In-Depth Look: Varjo XR-4 Focal Edition Elevates Passthrough Technology

Yesterday, I had the incredible opportunity to stop by Varjo, and let me tell you, getting my hands on the Varjo XR-4 Focal Edition was nothing short of a revelation. I left thoroughly impressed with the passthrough clarity, and I’m excited to share why in this write-up.

Exploring Varjo’s Tech Wonderland

While I’m here in Helsinki for the MatchXR event, a visit to Varjo was naturally on my agenda — especially since they’re right here in the city. During my visit, I had the chance to try out several fascinating things, and I’ll be diving into detail on one of them a bit later. But for now, let’s talk about the moment they asked if I’d like to take a crack at their plane simulator in the demo room. My answer was, of course, a resounding yes. I suited up with the Varjo XR-4 and dove into the flight simulation, which was geared towards training pilots. No Top Gun antics of dogfighting for me, just keeping the plane airborne. Spoiler alert — I spectacularly crashed it (don’t hold it against me; it’s harder than it looks!).

The simulation was set up in mixed reality. I could visually integrate the physical simulator cockpit through passthrough vision while the skies I was flying in remained a virtual realm visible through the cockpit’s transparent sections. The blend of reality and virtual elements was executed beautifully.

Delving Into the Varjo XR-4

This wasn’t my first rodeo with the Varjo XR-4 — I had sampled its capabilities last year. With its high-resolution panels pushing 3840 x 3744 pixels per eye and a generous field of view of 120° x 105°, this enterprise headset offers a smooth ride, eliminating the screen door effect and delivering pin-sharp visuals. It’s a godsend for companies prioritizing top-notch graphical fidelity, like design agencies.

Here’s the tech rundown for those who love specs:

• Display: Two mini-LED screens
• Resolution: 3840×3744 (per eye)
• Refresh Rate: 90 Hz
• Contrast: 1:10000
• Brightness: 200 Nits
• Lenses: Custom optics with a variable resolution
• FOV: 120° x 105°
• Passthrough: Dual 20Mpx cameras with ~22ms latency (pending optimization)
• LiDAR: 300k pixels, 7m range, 30 FPS
• Connectivity: Display port and USB-C
• Audio: Spatial audio with integrated speakers + 3.5 mm jack
• Microphones: Dual noise-canceling mics
• Tracking: Inside-out with SteamVR support via faceplate
• Controllers: Varjo (RAZER™-powered)
• Weight: 1021g

Previously, I couldn’t test the passthrough thoroughly, but now with this full production unit in my hands, I can finally share my experience with it.

First Impressions with the Focal Edition

I was able to dive deep into the XR-4 during my demo sessions at Varjo, focusing on what that passthrough could offer. Comparatively, against the best in class from Oculus Quest and Apple Vision Pro, the XR-4’s performance felt up to the mark for 2024 standards. There was a slight noise level in visuals, though keep in mind I didn’t do a side-by-side under identical conditions.

My view shifted during the cockpit simulation, between bouts of virtual plane destruction, when the Varjo team handed me some documents. As I perused the tiny print, faint alarm bells went off — I was reading absurdly small text through the headset with impressive clarity. It was only after a moment, post-plane crash, that it clicked just how sharply defined the text was through the passthrough. I double-checked, and yep, the paper was just as clear as my initial impression.

Hands-On with the Varjo XR-4 Focal Edition

I probed a little further and got confirmation that this was indeed the hallmark of the Varjo XR-4 Focal Edition, credited to its Autofocus feature. The eye-tracking technology within the headset commands the autofocus on the 20 MP cameras, allowing pinpoint clarity on whatever you choose to hone in on visually. When I locked my gaze on a piece of paper, the passthrough zeroed in, gifting me with exceptional clarity. This dynamic vision offers a stunning pixel density near human sight standards — within a tantalizing 51 PPD, almost touching the retina’s supposed 60 PPD threshold.

The experience felt almost seamless; from cockpit instruments to documents, everything I focused on was strikingly well-defined, close to wearing no headset at all. This ease of focus, not requiring any head movement but just natural eye shifts, was quite extraordinary.

The Focal Edition’s Triumphs and Hiccups

But let’s talk about the hiccups. The phenomenal resolution is limited to a relatively small focus area. You become increasingly aware of a high-def rectangle dancing around your vision, with edges that define where clarity starts to fade. Adding to this, a perceptible lag exists when switching focus from one thing to another. Although minor, it disrupts the immersion slightly and detracts from the natural feel. A tad of visual noise is also present.

Varjo could certainly improve the edges’ transitions and reduce focus lag. However, on the definition front, they’re nailing it — surpassing any passthrough clarity I’ve encountered.

Final Thoughts

Experimenting with the Varjo XR-4 Focal Edition opened my eyes to future possibilities in mixed reality tech. The ability to focus optically on real-world objects while utilizing passthrough is thrilling, predicting a future where we don’t need to slip off our headsets to function normally. I’m eagerly waiting for this level of clarity to be more accessible and less reliant on deep pockets.

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