Where they actually differ
The most decisive specs, ranked by how much they matter — before the full spec table.
| Spec | Valve - Index | Varjo - XR-4 |
|---|---|---|
| Refresh rate | 144 Hz | 90 Hz |
| Field of view | 130 ° | 120 ° |
| Eye tracking | false | true |
| Color passthrough | false | true |
Between the Index and XR-4, the Index comes out ahead in refresh rate / field of view, while the XR-4 wins on eye tracking / color passthrough. Overall, the Index scores 65.4 and the XR-4 scores 69.7 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The XR-4 edges ahead on the Mars Score (65.4 vs 69.7), but the 4.3-point gap is small enough that the right pick comes down to which spec advantages matter to you.
Pick the Index if the display is what you stare at all day — refresh rate, brightness, or sharpness is where the difference will be most visible. The biggest gaps in its favor are refresh rate, field of view. The single most decisive one: Refresh rate — 60.00% more. 144 Hz vs 90 Hz.
Pick the XR-4 if you care most about eye tracking / color passthrough. Its strongest claims are eye tracking, color passthrough. The single most decisive one: Has Eye tracking.
Both ship with comparable standalone, so those specs do not separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: there is no wrong answer here — match the spec advantages to how you actually use the product. The Mars Score parity says both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.
Which should you buy: Valve - Index or Varjo - XR-4?
Varjo - XR-4 leads the current Mars Score by 4.3 points.The more useful decision is the trade-off behind that result: compare refresh rate, field of view against the way you will actually use the product.
Choose Valve - Index if…
Valve - Index has the measurable edge on refresh rate hz, fov deg.
Choose Varjo - XR-4 if…
Varjo - XR-4 has the measurable edge on has eye tracking, has passthrough color.
This is a structured comparison of the published catalog values. It is not a claim of identical real-world performance across every workload; use the linked spec drill-downs and methodology page to inspect the inputs.
Why Valve - Index wins
- ▲Refresh rate — 60.00% more. 144 Hz vs 90 Hz.
- ▲Field of view — 8.33% more. 130 ° vs 120 °.
Why Varjo - XR-4 wins
- ▲Has Eye tracking.
- ▲Has Color passthrough.
Spec comparison
Display
| Spec | Valve - Index | Varjo - XR-4 |
|---|---|---|
| Resolution per eye | 1440x1600 | 3840x3744 |
| Refresh rateⓘ | 144 Hzlead | 90 Hz |
| Field of view | 130 °lead | 120 ° |
| Panelⓘ | LCD | Micro-OLEDlead |
Tracking & Audio
| Spec | Valve - Index | Varjo - XR-4 |
|---|---|---|
| Inside-out tracking | false | truelead |
| Eye tracking | false | truelead |
| Face tracking | false | false |
| Color passthrough | false | truelead |
Compute
| Spec | Valve - Index | Varjo - XR-4 |
|---|---|---|
| Standalone | false | false |
| Battery | 0 h | 0 h |