VRgineers XTAL 3 Mixed Reality — specification and verdict
The XTAL 3 Mixed Reality drives 3840x2160 per eye across a 180° horizontal by 90° vertical field of view, at 75 Hz in full 4K mode and 120 Hz at the lower QHD mode. The passthrough is colour and comes from two cameras with interchangeable lenses, so the same headset can be set to a narrow, sharp view or a wide 170° one depending on whether the trainee has to read instruments or scan the horizon. Eye tracking is native and drives foveated rendering, and IPD is motorised over 60-76 mm. It is a PC headset over DisplayPort 1.4 and USB 3.2 Gen 2, not a self-contained device: our Android training courses do not run on it at all. Hand tracking was an Ultraleap add-on rather than standard equipment, so a base unit gives a trainee no controller-free hands.
There is no fleet to manage in the usual sense: every headset needs its own workstation with a GPU able to push 4K per eye, plus DisplayPort and a 5 m tether per seat. VRgineers sold it with tiered licensing — the bare headset at $11,500, a business licence at $12,300 and a military licence at $13,100 — so the purchase decision was a licence decision, not just hardware. There is no vendor MDM or kiosk mode, because the runtime is Windows on your own PC and you manage it with whatever tooling manages that PC. The facial interface is synthetic leather and the strap is a hard padded retractable one, which wipes down between users, but nothing here is designed for a queue of fifty trainees a day. VRgineers is a Czech company, so European delivery and support are straightforward, but this device is no longer on the price list.
Do not buy it: VRgineers has taken the XTAL 3 MR product page down and now sells the XTAL 3 NEO and XTAL 3 CAVU instead, so a new order today is a NEO order. Even when it was current it solved one problem — a pilot in a physical cockpit who must see the real switches through the headset — and nothing about our BHP courses. If you need mixed-reality training on our content, take a standalone Android headset.
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.
Field of view180°
45°180°
Median for this class: 115°, from 26 models that publish the figure.
Launch price$11500
$398$38500
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.
- VRgineers
- 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.
- 2022-01-05
- ReleasedYear the model went on sale. Older is not automatically worse in this category.
- 2022
- 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.
- Support ends: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-08.
- 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.
- 3840x2160
- Refresh rateImages per second. Higher feels smoother and helps people prone to motion discomfort.
- 75/120 Hz
- Field of viewHow much of your view the image covers. Bigger is more immersive, not automatically better for work.
- 180° 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.
- Pixel density: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-08.
- 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.
- ≈700 g*VRcompare
- Visible field of viewWhat the eye actually sees through the optics, by axis.
- 180° 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.
- Passthrough cameras: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-08.
- 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.
- 60–76 mm
- Works with glassesWhether people who wear glasses can use it — fits over them, or takes prescription lens inserts.
- Yes
- Vision correctionHow somebody who wears glasses uses it, and in what dioptre range.
- Official lens inserts
- DimensionsWidth, height and depth of the device itself.
- ≈293 × 123 × 113 mm*VRcompare
- Weight with strapWith the strap it ships with — the weight you actually wear.
- Weight with strap: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-08.
- 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 · synthetic leather facial interface
- 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.
- inside-out 6DoF, optional ART / OptiTrack / Vicon / SteamVR Lighthouse
- 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.
- Depth sensor: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-08.
- Hand trackingWhether bare hands can operate the interface, without a controller or the phone.
- No
- 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.
- Face tracking: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-08.
- Body trackingHow much of the body the device knows about. Estimated legs are not tracked legs.
- Body tracking: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-08.
- Controllers includedWhether motion controllers come in the box, or are bought separately — or the device is hands-only.
- Controllers included: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-08.
- 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.
- Controller tracking: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-08.
- 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.
- Yes
- 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.
- Yes
- Swappable facial interfaceRemovable, wipeable face padding. A consumable, and the difference between shared use and complaints.
- Swappable facial interface: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-08.
- 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 1.4 · USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C · 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.
- Microphone: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-08.
- 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.
- $11500
- Price by configurationWhat each configuration cost at launch.
- Headset without licence $11500 · Business licence $12300 · Military licence $13100
- 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
Flight and vehicle simulation teams with a physical cockpit replica, a workstation-class GPU per seat and a budget that treats $11,500 per headset as normal. Defence and aviation buyers, in other words, not a safety-training department kitting out a classroom.
What is missing, and what the manufacturer does not publish
VRgineers never published a weight or a case size for the MR variant; the 700 g and 293x123x113 mm here are VRcompare's, and the maker's own pages quote 600 g for the VR version and a 56-74 mm IPD range against the 60-76 mm recorded for MR. Nothing states passthrough camera resolution, latency, audio beyond a headphone jack, or a support end date, and the product page itself is now a 404, so there is no vendor statement about how long units in the field will be serviced.
VRgineers XTAL 3 Mixed Reality — frequently asked questions
- Can you still buy the XTAL 3 MR from VRgineers?
- No. The vrgineers.com page for the XTAL 3 Mixed Reality and the xtal.pro shop listing both return 404, and the current mixed-reality models are the XTAL 3 NEO and the XTAL 3 CAVU. Existing units keep working — they are ordinary SteamVR/OpenXR PC headsets — but a new order goes to a NEO.
- What did the $800 and $1,600 XTAL 3 MR licence upgrades add?
- The headset was sold at $11,500 without a licence, at $12,300 with a business licence and at $13,100 with a military licence. VRgineers priced the software entitlement separately from the hardware, so two identical-looking headsets could differ in what they were allowed to run. Budget for the licence tier, not just the $11,500.
- Why does the XTAL 3 MR have swappable passthrough lenses?
- The two mixed-reality cameras take interchangeable lenses of roughly 63°x38°, 84°x53° and 170°x90°. A narrow lens concentrates the same sensor over a smaller area, so a pilot can read cockpit instruments; the 170° lens covers almost the full 180° display field but with far less detail. You pick the lens for the task before the session, not during it.
Compare this device
Consider these too
The nearest devices in the same class, ranked by availability and launch price — not by our opinion of them.
Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-08. Manufacturer's specification
Product and company names used here are the trademarks of their respective owners and appear only to identify the hardware being compared. We are not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by any of these manufacturers. Illustrations are our own.