Issued on July 28, 2024
Provided by Varjo/HTC Vive/Apple
Despite their recent proliferation in news headlines, virtual reality headsets have been around for decades. Many blame their inherently claustrophobia-inducing and isolating nature for preventing their success in the general market, but new augmented and mixed reality headsets offer groundbreaking levels of usability by integrating virtual experiences into everyday environments. Augmented reality projects virtual items and information into your view of the real world, while mixed reality adds the ability to interact with both aspects. The promise is that these next-generation models can offer a better way to visualize work and play in the digital age. But do expectations match up with reality?
Apple Vision Pro
Image courtesy of Apple
Summary: With its sleek looks, the Apple Vision Pro offers the best selection of features for both productivity and entertainment. Unfortunately, it’s too bulky to be used as a travel companion and too uncomfortable to wear at work to get the most out of its features.
Pros: Easy and intuitive. Great interface. Offers a comprehensive suite of applications.
Cons: Limited battery life, app support
Favorite feature: You can use floating windows to create virtual spaces to do business in, watch movies in, etc. Apple’s emphasis on seamless experiences pays off big time here.
Verdict: The Apple Vision Pro is the most immediately intuitive product and a great tech demo for everyday use, but overall comfort and portability leave room for improvement.
Display type: Micro OLED
Resolution: 3,660 x 3,200 pixels per eye
Battery life: 2.5 hours
Weight: 2.2 lbs (including battery)
Price: $3,499 to $3,899
HTC Vive XR Elite
Image courtesy of HTC Vive
Summary: HTC’s Vive XR Elite is the lightest and most comfortable model we’ve tested. It comes with a variety of “face gaskets” to tailor the fit, and some have open sides for better peripheral vision. But because this headset has roots in virtual reality, it’s limited for augmented and mixed reality applications.
Pros: Lightweight, comfortable, and highly customizable fit.
Cons: Limited augmented and mixed reality applications. Lowest display resolution of models tested. Requires lots of manual adjustments.
Favorite Feature: This system gives you the easiest and broadest access to hundreds of games, so if you’re focused on top-tier titles from familiar studios, this headset is the one for you.
Bottom line: The HTC Vive XR Elite is great for gaming, but it lacks the wow factor for mixed reality applications.
Display type: LCD
Resolution: 1,920 x 1,920 pixels per eye
Battery life: 2 hours (without cable)
Weight: 1.3 lbs (with battery)
Price: $1,099
Lenovo Synclearity VRX
Image courtesy of: Lenovo
Summary: Lenovo’s headset is on the heavier side, but it has enough battery life to last four hours without relying on a belt clip like the Apple Vision Pro. The quality hardware is ready to use right out of the box for everything from business applications to video streaming.
Pros: Durable and comfortable hardware, powerful standalone processor, good battery life
Cons: Relatively low-resolution display, limited app support, heavy
Favorite feature: This headset gives you the most liberating escapism by allowing you to work completely cable-free without having to pair with any other devices, and it also has a long battery life for a more immersive experience.
Verdict: Lenovo’s ThinkReality VRX has quality hardware at a fair price, but it lacks the diverse experiences and sophisticated software found in other products.
Display type: LCD
Resolution: 2,280 x 2,280 pixels per eye
Battery life: 4 hours
Weight: 1.8 lbs
Price: $1,299
Varjo XR-4 Focal Edition
Image credit: Courtesy of Varjo
Summary: Varjo’s XR-4 Focal Edition dynamically focuses on what you’re looking at, with a wide field of view and glasses compatibility as a major plus. It’s no wonder some automotive designers are using this headset to virtually test their work.
Pros: Wide field of view, great for work and gaming alike. Only headset with dynamic focus
Cons: Heavy. Needs to be connected to a powerful PC
Favorite Feature: The clarity of the screen is impressive. In mixed reality mode, you can easily read small print, like on a receipt. It’s so clear that you’ll feel like you have superhuman eyesight.
Bottom line: The Varjo XR-4 offers decent performance for professional use, but its weight and system requirements make it a hard sell for the average user.
Display Type: LED
Resolution: 3,840 x 3,744 pixels per eye
Battery life: N/A (must be connected to another device)
Weight: 2.2 lbs
Price: $9,990
