Varjo, creator of Mr Headsets for high-end enterprises, immersed TOES in the consumer VR market in 2021 with the release of Aero Headset. However, the company says it focuses on SIMS training, focusing on enterprise customer needs and following up on Aero headsets.
In an interview with The road to VRVarjo Chief Product Officer Patrick Wyatt spoke about the company’s latest focus on deeper integration of headsets for specific use cases.
Military and aviation training sims in particular have become a growing field for Varjo, Wyatt says. Rather than selling headsets and figuring out how to make the most of them by leaving buyers, the company leaning on these use cases to focus on solutions and results.
This means working closely with companies like Leonardo, the leading helicopter manufacturer, to build a virtual augmented reality (VXR) helicopter pilot training system where the Varjo headset is the core part of the system. Thanks to the high visual fidelity of Varjo’s headset, the system achieved FAA FTD Level 7 certification, making the system the highest category flight simulator. Varjo claims that this is “the first VR-based training system to reach this level of certification.”
Varjo says it is expanding its “solution engineering” capabilities, not only selling headself off the shelf.
To build trust in this commitment to the business model, the company has recently built versions of headsets to specifically address the general needs. This includes the “focal edition” of the XR-4, which adds autofocus to the pass-through camera of the headset. Compared to fixed focal length, this makes headsets used with proximity objects, such as flight controls and readings, more attractive. There is also a “safe edition” of the XR-4, which the company states to be for “classified environments.”
Compared to the $6,000 base price of the XR-4, these professional versions command a huge premium. The XR-4 Focal Edition costs $10,000.
And now, according to Wyatt, Varjo is committed to supporting the XR-4 headset series until 2030, ensuring businesses that the headsets continue to work.
By moving towards long-term headset support and helping businesses build customised solutions, the company is clearly turning its back on high-end consumer headsets.
Released in 2021, the Varjo Aero was the first and perhaps the last test in consumer waters. The company once hoped that the Aero would become a continuous set of headsets aimed at VR enthusiasts. But when asked about follow-up to Aero, Wyatt says The road to VR“No one is going to say ‘never’, but we are moving more and more in other directions. ”
It’s unfortunate for VR enthusiasts, but it’s the right call for the company. The Varjo headset glows visually, but it was by no means a strong suit in size. Confident VR headsets in recent years have been increasingly focused on size and weight reduction. Modern headsets like the Bigscreen Beyond and Meganex Superlight are smaller than those built by Varjo. Following that trend and meeting demand in the enthusiast market means fundamentally rethinking the optics and capabilities of Varjo headsets.
Varjo says it sees growing demand for headsets and solutions beyond consumer space The road to VR The amount of business from military applications has doubled since the launch of the XR-4 at the start of 2024.
The company also employs more than 200 people, claiming that its technology is used by 19 of the 20 largest global defense and aerospace organizations and 25% of Fortune 100 companies.
