I/ITSEC 2023: Varjo launches XR-4 mixed-reality headsets

28th November 2023 - 19:55 GMT | by Norbert Neumann in Orlando

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Users can order the XR-4 with fixed focus and autofocus. (Photo: Varjo)

The new Varjo XR-4 mixed-reality headset, unveiled at I/ITSEC in Florida, provides what its developer termed 'higher image quality' and it can be used in offline secure training environments.

Finnish head-mounted display (HMD) specialist Varjo has launched the latest version of its mixed-reality (MR) device, called XR-4, at I/ITSEC 2023 in Orlando, Florida.

Users can order the XR-4 in two versions: fixed focus and autofocus (or Focal Edition). Both versions of the headset are fully TAA compliant, can work fully offline and can be ordered with no radio components. The company said these functions would allow the users to train in a completely secure environment, even if paired with devices where the technology might be highly sensitive, Varjo CCO Seppo Aaltonen told Shephard.

Seppo said the latest version of its headset has an increased field of view by 50% when compared to XR-3. The HMD now uses a uniform high-resolution display that provides 4K quality picture quality to both eyes, with a total of 28 million pixels, he explained.

‘The second thing is that we have inside-out tracking now,’ Seppo said. ‘We also have integrated microphones and 3D surround sounds, creating next-level immersion.’

The latest headset has 20-megapixel video cameras – an upgrade on the 12-megapixel featured in XR-3.

The XR-4 Focal Edition features what Varjo claimed was the world’s first gaze-directed autofocus, which it said would allow for sharper image quality, both in the MR environment and for the video feed.

Seppo noted that Varjo had opened a new factory in Finland this week, where the new headsets will be manufactured. The delivery time for the XR-4 will increase, Seppo said, due to demand being ‘very high’.

At I/ITSEC 2023, Varjo has been showcasing its UH-60, F-15 and Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) training systems, all of which already use the XR-4 Focal Edition.

Shephard's I/ITSEC 2023 coverage is sponsored by: