Meta: Apple, Microsoft, Meta have a new mixed-reality headset rival

Major tech firms including Apple, Microsoft and Meta are heavily invested in the virtual and augmented reality space. The companies either offer mixed-reality headsets or have already announced their product in the market. Meta launched the Quest 3 headset in June while Apple made its first-ever AR/VR device, the Vision Pro official. The iPhone maker is expected to make its headset available in the US in 2024 and it may carry a price tag of $3,500.
Finnish mixed-reality startup Varjo has launched its latest headset, the XR-4. This headset starts at $3,990 and is targeted mainly at large enterprise firms. Unlike Meta’s consumer offerings, Varjo’s headset is directed towards enterprise use cases. For example, the XR-4 can be used by a pilot to train in a virtual reality simulation or, a surveyor to map out the landscape of a huge construction site.
Varjo XR-4: Key specs and features
The XR-4 headset sports two 4K displays and a 50% wider field of view compared to its successor. The displays are also brighter and have a wider colour palette than the previous device.
This latest headset has a dual 20MP camera setup on the front to enable the pass-through mixed reality feature. Instead of completely immersing users in a virtual world, this headset helps them to see the world around them through actual lenses embedded in the headsets.
Meta already offers this feature in its products while Apple is also planning to include it on the Vision Pro. This feature helps in overlaying digital objects on top of the physical world.

The XR-4 is also equipped with ambient light sensors and an improved lidar, or Light Detection and Ranging. This is a method that determines ranges and surface areas by using 3D laser scanning. This feature is needed to ensure that users can experience both virtual and augmented reality environments when wearing the headset.
The latest headset also comes with built-in 3D spatial audio and has noise-cancelling mics as well as integrated speakers. The device also supports inside-out tracking and Varjo’s in-house controllers will allow users to navigate the digital and physical environments.
In a statement to CNBC, Varjo’s chief product officer, Patrick Wyatt said: “There are a few things that are simpler technically in the XR-4. We now have one screen per eye which has pushed the resolution right to the limits of that screen, so taking out some costs that way. But most importantly, it’s just a question about scale.”