Varjo XR-3 — specification and verdict
The XR-3 splits each eye between a small 1920x1920 micro-OLED focus area rated at 70 pixels per degree and a 2880x2720 LCD covering the rest of the 115-degree horizontal field, both at 90 Hz. In practice a trainee can read instrument labels, part numbers and cockpit placards straight from a CAD model where any conventional headset would smear them, but only in the centre of gaze; text at the edge falls back to the peripheral panel. Colour passthrough runs from two 12 MP cameras at 90 fps and is fused with a LiDAR depth sensor, so real hands and real tooling can occlude virtual geometry instead of floating over it. Eye tracking drives foveated rendering, hand tracking is Ultraleap Gemini, and no controllers are in the box. It is a simulator headset first: everything renders on a workstation over DisplayPort.
This is not a fleet device. It weighs 594 g on its own and 980 g with the retractable halo headband, it hangs off a workstation with DisplayPort and USB-A cables, and each seat needs its own PC plus SteamVR base stations unless you rely on the beta inside-out mode. There is no vendor MDM and no kiosk mode, so content is launched by whoever sits at the machine. Varjo stopped selling XR and VR subscriptions along with support on 1 January 2026, which also ended out-of-warranty repairs and spare parts, so a broken unit is a dead seat. The one operational plus is hygiene: the polyurethane face cushion is replaceable and wipes clean between trainees.
Do not buy an XR-3 in 2026. Production ended, Varjo is permanently sold out, and support, spare parts and out-of-warranty repairs all stopped on 1 January 2026 — you would be buying a 5,495 USD-class machine with no path to a repair. If you already run a bank of them for flight or process simulation they keep working on Varjo Base 4.14 and earlier, so run them until they fail; if you need this class of visual fidelity for a new project, look at the XR-4 series instead.
How it compares within its class
The axis runs from the lowest to the highest published figure among the VR — PC-tethered devices in this catalogue. The grey tick is the median of that class.
Median for this class: 62 PPD, from 4 models that publish the figure.
Median for this class: 115°, from 26 models that publish the figure.
Median for this class: 285 g, from 17 models that publish the figure.
Median for this class: $799, from 32 models that publish the figure.
Full specification
An em dash means the manufacturer does not publish that figure.
- ManufacturerWho makes it — and who you buy support from.
- Varjo
- CategoryWhich kind of product this is. It decides which rows below make sense at all.
- VR — PC-tethered
- Device typeWhere the computing happens, and therefore what you need to run it.
- PC-powered VR
- AnnouncedThe day it was shown, which is not the day it shipped.
- 2020-12-01
- ReleasedYear the model went on sale. Older is not automatically worse in this category.
- 2021
- AvailabilityWhether you can still order it new today.
- Discontinued
- Support endsThe date the manufacturer stops supporting it. Decisive for a fleet you are about to buy.
- 2026-01-01
- PanelThe screen type. micro-OLED gives deeper blacks and higher contrast; LCD is brighter and cheaper.
- LCD
- OpticsThe lenses in front of the panel. Pancake stays sharp closer to the edges than older Fresnel, which decides how much a trainee has to aim their head to read something.
- Optics: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-08.
- Eyes coveredOne eye or both. Over a full shift this is a real difference in fatigue.
- Both eyes
- Resolution per eyePixels delivered to each eye. Higher means small text and labels stay readable.
- 2880x2720
- Refresh rateImages per second. Higher feels smoother and helps people prone to motion discomfort.
- 90 Hz
- Field of viewHow much of your view the image covers. Bigger is more immersive, not automatically better for work.
- 115° horizontal
- Pixel densityPixels per degree of view — the honest way to compare sharpness between a headset and a pair of glasses. Higher is sharper. Only shown where somebody published it; we never compute it ourselves.
- 70 PPD
- BrightnessIn a plant or outdoors, brightness decides legibility more than resolution does.
- Brightness: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-08.
- WeightThe device alone. Anything above roughly 150 g is felt within an hour.
- 594 g
- Visible field of viewWhat the eye actually sees through the optics, by axis.
- 115° horizontal · 90° vertical
- Rendered field of viewWhat the device draws. Never smaller than what you see.
- Rendered field of view: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-08.
- Binocular overlapWhere both eyes see the same thing — this is where depth happens.
- Binocular overlap: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-08.
- Average pixel densityPixels per degree across the image. More is sharper.
- Average pixel density: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-08.
- Peak pixel densityThe sharpest point, usually the centre of the lens.
- Peak pixel density: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-08.
- Subpixel layoutHow the coloured dots sit in a pixel. A stripe looks cleaner on text than PenTile.
- RGB stripe · 3 subpixels per pixel
- Foveated renderingWhether detail is dropped outside where you look, to save performance.
- Eye-tracked
- PassthroughWhat the front cameras give you: colour, grayscale, or nothing.
- Colour
- Passthrough camerasResolution, density and frame rate of that camera feed.
- 12 MP per eye · 90 fps
- IPD adjustmentMatching lens spacing to the eyes. Motorised is fastest when one headset passes between people.
- Motorised
- IPD rangeHow far the lenses travel to match eye spacing. A narrow range excludes part of any group of adults, which matters when one headset is shared.
- 59–71 mm
- Works with glassesWhether people who wear glasses can use it — fits over them, or takes prescription lens inserts.
- Works with glasses: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-08.
- Vision correctionHow somebody who wears glasses uses it, and in what dioptre range.
- Vision correction: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-08.
- DimensionsWidth, height and depth of the device itself.
- Dimensions: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-08.
- Weight with strapWith the strap it ships with — the weight you actually wear.
- ≈980 g*VRcompare — Varjo XR-3
- Head strapSoft band or a rigid one. Decides how the weight sits over an hour.
- Rigid strap with a dial
- MaterialsShell and facial interface, in the vendor’s words.
- plastic · polyurethane face cushion
- ColoursColours the manufacturer sells it in.
- Black
- Haptics in the headsetVibration in the headset itself, not in the controllers.
- Haptics in the headset: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-08.
- TrackingWhether content stays put in the room (6DoF), follows head rotation (3DoF) or is simply fixed.
- SteamVR 2.0 or 1.0 base stations; Varjo inside-out tracking in beta
- Base stationsWhether boxes have to be mounted on the walls before it works.
- Optional
- Tracking camerasHow many cameras it uses to know where it is.
- Tracking cameras: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-08.
- Tracking rateHow often position is recalculated. Higher is steadier.
- Tracking rate: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-08.
- Depth sensorA dedicated sensor for distance, on top of the cameras.
- Yes
- Hand trackingWhether bare hands can operate the interface, without a controller or the phone.
- Yes
- Eye trackingThe headset knows where the trainee is looking. Enables sharper rendering where they look, and attention analytics.
- Yes
- Face trackingTracks facial expression — for avatars, not for training scenarios.
- No
- Body trackingHow much of the body the device knows about. Estimated legs are not tracked legs.
- None
- Controllers includedWhether motion controllers come in the box, or are bought separately — or the device is hands-only.
- No
- Controller modelThe manufacturer's own name for the controller.
- Controller model: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-08.
- Controller tracking6DoF controllers track position and rotation, so a hand reaches in space; 3DoF only point. “None” means hands only.
- None (hands only)
- Finger tracking on the controllerWhether the controller senses individual fingers, and how.
- Finger tracking on the controller: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-08.
- Controller inputsButtons, sticks and triggers the controller offers.
- Controller inputs: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-08.
- Controller hapticsVibration feedback in the hand.
- Controller haptics: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-08.
- Controller powerDisposable cells or a built-in rechargeable — a fleet question.
- Controller power: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-08.
- Controller weightOne controller, as the vendor weighs it.
- Controller weight: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-08.
- Other input methodsWays in beyond controllers and bare hands.
- Other input methods: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-08.
- ProcessorThe processor and memory inside. This is what the performance grade above is derived from.
- Processor: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-08.
- CPUCores and clocks, where the manufacturer publishes them.
- CPU: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-08.
- GPUThe graphics part of the chip.
- GPU: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-08.
- MemoryRAM on the device. Together with the chipset it sets how complex a scene can be.
- Memory: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-08.
- SD card slotWhether storage can be added with a card.
- SD card slot: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-08.
- BatteryRuntime as the manufacturer states it. A hot-swappable pack matters more than the figure.
- Battery: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-08.
- Battery capacity (Wh)Energy in the cell. Bigger is longer, given the same power draw.
- Battery capacity (Wh): Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-08.
- Battery capacity (mAh)The same fact in the other unit vendors use. We never convert between the two.
- Battery capacity (mAh): Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-08.
- Charge timeFrom empty to full. Rarely stated by the manufacturer, so it usually comes from whoever timed it.
- Charge time: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-08.
- ChargerPower of the supplied charger — it decides the charge time above.
- Charger: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-08.
- External batteryBattery on a cable or a puck instead of on the head.
- External battery: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-08.
- Charging caseExtra runtime carried in the case the glasses ship with.
- Charging case: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-08.
- Hot-swap batteryWhether a charged battery can replace the empty one without ending the session. This is what decides if a headset can hold an all-day training station.
- Hot-swap battery: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-08.
- Runs Skillsive appsOur own statement about whether Skillsive training applications run on it today.
- No
- Suitable for trainingOur judgement on whether it survives real deployment: comfort, hygiene, fleet management.
- No
- Kiosk mode / MDMVendor tooling to enrol devices, push an app and lock the headset to it. Practically required above ten devices.
- No
- Business tierAn official business tier, so devices belong to the company rather than to employees’ personal accounts.
- No
- Swappable facial interfaceRemovable, wipeable face padding. A consumable, and the difference between shared use and complaints.
- Yes
- CertificationsIndustrial certifications stated on the manufacturer's own page. Empty means unconfirmed, never "probably fine".
- Certifications: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-08.
- PortsPhysical sockets and charging contacts.
- DisplayPort · USB Type-A · headphone jack
- Wi-FiThe Wi-Fi generation — it decides how well wireless streaming holds up.
- Wi-Fi: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-08.
- BluetoothFor controllers, headphones and accessories.
- Bluetooth: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-08.
- Video from a computerWhether a computer can drive it, over a cable or wirelessly.
- Video from a computer: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-08.
- AudioBuilt-in sound. Matters most where somebody has to hear a remote expert while working.
- Headphone jack
- MicrophoneBuilt-in microphone — the other half of talking to a remote expert.
- Yes
- MicrophonesHow many. An array picks a voice out of a noisy hall; one does not.
- Microphones: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-08.
- Price bandThe band it sits in, rather than a price that goes stale.
- Enterprise
- Launch priceThe manufacturer's launch price. Fixed history, so it never goes stale.
- $5495
- Price by configurationWhat each configuration cost at launch.
- Price by configuration: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-08.
- Price todayApproximate current net price in USD — a general figure, since these barely differ between regions once tax is stripped out. A snapshot from the date shown, not an offer.
- Price today: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-08.
- Comfort (from reviews)How it wears over a full session. Scored from agreement between independent reviewers, not from our own testing.
- Comfort (from reviews): Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-08.
- Edge clarity (from reviews)Sharpness away from the centre of the lens. Scored from agreement between independent reviewers.
- Edge clarity (from reviews): Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-08.
- Tracking reliability (from reviews)How tracking holds up in poor light and fast movement. Scored from agreement between independent reviewers.
- Tracking reliability (from reviews): Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-08.
- Hand tracking quality (from reviews)How usable controller-free hand tracking is in a training scenario. Scored from agreement between reviewers.
- Hand tracking quality (from reviews): Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-08.
Who this device is for
Aviation, defence and design simulation teams who need to read real instrument text inside a virtual cockpit and who already own the workstations and SteamVR base stations to drive it. Not for BHP or onboarding programmes: it will not run our Android VR courses, it has no fleet management, and one seat costs more than a room of standalone headsets.
What is missing, and what the manufacturer does not publish
Varjo never published a battery figure, a wireless option or dimensions for the XR-3 because it has none of the first two, and the product page has now been folded into the XR-4 series. There is no published discontinuation year — the company only states that production has ended and stock is permanently sold out — so we record the 1 January 2026 end-of-support date instead. The 980 g figure with headband and the launch price come from VRcompare, not from a live Varjo page, and no controller is specified because the headset ships without one.
Varjo XR-3 — frequently asked questions
- Does the Varjo XR-3 still receive software updates in 2026?
- No. Varjo ended Varjo Base support for the XR-3 on 1 January 2026, together with the XR and VR subscriptions, out-of-warranty technical support, spare parts and repairs. Existing units keep running on Varjo Base 4.14 and earlier without a licence or login, but compatibility with future Windows versions and GPU drivers is no longer guaranteed.
- Do you need SteamVR base stations to use a Varjo XR-3?
- Normally yes: the XR-3 is designed around SteamVR 2.0 or 1.0 base stations, and Varjo's own inside-out tracking was only ever released as a beta. Budget for at least two base stations and their mounting per room, plus a workstation with a free DisplayPort and USB-A port, because nothing about this headset is self-contained.
- Is a second-hand Varjo XR-3 worth buying for training?
- For our courses, no — the XR-3 is a PC-tethered headset and our Android VR training applications do not run on it at all. Even for PC simulation content the case is weak now: a device that listed at 5,495 USD has no repair route left after the January 2026 end of support, so a failed focus display or a damaged cable turns the whole seat into scrap.
Compare this device
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Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-08. Manufacturer's specification
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