Varjo drops the Aero VR Headset | Looks like they are planning on a quick exit!

Finnish company Varjo have discontinued the high-end Aero VR Headset according to information posted on their discord. What does this mean for owners?
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[@4secsharkmr352]

100% right Mark. Announcing Aero for all while clearing their stocks is for me an absolutely bad company move. My trust in Varjo is annihilated with that behaviour. Even if I would have the money for the XR-4 I would not buy it. It is very, very close by a fraud.

[@VRFlightSimGuy]

Thanks for the mention Mark, a sad day indeed for consumer PC VR!

[@paulsaunders6536]

I spent a week researching both the Crystal and the Aero before deciding on which to buy. I decided on the Crystal based on increased clarity and the fact it offered an all-in-one solution. My Crystal arrived last week. No regrets at all.

[@bordernova_border_collies]

What you mean by “all in one”…? Thanks

[@paulsaunders6536]

@@bordernova_border_collies. Doesn’t require purchase of separate base stations or headphones. That adds to the price of the aero, plus import taxes. 900 euro base price plus c.190 euros import duties, plus 300 euros for 2 base stations plus headphones plus delivery. It all adds up. Inside outside tracking plus intrinsic sound with the crystal and the higher res sold the Crystal to me, plus a £250 discount. I’ve got enough clutter on my desk without adding a couple of base stations. All that plus some excellent reviews from a couple of you tubers whose opinions I respect. The aero looks to have a first rate build quality, no question. Horses for courses, I suppose. Very, very happily with the Crystal. Nowhere near as comfortable as my G2 was out of the box, but that can be resolved. 2 weeks into ownership and it really is very good.

[@CaptainHelisim]

P Crystal was my replacement purchase for my broken Varjo. Same, no regrets. It's comfortable out of the box and works wonderfully. Was not exactly obvious how to get it running and configured so that was a bit of a navigation with comically inadequate documentation but after that, smooth sailing.

[@bigbangerz5856]

Var-Yo @simhanger Nordic countries pronounce the J as a Y, just like Germans swap the W for the V But yeah I agree with your analysis on the lifetime and announcement, they obviously went in as an experiment and decided not to continue

[@Max_power747]

I’m so glad I went for the pimax crystal. Thanks to you mark your hard work got me the right headset. 😁👍

[@mikecoffee100]

Hard to beleive that support will last that long. Sometimes the sim world can be risky like I have lost some money on some sim planes but am pressing on. Another Good informative video Thank You

[@scottmcdonaldAAL211]

I concur with your assessment Mark! Pricey for a relatively short lifespan.

[@kevinbrook7033]

The sales figures for the Aero must have been very low, as it never even got its own category in the Steam Hardware Survey VR category. There just isn't a large enough PCVR consumer market to support high end HMDs sadly. Regarding the phasing out of support by the end of 2025 I don't really see the issue. The only people who would consider buying an Aero are enthusiasts who want the best HMD on the market, and it's already been beaten in that regard, with the Crystal, Bigscreen Beyond, perhaps the Somnium, and soon the XR4 all eclipsing it. by the end of 2025 it will be four years old and postively archaic compared to the top end and the kind of users who would buy one, will long since have moved on to more newer headsets anyway. This just basically stops them having to support a market of second hand buyers.

[@gaivsjvlivscaesar9375]

Thanks for your guidance on setting up the Microsoft Flight Simulator, unfortunately I can't understand the instructions that came with my Turtle Beach Velocity One. Did not grow up with computers and it sure shows my age (73) . I wish you the best to you and all the Flight Sim Fans out there.

[@SimHangerFS]

This may help with TB. kzbin.info/www/bejne/pJWUl5iGhdGJnJosi=H3c-374fQjtXxqJb

[@christophleipold]

For me it was a great oportunity to get a sale for 890,- . The hardware does not suffer from loss of support for the software. If I consider WIN10 I often wish that Microsoft would not do any updates so I could keep my stable running system unchanged. So no more updates might be a good thing. I had the INDEX for about 4 years - it had cost me about 1200,- and I sold it for 120,- a short time ago. So total loss after 4 years. Seems to be the normal lifespan of modern hardware.

[@Sarevok_Wins]

That's where I'm sitting. Did you end up getting one? I'm on the fence

[@genea5580]

Glad the one I ordered had a problem and I had to send it back.

[@royevans1882]

Me too.

[@VR_Aviator]

With my Reverb G2 burning through cables every 6 months or so, the Aero was going to be my new headset. Now I'm stuck with Bigscreen, Quest 3, Pimax Crystal, or (gulp) Vive Pro 2 because all I want is a PC ass VR headset.

[@enggood5097]

That could be the case, it also could be they are cooking a new consumer oriented device with inside-out tracking to compete. That would make more sense.

[@SimHangerFS]

I doubt that, but that would be exciting, hope it comes to pass 👍

[@Mightymoose02]

For all you being worried….Good luck having a garantee that startups like Somnium or Bigscreen Beyond will support their current models in three years time, let alone being alive….Much bigger chance Varjo will be around to help. This is unfortunately the name of the game. Only pretty sure bet is the Quest 3, from a company I despise.

[@mikegc3816]

50% was probably for trying to get rid of left over stock like you said Mark

[@NowIsGold]

It's indeed quite disappointing. I own the AERO and I'm satified with it. Some games however, like e.g. Hubris, did not ran out of the box since the AERO does not natively run SteamVR games. Varjo support solved the Hubris problem. Unfortunately for games launched in 2026 and later, Varjo support is expected to expire and consequently I'm forced to go for another HMD at that time. This will be definitely not a Varjo product!!!

[@SimHangerFS]

I totally understand your frustration.

[@SoundsFromBeyond]

I have an Aero too and I share your sentiment. Honestly, I don't think Varjo cares about the future of the Aero at all. They've given up on the consumer-grade market and are sticking with the enterprise market. There's less competition so they can charge higher prices. Like you, my next high-end headset will most definitely not be a Varjo product no matter what their lineup looks like.

[@wickfut8917]

My prediction is they're probably releasing a cut down VR4 headset which would replace the Aero and releases around end of 2025. They can't charge £2-3k for a VR4 if the Aero is still selling for £1000. Also that the Aero is eating up some XR4 sales so it's best to cut it from their eco system.

[@nicholasfarrow2478]

This is a very sharp analysis. I also get the feeling there will be a family of xr4 headsets appearing. However for how long will these also be supported for? I feel Varjo have lost some credulity for the average consumer now.

[@dtrjones]

While having ok optics and a relatively high resolution, I've never found the Varjo Aero particularly attractive from a consumer standpoint. It's one I've been happy to let business users have to be frank. There's no point mincing words here. You can bet when Sony and Samsung / Google etc (re)enter the market but this time with higher end offerings these will be more attractive and competitve headsets. To be fair I find the XR-4 with it's higher resolution, FoV (particularly better vertically) and inside-out tracking with controllers a far much more appealing proposition even with the higher price.

[@Tom--Ace]

"Tell me you've never used an aero, without telling me you've never used an aero.." Yeah buddy I know my shit and calling the aero resolution "relatively high" shows you don't really understand anything about this. The vr4 is new and super expensive. When the aero came out, the only thing near it was the vr3 itself, which frankly I have and I'd say aero is every bit as good for consumer use. Until the pimax crystal, nothing came close to the resolution. So yeah, it's not just "relatively high resolution", it was the HIGHEST for ages

[@nathantw]

The only problem I had was that when the price fell to $999 that I still had to buy a lighthouse and controller(s). That, in itself, added another $500 to the price. Hopefully, they just weren’t at liberty to talk about future products and will release an OLED model that’s smaller and doesn’t require external expenses.

[@dtrjones]

Sadly that doesn't appear the case. If they were planning a replacement for the Aero, even if they didn't announce it, discontinuing the product line is the very worst thing you can do, as there is no continuety or progression from its customer base. No sadly this is quite clearly a change in business strategy and the cheaper Aero was a decision to clear remaining stock, that's it.

[@CaptainHelisim]

There was even more limited support for my Varjo before they officially limited support. They said my broken Aero was outside the warranty period for replacement and when asked how much it would be to repair it they didn't even bother to respond. And this was THEIR malfunction, I never mistreated or dropped a $2000 piece of hardware any more than I would mistreat a computer or other expensive gear. Sounds like they just didn't have the corporate staying power to service the consumer market. My replacement purchase went to someone else and hoping for better luck and service.

[@brianbuckley6713]

Hi Mark, I am a pensioner now and only just managed to purchase the Aero just before Christmas and feel I have been shafted by Varjo. As another comment says, I think this was at best deceitful and at worst tantamount to outright fraud. True, the Aero is a nice piece of kit but what happens after 2026? If my unit dies am I going to be able to replace it? Two years support for a very costly piece of kit is shocking and if my unit dies I certainly won’t be able to afford another headset of the same quality. I am devastated by the news and more so by the silence from Varjo. Thanks for your update and keep up the good work. Cheers.

[@SimHangerFS]

Realistically although software updates will cease by that time, the unit is likely to remain usable for years thereafter. The bigger issue may be spares availability. Thanks for your kind words on the channel.

[@thomasbushman5022]

I was planning on purchasing an XR-4 later this year, probably spring or summer. With 4K per eye, 51 PPD, an increased vertical POV, it seems like a dream for flight simming. So even with the Aero for half price at the time I was making my decision, I was still going to go that way. My concern now is, if they ARE exiting the consumer market, does that mean that they are going to try to optimize the device for flight simming? I have no desire to do VR games. I have no use for the pass through technology. This was a sure buy for me when I was thinking they would still be focused on the consumer end of things, but now I have to wait and see what their commitment to MSFS and DCS will be with the headset.

Sad news at this time but I like to think we'll have positive news down the road. Not offering longer support for a product in that price range, I fully agree with someone saying it's close to fraud. Would be interesting to know what if any legal terms within EU are in place for such behavior.

[@Lonsome1223]

I think the Q3 is the best at the moment especially at that price point I've noticed some strange behaviour since the last updates. I normally have no trouble flying out of Gatwick or Shoreham in VR but since those last updates it's impossible in both my old Q2 and new Q3 but If I go up north Edinburgh or Glasgow it's fine. Very strange.

[@TheMack]

Agreed, this move makes Varjo look very bad, with angry and alienated customers, rightfully so. I'm still on the Reverb G1 and was not planning to "upgrade" any time soon. To be fair, VR is still quite a niche market, especially when it comes to flight simming. Heck, even the sim flight stick market is a marginalized market. Who knows, maybe Thrustmaster or WinWing will throw in the towel next week. Still, a company should not take that as a free pass to put customers in a bad position. Unfortunately, until VR goes mainstream, these things will happen due to the nature of being "cutting edge tech". Now, looking ahead, will Apple's Vision Pro headset finally break AR/VR into the mainstream? Not marketed as a "gamer" headset, but if successful, could still potentially show the way for more companies to follow. I think that the technology will continue to mature for another 5-10 years. Hopefully then, it's time for a re-visit....

[@scottmcdonaldAAL211]

When you are flying the 'bleeding edge' of sim tech, you are at risk of ANY manufacturer electing to 'exit' the market at any time without warning or prior notice. Things that are 'latest and greatest' are at the top of the risk profile, including flight controller hardware, custom software (think airframes and custom airports, for example) and more. It's a moving target! That said, even the base simulator may be sidelined... think MSFS 2024 vs MSFS 2020.

[@ben433]

Any word on how long the XR3 will be supported? That might give a clue to future XR4 support.

[@SpringChickensOnlyMan]

I wanted to start spending life in vr and looks like varjo aero isn’t the headset to do it. And it’s definitely not gonna meta quest because of you know. But yeah I’m moving into vr

[@PASquared]

I'm finding this to be a very confusing time in the VR space. HP- done, Varjo- done with plausibly affordable yet expensive offerings. Other companies with questionable reliability and lots of bugs. Is the Quest 3 really my best option? I want dedicated PC VR, and could never figure out how to get the Quest 2 working with Flight Sim

[@HaykAmirbekyanTKD]

i like it when products stop spamming me with upgrades. being discontinued is not a bad thing. if it works, you dont need to update it.

[@NikolaosTsarmpopoulos]

Very unfortunate decision to drop the Aero and (most likely) exit this segment of the market. I have expanded Aero's features with Valve Index speakers (built a 3D-printed adapter) and an Ultraleap Motion 2.0 controller mounted on the headset. I will try to enjoy it for several years, like I did with my Valve Index. APIs do change and I doubt Varjo will even continue supporting the Aero as long as they say, but games usually provide backwards compatibility. If a new game doesn't work on the Aero, I won't buy the game. It doesn't make sense for me to change VR headset every couple of years, so I will stick to the Aero and buy only software that is compatible.

[@jackr.749]

Seems Meta has set the precedent for all others to follow, support a new HMD for a limited time and then drop it like a hot potato. Too bad Varjo had to follow suit. :(

[@benjaminh4290]

A product in this price range should have lifetime support. But it is and remains a fantastic product for me, especially for FS 2020. Even if this is not good news, I don't regret buying it for 900 Eur for a second.

[@pesto12601]

How can they offer lifetime support if the company may not be around in 3 years?

[@paulsheather7657]

Support till 2025 is fine with me. because I would have upgraded to the next VR headset.

[@SimHangerFS]

Fair comment.

[@eaglefirestudio]

Quest Pro still rocks!

[@damiengvideos4337]

The Aero isn't suddenly worthless. Its not like it will be suddenly downgraded or stop working. Software support through 2025 is plenty good. After that its not like it won't work. unfortunately like any tech you happen to buy at the wrong time. Don't feel too bad....plenty of people bought the Tesla Model S Plaid when it came out for $130k or so and you can buy a new one today for $90k. It's just how it goes with advanced tech including cars. Tech like VR is never ANY kind of investment. When I buy something I assume I'll never get that $ back. Then if I sell it and I do get some back thats a bonus. I've had the XR-4 in hand for about 4 weeks now and don't regret it. I assume I will never get my $4k back and I am ok with that. I knew it going in. If you can't lose the money don't buy the gadget.

[@jungleboy1]

lets see how the apple vision pro does.

[@felipeturbayr]

From me a dirty move from Varjo when announcing the 50% discount at that time. Its not a cheap device and to provide service until end of 2025 if just a slap in the face for the consumer.

[@speedvr829]

Even if the release a lite version of vr4, no one will buy that who's been burnt and that includes me. Might wait a couple of months and sell mine on ebay. I would imagine price will go UP on ebay as its the only place you can snag one. Shame.

[@SoundsFromBeyond]

Hmmm... I might just sell mine there and recoup some of the money. Don't get me wrong, the Aero is a beast compared to most other consumer-grade headsets and I like it a lot but I would rather give my money to a company that's dedicated to this market for the long haul. Besides, I find myself using my Valve Index far more often out of sheer convenience compared to the Aero. 🤨

[@critical_always]

I feel very fortunate. Last year I went all out building a top spec pc and I also wanted a top of the line VR unit Varjo of course. But the contact with Varjo was less than smooth and availability in NZ was poor. I decided as a first time VR user that a cheap option might be a better move and got Pico 4 I feel sorry for all the brave people who did go that route. No daubt you had a better headset but soon it's a paper weight. It's typical in the industry. Consumer goods stop working when the manufacturer pulls the plug. Bloody internet.

[@majorclanger7475]

A very informative video , Betrayed by Varjo , I will not buy any of their products now, what a near fraud. Will the software be available anywhere else ? Hopefully the Community will help flyers with problems.

[@bakzetary3145]

I missed your original video when that Varjo discount hit but I was thinking the same thing but leaning on: "They are just dumping remaining stock." as well!!! Makes sense frankly, this was a commercial customer business that was already well established. Going into the general consumer market afterwards, I knew eventually they would realize it would be a drain to their bottom-line long term. There is just no comparison between the two markets for a smaller company long term. (And I read the silly and fickle comments below from the general consumers that have no understanding how a smaller business needs to work if it is to survive long term; tells me clearly they made the right decision!) Frankly, they don't want your future business!!!! And your device will still work for years to come, so get over it!

[@phil_nicholls]

I can see that people that paid full whack would be disappointed, and even annoyed with this news - any of us that picked it up at £900 should still be very happy with our bargain basement purchase. A couple of base stations from eBay for £100, and for a grand you have yourselves the best headset out there! I for one remain very happy that I had the option to buy the Aero and wasn’t limited to just the Crystal if I wanted a decent headset. My only issue now is what to recommend friends get as they upgrade their systems over the next few years. I would normally recommend the Aero in a heartbeat. I don’t want to point them towards the Crystal with the potential problems others have with it.

[@quantumac]

So I can eliminate Varjo as a candidate for my next headset. Truth be told, I'm not in a rush. Upgrading my Valve Index would likely lead to upgrading my entire system just to keep up with whatever replaces the Index. As near as I can tell, the current fastest single core chip is about 30% faster than what I have now, and it would be a lot more expensive due to this insidious global inflation (thanks global elites!). Spending thousands just to have something a little faster and a little better doesn't seem worth the cost.

[@russellharris5072]

CHARGE TOO MUCH AND YOU PRICE YOURSELF OUT OF THE MARKET,SIMPLES..................................

[@Zakariah1971]

No compelling use case for this high price point for average broke Americans… Now if this Varjo headset could help Detect subclinical neoplasms and fight cancer then yes.

[@danielzawerton7023]

For what it worth, here is my opinion, I have just ordered a DOF Reality H6. For me the decision was simple, because I was able to purchase an Aero just last week for $990. Support will continue thru the end of 25 I also fly FPV multi rotor (Think DRL). The technology for goggles in that market changes every 18-24 months. Anyone who complains about Varjo doing "bad business" is just not being rational. This is an EXTREMELY CUTTING EDGE TECH DRIVEN hobby, not lively hood, HOBBY. If an individual jumps into this hobby, thinking companies are not going to advance the tech, then that individual should consider an alternative hobby. There have been plenty of times in my 35 years of RC aircraft and the last 10 years in FPV where I bought a piece of gear only to have it surpassed in performance and support way before its end of life cycle. That is just how it is..... In my very short time lurking in the VR chats, Pimax has already replaced the 8KX with the Crystal. During my search for an 8KX, it is out of stock in most places..... why do you think that is....and the release date for the 8kx was September 2020, so basicly it was eclipsed by the Crystal in in March of 23, which means the 8KX had a "stand alone" run of approx 24-28 months before word of the Crystal was out of the bag. My point, if you are going to knock Varjo for doing what they are doing, you need to look at all the manufacturers, without their innovation ALL hobbies stagnate. And yes, that innovation comes at a cost. No one is putting a gun to our heads when we hand over our $$$$. Those of you that paid full price for the Aero, I guarantee you there will be a solid 2nd hand market. Lots of things change in 2 years...... Respectfully submitted Danny

[@Drmerlin604]

Who would buy a second hand Varjo that you cannot get repaired if it fails?

[@danielzawerton7023]

I contacted Varjo before I made my decision to buy, they said support will be available beyond 25, just no new development for the Aero. Yup, could you send them in and be told a component is no longer available, absolutely, no argument there. We make decisions based on risk verses reward every day. If YOU choose not to, that is your right and your business, someone else may have a different opinion.

[@wickfut8917]

@@Drmerlin604 Varjo have stated they will have parts until end of 2025. They also stated that the XR1 was EOL a long time ago and that it still works perfectly today.

[@Drmerlin604]

@@wickfut8917 my Aero is already on its third cable and breakout box….

[@mesillahills]

Apple has been posting 3D VR 180 videos on DeoVR featuring their new $3450 headset. It will be a complete dud because almost everything they show is really just software based. Anyone can do that on the cheap and especially Zuckerberg. Apple is however talking seriously with the NFL about producing VR content for that unit. Maybe they think their group of cult buyers will be stupid as usual and buy into that. Apple makes a fortune selling overpriced products to uninformed people who view themselves as superior beings.. And they are most all of the same political party. This is just another one of those products that appeal to these knot heads

[@akincialpagu]

Paid over 2500 Euros (Aero and Base stations) , then Varjo sold it for half the price. Now they will end the Aero suppirt after 4 years. I will never trust Varjo and their products anymore.

[@HighAspect]

Your headset works fine though? It’s a 2 year old headset and they support software for another year. The standards aren’t going to change that much , OpenXR, OpenVR. You didn’t lose anything .

[@Dg-zj6jo]

all good news sir terrible

[@Drmerlin604]

Like others I am deeply disappointed by Varjo’s decision to treat its prosumer customers with such utter derision and disrespect. I paid d about £2500 for my Aero including tracking and hand controllers. Last year the price drop by half reduced its resale value hugely The decision to stop producing and supporting the headset now means that they have rendered it as worthless as a Reverb G2! I had already put my name in the list for an XR4. However, there is no way I am going to be burned by Varjo by spending €4000 on a products that they may stop supporting in a couple of years time when the XR5 comes out. I thought that Varjo was a decent company many interested in its customers. How wrong I was!

[@philippefabry845]

Capitalism sucks...

[@derekbennett1453]

This is crap

[@Ro1111-p3i]

Your pronunciation of VARJO is still incorrect😏

[@rusky325i]

who cares, varjo doesnt care about us

[@gerrypalmer6712]

Nobody cares what you think. Mark has consistently updated us simmers on important issues. So a pronouncement incorrectly is irrelevant. If you have no constructive criticism get back in your box.

[@jamiesalmonsculpture8599]

It's pronounced VA-HO

[@Ro1111-p3i]

@@gerrypalmer6712 Don't speak for everyone you,simmer

[@get_outdoors]

Thank you to your contribution to the community