Jaap from Pimax here. I just had a video call with Mark, and again I want to apologize on behalf of Pimax for this situation. The way this situation was handled isn’t according to our company’s beliefs - but Mark and me will do a video interview about this later, where I’ll explain (not justify) the situation and also explain how we’ll improve on this going forward - to prevent this from happening in the future. At the core of the problem, it's an internal communication problem, because we weren't aware that cases were handled like this. Enthusiasts like Mark make the VR industry so great, and it's an honor to provide them with great headsets. For us to drop the ball like this and diminish their enthusiasm is just really painful. Please stay tuned for the update video on Mark's channel.
@@JaapGrolleman I sincerely hope you do solve this issue not just for Mark but for the others that this same terrible customer treatment has been given to. I am a member of a large Flight school based on DCS World you have given the owner of the school a Crystal Light to review on his YT channel and we were all very excited about Pimax and the new Crystal Super coming but unless any of us see this and other situations like this solved properly none of us will be buying Pimax headsets. I was going to pre Order a Crystal Super as my first VR headset I had pre booked one back earlier this year but will be holding off on that purchase till I see what happens to Mark and others in this situation. How can you say you did not know customers were being treated like this. Do you not train your customer service teams?
Thanks for commenting here directly. For those of you reading this, I challenged Jaap to come up with a solution for the whole Pimax community, not just for us "privileged" few. I for one would like to hear what the company comes up with and I look forward to the interview. I'm hopeful that this time around, changes will be more concrete and not more lip service that we have seen from the company in the past. After talking to Jaap, I believe he wants to improve things... we just have to see if that is really a possibility. Please lets at least give him the courtesy of hearing him out. Thanks everyone!
@JaapGrolleman I can respect the response. I am looking forward to seeing the next moves. It's a shame it had to come to this. It makes me wonder how many people had the same experience but not the means to speak up as loud to be heard, kinda scary.
@jaapgrolleman - can you please update the community who either pre-purchased or were waiting for the crystal og wide fov lenses? All gone quite from Pimax unless I wanna buy a crystal lite or preorder a super
Yeah, same with me. Pimax was at the top of my list for a PCVR set, but until I know things have turned around in the company or another manufacturer creates a better or equal product, I' m laying back. You know, I think it's going to take news from a business report that the company Pimax has taken on the efforts of a new CEO to bring the company back.
I backed out of purchasing a Pimax , their QA ,is terrible. Thank goodness for honest reviews and people reporting their experiences with this company. You are not alone .
Because of that I don't care for reviews where they received a free, pre checked, qa passed, special gold edition certified hand selected reviewer edition from Pimax. That's just bait and the customers get's the complete chaos of a bad product life time, from delays in production and delivery, bad quality product at their house, to the jungle of customer service and the empty desert of wasted time.
@@DasJev This is maybe one of the most important points that should not get missed - the products that reviewers get are not the same that people buy. Hand-selected and possibly even hand-built. I only trust reviews where the person purchased it as anonymously as they could. That’s the only “sample” we can trust. In this case, Pimax got caught twice. First, their build and QC are shoddy. But wait, there’s more. Still not knowing that this customer had a voice and reach they then treated him like any other customer. So after tons of “reviews” we finally get to see the truth. They have more to fix than just the unit - they need to fix everything.
Yeah, I bought a Pimax Crystal, tried it while waiting on the rest of my kit to come in and discovered I didn't like it and within their timeline, I requested a refund. It took more than 3 months for them to issue the RMA to get a refund. The WHOLE TIME they argued with me, tried to get me to keep it. Based on THAT EXPERIENCE alone, I WILL NEVER do business with this company again.
Now with their new Prime subcription they also reduced it to 10 days They keep saying that its good and more than others but EU regulations clearly state that it 14 days
im glad you made this video. I have noticed a pattern of bad reviews regarding customer service all over reddit and you tube. I bought a Cystal light and read all the issues people are having. I was on the fence about making Pimax my brand of choice but not anymore I will not deal with decietful companys and horrible customer service!!!
Glad I could help. I just want for people to avoid unnecessary headaches especially when spending so much money. No matter how good the headsets get, it doesn't look like Pimax will be changing its ways. Thanks for watching.
Thanks for stopping by! An honor to have you watching my content and commenting, you are one of my favorites out there. I'm really looking forward to seeing what you think about the MeganeX. It's the one I'm seriously thinking about buying next.
@@GYGOtv I was so hyped by so many positive reviews on YT about the Crystal Light, thinking they finally nailed the many quality issues they had in the past. Seems nothing has changed then... I would be as infuriated as you are after all this. Really a shaddy company and customer service. Unfortunately it's not news from them. Hope you recover your loss real soon.
Hey PCHOW!!! Ya, after my experience I think that was totally a scam to get rid of their 8kx inventory. I doubt we will ever see a 12k so they don't ever have to honor their deal. They might come out with a headset that is 12k but I bet they call it something else. Pretty shitty deal on that one.
Agree. After the 8KX scam. Never again. Not one cent from me. Have several other headsets. I can advice anyone. Save some money and just get a Meta Quest 3. Pimax could come out with the best specs headset on the market for a ridiculously low price. Won’t buy into it. Thanks for the honest video.
Thank you for doing this. I was just about to waste 2000€ for the Crystal Super pre-order, but luckily got this video recommended when looking for more information about the company.
@@mjsavage711in an alternative timeline we would already be enjoying our hp reverb g3s 😅 g2 was the best pcvr headset for the money 💰 in the last 4 years
@@GYGOtv Meganex Superlight 8K seems like a good option, but I heard they did not deliver their previous headsets, so I don't know how is this allowed.
Hey Mark, I'm just catching up with all this as it's been such a busy week with the new sim release 😵 It's so sad to see Pimax are still struggling with poor customer service and QC issues. Especially as this has been a big problem for too long now. While most of my community seem to be extremely happy with their Crystals, I feel for those who get a dodgy unit. Thankfully my Discord has been an effective way for users to get direct contact with Pimax. I'd urge anyone struggling with their ticket, to head over there and we will get you sorted. I will be making my own video in relation to this, because it's simply not good enough. Great video mate, you are such an ambassador for our hobby. Speak soon.
What, a new flight sim came out this week? :) Thanks for the comment my friend, I'd argue you are a much better ambassador than I am, but I'll take the compliment (If only I could learn a British Accent I could class up my videos a little). BTW Just in case you didn't see it, Pimax and I did a response video ruclips.net/video/BEPegfAyf2I/видео.html BUT I'm staying out of the comments on that one (this one has been hard enough to keep up on). I appreciate that Pimax is trying to take care of me now, but I tend to agree with the commenters here that if I hadn't made the video I don't think I would have seen this result. Of course I could never prove that, but that is my gut feeling. Always look forward to your videos, and I will certainly watch your Pimax one. Thanks for stopping by!
Thanks for putting this issue out there. There is a rising tide of experiences like this including my own and it's important that people are made aware so they know what may happen if they choose Pimax.
Thanks for sharing. I bought my Crystal Light from a local dealer in Norway. Noticed issues with the lenses immediately and returned it. Got a new one. Same thing with that one and got the third replacement this week. Same thing, The issues got increasingly worse with each one. Thankfully the local dealer has awesome customer service and sent replacements fast. After the third headset I gave up and asked for a refund. It's a shame cause the headset suppose to be awesome, but there seems to be something terribly wrong with the leadership of that company. It's just sad.
If you get a good one it is AMAZING! Just seems like the Quality Control for Pimax has gone out the door. Sad but true. Thanks for sharing your experience.
The one thing I’ve noticed about Pimax that has not changed over the years is that there’s still a bunch of liars they have no problem lying right to your face. I’m still waiting for my wide field of view lenses for my Pimax crystal. They had no problem taking my money a year and a half ago and promising it in couple of months….. more lies more lies more lies.
Id make a list of consumer protection sites and advise them that you will send a complaint to all of them if they dont rectify your problem pronto! How about the tv news station in the city where the company is? Or email the CEO/Pres. himself. Not acceptable ever, this kind of service! Or will any famous RUclipsr mention it on YT as well? I hear ya bro.
Agree 100% You can imagine how big a laugh I had when they said I could pay upfront for the replacement and they would REFUND me once they got the defective unit back... sure I'll just trust you to do that after all this Bullshit!
It's because they've never been challenged, just like NVIDIA hasn't been for the past few years, so they can charge exorbitant prices for GPUs, same goes for these guys with shady pricing and poor QC. I also find they put out headsets yearly instead of making one headset and supporting it for a reasonable time before releasing the next one. All that innovation means jack if the product can only last for a year. I'm not sure who they are competing against, as they are the only ones moving the PCVR market, but they have poor execution. So they really shouldn't be rushing things. No one asked for the Super or the Crystal but only the 12k. That being said, we really need a strong Pimax competitor, and no Sonmium VR won't cut it unless you want to pay 2x the price for the same experience. I wish brands like Moza (another Chinese company) who did QC, software, and products well, and I hope they enter the VR market soon.
@@GYGOtv And why wouldn’t they-they have an army of RUclips influencers like VRflightSimGuy and others who receive cherry picked units to review and then they spew how great the product is, but the rest of us get garbage.
Bought a Crystal Light two months ago. It had warped lenses and I had the same awful experience that you did with their customer support (specifically, Tension). I submitted for a return label and got the following response from Tension "We have registered your shipping address and will provide you with the Return Label as soon as possible later." So he had time to email me but not time to give me a return label. Several weeks went by before I had to jump through more hoops of sending photos and forms before they sent me a return label. Will never give them a penny of my money again.
It was clear to me that Tension's english isn't great, nor was their understanding of US consumer rights. A little more education in that field (and the terms used in it) could go a long way
Now, Pimax is trying to cover up their horrible customer service and product with a lot of empty chatter. Thank you for sharing your experience. My company had planned on purchasing 10 to 20 Crystal Lights. Thank you for saving us from this nightmare!
I wish I didn't have to make this video but I just couldn't believe what they had done... incompetence is one thing but just being scamming pisses me off.
Thanks for the honest review. You saved me!!! I was determined to get the new Pimax Crystal Super as a replacement for the HP Reverb G2, but your honest review saved me from all the future headaches and frustrations. Trust me, I have spent thousands on VR accessories from RUclipsrs who claimed all the wonders of the product, only for me to suffer a much different experience altogether. It’s good to know that honest RUclipsrs are still out there.
It's a pain that there are fewer and fewer options for PC VR headsets. I used the Reverb G2 as well (on MSFS), but the two units I got both failed eventually (after about 2 years each). Now I've switched to the PSVR2, mainly because it's cheap (e.g. on black friday it's about 350$) and the availability. The PSVR2 has a bunch of downsides too (sweet spot is tiny, getting it to start on PC can be a bit finicky), but it seems pretty reliable, has great black levels and FOV.
@@flyingwaffle123 I think the Quest 3 is a great option too. I fly in mine from time to time and it is an enjoyable experience... No Black/Blacks from OLED however so I see why you like that one too.
I sold my working Crystal to someone in Canada and some months later it stopped working and they had to send him a new one. Thankfully the new one did work flawless.
I wish I had seen this video before I ordered my Cristal light. I finally got a promise of a return label in the next 24 hours. I have no idea what's wrong with it, but everything is blurry. It's like it's out of focus. I went to my eye doctor just in case my eyes were going bad. Also, I could get an exact IPD. I started working with customer support and never got anything other than restarting the headset. They never offered to replace it. Then I said I'm done. Just send me a label and my refund." 3 dayd later, they offered me a $30 discount if I kept the headset. This isn't how you do business.
So here's my experience: Bought a Pimax Crystal light, waiting 3 months for it, it shows up, the facial interface is WAY too close to the face, the lenses had MASSIVE Chromatic aberration, and I COULD NOT dial in the IPD, no matter how hard I tried. The sweetspot was so small that when I moved my head, and the back of the headstrap hit my neck, I lost the sweetspot. Because the headset is so close to the eyes, it fogs up almost instantly, and the facial interface is very rough and not plush at all, meaning I had the telltale red marks around my face after only 15 minutes in the headset (the longest I could run it for without getting severe nausea). In addition to all of this, my tracking (which works effortlessly on the original Rift Dev kit and HP Reverb G2) continuously was laggy, leading to EVEN MORE nausea. I tried the additional purchase head-strap, but that did not resolve the facial interface issues or the headset hitting my neck when I looked up in a dogfight. I bought some additional facial interface pads off of recommendations, but that did not fix the sweetspot, IPD or chromatic aberration issues either. I'm used to having to jank your way to an ideal setup for you with VR, but there were just too many compromises, and when my HP Reverb G2 is still singing along fine with my outdated Windows 10 install, it just wasn't worth the trouble. I chose to return the Crystal Light, and went through a annoyingly long and complex return process. IMPORTANT NOTE: If you're in the US, your return IS NOT FREE, even though it says so on the website. They may reimburse you for your return after the fact, but YOU have to pay for the initial return of the goods. Needless to say, I was quite burned by this experience. I agree with everyone that their display technology is second-to-none in the market today, but everything surrounding it, from the build quality of the housing, the lenses, the QA, and the Support are inconsistent at best, and unusable at worst, that its just not worth it. Maybe 5 years from now, when they are a bigger company, with more money to spend on QA, I'll reconsider purchasing from Pimax, but not anytime soon.
Another great video. Agree... I tried communicating with their customer service on a couple of issues and it was always like crickets waiting for responses. This was an obvious sign as to how future issues would be dealt with... Very limited / poor customer communication in my experience. I returned mine within the 1st month as there were too many little things I felt could break and then I would left with a brick. I will only buy from them if they offer a warranty. Thank you for your support and guidance to the community.
Thank you for watching! Ya I'm still a little dumbfounded that they pulled the whole "string him out until the warranty expires" move. Shows you the type of company you are dealing with for sure. Sadly I guess you can get away with that when there isn't any competition in the market.
@@GYGOtvI am working for a multinational company selling tech things. First your issue started into the warranty so they cannot push you out of warranty. They have to provide you an up and running headset. Second i don’t know for your country but there are countries which the have local regulations about warranties. e.g. in my country if you buy something whatever the company says about the warranty the min they have to provide is 2 years. Search your local regulations too. Unfortunately nowadays as customers we suffer from poor QA, insanely expensive stuff and poor services. And yes this is how our world decided to leave because we do nothing about it as consumers!
Thank you for this video. Well done. I wish I had seen it a few weeks earlier. On October 29th I ordered the Crystal Light and the order has been in "Processing" ever since. I reached out and got an email back from someone in support that stated that the headset would be shipped the first or second week of December. Still nothing as of today's date. I have submitted two support tickets now and I am told that because I purchased the headset as a "guest" on their website, they cannot find the order. Simply incredible. I have emails confirming the order but nothing yet. I can't believe how this company is treating their customers. Thanks again.
Really appreciate the honest video. Pimax are absolutely hammering the marketing at the moment, almost every DCS video is sponsored by them so it’s rare to hear a bad word outside of the forums. Shame they don’t send some of that marketing money into their Customer Services department. This is literally what puts me off ever buying one - I want reliability for my hobby, I don’t want to spend months without a headset so I’ll be sticking with my Varjo Aero for the foreseeable future. Thanks again for the great vid ;)
I was going to purchase this headset next week. I was literally searching through RUclips and discovered your video. Thank god I didn’t. The fact you’re considering purchasing another product from them is insane.
That just shows how good the experience is that I would even think about it. I have to admit after seeing so many comments now with SO MANY OTHERS having the same or similar experience... I think I've purged myself of that thought, now it is off to find a replacement for it... thinking MeganeX is looking pretty good. Thanks for watching.
Bought the Pimax Crystal Lite based on the videos and reviews. Waited a few weeks and received it in September. The first thing I noticed was it was strangly uncomfortable, it didn't come close to fitting my face, huge gaps on both sides, felt front heavy. Then I got it all set up super excited to get it up and running, I adjusted the IPD distance and let'r rip. It was completely out of focus, I played with it for hours to try and get it working, even though it made me nauseous. I spent a lot more time trying everything from trying glasses to pulling it away from my face to putting a town in the uncomfortable headstrap. I then contacted CS to get new lenses sent out to me, CS took over 24 hours to respond, no way to contact other than email. Waited a couple more weeks, got the new lenses, installed them and felt a lump in my throat because the new lenses were better but still out of focus. The IPD distance also seemed too far apart even though I had it all the way to 59mm which is where I am at with the Quest3. If I pulled it away from my face and closed one eye it looked good but that is not a way to VR. Bottom line, I sent it back for a refund, I have not received a refund yet. The entire experience was not good....
So sorry to hear this... a common theme from lots of Crystal Light users it seems. Not sure what the hell is going on with the lenses but they have a major issue with them for sure.
Sounds like my experience with the PCL.. it felt cheap, unbalanced and worst of all, when I put it on and adjusted my IPD (usually 61), I could barely eliminate binocular overlap and cross-eye. By the time I had adjusted it further inward, the lens housings were left sitting on the bridge of my nose... not at all comfortable. Also as you mentioned, I could never get it to fit my face well enough as to no bleed light from about cheek level and down to the other side. I believe it took well over a month after I shipped it back before I finally received a refund.
Thank you for sharing this. I was seriously considering going with Pimax, but definitely not anymore! Glad I saw this and probably saved myself money and a lot of headache. Pimax, get your crap together.
Thanks. I had intended to purchase the Pimax Crystal Super bundle, but after seeing their clear lack of regard for their own customers, I will probably just get a Quest 3 or one of the enterprise Varjo headsets instead.
Thanks for watching. The Quest 3 is a great value and gives you about 85% of the High End Headset experience IMO. I can also tell you Varjo is an OUTSTANDING company to work with so that would be a great option too if you can afford it. I wish Varjo had made an Aero 2 because I think that would have been a home run. Good luck and please let me know if you have any other questions.
Hello! First off all, I want to say that I just subscribed to your channel. I like your manner and delivery. You are a straight shooter and you give off a wholesome and trustworthy vibe. I appreciate you and your channel. I have been thinking about getting a Pimax headset for some time. I come from Quest 2 & 3. I have a top of the line custom PC and I have built a driving and flight sim rig. Love it all! I heard you mention DCS. I have it with many modules and love the experience in it. However, I am but a crawling baby right at the beginning of my DCS learning experience. Overwhelming amount to learn, but I'm hopeful I'll eventually become somewhat competent eventually. Anyhow, I really appreciate this video and your story and insight into Pimax and your hardware and customer service experience. It certainly has instilled some justifiable hesitation. The wishful thinking side of me suggests that I take this knowledge and dive in being mentally prepared to fight, if necessary, as promptly and immediately as possible, in hopes of remedying any issues as quickly as possible. Not entirely sure what to do. Still thinking. I have a question for you. What is your next best competing brand/model headset that you would personally go for after Pimax? I welcome opinions from all commenters as well. Thank you!
Well thank you for the Sub!!! Hopefully you will find other videos on the channel that you enjoy as well. I personally really enjoy the Virtual Pinball machine that we built for my Mother a few years back ruclips.net/video/0x4MEbPSIqw/видео.html Anyway back to your question. Right now I'm very interested in the MeganeX Superlight because I LOVE OLED Screens. The only issues I'm worried about on that is the smaller FOV and the lack of on headset Audio. The other option would be the VR1, it isn't cheap but is good quality. Hopefully we will get the Valve Deckard soon too but we have been waiting on that for years. The Crystal Light is a great image if you get one that works, so obviously that is still an option if you are willing to roll the dice. I'm personally not going to do a Super because of the Subscription Program they just put in place. Seems kind of scamy to me after all I went through. As for DCS, it just takes time and watching lots of videos. I'm still learning a lot myself but it is awesome when you start learning how to fly! We do a Patreon Only flight once a month, which is usually DCS so if you ever want to support us through Patreon, we would love to have you join us there too. Thanks for watching and the kind words, welcome to GYGO!
Thanks for sharing your experience with Pimax. I own OG Crystal and have been lucky to have it running for 1,5 years now. However they still haven't delivered the wide FOV lenses they promised at launch and probably never will. Because of this and the quality issues along with bad customer service I certainly won't be getting the Crystal Super. Doesn't really matter how good it might be but it's just too much of a risk. It's crazy to pay $1500 for a headset with 1 year of warranty only to find out you're on your own after that.
For sure, and keep in mind I opened the ticket in May so just over a year of functional use for $1500! So glad yours is still running. Maybe mine would have been good too if they wouldn't have bricked it. Thanks for the comment and the view. Love Alfred E. BTW!
This topic needs to get huge, I saved transcripts from a ticket that made my head spin, the issues was the headset not connecting to PC at all and the battery lasting maybe an hour. Pimax told me my issues could only be resolved through a replacement but I was out of my warranty window ( I purchased the headset Feb 2024) when I pointed the date discrepancies out I was then told the tech support team said my issues actually CANT be fixed with a replacement. But I could get 400 off pimax super. I wish I listened too
You really should publish that. The stories that are coming out now are WILD. Like, the first thought i have is "Oh, ok, these guys are hanging onto the company by the skin of their teeth, thats the only explanation for all these 'oversights'."
Hi, My story is very similar. I refused to buy a pimax headset for years but the stats of the crystal where just to good. So I bought one and .... Nr. 1: no tracking after about a week Nr. 2: no sound after a few minutes Nr. 3: Lots of pixel errors on the right display Nr. 4: Is working without problems since January 2024 (this one came without dmas speakers... but its working 🥳) It took pimax 4 headsets to deliver a working one plus half a year receiving and sending back headsets. I guess I´am lucky to live in europe and I have ordered the headset from a european company so with every defective headset the warranty starts again at two years. The pimax support was not the fastest and I needed the confirmation from pimax to get a new headset from my supplier. I think now I could also work for pimax support because its mostly... "update firmware"... and if you reply slowly enough, there will allways be an new firmware or close to the release of an new firmware that might solve the problem.... but its a good headset... if it works
I'm glad you've made this video. I've been screaming about this for ages. It's THE worst experience I've ever had with a tech product full stop. I had the 8Kx and the experience was awful and ended up having to loose £180 just to get it sent back and get my money back, after 2 weeks of usage. Also inside a DCS cockpit the lens distortion was so bad it was un usable.
I saw a ton of comments like this when I was looking at first buying the Crystal. I really wanted to give Pimax the benefit of the doubt that they had changed... but obviously they don't seem to have. Appreciate your efforts trying to warn folks... hopefully I can do the same with this video. Thanks for the comment.
I’m going through the same situation. Customer service is appalling. I’ve sent mine back, and they said they’ll replace it. They said they’ll let me know when it’s been dispatched. I’ve heard nothing, and they post a video on RUclips yesterday bragging about having them in warehouses all over the world ready to go. And to cap it all, they then announce that you can now get the same headset for a lot less money. Wish I’d never ordered it with them.
Funny I thought the same thing when I saw that part of the video... "huh, wonder where mine is" Hope you get yours soon and I hope it works like a champ. Thanks for watching.
@@GYGOtv Simple, they already have your money so they can sell the headset they owe you and many others to other customers and get their money. I'll never buy their products. Thanks for the video.
Thanks for sharing even when it was a sad story. I've never been interested in Pimax after hearing about the crazy lousy quality of their products in the beginning of their journey. Where parts of their headsets didn't even align properly. A couple of months back and after hearing so many people raving about the amazing visuals in the PCL, I thought let's give it a go and compare it to my Varjo Aero. Got the headset and the IQ indeed was great with the sharpness and vivid colors. As long as I kept my head completely still that was. As soon as I started to move my head and not to mention getting up in the air (in MSFS2020), my eyes started to feel really bad and I almost started feeling a bit sick and dizzy. Since my eyes were not able to focus on anything. It was like my eyes constantly tried to find focus but simply couldn't. Switched back to my Aero and it was like a dream for my eyes. What a difference it was! The Pimax was sent back to where it came from, I got my money back and learned my lesson...no more Pimax products in this house.
That's the small distortion sweetspot that you get with aspheric lens headsets. Most of these shill Pimax reviewers don't even mention it, but I had a problem with it also when moving my head just a little out of alignment.
Varjo Aero, I loved that headset and that company had spectacular customer service. If they made a competing headset (like an Aero 2) I'd buy that in a second. Thanks for the comment.-
@@dtz1000 To be fair, some of us don't have a problem with it... I know I see very well through Aspherics and actually prefer them to Pancake. But to each their own for sure. The good news is there are options for whatever kind you like out there. Thanks for the comment.
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I know lots of people were lucky enough to win the Pimax lottery and I'm happy for them! It doesn't appear to be just a matter of type of lenses but also lack of QC over at Pimax.
Rumor is that the youtuber reviewers got versions with better lenses and were probably closely examined before shipping to be the best of the best. Regular users are saying they are unimpressed with the lenses and general quality control. Too bad, it turned me off for now and I'll wait and see if the quality improves.... :(
Well I was just a customer and I don't think they knew I had a RUclips channel (Lord knows I paid full price for the headset). I think the original units had some form of QA, I think now they just ship everything they make and let the customer be the QA for the company. At least it sure seems that way with all the defective units that get in customer's hands now. Thanks for the comment and for watching.
I also believe, now, that many RUclips influencers get their free products that are overly tested and inspected and then, of course, get positive reviews.
@@GYGOtv Because you a paying customer I trust your review in this Pimax issue. It's amazing how product reviews differ between paying customers and get-it-free customers. Thank you for the information you provide. It is very helpful.
I had this issue. 1sr headset was bad lenses. Returned it after about 3 lenses that were all bad. Month later gave it another try and this time i had good lenses. Happy with the crystal light. Not sure how long it will last though. I've ordered the super to see if it's worth it
I tried to return mine within the first 15 days. They told me their system was down and I would have to ship, cheapest possible to an address in California and was not allowed to insure it or require signature. So essentially no recourse if the headset "vanished". I declined. I kept it and am making it work but will NEVER buy anything from them again.
It is the shady stuff like this that I hear over and over again. Can't believe they get away with it with all these people having issues. Thanks for watching.
Devastating blow to pimax. I was so close to dumping a grand. I'm just grateful they only charged $1 for the initial "preorder". Thank you for posting this. How embarrassing
Thank you for this video. I've been considering the purchase of the Crystal Light as the original Crystal was too heavy. I have a neck condition. Some time ago, I read on the Pimax Website that they had a 15-day return. Today, in an email or on their Discord, I read they have a 10-day return. I immediately thought that to reduce the time to try means something is wrong with the headset. Then, I saw your video. So, from reading and watching about Pimax Crystal Light issues and negative customer service, I just decided to stay away from Pimax. I have a meta Quest 3, but I am looking for a high-end headset to connect to a PC display port for a flight simulator. Thanks again.
You are welcome... I too have a Quest 3... Are you running Virtual Desktop? Fast Router? Do you have a newer video card that has the .av1 codec? The reason I ask is I use mine a lot for sims and it looks fantastic if you have all the right gear. Let me know if you need more info and I'll do my best to help. Thanks for watching.
@GYGOtv i have a good PC. It's the Corsair i8100 with 4090 GPU and Intel i9-13900KS. I use the Meta link cable . I use Xplane-11 which is good, although I do get some FPS drops and stuttering when real weather is on and the weather for the day is not great-- say very cloudy. I would like to use Xplane-12, but the demo version has a lot of shimmering in the distance. I was thinking that perhaps a better headset connected directly to a display port on the GPU would improve visuals in VR. I watched and tried so many tips and tricks, but none seem to fix the severe shimmering. Your thoughts?
You should consider the Bigscreen Beyond. It's an obvious choice for your neck condition. And while it's mostly noted for its tiny size and weight, it also offers high end visuals. I went from Pimax Crystal to Bigscreen Beyond, and the visuals are alllmost as good as the Crystal overall. Very close. I also own a Quest 3, the Beyond easily has better visuals than that. The Beyond has also been rock stable, and their customer service is excellent. Absolute opposite of Pimax in those regards. It's expensive though.
Thank you for shining light on this- I’ve been considering my next VR move due to the G2 situation. I was starting to look into Pimax and saw this video. Thanks for helping me steer WAY clear of this shady company. No thanks!!
You are welcome. Just want people to know what they may be in for. I'd recommend looking at a Quest 3 (NOT Q3S) I think it is the best value out there right now. If you have any questions please let me know. Thanks for watching.
Second the Q3 from the G2. I went G2 to Pimax Crystal light and had a very similar experience as described here. 3 sets of bad lenses, refunded last month so issue is still current. Grabbed a Quest 3, couldn't be happier coming from a G2, and now 2 of my mates enjoying their Q3 as well, saving them the money and 4 month headache with Pimax products and support.
Pimax user here since the Kickstarter with the 5K+ and then the 8KX. Over the years of ownership I ran into a couple support issues and it took forever to get a response each time. The technology when it works is the best around, only when it works though. If anyone is getting into a Pimax they need to be prepared to deal with crap like you mentioned. I would have bought the Crystal in a heartbeat had I not felt like this. I really had hoped over the years the company would evolve to become better.
This is terrifying, as I write this looking at my perfectly working Crystal, I've had the 1.5 hour gameplay charge problem and they sent me a new USB Hub that allowed it to keep it constantly charged and even disconnected the battery lasts the normal 3.5 hours almost 4. My experience with them made me think they had stepped up customer support wise, so I pray I never have to go through something like what you are experiencing right now. Thanks for the video, eye opening.
I hope your headset lasts a long time. It really is an amazing device. Ya, the battery problem seems to have corrected itself on mine too. I highly suspect a firmware issue was causing it originally. Thanks for watching, and take good care of that headset!
Stay away from Pimax. I used to be a Pimaxian. I had an 8KX and was pretty happy. But my Crystal experience has been an absolute disaster. I’m on my second headset and still having issues. The customer service is a complete joke. Such a shame. We need more high end display port pc headsets… hopefully an Index 2.0 soon….
You're experience sounds similar to mine. The 8KX was pretty mature by the time I got one, and its bugs weren't so bad. Served well for years. But the two Crystals I bought were both disasters. And dealing with Pimax support was one of the more awful experiences of my life. I mean, it was so bad and stressful and frustrating that it was actually adversely affecting my life for a month.
I ordered a Pimax Crystal light and after trying it out decided it was not for me. On December 11 I submitted a request for a return/refund and promptly received a reply from customer service stating I would receive a return shipping label. I haven't received it yet and I've submitted several emails to "customer service" and "escalation" requesting an update. I've received no response from any of my emails. Really disappointed with Pimax. It looks like their "customer service" hasn't improved at all. Would not recommend purchasing from them.
Thank you for sharing your experience. You are a brave voice against the torrent of RUclipsrs for hire that promote these products without any semblance of holding the manufacturers accountable. They probably aren’t happy with you but Pimax should listen. I, for one, will be limping my G2 another year.
Thanks, I'm all about the truth on this channel, even if I ever get a product free for review I still give you my honest opinion. Just how I am. thanks for watching.
@@GYGOtv Flight Sim Guy is one of "the torrent of RUclipsrs for hire that promote these products without any semblance of holding the manufacturers accountable".
From a former Pimax user... I think the issue with Pimax is, they are creating cutting edge VR headsets, but they are far from being a cutting-edge technology manufacturer. I respect they are pushing the boundaries of VR but I simply couldn't afford dealing with all the issues and associated costs with them. It was the same with my Pimax 4k, Pimax 8 & Pimax 5k+. I even gave one of my Pimax units to Tyriel Wood... doubt he really ever used it too!
Yes and I think the other problem is they have more demand for the Crystal Light then they can fulfill, so they are just shipping every unit they produce and letting the customers be the QA department for them right now. Might cost them in the long run, we will see. Thanks for the comment.
No. The things we refer to as "tech", are fine. Their hardware is really good and even their software is actually pretty decent now. They are a company that can operate at the forefront of technology. Their problem is industrial design and manufacturing, i.e. build quality. We don't think of this as "high-tech", but it's essential to a good product. Testing for wear and tear. Resistance to heat, cold, humidity, skin oils and acids, fungi, etc... that sort of thing. The areas where China overall struggles. They need European or American expertise. I doubt they can fix this on their own.
Thank you for sharing this honest review. I ordered and received my Pimax Crystal Light in late August 2024. I had no prior experience with Pimax and quickly noticed how difficult it was to get through support, get headset updates, etc... Their communication with the public is minimal and I honestly was not impressed with my Crystal Light. I'm glad I have the Quest 3, and honestly, I find it to be a better product.
Basically just confirming what a lot of us have seen over the past few years. They make a lot of promises and their HMDs have a lot of 'stats' but the end product just isn't there.
I think the product is actually pretty amazing when it works... but that is the problem isn't it. Customer Service has never really been a strong point with Pimax. Thanks for the comment.
I whish they would sell the reviever versions of crystal light instead of whatever version the customer gets, talking from expierience. My customer service expierience was ok, said my eyes hurt (ipd?binocular overlap?focal distance?software?) and something is wrong with the lens (tiny sweetspot, bad quality, literally the tiny sweet spot was in diffrent positions on each lens), so I had to return it. I wished the quality was better, returning to the Pico 4 was a blessing, it just works, what ever Pico magic is using with their lenses, my eyes just love it and don't care see thru those lens for a whole day and when removing the hmd my eyes don't care, it's just normal vision. Yesterday Pimax started selling subscriptions for better customer service. They are the reason their quality and service is so bad, now they sell you a solution for a problem they themself have created.
Man 100%, you shouldn't have to pay extra for good customer service... and I am skeptical even the paid version will be much better. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Thanks for highlighting this, am holding off purchase for now. One thing I’ve learnt when spending out a lot of money on something , always research after sales and real user reviews. Don’t fall for the “influencers” online who are often too scared to tell the real facts for fear of losing an industry contact.
That is one good thing about almost always buying everything myself. I don't feel beholden to the company (even on a subconscious level). But honestly, even when I do get a "review" unit for free I still will give my honest opinion. My viewers are my customers and I will put them first everytime! This is to complex an industry for the average person and those are the people I'm really trying to help with this channel. Thanks for the comment.
A very well told story.... When I venture into VR, i'll be avoiding this company. Customer Service is a big deal, i can't be done with any shenanigans on their part.
funny thing is I bet theres some negative stuff on every company. I want the Quest 3, but Ive heard its blurry. Other Yt'ers say how great it is...??? SCREAMING NOW!!! For example, look at the next comment below...from @imacmill. Wow,
Thank you for coming out with this! I will definitely stay away from Pimax... Very good quality video by the way, nice to watch (although I feel so bad for you)
My mate and I both received our Crytal lights last week. Both needed lenses replaced. My lenses still felt off and the headset also felt laggy compared to my HP G2 and Quest 3. I returned the PCL as did my mate. Never again.
I hear this from more people than I'd expect to. Really bad QA going on with the PCL right now it seems. Sorry it didn't work out but it looks like you at least know who not to buy from now. Thanks for the comment.
Like you (and probably tonnes of other people), came from a G2 to put my faith in the PCL. Didn't go well. After one shoddy replacement lense dispatch I gave up because people were already on their 4th lense replacement (over on discord). Ended up getting a quest 3 haha. The pancake lenses are horrible (due to glare) and both the quest and G2 have a lot worse blacks & colours but at least I can see without getting a headache. Will be amazing when GOOD companies release PCL equivalents that work (and are too under £1k).
Thank you very much for your experience feedback !!! Very interesting and useful ! My fear on this kind for expensive hardware is the potentially bad qualify and worse the bad quality of the customer services. And if you are not complaining too much, you have a risk of very bad result... and it's a shame for this price... I will probably not buy it know and wait for more customer feedback!
I think if they fix the QA issue it would solve a lot of these problems. Less workload on the CS Team and more confidence in the products. We will wait and see what happens.
What's absolutely bonkers is that this awful quality control, customer service and overpromising has been going on since 2016. I can understand a company might have some start-up issues, but we're 8 freaking years later. This isn't a case anymore of a honest mistake or some miscommunication. This is what Pimax is. It's their way of doing business by making high-tech, but crappy products with crappy service with no intention of actually improving the quality. Meanwhile they are pumping out new headsets faster then my dog can lay a turd.
Thanks for your very informative video, I was going to buy this Cristal Light VR but after your nightmare experience with this company i have change my plan. Pimax is out the window. I will look for a professional company that is serious about their customers and have a great quality control. It got the best idea to look for honest reviews. THANKS A MILLION!
@@GYGOtv Hi, I have seen the response video of Pimax and I'm not satisfied enough to buy one. One very important question that was not ask is: what is the failure rate of their VR in the one year warranty. I will ask that question in the response video but I have no expectations to receive an answer. You mentioned that hundreds of customers had failures, obviously no quality control from the factory but made by the customers. No reliability either. Very sad to see.
@@francismoore4976 I actually pushed for that as well but didn't get an answer... that whole segment of the interview was pretty worthless so I cut it out to keep the time under 30 min. I'd guess the failure rate has to be around 20% from all the feedback I've heard. But that is just a guess on my part so no real data. I think if they got their quality control in order it would solve a lot of this stuff, but I'm not holding my breath on that one. Thanks for the comment and watching both videos, really appreciate it.
What's also annoying is the way Pimax treat the over privileged RUclipsrs who received free headsets.They bend over backwards to ensure any problems are dealt with swiftly in case they are overly negative in their reviews.VR flight Sim Guy springs to mind as one of the many RUclipsrs who rarely gets to sniff the shit end of the stick like an actual paying customer has to..Finally Martin,(Sweviver) Needs Ironing out as an employee who just constantly lies his arse off and defends Liemax.
Ya, I'm kind of glad I got the experience of the average customer so I could see what it is really like. I hate that RUclipsrs get special treatment, it just throws reality out of wack for the rest of us. Appreciate the comment.
Yeah their PR guy is all over the top comments on Reddit as well, so if you don't have enough likes then you aren't getting responded to. Sounds familiar at this point with the little time ive been aware of the company
@@jonathandyang I know I was pretty much getting ignored until the video came out. Even when I did post on reddit so take that for what it is worth. Thanks for the comment.
Bought PCL, took a month to get to me. Lenses were faulty. Asked for new ones. Took a week to get to me. Helped, but not by much. The comfort level was non existent and the biggest issue with it is the insanely low focal distance - unlike a Quest 3, I had to buy prescription lenses (which are now useless) - and the discomfort was still ridiculous. Inside out tracking was terrible, jittering all over the place. Discord support was ok, but they are only there to sell the product. Their CS is ticket based, but they NEVER respond after an initial request. I had to continually ask either Emily or Max in Discord to find out what was going on. Eventually, over a month later, I got a full refund from them. They had obviously cut corners to reach a price point, and cut too much. I don't know how good the PC is, but I can't imagine it being a lot better.
Glad you got a refund, CS seems to take a week or more to get back to me on the ticket system as well. Just how Pimax operates I guess. Thanks for sharing your experience.
To be fair, I got a dud Crystal light. Their customer support did give me a few hoops to jump through in order to prove it was probably the headset, but after a week or so they agreed mine was defective, and my new one arrived not much more than a week after I send it back, and it works a treat now.
Wow, completely different experience here... had to film a video to prove my faceplate was defective and there is no way they will send me a replacement until they get the defective on back first, which takes a lot more time without a headset that way. Glad you got such good service... maybe they just need to get the CS Agents more on the same page. Thanks for the feedback.
@ I did have to wait till they confirmed receipt of my return, but it all seems to be done locally (to me in UK) hence the turnaround. In fact at first I thought the replacement had an issue (it didn’t) and tech support offered me a one-on-one session via video link but I needed a firmware update so it was ok.
Thanks for sharing. From reading your experience, plus the experiences of so many others, I would never touch a Pimax product. Their QA is clearly abysmal, and they appear to be somewhat dishonest. This is a shame, because they seem to be trying to innovate. However innovation is useless without proper QA.
That is the sad thing... they have a great VR Headset when it works... I loved my OG Crystal, just a crap shoot if you get a working one or you have to go through this hell to get it replaced.
Pimax, If you are paying attention, I would humbly request you improve your customer service. I am a Varjo Aero owner, that will be looking for a backup headset, I can say at the moment, I WILL ABSOLUTELY NOT CONSIDER A Crystal until you fix your product AND completely overhaul your customer service. Mark, as usual, thank you for an honest and unbiased review, I know how much you love the Crystal...….when it works. But having to deal with lousy customer support just rubs salt in an open wound, especially after spending big $$$$, it would be a different story if Pimax was truly trying to take care of their customers and fix the issue, but I 100% agree with your take, that it all feels shady.
It has been painful because when you put this headset on and it works it is almost like... "Ok all is forgiven"! But that BS of running me out of Warranty was the straw that broke me. Can't deal with shady companies like that. Thanks for watching buddy.
I had a tech issue with my crystal. They answered within the hour and was quick to follow up. We have found the problem is in the powered usb hub. The have now passed the problem to after sales team. That was 3 days ago 😢 still waiting.......
@@GYGOtv first of all i´m not sure how Pimax has the warranty policy set, but in general warranty period should kind of stop if the customer claim about faulty unit is accepted from the company especially since they bricked your unit there is no way warranty period could or should still be running for the original unit since you were not even able to partially use it anymore for months.. same for replacement unit - if you gave info its faulty right on start then unless they will take it back and say its not faulty at all, then the warranty period should be considered stopped from the moment you send complain till the moment you´ll get replacement unit or till they will say that there is no problem with that unit
@@GYGOtv pimax is supported by chinese government. their sales dont allow them to stay afloat - but it's a way to penetrate stupid westerners with chinese software, so they keep supporting them.
Thanks for the heads up on this and for giving space to others to also share their experience with Pimax. Like others here I was almost at the point of putting in an order for the Crystal Lite having watched some positive reviews on RUclips, (short term for the most part). After hearing of this experience by yourself and reading of others bad experience, I for another one will be avoiding Pimax in the future, (let them discover what bad customer service and dishonesty gets them!).
Thanks for watching. I can't believe how many bad stories this has generated. I'm happy to give all these customers a voice as you say. I would like to see Pimax survive, but they need to make some drastic changes if they want a recommendation from me in the future. Time will tell I guess.
Dad Gummit !!! and DANG!!! I remember When you purchased the Pimax Crystal and I almost followed in your footsteps and ultimately made the decision to wait and see how they performed in the real world. OMGosh I am soooooooo glad I did NOT make this purchase based on your experience. At this point it looks like the quest 3 is in my future until something better is produced. I have my HP Reverb G2 for the time being. Hope this eventually gets resolved to your satisfaction however it appears that may be wishful thinking. Thanks for sharing this experience. This is just too much much money to have to deal with these types of issues. PersonalIy I am putting Pimax on my "DO NOT BUY FROM LIST." If this is ever favorable reconciled I may reconsider. Until then....
I'm glad you waited too. I fully expect the replacement to be faulty so I'm already mentally moving on. If I get pleasantly surprised that is just a bonus. Thanks for watching buddy.
Kudos for sharing your experience and preventing other people from getting scammed like this. I hope to be purchasing my first headset in a year or two and will be avoiding Pimax like the plague. Love the channel btw!
Thanks for watching, I'm glad I seem to be helping some folks out there on the fence. Obviously I think everyone should be in VR ASAP, so can I recommend you get a Quest 3 so you don't have to wait so long :) Just be sure not to get the Quest 3S!
I got 5 headsets and the only manufacturer that has your back 100% is Valve think Index 2 is worth the wait. I never got Pimax headset as for years i always see people complaining about quality issues and they keep promising to fix them and it just never happens but they do have some RUclips shills always hyping it up as the best thing ever.
Come on Deckard!!! So ready for that headset. I saw all the warning about Pimax before I bought too... but I wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt... you see how big a mistake that was! Appreciate the comment.
@@SargonDragon I have bigscreen beyond yes they have good customer support but $200 restocking fee to return headset was a turn off for me it was kinda hidden in terms when you buy with small text type of deal.
Thanks for letting us know mate. I was going to buy a Pimax Crystal Light to replace my beloved HP Reveb G2, but after watching your video Pimax is not an option anymore. HP G2 was by far best VR headset I ever owned and HP's customer support was top notch. I had an issue with AMD motherboard compatibility issue, they sent me an upgraded cable for free without any question. After sale service is equaly imprtant to having attractive products. Pimax is missing the mark big time, I will spread the word in my simracing community, will also share your video as well. Good luck.
@@radstandardracing2945 Thanks for watching, appreciate it. Ya I had the same experience with HP, makes a huge difference. Right now I'm recommending the Quest 3 as a replacement for the G2 if you are looking. It really is a great value with good tech.
Awesome video as usual very informative and detailed. I've had the crystal for about 7 months and here are my thoughts. Pro's; incredible visual's with msfs 2020 (out of this world great), great sound, eye tracking with foveated rendering, and auto IPD. Now for the Con's; With powered usb battery last maybe an hour while flying(forget about hot swapping the battery), forget using it without powered connected, headset shuts off at least three times when I start flying then stays on, its heavy but with the upgraded head strap its not bad, the software is terrible but better than it was, the upgraded headphones are to far away from your head so I put black tape around then and now it sounds great. My conclusion is its an awesome headset when it WORKS (best I've used). I have not had any trouble with the hardware/lens. I did have to use the fiber optic cable in order for the eye tracking to work. I'm on the fence about buying the crystal super and the first batches could be really bad who knows. If the battery was not intergrated into the headset and the software was better it would have been a homerun. Still a great headset with issues. Correct me if I'm wrong but the super does not have a battery and for that reason alone its worth upgrading. Would you like to buy my crystal cheap?
Agree with almost all your assessment... I'd add Customer Service might be an important thing to consider too as I found out the hard way. Thanks for the offer for your Crystal, but Pimax is sending me a new one so I'm sure it will be flawless... especially after they see this video :)
@@GYGOtv I was being facetious about selling you my headset. I've not ran into the customer service issue yet but I fully believe your story of your experience. I just accepted the short comings of the headset and Luckly I've not had any hardware issues like you have.
Thanks for sharing your experience! Definitely glad I went with the Quest 2 as a first headset. I had a few issues, and they helped me through them and fixed it. Then I eventually upgraded to a Quest 3 after a year or so with a dead pixel. They refunded, I bought a new one and haven't had an issue since.
I could not agree more with you. Pimax has shown to be a company that cannot be trusted. I have had other type of problems with them, but they were as annoying as yours. I’m never again buying another Pimax headset.
Thanks for the comment, I think it is important for potential first time customers to know what they are getting into and I'd like to say I'm surprised by all the people who have had a similar experience... but honestly I'm not. We need an alternative for sure! Come on Valve!
I have just saved enough for a PCL to replace my Rift s, and then your video pops up. Certainly making me think twice. It would be nice to see Pimax reply and see what they have to say for themselves.
I'd love that... I really tried to work with them because this was the last kind of video I wanted to make. BUT when they pulled that crap about hey send us another $300 it was too far. I recommend you read the transcript in the description, that will give you a good flavor of how Pimax "responds". Thanks for watching.
I just bought the PCL and received on November 11th. I took the gamble and when I donned the headset I was immediately kicking myself. Complete lens distortion and a sever feeling of being cross eyed. I won the unlucky lottery. Submitted a ticket for lens replacements and won’t receive until sometime in December. Not good enough. Submitted for a refund. Fingers crossed they don’t fight me on it. I really thought I was going to be one of the few lucky ones who got a good headset.
I just want people to know what they might be getting into. I wish I didn't have to make this video but I wanted to try and save people from this hell I went through. Thanks for the comment.
Yeah this is why I went for the Aero and stayed away from Pimax. I saw another video a year ago orso about similar product and customer service experience, which was a dealbreaker for me. Sorry to hear about your experience. I would not step into the poopoo again if I were you.
I saw those video too but wanted to give Pimax the benefit of the doubt. You see how that worked out for me LOL Everyone sharing similar experiences has pretty much made me realize no more Pimax either. Thanks for watching.
Thanks buddy. I was thinking about picking up the Crystal Light but after reading this and others, gonna have to pass and look elsewhere. I appreciate it.
Hell of timing just as Pimax announces the Crystal Super pre-orders ... again lol. Still kinda doesn't make sense to have pre orders a second time. Confusing.
I just want people to be aware of what they might be getting themselves into. I still get why people might want to roll the dice and order one... I just want them to be informed. Thanks for the comment.
@@Szabby999 O for sure, I'm not a very big channel so I didn't expect it to make that big of a difference. I just hope I can save some people the headache and it looks like from the comments I have so I'm happy.
@@GYGOtv No, I think you misunderstood my comment. So I only wanted to point out, what they did was they opened Super preorders around May. Then 2 days ago they announced a completely new price and completely new paying constructions and told people in the video to preorder. And when I go to the preorder page I see the outdated, old prices and old options from half a year ago and it said "out of stock". Which is anything but professional, especially when they advertise "the most advanced HMD ever"...
@@Szabby999 Ahhh ok, I got you... sorry reading so many comments my eyes are starting to cross... been a popular comment section on this video for sure!
This confirms my decision to not touch their Super with a pole. I have the Crystal and while it still works I've not put many hours on it since July 2023. I never got the Wide-FOV lenses; after multiple broken promises they ended up sending some crap plastic alternatives with a rubbish PPD. They also stopped producing the Ultraleap module. They're a spiv company and I'll go back to my PICO when the Crystal finally dies and Somnium and Vajero still don't sell to Japan rather than give Pimax another cent.
Glad I could help you make an informed decision. I NEVER even got any lenses (but doesn't sound like what you got was even worth getting). I hear the PICO is good, I just don't get the chance to try it because I'm here in the USA. Thanks for watching.
I am a first time Pimax customer with my Crystal Light and I am still a fan, and I'm rooting for them, but you're so right to be disappointed in them. I bought the PCL because it's by far the most fidelity I can get within my budget. But I've had some tracking issues and their customer support has been little to no help, barely reading what I wrote, and offering untenable solutions like not running Discord while gaming or unplugging controllers I specifically use while gaming. I'm holding out hope that they will improve on the QA and software front as it's going to be really hard to keep selling headsets without improving there. But they've given me no signal that they're going to improve on the support front. It's really awful to hear them do something as terrible as run out the clock on your warranty. I was holding out for a Valve Index 2 before the PCL came out. But the value prospect was just too high not to give them a try. I'm still working through tracking problems though. It'd be tough to recommend Pimax to others right now.
Appreciate you sharing your experience and I hope they clear up your problems for you. Believe me, I was a fan of them too and couldn't wait to get my original one. You see what that was worth to them in the end. Sad that it had to go this way.
I used to not properly pay attention as much to customers service reviews but learned my lesson the hard way. Yeah it’s great if you’re lucky but if you’re unlucky it’s a complete waste of money. No customer service no purchase for me now
Sad to hear you had a bad experience. Pimax Crystal was my first Pimax headset. It’s been working flawlessly for me so far. I did have my top strap break and they sent me a new one for free with extra screws and backplates.
Awesome, glad there is at least some Customer Service still left over there. My Crystal was my first too... and likely my last. Hope you get many many more years of use out of yours! Thanks for watching!
It's really a random roll of the dice with Pimax. Not just on QC of the hardware, but also whether you run into the severe software bugs they never bother to fix. It's a mixed bag where some people have smooth sailing while many others have a terrible time. I ran Pimax headsets for years. I've owned 5 of them including 2 Crystals. They were great when they worked. But it was really about 50/50 which way it was going to go.
@@SargonDragon yes I feel like qc is the biggest thing that need to be contained and addressed. Vr is so hard though because of the faces and eyes of people being so different. The software actually has been improving a lot and has been bug free lately for me. They are a small company trying to grow so they mean well but it’s how they handle the mass production growing pains but remaining profitable that will determine their outcome.
@@Turbinepilot Bigcreen is less than 1/10th the size of Pimax, and their first headset, the Beyond, is far more stable and solid than any Pimax headset has ever been. And their customer support is excellent by all accounts. People need to stop making excuses for Pimax for being a small company and buying into the idea that it's simply too hard for Pimax to fix its QC and stability problems. Pimax makes deliberate decisions which cause these consequences. They are constantly focusing their engineering on building the next headsets to sell you rather than fixing the one you already bought. This is how this company is able to put out headsets with such cutting edge features, but the major bugs that never get addressed and severe QC problems are the opposite side of that coin. By comparison, Bigscreen sells one headset. And they have directed all their efforts into polishing it. Not everyone likes the Beyond, but stability, reliability, and customer service are not among the usual complaints about it.
Thanks for sharing your experience. I was going to buy a crystal light but I will definitely steer clear of this company. Thank you for your honesty. I will buy a Quest 3 for now as it is rock solid compared to Pimpmax !
Quest 3 is a great choice. Been using mine since I sent the Crystal back and I've been impressed how close the experience really is for the price difference. Thanks for watching.
I LOVE Varjo! I still have my Aero and that might be the one I use until I decide what headset comes next. Thank you for still watching our channel, appreciate all my viewers!
I had a Pimax 8kx for 2 weeks... NEVER EVER A PIMAX AGAIN. I had to fight with the customer service to take that useless crap back and give me a refund! I lost 50 euros anyway because I had to send it back... That headset was simply the worst hardware experience I ever had. I could not start it for days, because of a failed update! I had to trick with multiple computers to get it finally work again. Than WORST audio that I ever could imagine. Clanky, shit uncomfortable cheep plastic... and the worst : WARPED visuals, that completely destroyed everything that could had been useable on that thing. Simply nothing did run on that crap except Dirt Rally 2.0 but also with that stupid "warped" vision... But I know now... NEVER EVER A PIMAX AGAIN
I can't believe all the stories I hear but I guess over 8 years of bad customer service you build up quite a bit of hate out there. Thanks for sharing.
@@GYGOtv Well... If you like, I can forward you the whole e-mail conversation. I could not remember exactly, but I read through again and they wanted to cut 65 euros from the refund (because of hygenic reasons foam etc.) above 50 euros I had to pay for the package to send that crap back, but we could "agree" that If I delete my negative review, they gonna give me a full refund. How criminal is that?
@@drakhonis Don't need the email, I believe you for sure and to be honest I'm tired of ready Pimax Correspondence at this point. Glad you at least ended up in a good place with all of it.
I had issues with my Pimax Crystal Light, and to be honest I wish I had never bought it. Beware Pimax shills, especially in the VR flight simming space. Their reviews are not reliable. They have zero quality assurance going on.
That really sucks, thanks for sharing your experience. The risk of these experiences is why I buy expensive items like these in local (Dutch) online stores so that by legislation, they are responsible for any warranty problems. Directly exchanging with the manufacturer about warranty problems tends to be so much more tedious. BTW, I personally own a Crystal as well since September 2023 and so far things are more or less problem free; I am quite happy with it myself so far. About your battery problem: I have my Crystal tethered via a USB C cable on the USB port on the headset with a QC 3 power adapter, which makes me independent from the risk of running out of battery, a great improvement and removes a huge hassle toggling batteries. Good luck with your Pimax journey
Thanks for the comment, I'm glad yours is working and I hope it stays that way. I tried all kinds of stuff, including the C-Port and nothing worked for me. That was the frustrating thing. What is funny is now that we have newer firmware the charging issue has gone away... so I think it was a firmware issue that started this all off in the first place. Anyway appreciate you watching.
I live here in Colorado and it is pretty dry. I've never seen this on any of my other headsets but maybe. I personally think it is the backlight (local dimming panel) separating from the rest of the panel but that is just a guess... I'm really no expert. Thanks for the suggestion though, I hadn't thought of that.
Wow, I was on the fence to upgrade from my Q2/Pico4 to the PCL. Watching your ordeal and reading the comments here I will definitely not go for PAIN MAX. Thanks for making this video.
You are welcome. If you already have a Q2, you should seriously look at a Quest 3 (NOT Q3S) It is an amazing upgrade and what I think is the best value in VR right now. Thanks for the comment.
@@drumbri its on their site, under where to buy, based on country, youll pay a bit extra through dealers, i think amazon is one, but they have really good customer service, in my experience
I also have some interesting question; About 3 years ago I've bought a Pimax 8KX. With this purchase the promise was made to obtain a full reduction once the Pimax 12KX was released (soon). How about this deal made?.... Will it happen in the future?... I'll never forget...
I'm glad, I love the visuals in mine too! Just can't let such shady behavior by the company go without saying something. Hope your headset lasts as long as you own it. Thanks for the comment.
@@laartwork I’m glad you like your Pimax. I think the thing with all reviews, same with restaurants etc…you don’t get to hear the good reviews,just the negative ones, even if they are warranted.
Jaap from Pimax here. I just had a video call with Mark, and again I want to apologize on behalf of Pimax for this situation. The way this situation was handled isn’t according to our company’s beliefs - but Mark and me will do a video interview about this later, where I’ll explain (not justify) the situation and also explain how we’ll improve on this going forward - to prevent this from happening in the future. At the core of the problem, it's an internal communication problem, because we weren't aware that cases were handled like this. Enthusiasts like Mark make the VR industry so great, and it's an honor to provide them with great headsets. For us to drop the ball like this and diminish their enthusiasm is just really painful. Please stay tuned for the update video on Mark's channel.
@@JaapGrolleman I sincerely hope you do solve this issue not just for Mark but for the others that this same terrible customer treatment has been given to. I am a member of a large Flight school based on DCS World you have given the owner of the school a Crystal Light to review on his YT channel and we were all very excited about Pimax and the new Crystal Super coming but unless any of us see this and other situations like this solved properly none of us will be buying Pimax headsets. I was going to pre Order a Crystal Super as my first VR headset I had pre booked one back earlier this year but will be holding off on that purchase till I see what happens to Mark and others in this situation.
How can you say you did not know customers were being treated like this. Do you not train your customer service teams?
Thanks for commenting here directly. For those of you reading this, I challenged Jaap to come up with a solution for the whole Pimax community, not just for us "privileged" few. I for one would like to hear what the company comes up with and I look forward to the interview. I'm hopeful that this time around, changes will be more concrete and not more lip service that we have seen from the company in the past. After talking to Jaap, I believe he wants to improve things... we just have to see if that is really a possibility. Please lets at least give him the courtesy of hearing him out. Thanks everyone!
I’ve had good experiences with Pimax, but clearly they failed badly with you. I hope they make it right for you.
@JaapGrolleman I can respect the response. I am looking forward to seeing the next moves. It's a shame it had to come to this. It makes me wonder how many people had the same experience but not the means to speak up as loud to be heard, kinda scary.
@jaapgrolleman - can you please update the community who either pre-purchased or were waiting for the crystal og wide fov lenses?
All gone quite from Pimax unless I wanna buy a crystal lite or preorder a super
I was thinking about ordering Crystal tomorrow. No way after what I´ve just heard. Thank you very much.
You are welcome, glad to help share my experience.
Yeah, same with me. Pimax was at the top of my list for a PCVR set, but until I know things have turned around in the company or another manufacturer creates a better or equal product, I' m laying back. You know, I think it's going to take news from a business report that the company Pimax has taken on the efforts of a new CEO to bring the company back.
@@annode I'm pulling for them, but we have heard this same ol story time and time again for years and years now.
STAY AWAY
I backed out of purchasing a Pimax , their QA ,is terrible. Thank goodness for honest reviews and people reporting their experiences with this company. You are not alone .
That is the sad thing... I'm not alone, they do this ALL the time to people.
Because of that I don't care for reviews where they received a free, pre checked, qa passed, special gold edition certified hand selected reviewer edition from Pimax. That's just bait and the customers get's the complete chaos of a bad product life time, from delays in production and delivery, bad quality product at their house, to the jungle of customer service and the empty desert of wasted time.
This is a movement for the everyday person. Takes courage
I agree not purchasing super any longer..
@@DasJev This is maybe one of the most important points that should not get missed - the products that reviewers get are not the same that people buy. Hand-selected and possibly even hand-built. I only trust reviews where the person purchased it as anonymously as they could. That’s the only “sample” we can trust. In this case, Pimax got caught twice. First, their build and QC are shoddy. But wait, there’s more. Still not knowing that this customer had a voice and reach they then treated him like any other customer. So after tons of “reviews” we finally get to see the truth. They have more to fix than just the unit - they need to fix everything.
Yeah, I bought a Pimax Crystal, tried it while waiting on the rest of my kit to come in and discovered I didn't like it and within their timeline, I requested a refund. It took more than 3 months for them to issue the RMA to get a refund. The WHOLE TIME they argued with me, tried to get me to keep it. Based on THAT EXPERIENCE alone, I WILL NEVER do business with this company again.
Now with their new Prime subcription they also reduced it to 10 days
They keep saying that its good and more than others but EU regulations clearly state that it 14 days
We will see if they get better... are we taking bets?
@@GYGOtv I'll give you 10 to 1 odds that nothing changes.
@@gregs9492 Interesting... giving odds on a sure bet! LOL
@@gregs9492 I hope you are wrong
I doubt it though
im glad you made this video. I have noticed a pattern of bad reviews regarding customer service all over reddit and you tube. I bought a Cystal light and read all the issues people are having. I was on the fence about making Pimax my brand of choice but not anymore I will not deal with decietful companys and horrible customer service!!!
Glad I could help. I just want for people to avoid unnecessary headaches especially when spending so much money. No matter how good the headsets get, it doesn't look like Pimax will be changing its ways. Thanks for watching.
Thanks for sharing your experience, not good..
Thanks for stopping by! An honor to have you watching my content and commenting, you are one of my favorites out there. I'm really looking forward to seeing what you think about the MeganeX. It's the one I'm seriously thinking about buying next.
Is great to see real reviews for a change
@@GYGOtv I was so hyped by so many positive reviews on YT about the Crystal Light, thinking they finally nailed the many quality issues they had in the past.
Seems nothing has changed then...
I would be as infuriated as you are after all this. Really a shaddy company and customer service. Unfortunately it's not news from them.
Hope you recover your loss real soon.
@@sz-zr6rn Thanks, I always try to be honest... no reason not to be.
Sod off shill. Your assessment of 2024 was totally horse shit.
I feel bad for the folks that bought the 8kx and are waiting for the fake trade-in for the 12kx. You are right about the poor customer support.
Hey PCHOW!!! Ya, after my experience I think that was totally a scam to get rid of their 8kx inventory. I doubt we will ever see a 12k so they don't ever have to honor their deal. They might come out with a headset that is 12k but I bet they call it something else. Pretty shitty deal on that one.
And that would be me... 😥
Still waiting to trade in my 8KX. Pimax is the most shady and borderline scam company in the industry.
Yep, me too!
Agree. After the 8KX scam. Never again. Not one cent from me. Have several other headsets. I can advice anyone. Save some money and just get a Meta Quest 3. Pimax could come out with the best specs headset on the market for a ridiculously low price. Won’t buy into it. Thanks for the honest video.
Thank you for doing this. I was just about to waste 2000€ for the Crystal Super pre-order, but luckily got this video recommended when looking for more information about the company.
wait for super to come out and read reviews. if it's on trial as Crystal light , I would take it as you can send it back before trial finishes/at end
So glad to see this review, looking for alternatives to my HP Reverb G2, won't be a Pimax.
You are welcome, hopefully a better option will come out soon. Hello, can Deckard come out and play?
@@mjsavage711in an alternative timeline we would already be enjoying our hp reverb g3s 😅 g2 was the best pcvr headset for the money 💰 in the last 4 years
@@GYGOtv Meganex Superlight 8K seems like a good option, but I heard they did not deliver their previous headsets, so I don't know how is this allowed.
What a shame… sadly there are so many of us who have had similar experiences. I’d never buy pimax ever again
Unfortunately this seems to be the rule for Pimax, not the Exception... Thanks for watching!
Hey Mark, I'm just catching up with all this as it's been such a busy week with the new sim release 😵
It's so sad to see Pimax are still struggling with poor customer service and QC issues. Especially as this has been a big problem for too long now. While most of my community seem to be extremely happy with their Crystals, I feel for those who get a dodgy unit. Thankfully my Discord has been an effective way for users to get direct contact with Pimax. I'd urge anyone struggling with their ticket, to head over there and we will get you sorted.
I will be making my own video in relation to this, because it's simply not good enough.
Great video mate, you are such an ambassador for our hobby. Speak soon.
What, a new flight sim came out this week? :) Thanks for the comment my friend, I'd argue you are a much better ambassador than I am, but I'll take the compliment (If only I could learn a British Accent I could class up my videos a little). BTW Just in case you didn't see it, Pimax and I did a response video ruclips.net/video/BEPegfAyf2I/видео.html BUT I'm staying out of the comments on that one (this one has been hard enough to keep up on). I appreciate that Pimax is trying to take care of me now, but I tend to agree with the commenters here that if I hadn't made the video I don't think I would have seen this result. Of course I could never prove that, but that is my gut feeling. Always look forward to your videos, and I will certainly watch your Pimax one. Thanks for stopping by!
Thanks for putting this issue out there. There is a rising tide of experiences like this including my own and it's important that people are made aware so they know what may happen if they choose Pimax.
Absolutely agree. Glad this video is helping so many out there thinking about buying one.
Thanks for sharing. I bought my Crystal Light from a local dealer in Norway. Noticed issues with the lenses immediately and returned it. Got a new one. Same thing with that one and got the third replacement this week. Same thing, The issues got increasingly worse with each one. Thankfully the local dealer has awesome customer service and sent replacements fast. After the third headset I gave up and asked for a refund. It's a shame cause the headset suppose to be awesome, but there seems to be something terribly wrong with the leadership of that company. It's just sad.
If you get a good one it is AMAZING! Just seems like the Quality Control for Pimax has gone out the door. Sad but true. Thanks for sharing your experience.
The one thing I’ve noticed about Pimax that has not changed over the years is that there’s still a bunch of liars they have no problem lying right to your face. I’m still waiting for my wide field of view lenses for my Pimax crystal. They had no problem taking my money a year and a half ago and promising it in couple of months….. more lies more lies more lies.
Id make a list of consumer protection sites and advise them that you will send a complaint to all of them if they dont rectify your problem pronto! How about the tv news station in the city where the company is? Or email the CEO/Pres. himself. Not acceptable ever, this kind of service! Or will any famous RUclipsr mention it on YT as well? I hear ya bro.
Agree 100% You can imagine how big a laugh I had when they said I could pay upfront for the replacement and they would REFUND me once they got the defective unit back... sure I'll just trust you to do that after all this Bullshit!
@@stevejones924 Doesn't matter, Chinese Company and not much we as individuals could really do... They just don't care.
It's because they've never been challenged, just like NVIDIA hasn't been for the past few years, so they can charge exorbitant prices for GPUs, same goes for these guys with shady pricing and poor QC. I also find they put out headsets yearly instead of making one headset and supporting it for a reasonable time before releasing the next one. All that innovation means jack if the product can only last for a year. I'm not sure who they are competing against, as they are the only ones moving the PCVR market, but they have poor execution. So they really shouldn't be rushing things. No one asked for the Super or the Crystal but only the 12k.
That being said, we really need a strong Pimax competitor, and no Sonmium VR won't cut it unless you want to pay 2x the price for the same experience. I wish brands like Moza (another Chinese company) who did QC, software, and products well, and I hope they enter the VR market soon.
@@GYGOtv And why wouldn’t they-they have an army of RUclips influencers like VRflightSimGuy and others who receive cherry picked units to review and then they spew how great the product is, but the rest of us get garbage.
Thanks for the eye-opener! You saved me time and a lot money. Chapeau!
Thanks for watching, happy to help.
Bought a Crystal Light two months ago. It had warped lenses and I had the same awful experience that you did with their customer support (specifically, Tension). I submitted for a return label and got the following response from Tension "We have registered your shipping address and will provide you with the Return Label as soon as possible later." So he had time to email me but not time to give me a return label. Several weeks went by before I had to jump through more hoops of sending photos and forms before they sent me a return label. Will never give them a penny of my money again.
Yep that seems to be the "Pimax Experience", I can't believe how they treat their customers so badly! Thanks for sharing!
It was clear to me that Tension's english isn't great, nor was their understanding of US consumer rights. A little more education in that field (and the terms used in it) could go a long way
Now, Pimax is trying to cover up their horrible customer service and product with a lot of empty chatter. Thank you for sharing your experience. My company had planned on purchasing 10 to 20 Crystal Lights. Thank you for saving us from this nightmare!
I wish I didn't have to make this video but I just couldn't believe what they had done... incompetence is one thing but just being scamming pisses me off.
Thanks for the honest review. You saved me!!! I was determined to get the new Pimax Crystal Super as a replacement for the HP Reverb G2, but your honest review saved me from all the future headaches and frustrations. Trust me, I have spent thousands on VR accessories from RUclipsrs who claimed all the wonders of the product, only for me to suffer a much different experience altogether. It’s good to know that honest RUclipsrs are still out there.
It's a pain that there are fewer and fewer options for PC VR headsets. I used the Reverb G2 as well (on MSFS), but the two units I got both failed eventually (after about 2 years each). Now I've switched to the PSVR2, mainly because it's cheap (e.g. on black friday it's about 350$) and the availability. The PSVR2 has a bunch of downsides too (sweet spot is tiny, getting it to start on PC can be a bit finicky), but it seems pretty reliable, has great black levels and FOV.
I will always be honest on this channel. I might have a different view that others but it will be what I honestly think. Appreciate you watching.
@@flyingwaffle123 I think the Quest 3 is a great option too. I fly in mine from time to time and it is an enjoyable experience... No Black/Blacks from OLED however so I see why you like that one too.
I sold my working Crystal to someone in Canada and some months later it stopped working and they had to send him a new one. Thankfully the new one did work flawless.
Glad that all worked out, no fun having to deal with all this crap.
I wish I had seen this video before I ordered my Cristal light. I finally got a promise of a return label in the next 24 hours.
I have no idea what's wrong with it, but everything is blurry. It's like it's out of focus. I went to my eye doctor just in case my eyes were going bad. Also, I could get an exact IPD.
I started working with customer support and never got anything other than restarting the headset. They never offered to replace it. Then I said I'm done. Just send me a label and my refund."
3 dayd later, they offered me a $30 discount if I kept the headset.
This isn't how you do business.
So here's my experience:
Bought a Pimax Crystal light, waiting 3 months for it, it shows up, the facial interface is WAY too close to the face, the lenses had MASSIVE Chromatic aberration, and I COULD NOT dial in the IPD, no matter how hard I tried. The sweetspot was so small that when I moved my head, and the back of the headstrap hit my neck, I lost the sweetspot. Because the headset is so close to the eyes, it fogs up almost instantly, and the facial interface is very rough and not plush at all, meaning I had the telltale red marks around my face after only 15 minutes in the headset (the longest I could run it for without getting severe nausea). In addition to all of this, my tracking (which works effortlessly on the original Rift Dev kit and HP Reverb G2) continuously was laggy, leading to EVEN MORE nausea.
I tried the additional purchase head-strap, but that did not resolve the facial interface issues or the headset hitting my neck when I looked up in a dogfight. I bought some additional facial interface pads off of recommendations, but that did not fix the sweetspot, IPD or chromatic aberration issues either.
I'm used to having to jank your way to an ideal setup for you with VR, but there were just too many compromises, and when my HP Reverb G2 is still singing along fine with my outdated Windows 10 install, it just wasn't worth the trouble. I chose to return the Crystal Light, and went through a annoyingly long and complex return process.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you're in the US, your return IS NOT FREE, even though it says so on the website. They may reimburse you for your return after the fact, but YOU have to pay for the initial return of the goods.
Needless to say, I was quite burned by this experience. I agree with everyone that their display technology is second-to-none in the market today, but everything surrounding it, from the build quality of the housing, the lenses, the QA, and the Support are inconsistent at best, and unusable at worst, that its just not worth it.
Maybe 5 years from now, when they are a bigger company, with more money to spend on QA, I'll reconsider purchasing from Pimax, but not anytime soon.
Sadly I think you seem to be in the majority here... I know I can relate. Thanks for sharing.
Another great video. Agree... I tried communicating with their customer service on a couple of issues and it was always like crickets waiting for responses. This was an obvious sign as to how future issues would be dealt with... Very limited / poor customer communication in my experience. I returned mine within the 1st month as there were too many little things I felt could break and then I would left with a brick. I will only buy from them if they offer a warranty. Thank you for your support and guidance to the community.
Thank you for watching! Ya I'm still a little dumbfounded that they pulled the whole "string him out until the warranty expires" move. Shows you the type of company you are dealing with for sure. Sadly I guess you can get away with that when there isn't any competition in the market.
@@GYGOtvI am working for a multinational company selling tech things. First your issue started into the warranty so they cannot push you out of warranty. They have to provide you an up and running headset.
Second i don’t know for your country but there are countries which the have local regulations about warranties. e.g. in my country if you buy something whatever the company says about the warranty the min they have to provide is 2 years. Search your local regulations too. Unfortunately nowadays as customers we suffer from poor QA, insanely expensive stuff and poor services. And yes this is how our world decided to leave because we do nothing about it as consumers!
Thanks
DUDE THANK YOU SO MUCH... I'll put it toward my new headset, whatever that is.
Thank you for this video. Well done. I wish I had seen it a few weeks earlier. On October 29th I ordered the Crystal Light and the order has been in "Processing" ever since. I reached out and got an email back from someone in support that stated that the headset would be shipped the first or second week of December. Still nothing as of today's date. I have submitted two support tickets now and I am told that because I purchased the headset as a "guest" on their website, they cannot find the order. Simply incredible. I have emails confirming the order but nothing yet. I can't believe how this company is treating their customers. Thanks again.
Really appreciate the honest video. Pimax are absolutely hammering the marketing at the moment, almost every DCS video is sponsored by them so it’s rare to hear a bad word outside of the forums. Shame they don’t send some of that marketing money into their Customer Services department. This is literally what puts me off ever buying one - I want reliability for my hobby, I don’t want to spend months without a headset so I’ll be sticking with my Varjo Aero for the foreseeable future. Thanks again for the great vid ;)
You are welcome, I still love Varjo even with them pulling out of the consumer space.
I was going to purchase this headset next week. I was literally searching through RUclips and discovered your video. Thank god I didn’t. The fact you’re considering purchasing another product from them is insane.
That just shows how good the experience is that I would even think about it. I have to admit after seeing so many comments now with SO MANY OTHERS having the same or similar experience... I think I've purged myself of that thought, now it is off to find a replacement for it... thinking MeganeX is looking pretty good. Thanks for watching.
Bought the Pimax Crystal Lite based on the videos and reviews. Waited a few weeks and received it in September. The first thing I noticed was it was strangly uncomfortable, it didn't come close to fitting my face, huge gaps on both sides, felt front heavy. Then I got it all set up super excited to get it up and running, I adjusted the IPD distance and let'r rip. It was completely out of focus, I played with it for hours to try and get it working, even though it made me nauseous. I spent a lot more time trying everything from trying glasses to pulling it away from my face to putting a town in the uncomfortable headstrap. I then contacted CS to get new lenses sent out to me, CS took over 24 hours to respond, no way to contact other than email. Waited a couple more weeks, got the new lenses, installed them and felt a lump in my throat because the new lenses were better but still out of focus. The IPD distance also seemed too far apart even though I had it all the way to 59mm which is where I am at with the Quest3. If I pulled it away from my face and closed one eye it looked good but that is not a way to VR. Bottom line, I sent it back for a refund, I have not received a refund yet. The entire experience was not good....
So sorry to hear this... a common theme from lots of Crystal Light users it seems. Not sure what the hell is going on with the lenses but they have a major issue with them for sure.
Sounds like my experience with the PCL.. it felt cheap, unbalanced and worst of all, when I put it on and adjusted my IPD (usually 61), I could barely eliminate binocular overlap and cross-eye. By the time I had adjusted it further inward, the lens housings were left sitting on the bridge of my nose... not at all comfortable. Also as you mentioned, I could never get it to fit my face well enough as to no bleed light from about cheek level and down to the other side.
I believe it took well over a month after I shipped it back before I finally received a refund.
Thank you for sharing this. I was seriously considering going with Pimax, but definitely not anymore! Glad I saw this and probably saved myself money and a lot of headache. Pimax, get your crap together.
You are welcome. Just want folks to know what they might be in for with Pimax Customer Support. Appreciate the view.
Thanks. I had intended to purchase the Pimax Crystal Super bundle, but after seeing their clear lack of regard for their own customers, I will probably just get a Quest 3 or one of the enterprise Varjo headsets instead.
Thanks for watching. The Quest 3 is a great value and gives you about 85% of the High End Headset experience IMO. I can also tell you Varjo is an OUTSTANDING company to work with so that would be a great option too if you can afford it. I wish Varjo had made an Aero 2 because I think that would have been a home run. Good luck and please let me know if you have any other questions.
Hello! First off all, I want to say that I just subscribed to your channel. I like your manner and delivery. You are a straight shooter and you give off a wholesome and trustworthy vibe. I appreciate you and your channel. I have been thinking about getting a Pimax headset for some time. I come from Quest 2 & 3. I have a top of the line custom PC and I have built a driving and flight sim rig. Love it all! I heard you mention DCS. I have it with many modules and love the experience in it. However, I am but a crawling baby right at the beginning of my DCS learning experience. Overwhelming amount to learn, but I'm hopeful I'll eventually become somewhat competent eventually. Anyhow, I really appreciate this video and your story and insight into Pimax and your hardware and customer service experience. It certainly has instilled some justifiable hesitation. The wishful thinking side of me suggests that I take this knowledge and dive in being mentally prepared to fight, if necessary, as promptly and immediately as possible, in hopes of remedying any issues as quickly as possible. Not entirely sure what to do. Still thinking. I have a question for you. What is your next best competing brand/model headset that you would personally go for after Pimax? I welcome opinions from all commenters as well. Thank you!
Well thank you for the Sub!!! Hopefully you will find other videos on the channel that you enjoy as well. I personally really enjoy the Virtual Pinball machine that we built for my Mother a few years back ruclips.net/video/0x4MEbPSIqw/видео.html Anyway back to your question. Right now I'm very interested in the MeganeX Superlight because I LOVE OLED Screens. The only issues I'm worried about on that is the smaller FOV and the lack of on headset Audio. The other option would be the VR1, it isn't cheap but is good quality. Hopefully we will get the Valve Deckard soon too but we have been waiting on that for years. The Crystal Light is a great image if you get one that works, so obviously that is still an option if you are willing to roll the dice. I'm personally not going to do a Super because of the Subscription Program they just put in place. Seems kind of scamy to me after all I went through. As for DCS, it just takes time and watching lots of videos. I'm still learning a lot myself but it is awesome when you start learning how to fly! We do a Patreon Only flight once a month, which is usually DCS so if you ever want to support us through Patreon, we would love to have you join us there too. Thanks for watching and the kind words, welcome to GYGO!
Thanks for sharing your experience with Pimax. I own OG Crystal and have been lucky to have it running for 1,5 years now. However they still haven't delivered the wide FOV lenses they promised at launch and probably never will. Because of this and the quality issues along with bad customer service I certainly won't be getting the Crystal Super. Doesn't really matter how good it might be but it's just too much of a risk. It's crazy to pay $1500 for a headset with 1 year of warranty only to find out you're on your own after that.
For sure, and keep in mind I opened the ticket in May so just over a year of functional use for $1500! So glad yours is still running. Maybe mine would have been good too if they wouldn't have bricked it. Thanks for the comment and the view. Love Alfred E. BTW!
This topic needs to get huge, I saved transcripts from a ticket that made my head spin, the issues was the headset not connecting to PC at all and the battery lasting maybe an hour. Pimax told me my issues could only be resolved through a replacement but I was out of my warranty window ( I purchased the headset Feb 2024) when I pointed the date discrepancies out I was then told the tech support team said my issues actually CANT be fixed with a replacement. But I could get 400 off pimax super. I wish I listened too
SEE This is just another example of their policy to bilk the customer for more money. Such a scam!!! Thanks for the comment.
You really should publish that. The stories that are coming out now are WILD. Like, the first thought i have is "Oh, ok, these guys are hanging onto the company by the skin of their teeth, thats the only explanation for all these 'oversights'."
Thank you for sharing, I am going to put off my light purchase for another year,my reverb g2 works just fine .
Yep, keep that G2 happy... may it serve you well until something better comes out. Thanks for watching.
Just stay away from Windows 11 24H2!
@@ScottHusted For sure!
Hi, My story is very similar. I refused to buy a pimax headset for years but the stats of the crystal where just to good. So I bought one and ....
Nr. 1: no tracking after about a week
Nr. 2: no sound after a few minutes
Nr. 3: Lots of pixel errors on the right display
Nr. 4: Is working without problems since January 2024 (this one came without dmas speakers... but its working 🥳)
It took pimax 4 headsets to deliver a working one plus half a year receiving and sending back headsets. I guess I´am lucky to live in europe and I have ordered the headset from a european company so with every defective headset the warranty starts again at two years.
The pimax support was not the fastest and I needed the confirmation from pimax to get a new headset from my supplier. I think now I could also work for pimax support because its mostly... "update firmware"... and if you reply slowly enough, there will allways be an new firmware or close to the release of an new firmware that might solve the problem.... but its a good headset... if it works
Exactly what you are saying. Sad so many people are sharing a similar experience with us! Thanks for the comment.
I'm glad you've made this video. I've been screaming about this for ages. It's THE worst experience I've ever had with a tech product full stop. I had the 8Kx and the experience was awful and ended up having to loose £180 just to get it sent back and get my money back, after 2 weeks of usage. Also inside a DCS cockpit the lens distortion was so bad it was un usable.
I saw a ton of comments like this when I was looking at first buying the Crystal. I really wanted to give Pimax the benefit of the doubt that they had changed... but obviously they don't seem to have. Appreciate your efforts trying to warn folks... hopefully I can do the same with this video. Thanks for the comment.
I’m going through the same situation. Customer service is appalling. I’ve sent mine back, and they said they’ll replace it. They said they’ll let me know when it’s been dispatched. I’ve heard nothing, and they post a video on RUclips yesterday bragging about having them in warehouses all over the world ready to go. And to cap it all, they then announce that you can now get the same headset for a lot less money. Wish I’d never ordered it with them.
Funny I thought the same thing when I saw that part of the video... "huh, wonder where mine is" Hope you get yours soon and I hope it works like a champ. Thanks for watching.
@@GYGOtv Simple, they already have your money so they can sell the headset they owe you and many others to other customers and get their money. I'll never buy their products. Thanks for the video.
@@galactichazzard8932 you are welcome
Thanks for sharing even when it was a sad story. I've never been interested in Pimax after hearing about the crazy lousy quality of their products in the beginning of their journey. Where parts of their headsets didn't even align properly.
A couple of months back and after hearing so many people raving about the amazing visuals in the PCL, I thought let's give it a go and compare it to my Varjo Aero.
Got the headset and the IQ indeed was great with the sharpness and vivid colors. As long as I kept my head completely still that was. As soon as I started to move my head and not to mention getting up in the air (in MSFS2020), my eyes started to feel really bad and I almost started feeling a bit sick and dizzy. Since my eyes were not able to focus on anything. It was like my eyes constantly tried to find focus but simply couldn't.
Switched back to my Aero and it was like a dream for my eyes. What a difference it was!
The Pimax was sent back to where it came from, I got my money back and learned my lesson...no more Pimax products in this house.
That's the small distortion sweetspot that you get with aspheric lens headsets. Most of these shill Pimax reviewers don't even mention it, but I had a problem with it also when moving my head just a little out of alignment.
Varjo Aero, I loved that headset and that company had spectacular customer service. If they made a competing headset (like an Aero 2) I'd buy that in a second. Thanks for the comment.-
@@dtz1000 To be fair, some of us don't have a problem with it... I know I see very well through Aspherics and actually prefer them to Pancake. But to each their own for sure. The good news is there are options for whatever kind you like out there. Thanks for the comment.
I know lots of people were lucky enough to win the Pimax lottery and I'm happy for them!
It doesn't appear to be just a matter of type of lenses but also lack of QC over at Pimax.
I was intended to buy me pimax headset
But after this video and Redit I think spends the money at other place. Thanks for the info 👍
You are welcome, The Quest 3 isn't bad for what you get at that price point IMO.
Rumor is that the youtuber reviewers got versions with better lenses and were probably closely examined before shipping to be the best of the best. Regular users are saying they are unimpressed with the lenses and general quality control. Too bad, it turned me off for now and I'll wait and see if the quality improves.... :(
Well I was just a customer and I don't think they knew I had a RUclips channel (Lord knows I paid full price for the headset). I think the original units had some form of QA, I think now they just ship everything they make and let the customer be the QA for the company. At least it sure seems that way with all the defective units that get in customer's hands now. Thanks for the comment and for watching.
I also believe, now, that many RUclips influencers get their free products that are overly tested and inspected and then, of course, get positive reviews.
@@GYGOtv Because you a paying customer I trust your review in this Pimax issue. It's amazing how product reviews differ between paying customers and get-it-free customers. Thank you for the information you provide. It is very helpful.
@@Berwyn3742 thats why gamers nexus pays for everything,to review pcs
I had this issue. 1sr headset was bad lenses.
Returned it after about 3 lenses that were all bad.
Month later gave it another try and this time i had good lenses.
Happy with the crystal light. Not sure how long it will last though.
I've ordered the super to see if it's worth it
I tried to return mine within the first 15 days. They told me their system was down and I would have to ship, cheapest possible to an address in California and was not allowed to insure it or require signature. So essentially no recourse if the headset "vanished". I declined. I kept it and am making it work but will NEVER buy anything from them again.
It is the shady stuff like this that I hear over and over again. Can't believe they get away with it with all these people having issues. Thanks for watching.
Devastating blow to pimax. I was so close to dumping a grand. I'm just grateful they only charged $1 for the initial "preorder". Thank you for posting this. How embarrassing
Happy to help. Just want everyone to know what they might have to face if they choose to get one.
Thank you man, with their new promotion that came out yesterday, i was about to buy this... i dont want this experience at all YOU SAVED ME!
That is great, you are exactly the person I was hoping to reach with this. Glad to help.
Thank you for this video. I've been considering the purchase of the Crystal Light as the original Crystal was too heavy. I have a neck condition. Some time ago, I read on the Pimax Website that they had a 15-day return. Today, in an email or on their Discord, I read they have a 10-day return. I immediately thought that to reduce the time to try means something is wrong with the headset. Then, I saw your video. So, from reading and watching about Pimax Crystal Light issues and negative customer service, I just decided to stay away from Pimax. I have a meta Quest 3, but I am looking for a high-end headset to connect to a PC display port for a flight simulator. Thanks again.
I healed my neck after using quest pro. A lot of movements , mote blood into neck and its healed)
You are welcome... I too have a Quest 3... Are you running Virtual Desktop? Fast Router? Do you have a newer video card that has the .av1 codec? The reason I ask is I use mine a lot for sims and it looks fantastic if you have all the right gear. Let me know if you need more info and I'll do my best to help. Thanks for watching.
@GYGOtv i have a good PC. It's the Corsair i8100 with 4090 GPU and Intel i9-13900KS. I use the Meta link cable . I use Xplane-11 which is good, although I do get some FPS drops and stuttering when real weather is on and the weather for the day is not great-- say very cloudy. I would like to use Xplane-12, but the demo version has a lot of shimmering in the distance. I was thinking that perhaps a better headset connected directly to a display port on the GPU would improve visuals in VR. I watched and tried so many tips and tricks, but none seem to fix the severe shimmering. Your thoughts?
You should consider the Bigscreen Beyond. It's an obvious choice for your neck condition. And while it's mostly noted for its tiny size and weight, it also offers high end visuals. I went from Pimax Crystal to Bigscreen Beyond, and the visuals are alllmost as good as the Crystal overall. Very close.
I also own a Quest 3, the Beyond easily has better visuals than that.
The Beyond has also been rock stable, and their customer service is excellent. Absolute opposite of Pimax in those regards. It's expensive though.
Thanks for the information. I will do some research on the Bigsreen Beyond. @SargonDragon
Thank you for shining light on this- I’ve been considering my next VR move due to the G2 situation. I was starting to look into Pimax and saw this video. Thanks for helping me steer WAY clear of this shady company. No thanks!!
You are welcome. Just want people to know what they may be in for. I'd recommend looking at a Quest 3 (NOT Q3S) I think it is the best value out there right now. If you have any questions please let me know. Thanks for watching.
Second the Q3 from the G2. I went G2 to Pimax Crystal light and had a very similar experience as described here. 3 sets of bad lenses, refunded last month so issue is still current. Grabbed a Quest 3, couldn't be happier coming from a G2, and now 2 of my mates enjoying their Q3 as well, saving them the money and 4 month headache with Pimax products and support.
@@xxbooflexx Quest 3 is certainly a good option, glad to hear you agree.
Pimax user here since the Kickstarter with the 5K+ and then the 8KX. Over the years of ownership I ran into a couple support issues and it took forever to get a response each time. The technology when it works is the best around, only when it works though. If anyone is getting into a Pimax they need to be prepared to deal with crap like you mentioned. I would have bought the Crystal in a heartbeat had I not felt like this. I really had hoped over the years the company would evolve to become better.
I agree with you 100% Amazing tech when it works, it just doesn't always work and then you are in for a headache.
This is terrifying, as I write this looking at my perfectly working Crystal, I've had the 1.5 hour gameplay charge problem and they sent me a new USB Hub that allowed it to keep it constantly charged and even disconnected the battery lasts the normal 3.5 hours almost 4. My experience with them made me think they had stepped up customer support wise, so I pray I never have to go through something like what you are experiencing right now. Thanks for the video, eye opening.
I hope your headset lasts a long time. It really is an amazing device. Ya, the battery problem seems to have corrected itself on mine too. I highly suspect a firmware issue was causing it originally. Thanks for watching, and take good care of that headset!
Stay away from Pimax.
I used to be a Pimaxian. I had an 8KX and was pretty happy. But my Crystal experience has been an absolute disaster. I’m on my second headset and still having issues. The customer service is a complete joke. Such a shame. We need more high end display port pc headsets… hopefully an Index 2.0 soon….
Agree 100% So sad that so many people have to go through this experience... Pimax "should" be ashamed but I doubt they are.
You're experience sounds similar to mine. The 8KX was pretty mature by the time I got one, and its bugs weren't so bad. Served well for years. But the two Crystals I bought were both disasters. And dealing with Pimax support was one of the more awful experiences of my life. I mean, it was so bad and stressful and frustrating that it was actually adversely affecting my life for a month.
I ordered a Pimax Crystal light and after trying it out decided it was not for me. On December 11 I submitted a request for a return/refund and promptly received a reply from customer service stating I would receive a return shipping label. I haven't received it yet and I've submitted several emails to "customer service" and "escalation" requesting an update. I've received no response from any of my emails. Really disappointed with Pimax. It looks like their "customer service" hasn't improved at all. Would not recommend purchasing from them.
Thank you for sharing your experience. You are a brave voice against the torrent of RUclipsrs for hire that promote these products without any semblance of holding the manufacturers accountable.
They probably aren’t happy with you but Pimax should listen. I, for one, will be limping my G2 another year.
Thanks, I'm all about the truth on this channel, even if I ever get a product free for review I still give you my honest opinion. Just how I am. thanks for watching.
Yeah, VR Flight Sim Guy being a solid case in point.
@@Panzerlang Yep
@@GYGOtv Flight Sim Guy is one of "the torrent of RUclipsrs for hire that promote these products without any semblance of holding the manufacturers accountable".
From a former Pimax user... I think the issue with Pimax is, they are creating cutting edge VR headsets, but they are far from being a cutting-edge technology manufacturer. I respect they are pushing the boundaries of VR but I simply couldn't afford dealing with all the issues and associated costs with them. It was the same with my Pimax 4k, Pimax 8 & Pimax 5k+. I even gave one of my Pimax units to Tyriel Wood... doubt he really ever used it too!
Yes and I think the other problem is they have more demand for the Crystal Light then they can fulfill, so they are just shipping every unit they produce and letting the customers be the QA department for them right now. Might cost them in the long run, we will see. Thanks for the comment.
No. The things we refer to as "tech", are fine. Their hardware is really good and even their software is actually pretty decent now. They are a company that can operate at the forefront of technology.
Their problem is industrial design and manufacturing, i.e. build quality. We don't think of this as "high-tech", but it's essential to a good product. Testing for wear and tear. Resistance to heat, cold, humidity, skin oils and acids, fungi, etc... that sort of thing. The areas where China overall struggles.
They need European or American expertise. I doubt they can fix this on their own.
Thank you for sharing this honest review. I ordered and received my Pimax Crystal Light in late August 2024. I had no prior experience with Pimax and quickly noticed how difficult it was to get through support, get headset updates, etc... Their communication with the public is minimal and I honestly was not impressed with my Crystal Light. I'm glad I have the Quest 3, and honestly, I find it to be a better product.
I love the Quest 3 so very good choice. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for an alternative option. Thanks for the comment.
Basically just confirming what a lot of us have seen over the past few years. They make a lot of promises and their HMDs have a lot of 'stats' but the end product just isn't there.
I think the product is actually pretty amazing when it works... but that is the problem isn't it. Customer Service has never really been a strong point with Pimax. Thanks for the comment.
This guy puts out a hit peace right before the Pimax Crystal Super comes out. You are doing god's work my friend. 😂
I just want everyone to be aware of what happened to me... The timing did seem pretty good I have to admit. :)
I whish they would sell the reviever versions of crystal light instead of whatever version the customer gets, talking from expierience. My customer service expierience was ok, said my eyes hurt (ipd?binocular overlap?focal distance?software?) and something is wrong with the lens (tiny sweetspot, bad quality, literally the tiny sweet spot was in diffrent positions on each lens), so I had to return it.
I wished the quality was better, returning to the Pico 4 was a blessing, it just works, what ever Pico magic is using with their lenses, my eyes just love it and don't care see thru those lens for a whole day and when removing the hmd my eyes don't care, it's just normal vision.
Yesterday Pimax started selling subscriptions for better customer service. They are the reason their quality and service is so bad, now they sell you a solution for a problem they themself have created.
Man 100%, you shouldn't have to pay extra for good customer service... and I am skeptical even the paid version will be much better. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Thanks for highlighting this, am holding off purchase for now. One thing I’ve learnt when spending out a lot of money on something , always research after sales and real user reviews. Don’t fall for the “influencers” online who are often too scared to tell the real facts for fear of losing an industry contact.
That is one good thing about almost always buying everything myself. I don't feel beholden to the company (even on a subconscious level). But honestly, even when I do get a "review" unit for free I still will give my honest opinion. My viewers are my customers and I will put them first everytime! This is to complex an industry for the average person and those are the people I'm really trying to help with this channel. Thanks for the comment.
A very well told story.... When I venture into VR, i'll be avoiding this company. Customer Service is a big deal, i can't be done with any shenanigans on their part.
funny thing is I bet theres some negative stuff on every company. I want the Quest 3, but Ive heard its blurry. Other Yt'ers say how great it is...??? SCREAMING NOW!!! For example, look at the next comment below...from @imacmill. Wow,
I personally think right now the Quest 3 is an amazing headset that would give you a fantastic intro into VR. Thanks for watching and the comment.
Thank you for coming out with this! I will definitely stay away from Pimax... Very good quality video by the way, nice to watch (although I feel so bad for you)
Don't feel bad for me, I'm over it by now. Just hope I can help others from getting into a mess like this in the first place. Thanks for watching.
My mate and I both received our Crytal lights last week. Both needed lenses replaced. My lenses still felt off and the headset also felt laggy compared to my HP G2 and Quest 3.
I returned the PCL as did my mate. Never again.
I hear this from more people than I'd expect to. Really bad QA going on with the PCL right now it seems. Sorry it didn't work out but it looks like you at least know who not to buy from now. Thanks for the comment.
Like you (and probably tonnes of other people), came from a G2 to put my faith in the PCL. Didn't go well. After one shoddy replacement lense dispatch I gave up because people were already on their 4th lense replacement (over on discord).
Ended up getting a quest 3 haha. The pancake lenses are horrible (due to glare) and both the quest and G2 have a lot worse blacks & colours but at least I can see without getting a headache.
Will be amazing when GOOD companies release PCL equivalents that work (and are too under £1k).
Thank you very much for your experience feedback !!! Very interesting and useful ! My fear on this kind for expensive hardware is the potentially bad qualify and worse the bad quality of the customer services. And if you are not complaining too much, you have a risk of very bad result... and it's a shame for this price...
I will probably not buy it know and wait for more customer feedback!
I think if they fix the QA issue it would solve a lot of these problems. Less workload on the CS Team and more confidence in the products. We will wait and see what happens.
What's absolutely bonkers is that this awful quality control, customer service and overpromising has been going on since 2016. I can understand a company might have some start-up issues, but we're 8 freaking years later. This isn't a case anymore of a honest mistake or some miscommunication. This is what Pimax is. It's their way of doing business by making high-tech, but crappy products with crappy service with no intention of actually improving the quality. Meanwhile they are pumping out new headsets faster then my dog can lay a turd.
Can't say I disagree with anything you say here... I've thought the same way many times.
Thanks for your very informative video, I was going to buy this Cristal Light VR but after your nightmare experience with this company i have change my plan. Pimax is out the window. I will look for a professional company that is serious about their customers and have a great quality control. It got the best idea to look for honest reviews. THANKS A MILLION!
You are welcome. I hope we get some more headsets in this price range to compete with the Crystal Light... but I don't see anything on the horizon.
@@GYGOtv Hi, I have seen the response video of Pimax and I'm not satisfied enough to buy one. One very important question that was not ask is: what is the failure rate of their VR in the one year warranty. I will ask that question in the response video but I have no expectations to receive an answer. You mentioned that hundreds of customers had failures, obviously no quality control from the factory but made by the customers. No reliability either. Very sad to see.
@@francismoore4976 I actually pushed for that as well but didn't get an answer... that whole segment of the interview was pretty worthless so I cut it out to keep the time under 30 min. I'd guess the failure rate has to be around 20% from all the feedback I've heard. But that is just a guess on my part so no real data. I think if they got their quality control in order it would solve a lot of this stuff, but I'm not holding my breath on that one. Thanks for the comment and watching both videos, really appreciate it.
@@GYGOtv Thanks to you, I also subscribed to your channel. A lot of viewers should also subscribe and not just watch your videos.
What's also annoying is the way Pimax treat the over privileged RUclipsrs who received free headsets.They bend over backwards to ensure any problems are dealt with swiftly in case they are overly negative in their reviews.VR flight Sim Guy springs to mind as one of the many RUclipsrs who rarely gets to sniff the shit end of the stick like an actual paying customer has to..Finally Martin,(Sweviver) Needs Ironing out as an employee who just constantly lies his arse off and defends Liemax.
Ya, I'm kind of glad I got the experience of the average customer so I could see what it is really like. I hate that RUclipsrs get special treatment, it just throws reality out of wack for the rest of us. Appreciate the comment.
Flight Sim Guy is a shill. He keeps saying how the PCL is the best option to upgrade from a HP G2. Umm no. It is not.
Yeah their PR guy is all over the top comments on Reddit as well, so if you don't have enough likes then you aren't getting responded to. Sounds familiar at this point with the little time ive been aware of the company
@@jonathandyang I know I was pretty much getting ignored until the video came out. Even when I did post on reddit so take that for what it is worth. Thanks for the comment.
Bought PCL, took a month to get to me. Lenses were faulty. Asked for new ones. Took a week to get to me. Helped, but not by much. The comfort level was non existent and the biggest issue with it is the insanely low focal distance - unlike a Quest 3, I had to buy prescription lenses (which are now useless) - and the discomfort was still ridiculous. Inside out tracking was terrible, jittering all over the place. Discord support was ok, but they are only there to sell the product. Their CS is ticket based, but they NEVER respond after an initial request. I had to continually ask either Emily or Max in Discord to find out what was going on. Eventually, over a month later, I got a full refund from them.
They had obviously cut corners to reach a price point, and cut too much. I don't know how good the PC is, but I can't imagine it being a lot better.
Glad you got a refund, CS seems to take a week or more to get back to me on the ticket system as well. Just how Pimax operates I guess. Thanks for sharing your experience.
To be fair, I got a dud Crystal light. Their customer support did give me a few hoops to jump through in order to prove it was probably the headset, but after a week or so they agreed mine was defective, and my new one arrived not much more than a week after I send it back, and it works a treat now.
Wow, completely different experience here... had to film a video to prove my faceplate was defective and there is no way they will send me a replacement until they get the defective on back first, which takes a lot more time without a headset that way. Glad you got such good service... maybe they just need to get the CS Agents more on the same page. Thanks for the feedback.
@ I did have to wait till they confirmed receipt of my return, but it all seems to be done locally (to me in UK) hence the turnaround. In fact at first I thought the replacement had an issue (it didn’t) and tech support offered me a one-on-one session via video link but I needed a firmware update so it was ok.
@@ZeddysDad Wow, nothing like that on my end... maybe it is a UK thing? I'm glad they got you sorted, and quickly.
Thanks for sharing. From reading your experience, plus the experiences of so many others, I would never touch a Pimax product. Their QA is clearly abysmal, and they appear to be somewhat dishonest. This is a shame, because they seem to be trying to innovate. However innovation is useless without proper QA.
That is the sad thing... they have a great VR Headset when it works... I loved my OG Crystal, just a crap shoot if you get a working one or you have to go through this hell to get it replaced.
Compelling and instructive video!
Thanks for watching.
Pimax, If you are paying attention, I would humbly request you improve your customer service.
I am a Varjo Aero owner, that will be looking for a backup headset, I can say at the moment, I WILL ABSOLUTELY NOT CONSIDER A Crystal until you fix your product AND completely overhaul your customer service.
Mark, as usual, thank you for an honest and unbiased review, I know how much you love the Crystal...….when it works.
But having to deal with lousy customer support just rubs salt in an open wound, especially after spending big $$$$, it would be a different story if Pimax was truly trying to take care of their customers and fix the issue, but I 100% agree with your take, that it all feels shady.
It has been painful because when you put this headset on and it works it is almost like... "Ok all is forgiven"! But that BS of running me out of Warranty was the straw that broke me. Can't deal with shady companies like that. Thanks for watching buddy.
I had a tech issue with my crystal. They answered within the hour and was quick to follow up. We have found the problem is in the powered usb hub. The have now passed the problem to after sales team. That was 3 days ago 😢 still waiting.......
@@GYGOtv first of all i´m not sure how Pimax has the warranty policy set, but in general warranty period should kind of stop if the customer claim about faulty unit is accepted from the company especially since they bricked your unit there is no way warranty period could or should still be running for the original unit since you were not even able to partially use it anymore for months.. same for replacement unit - if you gave info its faulty right on start then unless they will take it back and say its not faulty at all, then the warranty period should be considered stopped from the moment you send complain till the moment you´ll get replacement unit or till they will say that there is no problem with that unit
It more of quality control, if they headsets were reliable non need for that much of customer service
they should fix and improve their products first !
I stopped considering Pimax when I saw a sub fee.
Ya I'm not so sure that was a great business move either. Pimax is going to Pimax as they say.
@@GYGOtv pimax is supported by chinese government. their sales dont allow them to stay afloat - but it's a way to penetrate stupid westerners with chinese software, so they keep supporting them.
Thanks for the heads up on this and for giving space to others to also share their experience with Pimax. Like others here I was almost at the point of putting in an order for the Crystal Lite having watched some positive reviews on RUclips, (short term for the most part). After hearing of this experience by yourself and reading of others bad experience, I for another one will be avoiding Pimax in the future, (let them discover what bad customer service and dishonesty gets them!).
Thanks for watching. I can't believe how many bad stories this has generated. I'm happy to give all these customers a voice as you say. I would like to see Pimax survive, but they need to make some drastic changes if they want a recommendation from me in the future. Time will tell I guess.
Dad Gummit !!! and DANG!!! I remember When you purchased the Pimax Crystal and I almost followed in your footsteps and ultimately made the decision to wait and see how they performed in the real world. OMGosh I am soooooooo glad I did NOT make this purchase based on your experience. At this point it looks like the quest 3 is in my future until something better is produced. I have my HP Reverb G2 for the time being. Hope this eventually gets resolved to your satisfaction however it appears that may be wishful thinking. Thanks for sharing this experience. This is just too much much money to have to deal with these types of issues. PersonalIy I am putting Pimax on my "DO NOT BUY FROM LIST." If this is ever favorable reconciled I may reconsider. Until then....
I'm glad you waited too. I fully expect the replacement to be faulty so I'm already mentally moving on. If I get pleasantly surprised that is just a bonus. Thanks for watching buddy.
Thanx for the video, everybody should make such customer services video experiences
I felt it was important for potential buyers to know what they may be in for. Seem to have helped at least a few out there.
Thanks for this video. Really appreciate it
I just hope I can save some people some headaches out there. No company should treat their customers like this.
Kudos for sharing your experience and preventing other people from getting scammed like this. I hope to be purchasing my first headset in a year or two and will be avoiding Pimax like the plague. Love the channel btw!
Thanks for watching, I'm glad I seem to be helping some folks out there on the fence. Obviously I think everyone should be in VR ASAP, so can I recommend you get a Quest 3 so you don't have to wait so long :) Just be sure not to get the Quest 3S!
I got 5 headsets and the only manufacturer that has your back 100% is Valve think Index 2 is worth the wait. I never got Pimax headset as for years i always see people complaining about quality issues and they keep promising to fix them and it just never happens but they do have some RUclips shills always hyping it up as the best thing ever.
@@Eskoxo hopefully we get an Index 2.0 soon! And a new Half Alyx game!
Come on Deckard!!! So ready for that headset. I saw all the warning about Pimax before I bought too... but I wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt... you see how big a mistake that was! Appreciate the comment.
@@claybomb1064 Agreed!
The only other one I've had that has your back like Valve is Bigscreen with their Beyond.
@@SargonDragon I have bigscreen beyond yes they have good customer support but $200 restocking fee to return headset was a turn off for me it was kinda hidden in terms when you buy with small text type of deal.
Thanks for letting us know mate. I was going to buy a Pimax Crystal Light to replace my beloved HP Reveb G2, but after watching your video Pimax is not an option anymore. HP G2 was by far best VR headset I ever owned and HP's customer support was top notch. I had an issue with AMD motherboard compatibility issue, they sent me an upgraded cable for free without any question. After sale service is equaly imprtant to having attractive products. Pimax is missing the mark big time, I will spread the word in my simracing community, will also share your video as well. Good luck.
@@radstandardracing2945 Thanks for watching, appreciate it. Ya I had the same experience with HP, makes a huge difference. Right now I'm recommending the Quest 3 as a replacement for the G2 if you are looking. It really is a great value with good tech.
Awesome video as usual very informative and detailed. I've had the crystal for about 7 months and here are my thoughts. Pro's; incredible visual's with msfs 2020 (out of this world great), great sound, eye tracking with foveated rendering, and auto IPD. Now for the Con's; With powered usb battery last maybe an hour while flying(forget about hot swapping the battery), forget using it without powered connected, headset shuts off at least three times when I start flying then stays on, its heavy but with the upgraded head strap its not bad, the software is terrible but better than it was, the upgraded headphones are to far away from your head so I put black tape around then and now it sounds great. My conclusion is its an awesome headset when it WORKS (best I've used). I have not had any trouble with the hardware/lens. I did have to use the fiber optic cable in order for the eye tracking to work. I'm on the fence about buying the crystal super and the first batches could be really bad who knows. If the battery was not intergrated into the headset and the software was better it would have been a homerun. Still a great headset with issues. Correct me if I'm wrong but the super does not have a battery and for that reason alone its worth upgrading. Would you like to buy my crystal cheap?
Agree with almost all your assessment... I'd add Customer Service might be an important thing to consider too as I found out the hard way. Thanks for the offer for your Crystal, but Pimax is sending me a new one so I'm sure it will be flawless... especially after they see this video :)
@@GYGOtv I was being facetious about selling you my headset. I've not ran into the customer service issue yet but I fully believe your story of your experience. I just accepted the short comings of the headset and Luckly I've not had any hardware issues like you have.
@@likes2fly I was being sarcastic with my "I'm sure it will be flawless" comment so we are both on the same page here LOL
Thanks for sharing your experience! Definitely glad I went with the Quest 2 as a first headset. I had a few issues, and they helped me through them and fixed it. Then I eventually upgraded to a Quest 3 after a year or so with a dead pixel. They refunded, I bought a new one and haven't had an issue since.
Love the Quest 3, absolute amazing piece of tech. Thanks for the comment.
I could not agree more with you. Pimax has shown to be a company that cannot be trusted. I have had other type of problems with them, but they were as annoying as yours.
I’m never again buying another Pimax headset.
Thanks for the comment, I think it is important for potential first time customers to know what they are getting into and I'd like to say I'm surprised by all the people who have had a similar experience... but honestly I'm not. We need an alternative for sure! Come on Valve!
Thanks for the heads up. I'm going to hold off for now
You are welcome, thanks for watching.
I have just saved enough for a PCL to replace my Rift s, and then your video pops up. Certainly making me think twice. It would be nice to see Pimax reply and see what they have to say for themselves.
I'd love that... I really tried to work with them because this was the last kind of video I wanted to make. BUT when they pulled that crap about hey send us another $300 it was too far. I recommend you read the transcript in the description, that will give you a good flavor of how Pimax "responds". Thanks for watching.
I just bought the PCL and received on November 11th. I took the gamble and when I donned the headset I was immediately kicking myself. Complete lens distortion and a sever feeling of being cross eyed. I won the unlucky lottery. Submitted a ticket for lens replacements and won’t receive until sometime in December. Not good enough. Submitted for a refund. Fingers crossed they don’t fight me on it. I really thought I was going to be one of the few lucky ones who got a good headset.
Thank you ! Very kind of you to let us know about this situation occurring with such an expensive vr set.
I just want people to know what they might be getting into. I wish I didn't have to make this video but I wanted to try and save people from this hell I went through. Thanks for the comment.
Yeah this is why I went for the Aero and stayed away from Pimax. I saw another video a year ago orso about similar product and customer service experience, which was a dealbreaker for me. Sorry to hear about your experience. I would not step into the poopoo again if I were you.
I saw those video too but wanted to give Pimax the benefit of the doubt. You see how that worked out for me LOL Everyone sharing similar experiences has pretty much made me realize no more Pimax either. Thanks for watching.
Thanks buddy. I was thinking about picking up the Crystal Light but after reading this and others, gonna have to pass and look elsewhere. I appreciate it.
You are welcome, glad you found the video helpful.
Hell of timing just as Pimax announces the Crystal Super pre-orders ... again lol. Still kinda doesn't make sense to have pre orders a second time. Confusing.
I just want people to be aware of what they might be getting themselves into. I still get why people might want to roll the dice and order one... I just want them to be informed. Thanks for the comment.
After watching their Crystal Super video yesterday I went to see their website for preorders and it wrote "out of stock"...
@@Szabby999 O for sure, I'm not a very big channel so I didn't expect it to make that big of a difference. I just hope I can save some people the headache and it looks like from the comments I have so I'm happy.
@@GYGOtv No, I think you misunderstood my comment. So I only wanted to point out, what they did was they opened Super preorders around May. Then 2 days ago they announced a completely new price and completely new paying constructions and told people in the video to preorder. And when I go to the preorder page I see the outdated, old prices and old options from half a year ago and it said "out of stock". Which is anything but professional, especially when they advertise "the most advanced HMD ever"...
@@Szabby999 Ahhh ok, I got you... sorry reading so many comments my eyes are starting to cross... been a popular comment section on this video for sure!
Thanks for bringing this story to my attention. We ordered 8 Pimax Super yesterday for our company. I will cancel the order today.
Wow, that is some $$$ for 8 of them. Hope you all find a better option. Thanks for watching.
This confirms my decision to not touch their Super with a pole. I have the Crystal and while it still works I've not put many hours on it since July 2023. I never got the Wide-FOV lenses; after multiple broken promises they ended up sending some crap plastic alternatives with a rubbish PPD. They also stopped producing the Ultraleap module. They're a spiv company and I'll go back to my PICO when the Crystal finally dies and Somnium and Vajero still don't sell to Japan rather than give Pimax another cent.
Glad I could help you make an informed decision. I NEVER even got any lenses (but doesn't sound like what you got was even worth getting). I hear the PICO is good, I just don't get the chance to try it because I'm here in the USA. Thanks for watching.
I am a first time Pimax customer with my Crystal Light and I am still a fan, and I'm rooting for them, but you're so right to be disappointed in them. I bought the PCL because it's by far the most fidelity I can get within my budget. But I've had some tracking issues and their customer support has been little to no help, barely reading what I wrote, and offering untenable solutions like not running Discord while gaming or unplugging controllers I specifically use while gaming.
I'm holding out hope that they will improve on the QA and software front as it's going to be really hard to keep selling headsets without improving there. But they've given me no signal that they're going to improve on the support front. It's really awful to hear them do something as terrible as run out the clock on your warranty.
I was holding out for a Valve Index 2 before the PCL came out. But the value prospect was just too high not to give them a try. I'm still working through tracking problems though. It'd be tough to recommend Pimax to others right now.
Appreciate you sharing your experience and I hope they clear up your problems for you. Believe me, I was a fan of them too and couldn't wait to get my original one. You see what that was worth to them in the end. Sad that it had to go this way.
I used to not properly pay attention as much to customers service reviews but learned my lesson the hard way. Yeah it’s great if you’re lucky but if you’re unlucky it’s a complete waste of money. No customer service no purchase for me now
Glad I could help, I think the odds are 50/50 that you would get a good headset. Glad you found the video and thanks for the comment.
Thanks for sharing, you just saved me a whole bunch of headache
Happy to Help!
Sad to hear you had a bad experience. Pimax Crystal was my first Pimax headset. It’s been working flawlessly for me so far. I did have my top strap break and they sent me a new one for free with extra screws and backplates.
Awesome, glad there is at least some Customer Service still left over there. My Crystal was my first too... and likely my last. Hope you get many many more years of use out of yours! Thanks for watching!
It's really a random roll of the dice with Pimax. Not just on QC of the hardware, but also whether you run into the severe software bugs they never bother to fix. It's a mixed bag where some people have smooth sailing while many others have a terrible time.
I ran Pimax headsets for years. I've owned 5 of them including 2 Crystals. They were great when they worked. But it was really about 50/50 which way it was going to go.
Glad you had a good experience for sure. Glad they treated you like a customer should be treated. Thanks for the comment.
@@SargonDragon yes I feel like qc is the biggest thing that need to be contained and addressed. Vr is so hard though because of the faces and eyes of people being so different. The software actually has been improving a lot and has been bug free lately for me. They are a small company trying to grow so they mean well but it’s how they handle the mass production growing pains but remaining profitable that will determine their outcome.
@@Turbinepilot Bigcreen is less than 1/10th the size of Pimax, and their first headset, the Beyond, is far more stable and solid than any Pimax headset has ever been. And their customer support is excellent by all accounts.
People need to stop making excuses for Pimax for being a small company and buying into the idea that it's simply too hard for Pimax to fix its QC and stability problems. Pimax makes deliberate decisions which cause these consequences. They are constantly focusing their engineering on building the next headsets to sell you rather than fixing the one you already bought. This is how this company is able to put out headsets with such cutting edge features, but the major bugs that never get addressed and severe QC problems are the opposite side of that coin.
By comparison, Bigscreen sells one headset. And they have directed all their efforts into polishing it. Not everyone likes the Beyond, but stability, reliability, and customer service are not among the usual complaints about it.
Thanks for sharing your experience. I was going to buy a crystal light but I will definitely steer clear of this company. Thank you for your honesty. I will buy a Quest 3 for now as it is rock solid compared to Pimpmax !
Quest 3 is a great choice. Been using mine since I sent the Crystal back and I've been impressed how close the experience really is for the price difference. Thanks for watching.
The Varjo Aero you sold me on still the best headset I ever owned.
I LOVE Varjo! I still have my Aero and that might be the one I use until I decide what headset comes next. Thank you for still watching our channel, appreciate all my viewers!
I was just considering preordering the pimax crystal super, noped out. Thank you for saving me.
You are welcome, you are who I made the video for and I'm glad it helped.
I had a Pimax 8kx for 2 weeks... NEVER EVER A PIMAX AGAIN. I had to fight with the customer service to take that useless crap back and give me a refund! I lost 50 euros anyway because I had to send it back...
That headset was simply the worst hardware experience I ever had. I could not start it for days, because of a failed update! I had to trick with multiple computers to get it finally work again. Than WORST audio that I ever could imagine. Clanky, shit uncomfortable cheep plastic... and the worst : WARPED visuals, that completely destroyed everything that could had been useable on that thing. Simply nothing did run on that crap except Dirt Rally 2.0 but also with that stupid "warped" vision...
But I know now... NEVER EVER A PIMAX AGAIN
I can't believe all the stories I hear but I guess over 8 years of bad customer service you build up quite a bit of hate out there. Thanks for sharing.
@@GYGOtv Well... If you like, I can forward you the whole e-mail conversation. I could not remember exactly, but I read through again and they wanted to cut 65 euros from the refund (because of hygenic reasons foam etc.) above 50 euros I had to pay for the package to send that crap back, but we could "agree" that If I delete my negative review, they gonna give me a full refund. How criminal is that?
@@drakhonis Don't need the email, I believe you for sure and to be honest I'm tired of ready Pimax Correspondence at this point. Glad you at least ended up in a good place with all of it.
Thanks a lot for sharing! Next time I’m getting a new, I will definitely look for something else
Good Plan, thanks for watching.
I had issues with my Pimax Crystal Light, and to be honest I wish I had never bought it. Beware Pimax shills, especially in the VR flight simming space. Their reviews are not reliable. They have zero quality assurance going on.
Agreed, I think the public is their QA department... they just ship everything and let the public find the defective units. Appreciate you watching.
FACT!
Lots of defective units out there right now for sure.
That really sucks, thanks for sharing your experience.
The risk of these experiences is why I buy expensive items like these in local (Dutch) online stores so that by legislation, they are responsible for any warranty problems. Directly exchanging with the manufacturer about warranty problems tends to be so much more tedious.
BTW, I personally own a Crystal as well since September 2023 and so far things are more or less problem free; I am quite happy with it myself so far. About your battery problem: I have my Crystal tethered via a USB C cable on the USB port on the headset with a QC 3 power adapter, which makes me independent from the risk of running out of battery, a great improvement and removes a huge hassle toggling batteries.
Good luck with your Pimax journey
Thanks for the comment, I'm glad yours is working and I hope it stays that way. I tried all kinds of stuff, including the C-Port and nothing worked for me. That was the frustrating thing. What is funny is now that we have newer firmware the charging issue has gone away... so I think it was a firmware issue that started this all off in the first place. Anyway appreciate you watching.
The thing with develops on the lens might be a fungus. It a common phenomenon for the photographic lenses which were exposed to humidity.
I live here in Colorado and it is pretty dry. I've never seen this on any of my other headsets but maybe. I personally think it is the backlight (local dimming panel) separating from the rest of the panel but that is just a guess... I'm really no expert. Thanks for the suggestion though, I hadn't thought of that.
Wow, I was on the fence to upgrade from my Q2/Pico4 to the PCL. Watching your ordeal and reading the comments here I will definitely not go for PAIN MAX. Thanks for making this video.
You are welcome. If you already have a Q2, you should seriously look at a Quest 3 (NOT Q3S) It is an amazing upgrade and what I think is the best value in VR right now. Thanks for the comment.
You have to buy a Pimax Headset always from a dealer and never directly from them!!!
Interesting, do you think the dealer would have helped me after 7 months or do you think I would have been in the same boat anyway?
Where do you find a dealer?
@@drumbri its on their site, under where to buy, based on country, youll pay a bit extra through dealers, i think amazon is one, but they have really good customer service, in my experience
they might just have a agent living in country as they do sell on Amazon Australia , probably just working from home
@@GYGOtv Still much better, than correspondig with the Pinax customer service ....
I also have some interesting question; About 3 years ago I've bought a Pimax 8KX. With this purchase the promise was made to obtain a full reduction once the Pimax 12KX was released (soon). How about this deal made?.... Will it happen in the future?... I'll never forget...
Yes, he addressed it in the follow-up video here ruclips.net/video/BEPegfAyf2I/видео.html Hope that helps.
LOVE MY PIMAX!!!
I'm glad, I love the visuals in mine too! Just can't let such shady behavior by the company go without saying something. Hope your headset lasts as long as you own it. Thanks for the comment.
@@laartwork I’m glad you like your Pimax. I think the thing with all reviews, same with restaurants etc…you don’t get to hear the good reviews,just the negative ones, even if they are warranted.