If you are using the BETAFPV ArtLynk system, sooner or later you will probably want to update the firmware on your VR04 HD goggles and P1 Air Unit. The update process should be straightforward, but I ran into quite a few problems, and the lack of documentation on BETAFPV’s part did not help. So I decided to put together this guide to show you how to update the firmware on various ArtLynk hardware.
Learn about the Artlynk FPV system in my review and whether it’s for you: https://oscarliang.com/betafpv-artlynk/
Firmware Compatibility
This is the part you really should understand before doing anything.
Hardware running V2 firmware is incompatible with hardware running V1 firmware.
That means:
- if your goggles are on V2 and your air unit is still on V1, they won’t work together
- if your goggles are on V1 and your air unit is on V2, same problem
- if you want to use your gear together, you should either:
- update everything to V2
- or leave everything on V1
The good news is, you can also downgrade from V2 back to V1 if needed.
So before updating, decide whether you want to stay on V1 for compatibility with older gear, or move everything to V2.
Benefits of V2 Firmware
The main reason to update is simple: bug fixes and new features.
You should always check the firmware release notes to see exactly what has changed in each version.
One of the biggest advantages of the V2 firmware is cross-compatibility with other ArtLynk-compatible systems, such as HGLRC Draco and potentially other Artosyn-based FPV systems. I talked more about that here: https://oscarliang.com/artosyn-fpv-system-cross-compatible-betafpv-artlynk/
That is a pretty big deal, because it means the ArtLynk ecosystem could become a lot more flexible in the future.
Download Firmware for P1 VTX
Download firmware here: https://support.betafpv.com/hc/en-us/articles/53202850073497-Firmware-for-P1-Air-Unit-HD-VTX
Download Firmware for VR04 HD Goggles
Before downloading firmware for your goggles, make sure you know whether you have:
They use different firmware, so downloading the wrong one is an easy mistake to make.
How to Tell? Here are the differences:
| Feature | VR04 HD | VR04 HD Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Screen Size | 4.5 inch | |
| Screen Resolution | 1920×1080 | |
| Recording Resolution | 1080P@60fps | |
| Card Slot | microSD card (maximum 1TB) | |
| Antenna | Dual antenna | Replaceable dual antennas |
| Type-C Port | Read a microSD card | Read a microSD card / live feed output via Type-C with DP support |
| Power Supply | 2 × 18650 2600mAh batteries | 2 × 18650 3800mAh batteries |
| Runtime | 3H | 4H |
| Fan | Cooling fan (automatic) | |
| Weight | 400±10g (batteries excluded) | |
| DC Port | Extended 2–6S power supply | |
The easiest way to tell them apart is usually just check what the battery capacity is: 2600mah? Non-pro. 3800mAh? Pro.
So make sure you download the correct firmware for your goggles.
VR04 HD
Download firmware here: https://support.betafpv.com/hc/en-us/articles/53798961852185-Firmware-for-VR04-HD-Goggles
VR04 HD Pro
Download firmware here: https://support.betafpv.com/hc/en-us/articles/55872193522329-Firmware-for-VR04-HD-Pro-FPV-Goggles
Check Which Firmware Version You Are On
With the goggles and drone powered on and connected (so you can see the camera image), go to
- Setting in the goggles menu
- then System
- Device Info
There you will find the firmware versions for both the goggles and the Air Unit (drone).
Best to check before and after firmware flashing so you can confirm you’ve successfully done it.
Firmware Flashing Steps
One important thing about the ArtLynk system is that the Air Unit is upgraded through the goggles. So unlike some other FPV systems, you CAN NOT just update the air unit completely on its own.
Before you begin, it’s a good idea to take some screenshot or notes of your current settings in case they get reset after the update.
Steps:
- Copy firmware files to the SD card
- Insert the SD card into the goggles
- Power on both the quad and the goggles
- Make sure they are connected (you can see camera’s image in the goggles)
- In the Goggles menu, go to Setting → System → Upgrade → Start
- Wait for the Update to Finish, Do not power anything off while the update is running.
- Once the upgrade is complete, restart both the quad and goggles (power cycle).
- You need to rebind your goggles and drone (you only need to press the bind buttons on both air unit and goggles).
That is it.
Note:
- If needed, BETAFPV notes that you can upgrade only the goggles or only the quad by copying only the corresponding firmware on the SD card.
- Do not turn off power during the update, interrupting firmware flashing is one of the easiest ways to create problems
- Check firmware version after updating to make sure
- Some settings may reset after updating, so check your settings and reconfigure anything that has been reset
Flashing Multiple Air Units
Because your goggles must be connected to the air unit in order to update it, once your goggles are on V2, they can no longer bind to an air unit that is still on V1.
To flash another air unit, the work around is to downgrade your goggles back to V1 first.
Yes, it is tedious if you have multiple air units. I really hope BETAFPV makes firmware flashing less annoying in the future.
If you have multiple air units, the best approach is to update all of the air units first by putting only the air unit firmware on the SD card. Then update the goggles at the very end, so you do not have to keep downgrading the goggles.
How to Downgrade Firmware
Download this firmware: P1_GND_VR04_v1.0.44_20260122_09de6e7.img
Copy this file to the goggles’ SD card and run the update.
In the unlikely event that if the goggles refuses to update, you can try renaming the file to something like this: P1_GND_VR04_v2.0.7_20260122_09de6e7.img. The goggles expect a newer firmware version when flashing. So if your goggles have already been flashed with V2.0.6, you need to rename the older v1.0.44 firmware file to V2.0.7 in order to trick the goggles into installing it.
“No Image File Found” Error
My goggles came with a very old firmware version (V1.0.36), and updating directly to the latest V2 firmware (V2.0.6) simply did not work. It kept showing the error:
“No image file found”
Changing the filename did not work. Trying another SD card did not work either.
In the end, I had to first flash the next available firmware version (V1.0.44) and only then it was able to recognise the V2 firmware and allowed me to flash it.
This issue was not documented anywhere, and it took me about two hours to figure it out.
Timeout Error
Just restart both goggles and air unit and try again (plug battery and plug it back in).
Conclusion
Updating the BETAFPV ArtLynk firmware on the VR04 HD goggles and P1 Air Unit is not difficult, but you do need to be careful about firmware compatibility. The main reason to move to V2 is the added features and the potential for broader ArtLynk cross-compatibility, which could become one of the biggest advantages of this system going forward.
