Does DJI’s Avata 360 Live Up to the Hype?
Drones have spent the last few years splitting into two tribes. On one side, the sensible camera drones that hover about, capture cinematic shots and land themselves if the signal drops.
On the other, the FPV drones that get strapped to a pair of goggles and flown like you’re the one doing the flying, fast and low and often somewhere you probably shouldn’t be.
DJI’s Avata 360 is the company’s attempt to be both at once, adding a full 360-degree camera into the mix for good measure. Having now actually launched and been reviewed rather than just teased, is it worth it?
What You Get for Your Money
UK buyers can pick up the Avata 360 on its own for around £400 at the time of writing, add DJI’s RC2 screen controller for about £600, or go for the Fly More Combo at a little over £800, which throws in three batteries, a charging hub and a sling bag alongside the drone and controller.
Preorders opened at midday UK time on the 26th of March, with stock arriving from mid-to-late May depending on which bundle you went for. For that money, you get a dual-lens 360-degree camera built around 1-inch-equivalent sensors, capable of shooting the full 360-degree view in 8K.
It does that at 60 frames per second, or 120-megapixel stills if you’d rather freeze a moment than film it. The transmission system is rated at up to 20 kilometres of range with a 1080p, 60fps live feed going back to whatever you’re watching on, with DJI having bundled in Nightscape obstacle sensing along with built-in propeller guards, which is a small but sensible nod to the fact that this thing is going to end up in more crashes than a cinematic drone ever would.
In other words, it’s an all-singing, all-dancing machine that even casual drone users can get some use out of.
Two Ways to Fly
The cleverest part of the design is that you’re not locked into one way of using it. Strap on a pair of FPV goggles and you get the classic first-person, throw-it-around-corners experience that Avata owners have always come to expect.
If you prefer to keep your feet on the ground and your eyes on a screen, then the standard twin-stick controller works just as well, turning it into something closer to a conventional camera drone. There is also a Single Lens mode that drops the 360 capture entirely in favour of a more familiar forward-facing 4K at 60fps.
@247.mp4 THIS is how you can make an IMPOSSIBLE shot possible with the @DJI DE | AT | CH AVATA360 🔥 The secret to make this cinematic shot possible lies in re-framing your video using DJI Studio. Because thats the fun part about 360° drones and video in general – creating impossible camera moves in post-production. Easily leveling up your content quality. 🔥 Can’t wait to see you get creative 👌🏼 #DJIAVATA360 #videography #videographytutorial #cinematic #dronevideo ♬ original sound – Nico
That is aimed at anyone who just wants normal drone footage without having to stitch two lenses together afterwards, making it something of an all-encompassing option for those who need to use the drone for numerous different activities. The drone’s most obvious rival is the Antigravity A1, another 360-degree FPV hybrid, and reviewers have generally landed on the Avata 360 coming out ahead.
It is said to be more agile and responsive in FPV mode, even in testing done in fairly rough coastal winds, and its transmission system has held up well too.
The Drawbacks
None of the above means that the drone is without its drawbacks. At 455 grams, it’s nearly double the weight of the A1, which puts it in a heavier registration category and means you’ll need to register it with the aviation authorities pretty much anywhere you fly it. That is something that lighter drones can sometimes dodge.
There is no manual acro mode for the 360 footage at launch either, so anyone hoping for full freestyle tricks whilst shooting in 360 will have to make do with the self-levelling flight the mode currently relies on. Reviewers have also flagged visible stitch lines where the two lenses join together.
Avata360で撮って モーションブラーも入れて編集してみた
🥽酔いせず FPVっぽくするには 今のところ この方法が私には最良です#dji #avata360 #fpv pic.twitter.com/MLw5KQsqhq— りゅあら@沖縄 (@ryuara_drone) July 8, 2026
When you add in that it has the odd wobble in the finished footage, whilst 360 video in general still needs a fair bit of post-production work before it looks properly polished, you can see it isn’t perfect. That being said, for anyone who’s been waiting for a drone that doesn’t force a choice between shooting 360 footage and flying something genuinely fun, the Avata 360 looks like the first serious answer to the problem and comes at a reasonable price.
It won’t replace a dedicated cinema drone, but as an all-rounder that can be flown two different ways, it’s difficult to find a direct rival doing more for the money right now.