My Varjo Aero Review

[dburne]

Slight addendum to my original review.

I had mentioned I had to wear the headset pretty low for maximum clarity in sweet spot.

Turns out this was not the case - I use reading glasses and gave the Aero a try with them on - and voila! The heart of the display turned into crystal clear image.

Historically I have not had to use my reading glasses in a VR headset. But I am older now and guess my vision getting worse now.

 

Since these are just over the counter reading glasses I am going to go to eye doc and get a prescription, and order some lens inserts from VR Opticians for my Aero. I should be golden then. While I am real careful when putting headset on with my readers on, the thought of scratching a lens on this one terrifies me lol. But yeah now I wear the headset pretty much centered as it should be.

 

Edited March 3, 2022 by dburne

[WIS-Redcoat]

Getting the Studio Form Kit has made a massive difference for me.  This HMD is so dialed in and clear that I might remove my monitor from my flight seat, I simply don't need it anymore.

[dburne]

42 minutes ago, WIS-Redcoat said:

Getting the Studio Form Kit has made a massive difference for me.  This HMD is so dialed in and clear that I might remove my monitor from my flight seat, I simply don't need it anymore.

 

Fully agree - Studio Form makes it really comfortable and no problem using for hours on end. I also have no problem working with Windows now in VR - first headset I could say that about.

[WIS-Redcoat]

I almost regret that I bought new index controllers (again) for this.  I have yet to even turn them on once.

[dburne]

12 hours ago, WIS-Redcoat said:

I almost regret that I bought new index controllers (again) for this.  I have yet to even turn them on once.

 

Index Controllers? Three words for ya - Half Life Alyx.

I did a full play through of it with the Aero and it was gorgeous. Not as crisp as IL-2 as it uses a dynamic resolution, but still pretty darn nice.

Edited March 6, 2022 by dburne

[dburne]

There apparently is now a reseller for the Aero based in the U.S.

https://channelxr.com/

 

Disclaimer: I know absolutely nothing about this company, so if looking at ordering do due diligence in checking them out.

[dburne]

VR Flight Sim Guy talks about today's Varjo update to the software and the distortion fixes it provides amongst other things.

He also discusses the benefits of using Open XR Toolkit with MSFS 2020. Really hoping someday 1CGS will support the Open XR Runtime for IL-2 Great Battles.

Note he also discusses how the Aero actually runs better than the Reverb G2 as I have previously stated.

 

 

Edited March 7, 2022 by dburne

[dburne]

Just flew a PWCG mission after applying the new software/firmware and distortion profile to the Aero. Looks great still and also seems has improved performance for me. Getting 90 fps more than I was previously.

Edited March 7, 2022 by dburne

[dburne]

Aero uses be aware:

Today's update from Varjo fixes all distortion issues with DCS. This means if you previously used the WMR Debug Tool to swap top and bottom of both lenses, you will need to use it again to swap them back. Otherwise you are going to have a very weird swimmy experience with the Aero in DCS. Once swapped back, no need for debug tool again - it is perfect!

In addition today's update seems to have given me a little performance improvement as well,

Please note after updating with this update to get the new distortion profile, you will need to enable it in Varjo Base - it is listed under System as experimental.

 

Edit: Have tested it in my three flight sims now - Varjo has truly made great strides with the Aero in today's software/firmware update. Seems to be all the talk on Discord today so it is not just me saying that. Lot of folks are surprised at what they have done with this update.

Edited March 8, 2022 by dburne

[WIS-Redcoat]

I can attest that the aero update did indeed fix almost all of the distortion.  Still no way to turn the headset off!

[SCG_Fenris_Wolf]

After a quick look, it indeed fixed distortion, but not the warp (yet). Remaining hopeful. Will test in the evening thoroughly.

 

 

To turn it off, use a smart plug. But it's a bit of a hassle, if we forget, it stays on during the night...?‍♂️

Edited March 8, 2022 by SCG_Fenris_Wolf

[dburne]

I have my two sensors and the headset on a smart plug. Works great.

[dburne]

Wow been flying PWCG all afternoon, the improvement is fantastic. Just had a mission where I was at 90 fps the vast bulk of it. Even down low flying over a bunch of buildings. It was stunning! Granted that mission had clear skies which helped. Also the chromatic aberration has been much improve with this update. 

 

Anyway I am going to an optics store tomorrow morning. Going to get readings on these old eyes and get an order in with VR Opticians for some lens inserts for the Aero. I put my over the counter reading glasses on and very carefully lowered the headset over them and it made a big difference.

Can't wait to get some inserts to put in there as I don't want to risk damaging those lenses with these reading glasses.

It is hell getting old I will tell ya.

[Charlo-VRde]

42 minutes ago, dburne said:

It is hell getting old I will tell ya.

Yup, but sure beats the alternative! ?

 

Thanks for all your posts here and in the Aero Discord. I’m watching for more reviews of the VR Optician prescription lens inserts and eventual compatibility of VR Neck Safer (which I know you don’t use, but I rely on in competitive MP) before deciding to upgrade from my G2, since I would also need to buy base stations

[dburne]

4 minutes ago, Charlo-VR said:

Yup, but sure beats the alternative! ?

 

Thanks for all your posts here and in the Aero Discord. I’m watching for more reviews of the VR Optician prescription lens inserts and eventual compatibility of VR Neck Safer (which I know you don’t use, but I rely on in competitive MP) before deciding to upgrade from my G2, since I would also need to buy base stations

 

You are most welcome!

Yeah that would be a big outlay of cash for the upgrade with base stations. I was lucky and had mine already that came with my Index kit.

I will tell ya I have zero regrets with this purchase and absolutely love this headset! At this point it is even more than I ever expected.

I will certainly update when I finally am able to use the prescription lens inserts with my Aero. I am really looking forward to that.

[dburne]

Well crap went to an optics store this morning all excited about getting my eyesight readings and some glasses along with the numbers I need to send to VR Optician for my Aero. Got there and the sign on front said doctor is in - woohoo. Got in store and told the lady what I was after, and she informed me had to have an appointment and earliest they have available now is May. I could wear my over the counter reading glasses they help but too terrified of scratching the lenses.

 

I truly hate this Covid world we are living in today!! I need my lens inserts like NOW.

 

Edited March 9, 2022 by dburne

[Pajeka]

17 minutes ago, dburne said:

Well crap went to an optics store this morning all excited about getting my eyesight readings and some glasses along with the numbers I need to send to VR Optician for my Aero. Got there and the sign on front said doctor is in - woohoo. Got in store and told the lady what I was after, and she informed me had to have an appointment and earliest they have available now is May. I could wear my over the counter reading glasses they help but too terrified of scratching the lenses.

 

I truly hate this Covid world we are living in today!! I need my lens inserts like NOW.

 

Sorry to hear that…real bummer. Received mine on Monday (5 working days from ordering to UK delivery) and they are brilliant, a massive improvement for me. I hope you manage to find an optician and get a prescription soon…. You won’t be disappointed.

[dburne]

18 minutes ago, Pajeka said:

Sorry to hear that…real bummer. Received mine on Monday (5 working days from ordering to UK delivery) and they are brilliant, a massive improvement for me. I hope you manage to find an optician and get a prescription soon…. You won’t be disappointed.

 

Thanks - yeah I am going to keep trying for sure.

 

[SCG_Fenris_Wolf]

If I was in your situation I'd ask for an appointment at the doctor instead, they can measure your eye sight as well

[dburne]

Yeah looking into that option as well thanks.

 

Edit: The problem is I live in a huge ass retirement community. We have lots of doctors of all kinds, but for new patients the wait can be a stretch.

So far I have found I can get in to Sam's Club Optometrist but earliest available appt is April 22nd. I went ahead and scheduled that but gonna keep trying to see if I can find anything sooner somewhere. The way time is flying by April 22nd will be here before I know it. 

Edited March 10, 2022 by dburne

[dburne]

Woohoo found an optician that can get me in Saturday morning only a 10 minute golf cart ride away.

Much better!

[dburne]

 

 

 

Goodness that warping on the very horizontal side that one fella is talking about is so tiny now I can hardly even notice. I have to look really hard to catch a little glimpse of it. The overall image quality is just supreme. There is no sweet spot now as it is all a sweet spot pretty much.

Edited March 10, 2022 by dburne

[dburne]

Ok so saw the Optician this morning and got all measurements. My eyes were pretty bad. Getting couple pairs of glasses, one progressive for looking off in distance and one to use as reading glasses for my computer.

 

Going to wait till I have glasses and try them to make sure they are good for what I want, if so then I will send VR Optician the numbers I have and get them on order. I should have the glasses in about 7 days. Won't be too much longer now, can't wait to see the crystal clear clarity finally of the Aero. And it already looks pretty darn good even with my bad eyes. 

[SCG_Fenris_Wolf]

I found another artifact that appeared after the new software update.

 

In the left lens, when looking towards the nose, a little offset is now there. Sigh. Can't be unseen.

 

They still got work to do, but they're on a good path I'd say.

[dburne]

I guess I got lucky there , no artifacts so far that I can see. Maybe when I get my new VR Optician lenses I will start to see some, hoping not. Have not seen that particular issue mentioned on Discord.

Edited March 13, 2022 by dburne

[kissTheSky]

5 hours ago, SCG_Fenris_Wolf said:

I found another artifact that appeared after the new software update.

 

In the left lens, when looking towards the nose, a little offset is now there. Sigh. Can't be unseen.

 

They still got work to do, but they're on a good path I'd say.

If the offset you’re mentioning is what I think it is (looking thru cracked glass type of offset) it might have something to do with OpenVR. From time to time I see it in My G2. It has happened twice now, once per lens. A restart of steam usually gets rid of that. 

[dburne]

The guy who developed Open XR Developer Tools just announced he now has Foveated Rendering with Eye Tracking working for MSFS 2020 with the Varjo Aero !

Now we just need him to do it for IL-2 Great Battles and DCS, that would be awesome! Anxious to try this out - finally I will get a chance to actually use the eye tracking of my new Aero!! I am guess since IL-2 and DCS do not support natively Open XR probably not. Plus he is an MS employee.

Open XR is gaining a lot of traction in VR these days. Just sayin...

 

 

 

Edited March 15, 2022 by dburne

[kissTheSky]

Dang! That IS big news. 

[dburne]

16 minutes ago, kissTheSky said:

Dang! That IS big news. 

 

Yeah for sure, this news is huge! I think MS was very wise using Open XR for their VR with MSFS 2020.

[SCG_Fenris_Wolf]

When our devs built in VR, OpenXR was not a topic yet. While everyone has to transition to OpenXR, it doesn't mean there's a golden pill that switched such a feature on ?

 

We can only hope for it, as such a feature as dynamic foveated rendering needs integration into the application as well.

 

The fixed foveated rendering on driver level by Nvidia may not need it, but fails at the requirement of needing forward shade rendering, IL-2's is deferred.

[dburne]

How cool it would be if somehow 1CGS could implement support for this technology we have available now in the Aero.

 

 

 

Edited March 18, 2022 by dburne

[Dallas88B]

Thanks for posting that... I would not have seen it elsewise.

Makes VR pretty attractive - the technology just seems to get better and better.

[dburne]

I finally got my prescription glasses in today. They are awesome I am so glad I went to the eye doc as it turned out my eyes were pretty bad. These prescription glasses are going to make a big difference for me.  Have been wearing them most of the day. I wore them for one flight only just to see how they did in the Aero. Big difference, image was already very nice and this just tweaked it even nicer for me. I did not want to continue to use in the Aero for fear of scratching the lens' in the Aero.

 

Now that I know this prescription is going to work well for me I will send it on to VR Opticians and get me some lens inserts on order for the Aero. Still have been using the Aero for a few hours every day, still loving it very much. I knew my eyesight was getting worse, just did not realize how bad it really was.

Will update when I get the lens inserts in the Aero and advise how they do for me.

 

Edited March 22, 2022 by dburne

[firdimigdi]

10 minutes ago, dburne said:

I knew my eyesight was getting worse, just did not realize how bad it really was.

 

It can kinda sneak up on you, the brain does so much work trying to error correct our vision so we remain functional that it's easy not to notice tiny changes as they accumulate. Glad you got that sorted out.

[Dallas88B]

3 hours ago, dburne said:

I knew my eyesight was getting worse, just did not realize how bad it really was.

It was only after I left High School at 17 that I discovered that I needed glasses. A guy I worked with said "you cant see that?... try these" and handed me his own glasses. Laughing I did - but the improvement was noticeable - so I got my eyes tested... turns out I had needed them for years.

 

I claim that is why I was such a poor batsman in Cricket but a great guard in Basketball !

 

 

[Drum]

I bet that's also why some continue to indorse Pimax and it's immersion; they probably need glasses too...   <G>

[dburne]

For those of you still waiting for your headsets or considering ordering, an update from Varjo on the current shipping delay issues.

 

https://discord.com/channels/839478779256897546/953295284841115709/956123149609603164

[dburne]

16 hours ago, Dallas88B said:

It was only after I left High School at 17 that I discovered that I needed glasses. A guy I worked with said "you cant see that?... try these" and handed me his own glasses. Laughing I did - but the improvement was noticeable - so I got my eyes tested... turns out I had needed them for years.

 

I claim that is why I was such a poor batsman in Cricket but a great guard in Basketball !

 

 

 

Well I am much older and retired. Had not had my eyes checked in probably 25 years or so. I knew it as getting bad for reading up close but did not realize how bad overall it had become. I got two sets of prescription glasses, one for working on my computer, and another with progressive lens' for seeing everything else. I swear outdoors those progressive lens ' have opened up a new world for me - could not believe how much I was missing. Even just watching TV in our family room - huge difference now.

 

I guess I was long overdue for this. Really looking forward to getting some lens inserts for my Aero.

[chiliwili69]

1 hour ago, dburne said:

Really looking forward to getting some lens inserts for my Aero

 

Glad to hear that.

Once you get them you will get the full value of the VR headset. You can then compare the Aero with the inserts with your first Oculus CV1 without inserts.

Sooner or later most of us will also need inserts since vision degrade with age. I had lasik 22 years ago (now I am 52) and have had almost perfect vision along the years. But  this last weekend I went to the optician (just for new reading glasses) and discovered I had 0.25 miopy in the right eye and 0.5 hipermetropy in the left eye. And they told it will grow if I don´t use long distance glasses all time!!  Should I believe that?

[dburne]

2 hours ago, chiliwili69 said:

 

Glad to hear that.

Once you get them you will get the full value of the VR headset. You can then compare the Aero with the inserts with your first Oculus CV1 without inserts.

Sooner or later most of us will also need inserts since vision degrade with age. I had lasik 22 years ago (now I am 52) and have had almost perfect vision along the years. But  this last weekend I went to the optician (just for new reading glasses) and discovered I had 0.25 miopy in the right eye and 0.5 hipermetropy in the left eye. And they told it will grow if I don´t use long distance glasses all time!!  Should I believe that?

 

Yep I would. I got two sets of glasses, one for reading my computer monitor(will work great for reading books also) and one with progressive lenses to see further away. It's a whole new world for me now lol.

CV1? Heck Aero now even with my bad eyes spanks the heck out of the CV1, no comparison. Also I probably had somewhat better vision when I was using CV1. I still have the complete CV1 setup as well, still have all the headsets I have ever owned.

 

 

VR Opticians Lens Inserts for Aero review - just in time for me:

 

Edited March 23, 2022 by dburne