Wow Martin! Those through the lens comparisons are the best I've ever seen of the Crystal. Very akin to how I saw when I demo'd it recently. Great upgrade for Reverb G 2 users
If you get the "comfort top strap" that pimax sells for it it's way more comfortable. I just got it the other day and it's a huge improvement to the comfort, I could easily spend 4+ hour sessions in the headset now without being uncomfortable.
Honestly I'd be very satisfied with my G2 if they would have gone with pancake lenses instead of fresnel. You can't beat the price point on it, and it has held up very well considering its age.
For me, the G2 wins the main one: simple, ultra comfortable, inexpensive, effective. Pimax helmets are really too heavy and complex. For the moment no helmet makes me want to change my G2 (Simracing and flightsim use) if pimax wants to convince the simmer, it is necessary to make a simpler helmet, (Full pcvr, as comfortable and light as possible, with inside out tracking)
The image quality on the Crystal is great - IF and WHEN it works. One of the main differences between the Crystal and the G2 is that the Reverb G2 just works. Anytime you plug it in for a session - it does what it is supposed to do. That is unfortunately hot the case with the Crystal. It took me more than 3 months of wasted time with Pimax support before I could e en get it to start. Once it did, the image quality was/is superb. But every time J try to use it, it’s still like playing on the lottery - will it work or not. I wouldn’r recommend anyone to stay clear of the Crystal, because it does have unique qualities, but if you com from the (plug and play) G2, make sure you know what to expect before you buy one. It’s not like buying a new car and being handed the keys. It’s more like buying a kit car. It may or may not work and it’s mostly up to you to make it work. The support is mostly non existing, unless thay have shaped up tremendously since November. My headset is finally working, but due to all problems, it has stayed in its box lately. But if you like to fiddle, go adead. When it worjs - it’s great.
I just upgraded from a G2 to a Crystal. The G2 is more comfortable to wear out the box, but apart from that the Crystal beats it in every other area. I mainly fly DCS and IL2 and naturally, with the G2 settings you’ll take a hit with the Crystal, but with a bit o f testing and tweaking and the use of Quad view in DCS the difference is jaw dropping. Of course you’ll need a hefty graphics a card and processor to maximise the benefits. I have an i7-10700k and a 4090. DCS has never looked so good in VR. Well worth the entry cost. Even with a slightly slowish CPU.
It's been a pretty direct upgrade in every field for me. Much better clarity, better colors, better FOV, better framerate, better audio. And with the lighthouse faceplate and index controllers it's got better controls too. Only real downside is the weight but with some modding it's more comfortable than my G2 was.
Excellent comparison video Martin! Those through the lens shots were top notch and are easily up there with the best that I have ever seen. And i don't just mean the clarity of those shots, but also how well you were able to mimic the panning of each shot between the headsets. This video must have taken a lot of effort. So again, well done, and on basically all other areas of the video too. Don't think it has personally changed my mind on holding off on a purchase, but that's besides the point. I think this video more than served it's purpose, in that the Crystal would be an excellent upgrade for any G2 owners (I'm an on the fence 8KX owner). 👍 Cheers and have a safe and Merry Christmas! 🙂🎄
On the G2 or any hmd for that matter you can just attach a vive tracker to the headset and have a pretty seamless experience with index controllers etc.. it’s also cheaper than buying the faceplate for the Pimax. Though there’s many other reasons to choose the pimax over the g2 but the price is kinda high haha. Anyways bye, love your video Martin, and your accent.
Just to clarify, I'm pretty sure it is closer to $2200 roughly in Aus with the current Christmas special. Even at full retail, I think it was "only" $2750. But yes, still not cheap by any means, and is partly why I am keeping my 8KX for now, until a wider FOV option becomes available (unless Crystal drops to around $1900 AUD/$1150 US, then I'd probably order one).
If you take the price in comparison the HP Reverb G2 is way better than the Pimax Crystal. You get a huge amount of really good VR technology for a small amount of money!
The answer is no, the Pimax Crystal is such a pain to use. Frequently drops connection and games won’t launch correctly when using it. I spend more time trying to get it to work than actually using it. Stick with the G2 you will be much happier
everything sounds good i am tempted to get it, but i will not just because it is too big an bulky, i want to be able to game an relax an socialize with friends. more of like laying down falling asleep in my headset, this headset dose not provide those type of all around features, second issue is that i dont like how this headset cost 2k but for the accessories your basically paying 3k in total for the headset. i dont know if i missed a video where you pointed out how the pimax crystal software is buggy an dose not work properly with 3080 or 3090Ti an also there is connectivity problems an turning on problems. these are the complaints that are being told from other content creators that have purchased this headset. also the other problem pimax has is the headset always rebooting to default settings even to a lower resolution than the headset, so every time you turn it on you have to fix this issue. clarity is cool an all but spending as much money on a headset for it to be just for gaming n bulky an having to purchase 500-600$ worth more of a equipment to make sure your head dose not fall off while wearing it, is a big no no unless you are a hardcore gamer with a fat pocket an get no e-girls an your life varies around virtual reality. for this expensive headset with all the problems it is not worth it. i dont know why the fuck people would buy this headset just because black spots are actually black and the colour just pops it just sounds like a no brainer for me. your basically paying for a big heavy headset with the best clarity that comes with crazy software issues, dose not work with 3080 or 3090TI gpu's connectivity issues, plus you have to buy another piece just to connect index controllers and to use base station tracking. this company only cares about them selfs not there customers an this video is basically promoting the fact people with the G2 should throw that shit away an buy the pimax crystal.
That's an easy yes! But guys, it IS a harder question from the 8KX. Wide FoV lenses _might_ make it easier after they're available, but likely still not quite...
I've been using Reverb G2 from day one and just recently purchased Crystal and I have to say it is not a big upgrade. Now I can debate about all the aspects the video mentions what is wrong and right but I will just make it short. From my experience, only thing worth mentioning is DFR. I does give me a huge improvement in performance over G2 and it was mind blowing. Everything else, is just mediocre, slightly better than G2. G2's bad stuffs like small sweet spot, blurry edge and small FOV still exist in Crystal and I cannot like it. If there was only improvement I wanted from G2, it would be a wider FOV. Sadly Crystal is just about same. When I first used "PSVR2", I could feel a vast FOV improvement and it felt so good. Crystal, no. It was just like G2 as if you see thorough a spyglass. So If you need more performance, go for it. But for everything else, I don't know. I don't think it is worth buy Crystal. I really appreciate Pimax for everything but I am gonna have to wait for 12k with wide FOV.
I can't imagine switching back to my G2 from my Crystal. The image quality is significantly higher (super clear in comparison to the G2 which is noticeably blurrier), the blacks are darker, the colors are brighter and not washed out like on the G2, there isn't any glare in the optics (the glare from the plastic fresnel lenses in the G2 hurts my eyes after a while), and the vertical FOV is significantly better in the Crystal than it is in the G2. I don't find the edges of the view in the Crystal are nearly as blurry as they are in the G2 (all VR headsets have some degree of edge blur right now because of how the optics work, but there's no way that plastic fresnel lenses are going to outperform glass aspheric lenses or even pancake lenses for that matter). One thing I'd recommend is that you use an app on your phone to find your IPD (such as the GlassesOn app) and compare that to what the Crystal is detecting automatically. Sometimes the crystal detects my IPD bang on at 55.4 and other times it thinks my IPD is 54.6 which it isn't. That can affect the clarity of the image and the sweet spot. I also had a time where for some reason it was detecting my IPD as like 72 or something ridiculous for whatever reason every time I took off the headset then put it back on. I think it might have been some kind of weird conflict between the IPD detection and PimaxXR DFR, but after a reboot of the headset it was fixed and hasn't happened since. I manually adjust it to 55.4 now which gives me the best clarity and sweet spot range (you can also hard set it in the Pimax Play app if you're the only one using the headset). Pimax have wider FOV lenses coming out for the Crystal soon enough so maybe try those once they are available.
Do you think the wigig module for wireless pcvr will change your stance on why that battery is really there? They showed it at CES, but I don't think you can buy it yet...
NO is the answer to this. i sent my crystal back. total load of hype backed by all the VR flight sim shills on YT - all the fake WOWs and OMG its awesome. ridiculous - slightly better image over more of the screen but other than that absolutely not worth upgrade. damn uncomfortable too. if it was so great why do the VR flight sim gurus constantly change their headsets on every video? The differences are SO subtle i just dont see how anyone can get excited about the crystal over the G2 ?
I went from a G2 to Pimax Crystal. Crystal is sharper, clearer and more immersive by a huge amount. BUT is it 5 times better? That is the “value” difference. Based on “value”; G2 wins. For absolute best, Crystal wins.
The more pixels you have, the more powerfull the pc should be but if you wish an even experience you should stay low on refresh rate, so 72hz is a must in sims. Please we do not need more pixels, just more powerfull machiness and more confortable headsets, maybe a crystall without batteries?!? ;))
I used G2, now I use Crystal for MSFS. Crystal is in different league for image quality (nice - the Crystal advantage lies in the lens and much, much bigger sweet spot, not so much the resolution or QLED panel quality) and price (not nice, especially that revealing full Crystal potential in MSFS requires brand new PC with 4090). The total cost of new PC suitable for Crystal in MSFS and Crystal itself is in 5500+ euro range. If you can afford it without risking your marriage - go for it. If not - look for alternatives (used G2 can be bought for 300 euro, due to small sweet spot it doesn't require 4090, but probably in 2-3 years it will be no longer working on Widows due to WMR deprecation), Quest is also much cheaper alternative. And the desicion to equip Crystal with battery and standardizing the case for future 12K - which makes it huge... It was not a good decision from the comfort point of view. Not dramatically bad for sims, but for any game requiring dymanic body/head movement - there is too much weight and resulting inertia.
i dont get these people who complain about comfort ??? yes its bulky yes it isnt as comfortable as others, ive had a HP reverb G2 was brilliant (didnt like AMD) then i went Meta Quest pro again i got it running brilliantly in flight sims color's clarity lenses all very good. at the moment i now am using A Varjo Aero and also my Pimax Crystal has turned up so can tell you honestly as ive paid with my own money The pimax is far better image resolution etc and FOV brilliant, Varjo Aero Comfort 100 percent better FOV well once you try the wide field of view no going back unfortunately the Quality of the Varjo is Amazing miles better than Pimax i don't use any of these as standalone by the way constantly sat down Pimax is to be honest rubbish for that its an after thought unbelievable really !!!! for standalone id go QUEST 3 all day long reasonable price and best out their for that at the minute
The Pimax Crystal is 100% better than the G2 in FOV, hz, Steam tracked faceplate, lighter better controllers and tracking, sound, one small amendment is simply with over 10,000hrs in VR pixels, and pixel boxes are simply still visible thus screen door effect is simply visible on the Crystsl as will be with the 12k, interestingly G2 was spoken about by all great reviewers as no more SDE effect, simply not true, the best of the best. I would never wear anything but the Pimax Crystal as its simply the best
You need to face it. Your software and your support stinks. Rarely does it fire up after a shut down without hassle. Then I only reset the room or entered a password again about a zillion times. And I still find no linker to games that actually works. Mostly, it is attitude. Your Chinese people are brain dead as to what the user needs and they don't appear that they are going to change. You still have no game linker that actually works. Then even your text and color render instructions that cannot even be read. My Oculus Rift just works 100 percent of the time. Last time I entered a password or reset the room was years ago. Help documents are all but impossible to find as well. Or they are full of hassle to access. I just gave up last time. Now it is always falling out of position register all by itself almost every time I restart it. I would not buy it again for these reasons and I would not recommend it to others at this point. You and your company have the wrong idea about what is most important. Get your business act together before all these other things you are working on or there will be no future. Just saying it like it is......
Here the G2 is done badly again. The images through the lens do not correspond to reality at all
Yeah, obviously.
Wow Martin! Those through the lens comparisons are the best I've ever seen of the Crystal. Very akin to how I saw when I demo'd it recently. Great upgrade for Reverb G 2 users
First VR for me was a G2……. now own and love the Crystal with X-Plane12 and DCS.
I used the G2 for a few years and decided to try the Crystal. Too big and bulky, I am back to the G2, so much more comfortable IMHO
If you get the "comfort top strap" that pimax sells for it it's way more comfortable. I just got it the other day and it's a huge improvement to the comfort, I could easily spend 4+ hour sessions in the headset now without being uncomfortable.
What about now that the Crystal Light has been announced? It's now much lighter than before.
The light is perfectly positioned for my beloved G2 replacement. And the super for the 5090 coming
Honestly I'd be very satisfied with my G2 if they would have gone with pancake lenses instead of fresnel. You can't beat the price point on it, and it has held up very well considering its age.
For me, the G2 wins the main one: simple, ultra comfortable, inexpensive, effective.
Pimax helmets are really too heavy and complex.
For the moment no helmet makes me want to change my G2 (Simracing and flightsim use)
if pimax wants to convince the simmer, it is necessary to make a simpler helmet, (Full pcvr, as comfortable and light as possible, with inside out tracking)
The image quality on the Crystal is great - IF and WHEN it works.
One of the main differences between the Crystal and the G2 is that the Reverb G2 just works. Anytime you plug it in for a session - it does what it is supposed to do.
That is unfortunately hot the case with the Crystal. It took me more than 3 months of wasted time with Pimax support before I could e en get it to start. Once it did, the image quality was/is superb. But every time J try to use it, it’s still like playing on the lottery - will it work or not.
I wouldn’r recommend anyone to stay clear of the Crystal, because it does have unique qualities, but if you com from the (plug and play) G2, make sure you know what to expect before you buy one. It’s not like buying a new car and being handed the keys. It’s more like buying a kit car. It may or may not work and it’s mostly up to you to make it work. The support is mostly non existing, unless thay have shaped up tremendously since November.
My headset is finally working, but due to all problems, it has stayed in its box lately. But if you like to fiddle, go adead. When it worjs - it’s great.
"My headset is finally working, but due to all problems, it has stayed in its box lately."
I can't quite get my head around that concept
I just upgraded from a G2 to a Crystal. The G2 is more comfortable to wear out the box, but apart from that the Crystal beats it in every other area. I mainly fly DCS and IL2 and naturally, with the G2 settings you’ll take a hit with the Crystal, but with a bit o f testing and tweaking and the use of Quad view in DCS the difference is jaw dropping. Of course you’ll need a hefty graphics a card and processor to maximise the benefits. I have an i7-10700k and a 4090. DCS has never looked so good in VR. Well worth the entry cost. Even with a slightly slowish CPU.
It's been a pretty direct upgrade in every field for me. Much better clarity, better colors, better FOV, better framerate, better audio. And with the lighthouse faceplate and index controllers it's got better controls too.
Only real downside is the weight but with some modding it's more comfortable than my G2 was.
Better audio?
Excellent comparison video Martin! Those through the lens shots were top notch and are easily up there with the best that I have ever seen. And i don't just mean the clarity of those shots, but also how well you were able to mimic the panning of each shot between the headsets. This video must have taken a lot of effort. So again, well done, and on basically all other areas of the video too. Don't think it has personally changed my mind on holding off on a purchase, but that's besides the point. I think this video more than served it's purpose, in that the Crystal would be an excellent upgrade for any G2 owners (I'm an on the fence 8KX owner). 👍 Cheers and have a safe and Merry Christmas! 🙂🎄
On the G2 or any hmd for that matter you can just attach a vive tracker to the headset and have a pretty seamless experience with index controllers etc.. it’s also cheaper than buying the faceplate for the Pimax. Though there’s many other reasons to choose the pimax over the g2 but the price is kinda high haha. Anyways bye, love your video Martin, and your accent.
So its costs allot more.. $3200 AUD against Approx $1000 AUD for a Reverb G2..... Is it three times better?
Just to clarify, I'm pretty sure it is closer to $2200 roughly in Aus with the current Christmas special. Even at full retail, I think it was "only" $2750. But yes, still not cheap by any means, and is partly why I am keeping my 8KX for now, until a wider FOV option becomes available (unless Crystal drops to around $1900 AUD/$1150 US, then I'd probably order one).
Yeah thats the problem. The crystal is better but not that much better relative to price. If it had WFOV that would be different.
If you take the price in comparison the HP Reverb G2 is way better than the Pimax Crystal. You get a huge amount of really good VR technology for a small amount of money!
The answer is no, the Pimax Crystal is such a pain to use. Frequently drops connection and games won’t launch correctly when using it. I spend more time trying to get it to work than actually using it. Stick with the G2 you will be much happier
everything sounds good i am tempted to get it, but i will not just because it is too big an bulky, i want to be able to game an relax an socialize with friends. more of like laying down falling asleep in my headset, this headset dose not provide those type of all around features, second issue is that i dont like how this headset cost 2k but for the accessories your basically paying 3k in total for the headset. i dont know if i missed a video where you pointed out how the pimax crystal software is buggy an dose not work properly with 3080 or 3090Ti an also there is connectivity problems an turning on problems. these are the complaints that are being told from other content creators that have purchased this headset. also the other problem pimax has is the headset always rebooting to default settings even to a lower resolution than the headset, so every time you turn it on you have to fix this issue. clarity is cool an all but spending as much money on a headset for it to be just for gaming n bulky an having to purchase 500-600$ worth more of a equipment to make sure your head dose not fall off while wearing it, is a big no no unless you are a hardcore gamer with a fat pocket an get no e-girls an your life varies around virtual reality. for this expensive headset with all the problems it is not worth it. i dont know why the fuck people would buy this headset just because black spots are actually black and the colour just pops it just sounds like a no brainer for me. your basically paying for a big heavy headset with the best clarity that comes with crazy software issues, dose not work with 3080 or 3090TI gpu's connectivity issues, plus you have to buy another piece just to connect index controllers and to use base station tracking. this company only cares about them selfs not there customers an this video is basically promoting the fact people with the G2 should throw that shit away an buy the pimax crystal.
But does it support home assistant?
That's an easy yes!
But guys, it IS a harder question from the 8KX. Wide FoV lenses _might_ make it easier after they're available, but likely still not quite...
I've been using Reverb G2 from day one and just recently purchased Crystal and I have to say it is not a big upgrade. Now I can debate about all the aspects the video mentions what is wrong and right but I will just make it short. From my experience, only thing worth mentioning is DFR. I does give me a huge improvement in performance over G2 and it was mind blowing. Everything else, is just mediocre, slightly better than G2. G2's bad stuffs like small sweet spot, blurry edge and small FOV still exist in Crystal and I cannot like it. If there was only improvement I wanted from G2, it would be a wider FOV. Sadly Crystal is just about same. When I first used "PSVR2", I could feel a vast FOV improvement and it felt so good. Crystal, no. It was just like G2 as if you see thorough a spyglass. So If you need more performance, go for it. But for everything else, I don't know. I don't think it is worth buy Crystal. I really appreciate Pimax for everything but I am gonna have to wait for 12k with wide FOV.
I can't imagine switching back to my G2 from my Crystal. The image quality is significantly higher (super clear in comparison to the G2 which is noticeably blurrier), the blacks are darker, the colors are brighter and not washed out like on the G2, there isn't any glare in the optics (the glare from the plastic fresnel lenses in the G2 hurts my eyes after a while), and the vertical FOV is significantly better in the Crystal than it is in the G2. I don't find the edges of the view in the Crystal are nearly as blurry as they are in the G2 (all VR headsets have some degree of edge blur right now because of how the optics work, but there's no way that plastic fresnel lenses are going to outperform glass aspheric lenses or even pancake lenses for that matter). One thing I'd recommend is that you use an app on your phone to find your IPD (such as the GlassesOn app) and compare that to what the Crystal is detecting automatically. Sometimes the crystal detects my IPD bang on at 55.4 and other times it thinks my IPD is 54.6 which it isn't. That can affect the clarity of the image and the sweet spot. I also had a time where for some reason it was detecting my IPD as like 72 or something ridiculous for whatever reason every time I took off the headset then put it back on. I think it might have been some kind of weird conflict between the IPD detection and PimaxXR DFR, but after a reboot of the headset it was fixed and hasn't happened since. I manually adjust it to 55.4 now which gives me the best clarity and sweet spot range (you can also hard set it in the Pimax Play app if you're the only one using the headset). Pimax have wider FOV lenses coming out for the Crystal soon enough so maybe try those once they are available.
The only reason i didn't pick pimax crystal was the need to use batteries in pcvr. Who though that was a good idea?
That's why I am getting the Somnium VR 1
Do you think the wigig module for wireless pcvr will change your stance on why that battery is really there?
They showed it at CES, but I don't think you can buy it yet...
I will buy a crystal in spring.
Then I have a budget for this....
Get somnium vr1 instead 😉
NO is the answer to this. i sent my crystal back. total load of hype backed by all the VR flight sim shills on YT - all the fake WOWs and OMG its awesome. ridiculous - slightly better image over more of the screen but other than that absolutely not worth upgrade. damn uncomfortable too. if it was so great why do the VR flight sim gurus constantly change their headsets on every video? The differences are SO subtle i just dont see how anyone can get excited about the crystal over the G2 ?
Compare somnium vr1 instead when its get released 😉
I went from a G2 to Pimax Crystal. Crystal is sharper, clearer and more immersive by a huge amount. BUT is it 5 times better? That is the “value” difference. Based on “value”; G2 wins. For absolute best, Crystal wins.
The more pixels you have, the more powerfull the pc should be but if you wish an even experience you should stay low on refresh rate, so 72hz is a must in sims. Please we do not need more pixels, just more powerfull machiness and more confortable headsets, maybe a crystall without batteries?!? ;))
I used G2, now I use Crystal for MSFS. Crystal is in different league for image quality (nice - the Crystal advantage lies in the lens and much, much bigger sweet spot, not so much the resolution or QLED panel quality) and price (not nice, especially that revealing full Crystal potential in MSFS requires brand new PC with 4090). The total cost of new PC suitable for Crystal in MSFS and Crystal itself is in 5500+ euro range. If you can afford it without risking your marriage - go for it. If not - look for alternatives (used G2 can be bought for 300 euro, due to small sweet spot it doesn't require 4090, but probably in 2-3 years it will be no longer working on Widows due to WMR deprecation), Quest is also much cheaper alternative.
And the desicion to equip Crystal with battery and standardizing the case for future 12K - which makes it huge... It was not a good decision from the comfort point of view. Not dramatically bad for sims, but for any game requiring dymanic body/head movement - there is too much weight and resulting inertia.
What ? Mura layer caused by display panel technology ?
Its worth the upgrade if you have the PC, major difference.
i dont get these people who complain about comfort ??? yes its bulky yes it isnt as comfortable as others, ive had a HP reverb G2 was brilliant (didnt like AMD) then i went Meta Quest pro again i got it running brilliantly in flight sims color's clarity lenses all very good. at the moment i now am using A Varjo Aero and also my Pimax Crystal has turned up so can tell you honestly as ive paid with my own money
The pimax is far better image resolution etc and FOV brilliant, Varjo Aero Comfort 100 percent better FOV well once you try the wide field of view no going back unfortunately the Quality of the Varjo is Amazing miles better than Pimax
i don't use any of these as standalone by the way constantly sat down Pimax is to be honest rubbish for that its an after thought unbelievable really !!!!
for standalone id go QUEST 3 all day long reasonable price and best out their for that at the minute
can you please do a comparison of the Quest 3 vs Pimax. I loved the comparison on this video very indepth well done!
Wij van wc eend
The Pimax Crystal is 100% better than the G2 in FOV, hz, Steam tracked faceplate, lighter better controllers and tracking, sound, one small amendment is simply with over 10,000hrs in VR pixels, and pixel boxes are simply still visible thus screen door effect is simply visible on the Crystsl as will be with the 12k, interestingly G2 was spoken about by all great reviewers as no more SDE effect, simply not true, the best of the best. I would never wear anything but the Pimax Crystal as its simply the best
seriously are you on drugs or are you a pimax employee?
You need to face it. Your software and your support stinks. Rarely does it fire up after a shut down without hassle. Then I only reset the room or entered a password again about a zillion times. And I still find no linker to games that actually works. Mostly, it is attitude. Your Chinese people are brain dead as to what the user needs and they don't appear that they are going to change. You still have no game linker that actually works. Then even your text and color render instructions that cannot even be read. My Oculus Rift just works 100 percent of the time. Last time I entered a password or reset the room was years ago. Help documents are all but impossible to find as well. Or they are full of hassle to access. I just gave up last time. Now it is always falling out of position register all by itself almost every time I restart it. I would not buy it again for these reasons and I would not recommend it to others at this point. You and your company have the wrong idea about what is most important. Get your business act together before all these other things you are working on or there will be no future. Just saying it like it is......