Varjo, the Finland-based maker of high-end XR headsets, announced they’re releasing a new paid licensing structure next month which will include some of XR-4’s previously free software features.
Many of Varjo’s headsets over the years have required a subscription of some sort, such as its fleet of enterprise-focused XR-3 headsets released in 2020. The company’s latest line of XR-4 headsets released in late 2023 without the need for a subscription however.
Now, Varjo says it’s introducing a new subscription affecting all new XR-4 and XR-4 Focal Edition headsets purchased after March 25th, which will kick off with two new tiers: ‘Varjo Base’ and the ‘Varjo Base Pro’ paid subscription.
Varjo Base is the free software suite, which includes core virtual reality and tracking features. Varjo Base Pro on the other hand is a paid subscription priced at $2,500 annually, or $5,000 for perpetual use.
Varjo Base Pro is packages to include more advanced mixed reality capabilities, such as chroma key, 3D reconstruction, and video post-processing, along with expanded tracking support, programmatic controls, and multi-app functionality. Notably, all XR-4 Secure Edition headsets purchased after March 25th will include a Pro license.
Granted, at $5,990 and $9,990 respectively, both XR-4 and XR-4 Focal Edition really only appeal to the highest-end PC VR prosumers and enterprise customers—which makes the price restructuring a little less of a blunt force trauma. Anyone who already owns the headset doesn’t need to pay for advanced features, with the ‘Pro’ price hike essentially only affecting deep pocketed enterprise users moving forward.
Here’s a breakdown, courtesy Varjo:
| Varjo Base (free) | ||
| Virtual reality |
Virtual reality rendering |
|
| Mixed reality | – Video pass-through with Alpha mask – Depth occlusion Integrated microphone and speakers with DTS spatial audio – Autofocus cameras (with Focal Edition) |
– Chroma key |
| Tracking technologies | – Varjo inside-out tracking – SteamVR Tracking (depending on version) – Varjo Controller tracking – Varjo Markers – Eye tracking for foveated rendering – Automatic IPD adjustment – Varjo Hand tracking |
– Support for 3rd party tracking plugins |
| Productivity | – Varjo Base desktop application – Varjo Workspace |
– Disable Varjo UIs and branding |
| Compatibility | – OpenVR, OpenXR, Microsoft DirectX 11, DirectX 12, OpenGL, Vulkan |
