has to be worth the investment in the end. A bit disappointed to hear about the sound. Would you say it is worse than the G2?

Yeah I heard the XR4 had some issues. Maybe Pimax Super will be even better than the XR4 when it finally comes out. I’ve really been wanting to buy a headset with an insane resolution and graphics. I don’t think anything can compete with 3840x3840 per eye resolution

Does this have a better FOV than the VR1?

I've got a feeling that at the moment there might just be a few too many dependencies on both the application and the pc running this high end piece of kit. Overall absolutely great, no question.. but a lot left on the table in terms of ppd that current apps and consumer hardware is able to run. Its next gen kit for sure but apps and hardware are maybe a gen behind. Not a surprise really given its pedigree and original purpose, but i think the consumer market is still a bit behind for this one at the moment, i think maybe a great purchase in 12-18 months though, i beleive youll get more bang for your buck if you have the means to get the latest hardware (and the apps catch up too)

What is the consumer use case for a $6,000 headset? Will it help detect subclinical neoplasms?

as an xr4 owner, i am just wondering if he can get it work, lol.

Thanks, for a great and quickly made review, it is very informative! :)

Hello, did you have to wait a long time for another unit? I have a Varjo Steam Edition and it has USBC problems in the headset itself. They sent a new cable, but the error persists in the unit where you plug your cable into the glasses themselves. Unfortunately this is my second headset with a bug. the first was overheating problems, I am now waiting for an answer and I trust that they will provide good service, at least I hope so. You would think for such an expensive device that there would be no problem with it, in short, I now have to wait and hope that they will answer and send me a new one.

I thinks you had a problem with local dimming light area something similar you have in Samsung TV with local dimming :/

As always I appreciate your reviews!

Love that plane... if i was after a premium turbo prop, would this be it???

Hi Steve, do you think an IPD of 65.8 would be okay?

Keep up the great work Steve!

That price. Pimax is a best way to go

Mm... Na! Im waiting for the Pimax Crystal Super - a much better and affordable option for flight simmers 😁

Thanks for the update sir! 50 is darn close to what our eyes can do at 60+; promising. I wish I knew someone that had these and other high-end VR close to me so I could see what I'm missing LOLZ!!!!

No one seems to be able to get audio right like valve Index but considering that Hp Reverb g2 got valve to give it to them maybe other companies should just do that as well at this point lol... makes sense if they got razer to do those controllers why not valve sound:) As far as visual are you ready to shell out for that 5090 in like 6 months :D I do find it a bit ridiculous that they charge +$1000 for steamvr tracking.

The red hue looks terrible, just like it does on my Aero. Despite its features I can't believe it is $4k.

Varjo still need to optimize this headset a bit. I'm still hoping for a consumer version.

50ppd getting close to what my 4k monitor looks. Anyone know what is cost shipped to UK?

An interesting video, but honestly whats the point. Like a Bugati Veyron a thing of wonder, and for the very privallaged few. So thanks for the video but lets see more of the things that the masses can afford. By all means please keep these videos coming so we can see the future, but having seen it, please don't as you said in the video "you'll be seeing a lot more of this in coming videos". There is little use letting everyone know the best settings, how to optimise of flight sim, tweeks etc.

I love my Aero...

They did update their price : the standard XR-4 is now 6k

poor binocular overlap is a deal breaker for me, I found it annoying on the quest 3

Another channel did a breakdown of the XR4, and their claim was that we will have to wait for the RTX 6090 era before we can use this headset to its maximum potential

For the ridiculous money this headset costs it should literally have 'amazing everything' and the fact is that it seems to have a fair amount of issues, especially with the lenses/screens. The Crystal with DMAS is a far better option overall and Varjo failed here at making a headset that caters to businesses and consumers. I do wonder if they will release an Aero 2 equivalent to address this.

thing is doesnt really matter if the clarity is amazing if it feels like your peering through a couple of toilet rolls. for god sake give us near real world fov then ill be interested

Ok so even if I put the Aero back at the $2000 original price, are you really getting an additional $2000 of upgrades with this base XR-4 headset? Seems like not even close to it. Sounds like it’s a premium just to say you have 50ppd and not even close to a rig to even run it. Pass. So far it’s typically the norm for these companies to hand out 1/2 baked samples for reviews. Who’s in charge of a marketing team to even go down that road? It’s a cool little scam these companies all have going. Put out a bleeding edge product that’s no where near ready. By the time you have it dialed in to work and perform the way it should, tech has passed you by and on to the next 1/2 baked product. You are buying a 2nd gen old product by the time it works well. A page out of the Pimax playbook. Where’s that 12K for full trade in value? lol

What you call "Tiger Stripes" - I had that issue with my Valve Index, two of them. I also had that with my Varjo Aero before I returned it. Absolutely unbearable, destroys the point of a high-end headset.

Definitely does not sound like it’s worth 4000$. It can only edge out my Pimax Crystal, on a few minor details. I’m out on the Varjo.

So another headset that everyone will want but only 2% of people can afford. Looks amazing. But with a PC powerful enough to run it, plus the peripherals you need for swimming we’re talking about £10000.

After buying the aero full price then it going for half price soon after i won't use them again. I also had 3 headsets from varjo due to pixel issues. The price is waaay overpriced

should try the $13000.00 head set

Looks like that title is now wrong, Varjo in their infinite wisdom raised the price by $2000

Varjo…... On one side, I love the company, always pushing the limits of super high end VR, way better that any competitor, not that Varjo have many in the business space….. On the other hand, the Aero is still unfinished and they have basically dropped development of the Aero and in doing so all the fixes the Aero needs to finish it of (red shift, blur when moving your head, local dimming.. to name the issues I have with it. All these issues should have been fixed by now, but I guess the consumer market is a very small amount of their turnover and a huge headache for them (they’ve had some major criticism on the discord server) they have instead used that time to develop the XR4. Many would never buy a consumer Varjo headset again after the price cut then pull the product shenanigans of the Aero. Id have reservations about buying a Varjo headset again because I just don’t feel confident they can resolve some of the issues that they still have with the Varjo base. It’s a real shame as I think they have done their reputation quite a lot of damage. It will take some time for consumers to trust Varjo again, not that the average Joe can afford an XR4, but if they were to release an Aero 2 at a sensible price point, I really doubt the pre-order level would be the same as the Aero. Ive recently purchased The Big Screen Beyond, it’s a great little headset, its not perfect but it fixes all the issues I had with the Aero with the added bonus of amazing OLED panels. The only downside is the glare. No headset is perfect, the search for the perfect headset continues.

I wouldn't give Varjo a penny of my money ever again after first destroying the aftermarket value by cutting the headset price in half they then completely destroyed it by discontinuing the headset nothing more than a money grabbing company as far as the gaming community should be concerned

40fps with 4090? Oof!

Thx for the video. 🔨🔨🔨😂

That screen shaking/vibration is pretty bad, and is going to make a lot of people sick. External tracking would have solved this.

10:39 Doggie!

Hey dont wear that XR-4. You'll dry your eyes out kid. A Xmas Story film ref... Wow it comes at $4k per eye 😂. Boy they charge the Darpa, (err the Apple) tax. F that, especially with quality control this bad. Trying out one must be cool though.

Next year when Nvidia releases rtx 5090.

Lol the airforce DEFINENTLY is not using 4000 dollar VR units to train pilots lol... Not in America thats for sure

Now just remove the passthrough and lidar stuff and price it at 1‘000$ Everyone would buy it.

In good Dragons den response, its a no from me....

$4000 😂😂😂

Sounds like Index is still better.

It is worse than the chinese goggles. Nope.... ✋😮‍💨

This is great, but for the love of god please stop saying "use case scenario" when "use" suffices perfectly well.