With the goal to make “true-to-life Virtual Reality experiences available to all”, Varjo has taken a significant step to make their popular VR headset Varjo more affordable, by cutting 50% of the price. Yes, you still need to find the money to buy the lighthouses and controls that work with the headset, as it is tied to Steam’s technology, but it’s no doubt a step in the right direction.
The Varjo Aero VR headset, which is the company’s most affordable product, is very popular among driving and flight sims users, but spending $2000 – plus more than $500 for the Steam lighthouses it needs to work – is well beyond what most people is willing to pay, especially when some specialist websites use affordable VR headsets like the Pico 4 VR and suggest they are good enough… and affordable.
But we’re on the verge of some new arrivals to the market of VR headsets, with Bigscreen’s Beyond shipping since the start of September to customers in the United States with international shipments beginning in mid to late Q4. The PCVR headset, designed by the company behind the Bigscreen app, used to watch movies in VR, is designed as a solution for watching movies.. in a big screen, at home, but can also be used for anything else VR related.
Bigscreen Beyond
Bigscreen Beyond is the world’s smallest VR headset, with Micro-OLED displays with 2560 x 2560 pixels per eye, custom pancake optics, SteamVR tracking – all in an unbelievably small form factor weighing just 127 grams. And for ultimate comfort, each headset is custom-built for each customer using a 3D Face Scan. The price is $1,000, which might explain Varjo’s price drop. After all, both headsets depend on the SteamVR hardware ecosystem.
The availability of Bigscreen Beyond VR headset may not be the only reason why Varjo is dropping the price on its Aero VR headset. Somnium VR 1, the European Virtual Reality headset that some say will never come to the market is still on schedule to be available in 2023, and the company behind the product say a website for reserving the product will be available before the end of September.
Adding to the list of specifications that make the Somnium VR1 an exciting proposal is the latest announcement from the team behind it: “Our commitment to pushing the boundaries of virtual reality is evident in our latest mixed-reality modules (featuring 2x 12 Mpx cameras with a native resolution of 2x 4056×3040) , designed to empower developers, sim racers, and flight simulation enthusiasts. By integrating cutting-edge software capabilities, we aim to provide an unparalleled mixed-reality experience.”
Although the price for the Somnium VR1 has not been announced, a note from the developers suggests it won’t force “you to choose between food on the table or a Somnium VR1 headset”. If the Somnium VR1 costs less or round $1000, then the reasons for the unexpected drop in price of the Aero VR headset are… explained. How this will affect the upcoming headset from Apple, and all the other VR headsets promised for this year, no one knows. One thing is sure. Prices in VR are dropping, and Varjo’s announcement is a good example of what’s coming. Maybe this – a price drop – will help to make the use of VR headsets more popular.