The Varjo Aero just dropped the price 50% so it's very well worth it this year.

Take it from someone who's purchased a Pimax Crystal as a first VR headset for flight sim (DCS) and is about to return it ASAP -- what was said about the hardware and software working matters A LOT. Though I got help from Pimax to get it "working" in order for me to do this, I need to physically unplug my main monitor (4k@120hz, disabling it or dropping refresh rate didn't help), and drop my 1440p monitor to 1600x1024 resolution @60hz in order for the Crystal to successfully interface with my 4090 graphics card. This is RIDICULOUS. I already have a lot to do before launching DCS making it not the easiest game for me to jump in on a whim, and when I play DCS, I want to multitask a bit and suddenly only having a PC with that resolution is beyond bad and limiting for me. I forgot to mention, if/when I fail to properly unplug the other monitor, there's a likelihood that plugging in the Crystal crashes my PC. The support person admitted the problem I have -- presumably about needing to unplug my monitor and reduce the resolution of the second -- will be fixed in a future firmware update. No offense, I'm not really willing to wait for that 3 months down the line when I might not be able to cleanly return it and find out, maybe I can have it plugged in, but I still need to tank the resolution or some other dumb stuff. I've played DCS with the Crystal on and it looks good (tough to match up to a 4k monitor), but even if I presume all of the BS I experienced and other limitations didn't exist, what is the Crystal like as a product? With almost nothing else to compare it to, the Crystal is not lightweight. Yes, it sits comfortably and balanced on my head, but the weight is noticable such that if you play longer sessions your neck is sure to get considerably stronger. Also, it gets hot in there and fogged up a little even without attempting to play for any extended period of time. This will destroy clarity and immersion and you will keep needing to wipe your lenses clean, and an unfortunate number of people will use the wrong kind of cloth to do so ruining the lens. Looking at the numbers for resolution, the Crystal has 6% more vertical resolution and something like 15-20 degrees more vertical FOV. I'm willing to have both of these come down and will be happy. Why? Because even as I used the Crystal, sitting in the cockpit I couldn't actually read instruments clearly at the edge of the screen, and attempting to do so was really just practice rather than what I would naturally try to do. My head will turn to face what I am trying to read rather than putting my eyes at the extreme limits. Additionally, there appeared to be something else about the rendering of the cockpit in VR -- likely unrelated to the headset, so just DCS maybe -- where instruments directly to the left or right of the pilot and down were also hard to read clearly until I looked straight at them and maybe even pushed in. Again, not a deal breaker as you usually don't need to read anything there substantially after you know a module. Point being -- the advantages of the Crystal over the Aero aren't worth that much too me. I think even if the Pimax Crystal and Aero were the exact same price, and all of the issues I had with the Crystal were resolved, I would still go with the Aero. Fogging seems like a very low budget experiential thing ruins the premium visuals it's supposed to deliver. And I forgot to mention -- for some silly reason I thought I'd be able to use my normal PC headphones of the Crystal -- no. Even if you don't get any of their upgraded audio options, there is still a base audio thingy there and it is chunky enough to make it impossible or difficult to still put headphones on, on top of it. Some of us have solid headset solutions already and consistent with the rest of our gaming and the Varjo Aero is compatible with it.

Totally agree. Software very mature. Visuals are as good as I would ever want. I hope the next has a wider field of view, but I barely care. Just a great VR headset.

100 % true, got my aero last week. this hmd is still amazing in 2023. Thank you for your great review

Now that it dropped in price by 50% i am so close to buying it, but i don't want to miss out on the great mic and audio solution of my index. I dont feel like the trade off is worth it since i mostly play social VR games and no simulators. So unfortunate that they didn't chose to include an audio solution.

Great review! I struggled between the Aero and the Crystal for quite a while and went for the Crystal. But still, I am sure the Aero is also a great headset, and having options is great even though the decision making process is painful. With Apple Vision Pro's release, higher end VR headsets start to make sense for more and more consumers, and thanks for the persistence thru the up-and-downs by brands like Pimax and Varjo, we are able to enjoy similar fun much earlier than Apple fans and at a much lower price tag. Feeling great to be a VR fan now!

Thanks for the video. Keen to hear if you like the motion reprojection on the Varjo Aero? Is there many artefacts? I use a Quest 2 and always fly with ASW enabled for smoother flights. Cheers

I think it was Norm from Tested who said the lenses are overkill for the displays. What that means is it can benefit nicely from super sampling since the lenses won't be holding it back like fresnel does.

Brilliant review

1. Let's see, BSB has pancake lenses, Aero has aspheric, win Aero. 2. The BSB has micro-oled at 2560x2560 (but only at 75Hz, yes you can run it @ 90Hz but they use a scaling trick and the resolution drops and most testers find it unpleasant and blurry at 90, so you'll be using it @75Hz native). The Aero has Mini LED LCD 90hz panels with a resolution of 2880 x 2720 pixels per eye. (these are Mini LED LCD panels, the same technology as used in the new Macbook Pro displays. That means that there is not just one big backlight that is turned on all the time like with standard LCD panels,) Yes these are LCD panels but they're not JUST LCD panels, they're mini LED and the best in the business. I would give this to the BSB but with the practical native 75Hz and the lower resolution I'm calling it a draw. 3. BSB has noticeable glare problem. It's there, the testers talk about it, gonna have to live with it. While the Aero had a noticeable bit of chromatic aberration towards the outside fov in the first year or so of its life, subsequent firmware updates have reportedly corrected this problem. Win Aero. 4.Aero has a military aerospace heritage with its own version of open XR {and is compatible with SteamVR} and it has THE best eye tracking available. This means that with MSFS it runs natively on its own runtime and performs better than a Reverb G2 ... WITH the higher resolution. Yes, higher FPS than a G2 ! The software this thing comes with is top notch and stable. Aero also has auto IPD and ventilation built in, so you can let your friends try it. BSB has one set IPD with custom fit gasket. It might get hot in there and you probably won't be sharing it with your friends. Software wise, you'll be on SteamVR which is ok I guess. It works very well with it, you can even hot plug it from what I've heard. Win Aero. 5. Comfort ? - Gotta give it to the BSB now that they've included a top strap, it should do the trick. Form factor obviously wins here. Win BSB Overall winner ? With the build quality, proven track record, superlative features ... from a simmer's standpoint given equal price ? no question, it's Aero.

Thanks for a great video one of the reasons I just bought this headset however I am missing something my view is stuck for only forward can not look left , right , up or down nothing happens as if it is a fixed image for me which causes been dizzy . What did I miss in my setup I use it for MSFS 2020 . Thanks a lot

@ 3:48 I see you sitting on a platform and chair is it possible to put motion on that platform using a d-box system on each leg?

Very good review. I bought my Varjo week ago, and have had only 1 hours use yet. However one thing after Pimax came really first to me was the lower FOV. This should mention. Otherwise the Varjo aero is Super cool!

How is the vertical FOV? Is there still some color shift?

Very informative thank you. Excllent video and well explained.

Can you play regular games like Witcher in VR - in theater mode so you have bigger screen the way we can do in Sony PSVR?

Can these be used with the Quest 2 controllers?

That DCS Recording was smooth. Did you record it with VR and how did you get the complete picture in the recording please!

Hey man quick question. Ik you own a varjo aero. I just bought mine and waiting for shipment. I wanted to know if you need controllers just to start msfs or dcs or xplane. Im planning on just playing these 3 games on the varjo. I hope i dont need to buy controllers. Can you please lmk i cant find any other youtuber or info online about this. Thanks a lot

Will this pair well with a 4080rtx?

Will be still an exotic vr leftover of that 3rd wave of the 2020 vr hype. Prosumer it was in that year. Times running fast and I guess it wasn't sold so well. You need all the "old clunky stuff" to connect. Even 999 won't change that with that next OR, Samsung, HP and PICO at the horizon.

Friend, the graphic quality of retail is incredible? I have an hp reverb G2, do you know if it is much superior? Does it run on an RTX 3080 card?

what about movies in that headset?

Can you wear your pair of glasses with the aero?

It still has distortions ?

Do you still have to buy a subscription?

I actually got the aero hmd to work in x-plane 12 by messing with open xr and open vr . Not sure what i did to get it to work but can't seem to be able to again 😮 humm Works fine in msfs

After your very informative review .I am now thinking of buying the AERO for my flight simming hobby. But would you tell me please if i need hand controller's to navigate through the set up procedures. or would the mouse be ok to use thanks..DJB

Great review! Just got my Aero yesterday and still tinkering with it. Not sure why but I'm getting ghosting/stuttering when moving my head, even though I'm running it from a 4090/7950x3D PC. Did you experience any of that?

Really don't care that it doesn't have sound of any kind. Glad they focus on the visual and leave the sound to someone else. It gives it one less thing to break and lets me get a MUCH better sound quality from a company that specializes in creating quality sound equipment rather than making it an afterthought.

the price just dropped massively. now its a much better option.

Worth mentioning. The Varjo WORKS. Put it on and you are automatically in.

Guys, question: do I need the two external tracking base stations for this headset? I’m going to use it for flight simulators. I’m currently on the HP Reverb G2 V2 with OpenXR.

Mine was on sale and cost me less than a Chrystal. Suppose to be here by Wednesday. I've been using OpenXR with my G2 so I'm familiar with that. Anyway I'll find out in the next few days if it was worth it.

Hello. Thank you for this interesting video. The Varjo helmet has dropped in price, which makes it interesting. I wanted to know. In sim, can a single valve base be enough? Thank you for your answer.

What GPU are you using to get 80 fps in MS Flight? I have a 3080TI and I don't want to upgrade my GPU right now, so if I can get decent performance out of it I just might grab the Aero. I've been waiting to buy a high even HMD for years, I think it may finally be time.

Price just dropped for the aero to 1k

Have yet to test this but I hear the Astro A40/A50's headphones fit perfectly. I'd rather use my A40's than rely on some janky plastic audio device they could have installed on this.

The lack of a mic and speakers really hurts. Especially the lack of a mic. Bigscreen has a high quality mic but they lack eye tracking so dynamic FR is off the table. Another trade off with the Bigscreen being the excellent pancake micro OLEDs at the cost of not being able to share your headset. Personally, i lean more towards the Bigscreen but that's because i have no irl friends to share with and i prefer having a quality mic built in. :/

Nice Review but I got to say Pimax Crystal is a much better bang for your buck. Plus from what I hear the visuals are better in a couple of ways. Yes I am a little biased I do own and love my Pimax Crystal. Cheers. Maybe you can get yourself a Pimax Crystal and do yourself a comparision.

I'm curious it says you can use steamvr and as far as i can tell from reading is that you can use oculus rift sensors and controllers. Is this true or am I wrong.

Is foveated rendering worth it? I'm told it needs support from each software, so unless the game supports it it's useless. Checking my library, I find very few references of support for this.

Just ordered mine today. £1087 with face cover for glasses Inc vat and tax. So excited. So glad I waited. Also purchased a single lighthouse v2 £169. That's me sorted. Did your headset take long to arrive?

Sir , if there wasn’t a budget like money did not matter . What would be the best of the best V.R headset ?

If you could get it for 1000, which is the current price, would you get it over the quest 3? I do pc VR mainly, tactical shooters and I need clarity at a distance.

I want to play Assetto Corsa, Assetto Corsa Competizione, Dirt rally 2.0. After price drop it could be a not a bad VR for simracing.

I am trying to build my set up. Quick question: what about meta quest 2? Is it any good as a starter kit?

Now that this headset is half the price it was, for space sims do you think this is the best option over the Bigscreen Beyond? The lenses on this seem to be a better match, my main concern with the BS Beyond is the glare issues people complain about, but I really love the micro oled's.

Depends. You need a good graphics card, RTX 3090 min, plus a good CPU. It you aren’t running a Reverb G2 at 100% VR settings then you won’t be getting anywhere near 100% with an Aero. Plus you need 2 base stations and possibly a sound set up to clip on the headset. I run a Reverb G2 with a recently purchased 4090. In IL2 BoS I have in game settings on Ultra, with one or two down a notch. No upscaling in the headset. Solo flying I get 90FPS all day, no Motion Reprojection. Except over Normandy where FPS drops to the low 60s over large built up areas. For small to medium dogfights on other maps I can leave MR off to avoid ghosting. Over Normandy I need MR on for smooth dogfights. If I threw an aero into the mix I’d be back to upscaling and MR as a default. I’ll stick with my G2. I’ve read reviews from those who made the move and the improvements aren’t as big as they expected. In the U.K. the bottom line would be North of £1500 including taxes. Not cheap, even with the reduction.

At $900 now. definitely worth it! I love using this headset in MSFS.

What kind of hardware does one need to get full potential out of this?

I just got the pico 4… now why am i watching this… I Play warthunder, IL2, DCS and its Not anywhere NEAR as a clear Image on the monitor… is This normal ? 😮

The pimax seems nice, but that price £1600 😢 Varjo Aero with tax js £1030 But you can see why Aero dropped the price. With the price difference, the Aero is easy pick. But if price is not an issue, pimax seems nice too

I just don’t get some companies. Why would you choose to cripple yourself by not including decent audio?

I bought the Pimax Crystal before the the Varjo Areo price drop so the Varjo wasn't an option ( £1700 vs £2599 ) If I was looking now for a new headset it would be between Varjo Areo and Big Screen VR . Don't get me wrong the Crystal display is great but IMO everything else about it is awful.

Of course, it going to be the best out there when USAF use Varjo products for training their pilots. It has been out for a while and still beats the newer high end VR like Pimax Crystal and of course BSB. But , might be worthwhile holding off to see what Valve & Somnium offer

990$ now 😍

Well, with the huge price cut, it might be 🙂

$900 is half off?!? 😱😳 holy cow

Quest 3 makes this look ancient

I get 90 fps in DCS using steam VR

The warjoe

Aero - The FOV is not there yet

I bought some DJI FPV goggles and they swwcked

Would of purchased it but that rotten vertical fov put me riiiight off. No wonder they dropped the price. Needs another price drop. It may not bother some people, but in nearly every review I looked at, the vertical fov was always mentioned.

Couldn't you just fix your audio streaming problems with the Varjo Aero by plugging your audio solution directly into your PC instead of into the headset?

Prices haven't changed here. The Varjo costs almost the same as a 4090.

I believe it's pronounced "var-ee-oh" or "var-yo"

at $1,990 no. its about to be 2

Wait, is it pronounced Var-jo or Var-yo? I thought it was pronounced like Var-yo.

Thoughts after todays permanent huge price drop to 990?

I sold my Var Joe... It was time..

€990 +VAT now!!

worth is a term thats bespoke to each persons pocketbook. For me... not worth the outlay over a g2. however when my father in laws house gets sold in a few months, then that term may become meaningless.

Hell no.

THIS HEADSETT is discontinued... 👎 no more... the end.

$2,000??? No mic?? Seriously?? Fail!

VR is awesome, I just hope you guys are getting enough exercise in the real world.

They shot themselves in the foot when they originally priced it so high and required a monthly subscription. Now they are trying to stay relevant with massive cuts but they are already surpassed by the Crystal. Very poor marketing strategy.