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AR/VR & Metaverse · head to head

Varjo vs ARCore

Varjo logo

Varjo

AR/VR & Metaverse

Human-eye resolution VR/XR headsets

From
$2495/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
ARCore logo

ARCore

AR/VR & Metaverse

Google's platform for building AR experiences

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only ARCore has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Varjo high cost enterprise XR solutions; ARCore aRCore limited to Android 7.0+, excluding older Android devices
  • They diverge on capability: Varjo covers Human-eye resolution, ARCore covers Motion tracking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Varjo and ARCore actually diverge.

Attributes where Varjo and ARCore differ
AttributeVarjoARCore
Starting price$2495/one-timeFree
Pricing modelone-timefree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsXR headsets, WindowsAndroid, iOS, Web
CategoryAR/VR & MetaverseUnknown
Founded20161998

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Varjo

  • Human-eye resolution
  • Mixed reality
  • Eye tracking
  • Hand tracking
  • OpenXR
  • SteamVR
  • Vr support
  • Xr support

Only in ARCore

  • Motion tracking
  • Environmental understanding
  • Light estimation
  • Depth API
  • Android Studio
  • Ar support
  • Android support
  • Ios support

Both cover

  • Unity
  • Unreal

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Varjo

  • Military flight simulation and pilot trainingnot ARCore
  • Vehicle operation and weapons trainingnot ARCore
  • Maritime navigation trainingnot ARCore
  • High-fidelity professional VR simulationnot ARCore

ARCore

  • VR Gamingnot Varjo
  • AR Marketingnot Varjo
  • Virtual Trainingnot Varjo
  • 3D Visualizationnot Varjo
  • Immersive Experiencesnot Varjo

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Varjo

  • High cost enterprise XR solutions
  • Specialized for military and simulation training use cases only

ARCore

  • ARCore limited to Android 7.0+, excluding older Android devices
  • Requires integration with game engines or frameworks for most applications
  • Cloud anchors rely on internet connectivity for shared AR experiences
  • Performance varies significantly across different Android device capabilities

Pricing, plan by plan

Varjo

$2495/one-time
  • Varjo XR-4$3990/one-time
    • Human-eye resolution
    • Mixed reality
    • Eye tracking

ARCore

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Full SDK
    • Cloud Anchors
    • Geospatial API

Which should you pick?

Choose Varjo if

  • You need human-eye resolution.
  • You work on XR headsets, Windows.
  • You also want mixed reality.
Varjo review

Choose ARCore if

  • You need motion tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Android, iOS, Web.
  • You also want environmental understanding.
ARCore review

Questions people ask

Is Varjo or ARCore better?
Neither clearly leads. Varjo starts at $2495/one-time and ARCore at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Varjo or ARCore?
ARCore has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $2495/one-time for Varjo and Free for ARCore.
Does Varjo or ARCore run on more platforms?
Varjo runs on XR headsets, Windows. ARCore runs on Android, iOS, Web.
Can I use ARCore for free?
Yes. ARCore has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Varjo starts at $2495/one-time.
What is Varjo best used for?
Varjo is most often used for military flight simulation and pilot training, vehicle operation and weapons training, maritime navigation training, high-fidelity professional vr simulation. Of those, military flight simulation and pilot training and vehicle operation and weapons training are not what ARCore is typically brought in for.
What can Varjo do that ARCore cannot?
Varjo covers Human-eye resolution, Mixed reality, Eye tracking, Hand tracking. ARCore covers Motion tracking, Environmental understanding, Light estimation, Depth API. Both handle Unity, Unreal.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

ARCore: What platforms does ARCore support?

ARCore supports Android 7.0 (Nougat) and later on qualified Android phones. SDKs are also available for iOS, Unity, Unreal Engine, and Web (WebXR).

Source
ARCore: What are the three core capabilities of ARCore?

ARCore provides motion tracking to monitor device position, environmental understanding to detect surfaces like floors and walls, and light estimation to analyze surrounding lighting conditions.

Source
ARCore: Can developers build shared AR experiences with ARCore?

Yes, ARCore supports cloud anchors enabling multiple users to see the same virtual objects in the real world, enabling shared AR experiences.

Source
ARCore: What programming languages does ARCore support?

ARCore supports Kotlin and Java for Android, C through Android NDK, and provides APIs for Unity, Unreal Engine, iOS, and Web platforms.

Source
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