Touted to be perhaps the industry’s most impressive high-resolution headset to date, the Varjo XR-3 Focal Edition is generating some serious excitement. Following a line of successful products delivered by Varjo, such as the Varjo Aero and Varjo VR 3, the XR-3 Focal Edition is specially designed to support users with state-of-the-art mixed reality training.
Varjo announced the solution in 2022, to compete with the rising number of headsets offering powerful pass-through capabilities and improved optics. The headset includes the widest field of view of any XR headset currently available, as well as depth awareness, advanced security measures and ultra-low latency. Here’s what we know so far.
The Specs: Features of the Varjo XR-3 Focal Edition
The Varjo XR-3 Focal Edition comes with all the core features included within the standard XR-3, such as photorealistic mixed-reality powered by 12-megapixel, low-latency video passthrough. It also has the industry’s highest resolution (over 70 ppd), and the widest currently available field of view at 115 degrees.
Other features include:
- Integrated Ultraleap hand tracking and 200hz eye tracking
- Inside-out tracking (currently in beta)
- Depth awareness enabled by LiDAR technology
- 99% sRGB color matching and 93% DCI-P3 color matching
- Seamless switching between MR, VR, and AR experiences
- Compatibility with Unity, Unreal, Autodesk and more
- A 3-point precision fit headband for maximum comfort
- Automatic IPD and active cooling capabilities
The XR-3 is also suitable for deployment in the highest security environments, thanks to support for information assurance procedures and exceptional data control.
What Makes the Focal Edition Different?
While many of the features of the Varjo XR-3 Focal Edition overlap with the standard XR-3, there are some bonus extras. The system was designed specifically to provide enhanced visuals for real-world training sessions, in places like cockpits, car dashboards, and so on.
With the Focal Edition, companies can access enhanced MR components, which allow users to see crucial tools up-close, in proper focus. There are also advanced security measures in place. You can access the device offline, and maintain invisibility from radio frequency communications.
Plus, the XR-3 Focal Edition includes full TAA/BAA compliance, for deployments with specialist requirements in specific industries. Pricing for the Focal Edition has yet to be announced, though it’s likely to be somewhere in line with the prices offered for the standard XR-3, with a slightly higher fee for the additional features.
What to Expect from the XR-3 Focal Edition
Ultimately, the Varjo XR-3 Focal Edition is a refined and optimised version of an already extremely impressive headset from Varjo. It maintains all of the critical features of the company’s leading MR device, including phenomenal eye tracking, positional tracking, connectivity, and field of view.
