Hi Gary! I would recommend people to pre-order who want to get it asap, because first batches are limited. They can still cancel their pre-order if we find out the device has some major flaws. But at this point in time, I am pretty confident they can finally deliver a headset that is what we all wanted in the first place. For those who can wait it all out for a couple of more months: sure, no need to pre-order.
I think the Crystal Light is a relatively safe bet for pre-ordering in the history of their products, since it's heavily based on a great device which is already out there. But, especially with Pimax, I feel like waiting a month or two after launch can sometimes reward users with a better product. We all remember the early batches of Crystal being shippped with plastic lenses rather than the glass lenses, and also the packaging issues which resulted in some of the early Crystals arriving damaged. There were also reports of the 8KX having hardware improvements after a short time. I don't expect the Crystal Light to suffer any of these specific issues of course, but patience can sometimes be rewarded with Pimax. Having said that, like you, I generally feel pretty confident with this particular product for the simple fact that they're taking things out, rather than adding endless things in which could add to the complexity. And if users want that high-end experience as soon as possible then pre-ordering is the only option.
Note that the Crystal Light isn't just a cut down version of the original Crystal. The deletion of the XR2 means that the tracking and audio software needs to be ported/rewritten from Android to Windows. I'm happy about this because the XR2 software was responsible for a lot of the bugs with the original Crystal, especially the ridiculous 500ms audio latency bug that Pimax was never able to fix. Eliminating the XR2 is likely to greatly increase the stability of the platform. However, the Windows code that replaces it will be new and may not be stable at first (especially considering Pimax's track record).
This is actually something I haven't been able to find a clear answer on previously, so you might be able to shed some light on it. I was generally under the impression that when the Crystal was switched to PC mode, the tracking (including Tobii eye-tracking) was handled via the PC anyway - in the same way the Rift S, and WMR headsets operate. Therefore that tracking software had already been written on the PC side through the Pimax client (the Tobii eye tracking integration would have been very simple from this point of view since Tobii would have provided that). If this was the case then the XR2 tracking only took over when the physical switch on the headset was set to standalone mode. Any information you can provide on this would be appreciated as I've tried to find a solid answer to this previously but can't seem to find any definitive answers.
Hi Gary. Are you expecting a Crystal Light for review? What I would like to see is a review with the base unit (what you get when you actually buy one), using the SMAS sound solution that comes with the HMD, seems all YT reviews got sent units with the "Optional" DMAS speakers, these are expensive for what they are ($135 Canadian on the Pimax store, $250 on the Amazon Canada Pimax store). I ordered a Crystal Light on May 31, not really expecting it until August. But no one and I mean no one mentions the SMAS sound quality in ANY reviews, is SMAS as good as lets say the Quest 2 or 3, the Pico 4? better, about the same or worst. Sounds is a important part of VR, would be nice to know this information during reviews. As for the DMAS, some say equal of Valve Index and G2 sounds, some say not as good. Any help or info you can offer would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. :)
I've been told that I will receive a review unit of the Crystal Light, although to be honest, my current work schedule means I might have to turn the offer down due to limited time to make videos. However, if I do go ahead and review the Crystal Light, I will request an SMAS version for this very reason. I'd be interested to know how good the sound is myself, and actually wish I'd tried that version at the Pimax Roadshow event I attended last week. With regards to the DMAS headphones on the Crystal, I'd personally rank them very close to the sound quality of the Valve Index and the Reverb G2. There might very well be a small difference in sound quality, but I struggled to tell the difference. The DMAS is very good sound quality.
@@ImmersedRobot Thank you for the reply Gary, the difference you experienced with the DMAS possibly not being quite as good as the Index is more than likely dependent on what amplifier and DAC a particular HMD is using to power the sound solution. In example, I have a Pico4, no 3.5mm headphone jack on that HMD, I bought a Ugreen USB-C to 3.5mm, I used the DAS headphones with 3D printed adaptor and once plugged into the Ugreen adaptor... the sound is simply amazing, much better than any other HMD I've ever plugged the DAS headphones into (Vive, Rift-S, Quest 2 and 3) so I'm thinking whatever goodies they pack into that little Ugreen adapter makes the DAS sound so much better making me realize the DAS are actually really good headphones, the DAC in VR headsets blows dead goats at midnight. LOL
@@ImmersedRobot I loved my rift S. Okay so this is more, but with tech and headsets only getting better it would be something I'd definitely be interested in, and can see why folks are getting excited about it.
I've pre-ordered the light, it Will weigh 800 grams, just under 200grams lighter than my quest 3 with bobo headstrap and battery, so you need to stop thinking Pimax is only for simmers, I'll be using mine for fast action games, UEVR, and education videos.
The fact I think it's for simmers is only my opinion, and that's how I consider it (and probably always will). I'm glad people pick it up for fast paced games too, but the problem is, I don't want to recommend it in that capacity if I don't personally want to play it in that capacity. That's all I'm trying to get across when I describe it in that way. Also, it's not about the weight/comfort of the Crystal that I feel like that. It's only down to the form factor, and inertia you feel in movement. Having a 3-foot wide piece of ultra-light polystyrene which weighs less than a Quest would also have the same criticism from me.
@@ImmersedRobot Agreed, just the size of the Crystal's housing will have some inertia which will help it shifting all over your face unless you have it clamped to your head like a vise grip which in return makes things uncomfortable. A smaller form factor would have been nice but then the cost would have went up do to re-tooling for a new Crystal housing. I hope Pimax can pull this off, a true PCVR HMD is very much needed right now, my question..... How good is the inside out tracking of the current Crystal or should one get the SteamVR lighthouse face plate?
@@jackr.749 In the seated based games I generally play with the Crystal, the inside-out tracking is what I use (although I do have the SteamVR faceplate) and it's great. I think the motion controllers are functionally fine in terms of tracking but not up to the same standard as the Quest 2/3. They work fine in most things I've tried them in, but when taking extreme examples (I usually test them with Eleven Table Tennis) they tend to be less than ideal, but still functional.
I think people get overly concerned about the size (not weight) of the headset when this has little actual impact. I use a Pimax 8KX (which is even larger) for all kinds of action games, and not only is it suitable for the purpose, I am advantaged versus players on Quest. I can see farther and wider than they can. And my reaction time is advantaged by 50ms. People talk a lot about the video artifacting from streaming PCVR to Quest, but the bigger drawback is the latency! The Crystal Light will be lighter than the 8KX. It will weigh about as much as the Valve Index which is obviously used for action games. I think you guys are underestimating the effects of just how much weight is coming off of the original Crystal. And also the weight distribution within the headset. You can see when the faceplate is pulled off in the videos that the outer portions of the housing are now empty.
Is that a Sega Master System I see... I am excited to get the Pimax Crystal Light with the Light House Face Plate so I can upgrade my Pimax5KSuper. I hate I will lose my large FOV but, it will be a massive increase in visuals. I think my Quest 3 looks beautiful. But, I believe this Crystal Light will look even better with it's local dimming feature. My concern is will my PC run it smoothly. I am on intel 12th gen with a RTX3090 card. I don’t plan on upgrading my pc until the 50 series cards drop.
Hi @immersedrobot , I really do think Pimax are having a laugh - again. It's great they dropped the onboard chip and battery, They could of included the eye tracking and still kept it affordable , There was no need to lock LED dimming panels behind a paywall and separate them with modules, The whole approach to the Pimax light is heavily based around money grabbing and upgrading ( It's like they've taken a page from Ubisoft's book and stripped out content to sell it back to us ). There is no doubt the visuals are great but they refused to update the head strap again , Pimax could of designed a head strap similar to the valve index with it's built in springy arms allowing for peeping , They could of adapted the weird block that presses into the back of your head when dialling in the strap , they could of gone for a much smoother dial like the Pico 4 , They could of made the plastic housing and buttons more premium, or put in place magnetised face gaskets and rear head support cushions, they refused to allow us to change the lenses. Everything about the crystal apart from the visuals are appalling and cheap in every way and I am so relieved I managed to claw back a decent price for my crystal, It was and is the worst headset I've had the pleasure of owning. PSVR2 has eye tracking and soon to be ready for PCVR with oled panels for less than £500 , The new Immersed Visor has everything a headset can ask for that's soon to be released ( 4k lenses , eye tracking , pass through , hand tracking and will include the new XR2Gen2+ chip, and it's just as light as BSB and it's standalone or tethered - no doubt Visor will work with steam VR with sideloaded app within days of it's release ) Pimax light is a joke with all it's add on's , versions and pricing. I can say this because I don't have to worry about sponsors or partnerships so I can say it how it is. I would advise everyone to wait till it's out and not pre order this and fall for the hype like I did with the Crystal. Wait 6 months for the price to drop under £500 then use your own judgement to compare it against the newer headsets soon to be released this year.
Just sold my Crystal before the new version was announced as the weight was really bothering me. Hopefully the light is a lot lighter. However, just received my Bigscreen Beyond and Wow, Space has come alive again, no going back to lcd headsets for me.
I haven't tried a Bigscreen Beyond (although I'd love to at some point) so can't comment too much. I've heard about some of the issues you mention, and I suppose the Crystal is a bit of a tradeoff too. You'll definitely gain great edge-to-edge clarity, and a nice bump in FOV. But the weight and form factor is where things are obviously worse unfortunately.
Hi Gary. Would you think a 3080 would be alright to run the light with most popular sim racing titles? I asked this question on Sebastian's latest video and he said it would struggle which I find confusing as the Pimax site says the minimum gpu for the Crystal is a 2070.
In my review to the original Crystal, I said that I'd personally consider a 3080 the absolute minimum anyone should consider pairing with a Crystal (even taking into account DFR benefits). The reason I said that was primarily due to the most demanding games/sims being so demanding on hardware. I suspect the reason Pimax state a 2070 is because lower end VR titles (Beat Saber, Job Simulator etc) could potentially run fine with a reasonably high setting on a 2070 in a Crystal. But racing sims etc demand a little more horsepower. A Crystal paired with a 3080 without DFR in Project Cars 2 would need to be run much lower than native resolution. I apologise, because I havie limited experience in other racers, but when I tried Automobilista 2 in the Crystal it was a very poor experience on my 3080. It really comes down to the fact that, yes you will get a resolution benefit in certain titles, but it's whether the amount you can push the resolution up is worth the cost. Sorry I can't give better news but the Crystal definitely pushes the 3080 to its very limits, and in certain games it simply can't keep up.
Yes, with those features (which most people are probably advised in getting anyway) then the price does jump up to make the overall deal a slightly higher tier. It's still probably the best dedicated VR system for the specific types of simulation games I'd only ever recommend the Crystal for regardless. And in that recommendation, the controllers might not be necessary for all - especially, as I say, sim gamers. Although I love my Pimax Crystal, I would never recommend it as an 'all-rounder', and I stand by that for my own use-cases.
Well these PIMAX lite VR headsets do sound nice on paper, but I am hesitant and will watch release video reviews to see how users do with the devices. I am never the first one on the block to buy new products, mainly because of possible bugs and issues. And PIMAX is sometimes notorious for this kind of thing. So it is a wait and see for me for these VR headsets. Note: I only do sitting down SIM racing games, so a wired VR headset to the Display Port would work and be the best for me. I even have my Quest 3 connected via a USB LINK cable and works really well with all the games. Take care.
The room calibration on the Crystal is confusing to say the least. I don’t even bother setting it up. I just sit down in MSFS, Elite or whatever, then hit the ‘recenter’ key in the experience I’m playing. I’d clarify this with Pimax, but I’m almost certain the room setup is not necessary at all.
Hi, they can't even answer a simple question concerning people wearing glasses and if a spacer will be available with the HMD or as an accessory that can be purchased. For sure I will never buy a HMD if that will ruin my glasses and scratch my lenses.
Depending on what you want to play, I would expect a 4070 will provide a good experience on the Crystal Light. However, higher refresh rates/framerates, and pushing the resolution up to native Crystal Light resolution will be difficult in the most demanding titles unfortunately.
Can you turn off your minileds and do a side by side through the lens comparison of how bad is with no local dimming compared to it being active? People were saying a ling time ago that Aero with no local dimming was better than Crystal with no local dimming. If you don't have time, at least if you confirm how much is the difference. Thanks.
That's a great idea, and something I didn't even think about for some reason. I've just checked in the Pimax software to confirm the option to turn it off completely (I've never done that, but the option is there). I'll either make a quick through the lens video when I get a chance, or give my impressions in a forthcoming video at some point. Thank you for the suggestion!
@@ImmersedRobot thanks for that! Yeah, I'm trying to figure out if it worth paying 200 extra for the deep blacks. Best regards! And I'm waiting for your long live sessions with the other guys, where you analyse the VR market.
Search YT and you’ll find a couple of comparisons. In darkish environments the difference is huge. I can also see a pretty big improvement using local dimming with my QPro. Much better than my Q3 that doesn’t have this. For sim enthusiasts I’d highly recommend getting the local dimming option. Your $’s so your decision of course.
Thanks for sharing all this mate. Since I already have 2x2.0 base stations and Index controllers I think I'll go for the $899 version with local dimming and SteamVR faceplate. With my fairly strong PC (i913900k/rtx4090/32Gb 6400ram/z790mb) I don't think DFR is all that big a deal for me with msfs. I think that this should be a very nice upgrade to my almost 5yo Vive Pro1 (amoled screens with etsy gear vr lens mod). However, like you say, better to wait for some indepentant user reviews. I'm also interested in the Pimax Crystal Super QLED version but tbh I don't think that my current rtx4090 rig would come close to taking advantage of its 52ppd resolution with msfs. We're probably going to need to wait for rtx5090, maybe even rtx6090 rigs, to be able to fully utilise those imho. Thanks again mate and best cheers.
I was thinking about the PSVR2 compared to the Crystal Light yesterday, and I think a lot of it comes down to how Sony implement PC support. I hope it's a native, direct connection with specific drivers built with support for eye-tracking etc. If that's the case then it will be stiff competition for the Crystal Light for some people. Those who still demand the highest possible resolutions will still favour the Crystal Light of course, so it still comes down to which tradeoffs are most important I suppose.
I speak to Steve occasionally, and he has been a guest a few times on 'Recentered', which is another podcast I do now. I haven't heard too much from Anthony or Chris since ending the show unfortunately, but I'd love to catch up with both of them too at some point.
Hi Gary! I would recommend people to pre-order who want to get it asap, because first batches are limited. They can still cancel their pre-order if we find out the device has some major flaws. But at this point in time, I am pretty confident they can finally deliver a headset that is what we all wanted in the first place. For those who can wait it all out for a couple of more months: sure, no need to pre-order.
I think the Crystal Light is a relatively safe bet for pre-ordering in the history of their products, since it's heavily based on a great device which is already out there. But, especially with Pimax, I feel like waiting a month or two after launch can sometimes reward users with a better product. We all remember the early batches of Crystal being shippped with plastic lenses rather than the glass lenses, and also the packaging issues which resulted in some of the early Crystals arriving damaged. There were also reports of the 8KX having hardware improvements after a short time.
I don't expect the Crystal Light to suffer any of these specific issues of course, but patience can sometimes be rewarded with Pimax. Having said that, like you, I generally feel pretty confident with this particular product for the simple fact that they're taking things out, rather than adding endless things in which could add to the complexity. And if users want that high-end experience as soon as possible then pre-ordering is the only option.
Note that the Crystal Light isn't just a cut down version of the original Crystal. The deletion of the XR2 means that the tracking and audio software needs to be ported/rewritten from Android to Windows. I'm happy about this because the XR2 software was responsible for a lot of the bugs with the original Crystal, especially the ridiculous 500ms audio latency bug that Pimax was never able to fix. Eliminating the XR2 is likely to greatly increase the stability of the platform. However, the Windows code that replaces it will be new and may not be stable at first (especially considering Pimax's track record).
This is actually something I haven't been able to find a clear answer on previously, so you might be able to shed some light on it. I was generally under the impression that when the Crystal was switched to PC mode, the tracking (including Tobii eye-tracking) was handled via the PC anyway - in the same way the Rift S, and WMR headsets operate. Therefore that tracking software had already been written on the PC side through the Pimax client (the Tobii eye tracking integration would have been very simple from this point of view since Tobii would have provided that). If this was the case then the XR2 tracking only took over when the physical switch on the headset was set to standalone mode.
Any information you can provide on this would be appreciated as I've tried to find a solid answer to this previously but can't seem to find any definitive answers.
Hi Gary.
Are you expecting a Crystal Light for review?
What I would like to see is a review with the base unit (what you get when you actually buy one), using the SMAS sound solution that comes with the HMD, seems all YT reviews got sent units with the "Optional" DMAS speakers, these are expensive for what they are ($135 Canadian on the Pimax store, $250 on the Amazon Canada Pimax store). I ordered a Crystal Light on May 31, not really expecting it until August. But no one and I mean no one mentions the SMAS sound quality in ANY reviews, is SMAS as good as lets say the Quest 2 or 3, the Pico 4? better, about the same or worst. Sounds is a important part of VR, would be nice to know this information during reviews. As for the DMAS, some say equal of Valve Index and G2 sounds, some say not as good.
Any help or info you can offer would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. :)
I've been told that I will receive a review unit of the Crystal Light, although to be honest, my current work schedule means I might have to turn the offer down due to limited time to make videos. However, if I do go ahead and review the Crystal Light, I will request an SMAS version for this very reason. I'd be interested to know how good the sound is myself, and actually wish I'd tried that version at the Pimax Roadshow event I attended last week.
With regards to the DMAS headphones on the Crystal, I'd personally rank them very close to the sound quality of the Valve Index and the Reverb G2. There might very well be a small difference in sound quality, but I struggled to tell the difference. The DMAS is very good sound quality.
@@ImmersedRobot Thank you for the reply Gary, the difference you experienced with the DMAS possibly not being quite as good as the Index is more than likely dependent on what amplifier and DAC a particular HMD is using to power the sound solution.
In example, I have a Pico4, no 3.5mm headphone jack on that HMD, I bought a Ugreen USB-C to 3.5mm, I used the DAS headphones with 3D printed adaptor and once plugged into the Ugreen adaptor... the sound is simply amazing, much better than any other HMD I've ever plugged the DAS headphones into (Vive, Rift-S, Quest 2 and 3) so I'm thinking whatever goodies they pack into that little Ugreen adapter makes the DAS sound so much better making me realize the DAS are actually really good headphones, the DAC in VR headsets blows dead goats at midnight. LOL
got a 4090 so I preorder instantly no hesitation, the fov rendering won’t bother me and i don’t plan on upgrading till 6090 drops in 2-3 years
I love the idea of a high end light Crystal. It's great news! My PC would melt but still.. 😊
It’s good to have options for sure. It can only be a benefit to people looking for a high resolution dedicated PC VR headset.
@@ImmersedRobot I loved my rift S. Okay so this is more, but with tech and headsets only getting better it would be something I'd definitely be interested in, and can see why folks are getting excited about it.
Crystal Light wont have DFR but I guess with a 5090 it'll be a beast anyways.
@@Sandboxcode True.
This sort of makes PSVR2 "cheap".
I wish we got a variant without XR2, but with eye trading and DFR.
My first computer in the background...an Amstrad.
I've pre-ordered the light, it Will weigh 800 grams, just under 200grams lighter than my quest 3 with bobo headstrap and battery, so you need to stop thinking Pimax is only for simmers, I'll be using mine for fast action games, UEVR, and education videos.
The fact I think it's for simmers is only my opinion, and that's how I consider it (and probably always will). I'm glad people pick it up for fast paced games too, but the problem is, I don't want to recommend it in that capacity if I don't personally want to play it in that capacity. That's all I'm trying to get across when I describe it in that way.
Also, it's not about the weight/comfort of the Crystal that I feel like that. It's only down to the form factor, and inertia you feel in movement. Having a 3-foot wide piece of ultra-light polystyrene which weighs less than a Quest would also have the same criticism from me.
@@ImmersedRobot Agreed, just the size of the Crystal's housing will have some inertia which will help it shifting all over your face unless you have it clamped to your head like a vise grip which in return makes things uncomfortable. A smaller form factor would have been nice but then the cost would have went up do to re-tooling for a new Crystal housing.
I hope Pimax can pull this off, a true PCVR HMD is very much needed right now, my question.....
How good is the inside out tracking of the current Crystal or should one get the SteamVR lighthouse face plate?
@@jackr.749 In the seated based games I generally play with the Crystal, the inside-out tracking is what I use (although I do have the SteamVR faceplate) and it's great. I think the motion controllers are functionally fine in terms of tracking but not up to the same standard as the Quest 2/3. They work fine in most things I've tried them in, but when taking extreme examples (I usually test them with Eleven Table Tennis) they tend to be less than ideal, but still functional.
I think people get overly concerned about the size (not weight) of the headset when this has little actual impact. I use a Pimax 8KX (which is even larger) for all kinds of action games, and not only is it suitable for the purpose, I am advantaged versus players on Quest. I can see farther and wider than they can. And my reaction time is advantaged by 50ms. People talk a lot about the video artifacting from streaming PCVR to Quest, but the bigger drawback is the latency!
The Crystal Light will be lighter than the 8KX. It will weigh about as much as the Valve Index which is obviously used for action games. I think you guys are underestimating the effects of just how much weight is coming off of the original Crystal. And also the weight distribution within the headset. You can see when the faceplate is pulled off in the videos that the outer portions of the housing are now empty.
Nice that there is a new headset for some people. To me it's simply not a headset I can use. I need wireless, because my pc is in another room...
Is that a Sega Master System I see... I am excited to get the Pimax Crystal Light with the Light House Face Plate so I can upgrade my Pimax5KSuper. I hate I will lose my large FOV but, it will be a massive increase in visuals. I think my Quest 3 looks beautiful. But, I believe this Crystal Light will look even better with it's local dimming feature. My concern is will my PC run it smoothly. I am on intel 12th gen with a RTX3090 card. I don’t plan on upgrading my pc until the 50 series cards drop.
Hi @immersedrobot , I really do think Pimax are having a laugh - again. It's great they dropped the onboard chip and battery, They could of included the eye tracking and still kept it affordable , There was no need to lock LED dimming panels behind a paywall and separate them with modules, The whole approach to the Pimax light is heavily based around money grabbing and upgrading ( It's like they've taken a page from Ubisoft's book and stripped out content to sell it back to us ). There is no doubt the visuals are great but they refused to update the head strap again , Pimax could of designed a head strap similar to the valve index with it's built in springy arms allowing for peeping , They could of adapted the weird block that presses into the back of your head when dialling in the strap , they could of gone for a much smoother dial like the Pico 4 , They could of made the plastic housing and buttons more premium, or put in place magnetised face gaskets and rear head support cushions, they refused to allow us to change the lenses. Everything about the crystal apart from the visuals are appalling and cheap in every way and I am so relieved I managed to claw back a decent price for my crystal, It was and is the worst headset I've had the pleasure of owning. PSVR2 has eye tracking and soon to be ready for PCVR with oled panels for less than £500 , The new Immersed Visor has everything a headset can ask for that's soon to be released ( 4k lenses , eye tracking , pass through , hand tracking and will include the new XR2Gen2+ chip, and it's just as light as BSB and it's standalone or tethered - no doubt Visor will work with steam VR with sideloaded app within days of it's release ) Pimax light is a joke with all it's add on's , versions and pricing. I can say this because I don't have to worry about sponsors or partnerships so I can say it how it is. I would advise everyone to wait till it's out and not pre order this and fall for the hype like I did with the Crystal. Wait 6 months for the price to drop under £500 then use your own judgement to compare it against the newer headsets soon to be released this year.
Just sold my Crystal before the new version was announced as the weight was really bothering me. Hopefully the light is a lot lighter. However, just received my Bigscreen Beyond and Wow, Space has come alive again, no going back to lcd headsets for me.
I've been tempted by the Bigscreen Beyond myself at various points. Glad you're enjoying it.
It needs a new smaller shell , Pimax 16k shell is too big for the crystal light
Im eyeballing this even as someone that has a bigscreen beyond already which lacks in edge to edge clarity and fov a bit.
I haven't tried a Bigscreen Beyond (although I'd love to at some point) so can't comment too much. I've heard about some of the issues you mention, and I suppose the Crystal is a bit of a tradeoff too. You'll definitely gain great edge-to-edge clarity, and a nice bump in FOV. But the weight and form factor is where things are obviously worse unfortunately.
you could argue that the Crystal is a cut back version of the Crystal.
Haha, I quite like that sentence, and not untrue. I get the impression you're a Pimax skeptic?
Hi Gary. Would you think a 3080 would be alright to run the light with most popular sim racing titles? I asked this question on Sebastian's latest video and he said it would struggle which I find confusing as the Pimax site says the minimum gpu for the Crystal is a 2070.
In my review to the original Crystal, I said that I'd personally consider a 3080 the absolute minimum anyone should consider pairing with a Crystal (even taking into account DFR benefits). The reason I said that was primarily due to the most demanding games/sims being so demanding on hardware.
I suspect the reason Pimax state a 2070 is because lower end VR titles (Beat Saber, Job Simulator etc) could potentially run fine with a reasonably high setting on a 2070 in a Crystal. But racing sims etc demand a little more horsepower.
A Crystal paired with a 3080 without DFR in Project Cars 2 would need to be run much lower than native resolution. I apologise, because I havie limited experience in other racers, but when I tried Automobilista 2 in the Crystal it was a very poor experience on my 3080.
It really comes down to the fact that, yes you will get a resolution benefit in certain titles, but it's whether the amount you can push the resolution up is worth the cost. Sorry I can't give better news but the Crystal definitely pushes the 3080 to its very limits, and in certain games it simply can't keep up.
@@ImmersedRobot Not good news. Thanks for your detailed reply Gary.
Hmm! What about a 3090…? I’m guessing it would be mostly OK, but might struggle with particularly demanding games?
Local dimming with controllers is over 900 quid with tax
Yes, with those features (which most people are probably advised in getting anyway) then the price does jump up to make the overall deal a slightly higher tier. It's still probably the best dedicated VR system for the specific types of simulation games I'd only ever recommend the Crystal for regardless. And in that recommendation, the controllers might not be necessary for all - especially, as I say, sim gamers.
Although I love my Pimax Crystal, I would never recommend it as an 'all-rounder', and I stand by that for my own use-cases.
Well these PIMAX lite VR headsets do sound nice on paper, but I am hesitant and will watch release video reviews to see how users do with the devices. I am never the first one on the block to buy new products, mainly because of possible bugs and issues. And PIMAX is sometimes notorious for this kind of thing.
So it is a wait and see for me for these VR headsets.
Note: I only do sitting down SIM racing games, so a wired VR headset to the Display Port would work and be the best for me. I even have my Quest 3 connected via a USB LINK cable and works really well with all the games.
Take care.
Hi.
I was going to exclude the controllers, but don't you need them to setup your room calibration, even if seated?
Thanks.
The room calibration on the Crystal is confusing to say the least. I don’t even bother setting it up. I just sit down in MSFS, Elite or whatever, then hit the ‘recenter’ key in the experience I’m playing.
I’d clarify this with Pimax, but I’m almost certain the room setup is not necessary at all.
Hi, they can't even answer a simple question concerning people wearing glasses and if a spacer will be available with the HMD or as an accessory that can be purchased.
For sure I will never buy a HMD if that will ruin my glasses and scratch my lenses.
Thanks for the video. Will the Crystal Light work with other brand controllers such as the Valve Index or HTC Vive Pro 2?
If you get the optional Lighthouse faceplate, and have basestations, then yes.
Thank you!
Is a 4070 good enough for the light ?
Depending on what you want to play, I would expect a 4070 will provide a good experience on the Crystal Light. However, higher refresh rates/framerates, and pushing the resolution up to native Crystal Light resolution will be difficult in the most demanding titles unfortunately.
@@ImmersedRobot Understood. The display port alone is a upgrade over my Quest 3, so the Crystal light is definitely in my future and a 5090. Thanks
Can you turn off your minileds and do a side by side through the lens comparison of how bad is with no local dimming compared to it being active? People were saying a ling time ago that Aero with no local dimming was better than Crystal with no local dimming. If you don't have time, at least if you confirm how much is the difference. Thanks.
That's a great idea, and something I didn't even think about for some reason. I've just checked in the Pimax software to confirm the option to turn it off completely (I've never done that, but the option is there). I'll either make a quick through the lens video when I get a chance, or give my impressions in a forthcoming video at some point. Thank you for the suggestion!
@@ImmersedRobot thanks for that! Yeah, I'm trying to figure out if it worth paying 200 extra for the deep blacks. Best regards! And I'm waiting for your long live sessions with the other guys, where you analyse the VR market.
Search YT and you’ll find a couple of comparisons. In darkish environments the difference is huge. I can also see a pretty big improvement using local dimming with my QPro. Much better than my Q3 that doesn’t have this. For sim enthusiasts I’d highly recommend getting the local dimming option. Your $’s so your decision of course.
what is the weight of that thing?
800g. About the same as the Valve Index.
Thanks for sharing all this mate. Since I already have 2x2.0 base stations and Index controllers I think I'll go for the $899 version with local dimming and SteamVR faceplate. With my fairly strong PC (i913900k/rtx4090/32Gb 6400ram/z790mb) I don't think DFR is all that big a deal for me with msfs. I think that this should be a very nice upgrade to my almost 5yo Vive Pro1 (amoled screens with etsy gear vr lens mod). However, like you say, better to wait for some indepentant user reviews.
I'm also interested in the Pimax Crystal Super QLED version but tbh I don't think that my current rtx4090 rig would come close to taking advantage of its 52ppd resolution with msfs. We're probably going to need to wait for rtx5090, maybe even rtx6090 rigs, to be able to fully utilise those imho. Thanks again mate and best cheers.
At £800 i don't think many will choose this, but instead go for the more affordable PSVR2
I was thinking about the PSVR2 compared to the Crystal Light yesterday, and I think a lot of it comes down to how Sony implement PC support. I hope it's a native, direct connection with specific drivers built with support for eye-tracking etc. If that's the case then it will be stiff competition for the Crystal Light for some people. Those who still demand the highest possible resolutions will still favour the Crystal Light of course, so it still comes down to which tradeoffs are most important I suppose.
Yeah, if you ever want to hate your self buy a pimax worse and most broken software and hardware on the planet.
Hey just curious, do you still keep in contact with the gang from the channel VR roundtable?
I speak to Steve occasionally, and he has been a guest a few times on 'Recentered', which is another podcast I do now. I haven't heard too much from Anthony or Chris since ending the show unfortunately, but I'd love to catch up with both of them too at some point.
@@ImmersedRobot i suppose there off living there lives to the fullest.
@@c.j2527 more than likely.