Virtual Reality

Varjo VR-2 virtual reality headset delivers "human-eye resolution"

Varjo VR-2 virtual reality headset delivers "human-eye resolution"
Varjo's head of sales for the Americas, Brandon Turnage, demonstrates the VR-2 at the VR/AR Global Summit
Varjo's head of sales for the Americas, Brandon Turnage, demonstrates the VR-2 at the VR/AR Global Summit
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The Varjo VR-2 is compatible with Windows 10 desktop computers and laptops
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The Varjo VR-2 is compatible with Windows 10 desktop computers and laptops
Varjo's head of sales for the Americas, Brandon Turnage, demonstrates the VR-2 at the VR/AR Global Summit
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Varjo's head of sales for the Americas, Brandon Turnage, demonstrates the VR-2 at the VR/AR Global Summit
The VR-2 weighs 605 grams, not including the headband
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The VR-2 weighs 605 grams, not including the headband
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If you're performing tasks such as design work, it's important that you really be able to see the difference in textures of various materials. Boasting what its makers call human-eye resolution, the Varjo VR-2 virtual reality headset is designed with such applications firmly in mind.

Showcased in Vancouver last weekend at the VR/AR Global Summit, the VR-2 features a "Bionic Display" that combines two 1920 x 1080p micro-LEDs and two 1440 x 1600p AMOLEDs (active matrix organic light-emitting diodes). This results in an 87-degree field of view with a resolution of 60 PPD (pixels per degree) in the center of the frame – human 20/20 vision is also 60 PPD, at the center of the eye.

Helping things out are a 10,000:1 infinite contrast ratio designed to deliver "the deepest blacks and individually calibrated colors," along with different refractive-index lenses in each eye that combine to minimize color aberrations and reflections.

The VR-2 weighs 605 grams, not including the headband
The VR-2 weighs 605 grams, not including the headband

When we tried the headset out at the show, we were certainly quite impressed with its display. Not only are users able to look around within photo-realistic environments, but when they want to get a closer look at an object, they simply lean in closer to it – just like they would in real life. Doing so, for example, it's possible to start by seeing a newspaper from a distance, and then proceed to actually read the fine text printed upon it.

Utilizing the device's eye-tracking capability, it's also possible to select and "click upon" items within the display, simply by lingering one's gaze upon them.

Released in mid-October, the Varjo VR-2 is compatible with Windows 10 desktop computers and laptops, and is priced at US$4,995 (including software and support license). There's also a Leap Motion-equipped VR-2 Pro model which tracks users' hands, allowing them to manipulate virtual objects in the onscreen environment – it sells for $5,995.

Product page: Varjo VR-2

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4 comments
4 comments
guzmanchinky
Someday (soon) this kind of resolution will be as cheap as an xbox.
Colt12
guzmanchinky, I'll be waiting for that day.
Pete Kratsch
I have the new HP Reverb Pro... 2160x2160 per eye. I understand that this unit is boosting the resolution in the center of the display because that's the way your eyes work but I think they're missing one huge point... the sweet spot in your natural eye... moves along with the eyeball so you never see the out of focus, lower res part of your natural vision... the screens inside the VR goggle do not. You can literally move your eyes inside any set of VR goggles, you can look at the upper left corner or lower right or anywhere inside the goggles. So with this unit... you get the same benefit as your natural eyes... but only if you keep your eyes staring straight ahead. I haven't tried one and at over $4K for the price of admission... I don't think they'll be showing up at BestBuy any time soon. FWIW... If you want great VR for sim type games at a reasonable cost... the HP is your best bet.
foxpup
Agreeing with Pete Kratsch, the eyes move around and so one isn't always centered on the high resolution spot of the display. Fortunately, I would expect full view higher resolution displays will advance faster than the tech used to generate the image especially with ray tracing. Figure out how to measure what direction the user is looking and put the high resolution at the center of that direction, IN SOFTWARE and then you've got something optimal.