No SDE [ image is perfectly clear - so can see all cockpit details, colors are more real / natural ]
Renders in 2.5K and upscale to 4K [ so present GPU`s can manage all rendering with Ultra settings - my GTX1080 ]
Price [ 200 used, 300-400$ new ]
Steam VR support [ tested: Project Cars / DCS - works perfect ! had problem with Dirt Rally ]
Disadvantages:
No positional tracking [ 20$ - solved ]
60Hz freq display with bigger latency [ little ghosting on fast moves - but not disturbing ]
Comparision of SCREEN [ HTC Vive / Oculus CV1 / Pimax 4K ]
This Video “talks” more then a thousands of words !
Verdict:
It is not perfect, but IMHO worth it !! [ Probably will sell my CV1 pretty soon ]
As a VR CV1, and PSVR user/owner [ Vive only tested for an hour ] with 3 year experience in this matter [ started from a preorder of DK2 kit 3 years ago, then upgraded to a CV1 over year ago ] so generally I used most of them for many many hours and was really waiting for something better after such time…
also for me as I get used to best possible solutions from all VR googles, something like positional tracking is simple a must have and lack of this makes VR totaly pointless [ in a cockpit simulators ] - for a Pimax hopefully it can be added without much efford - as I will write in details [ this PT won`t be as perfect as CV1/Vive, but pretty good ].
Installation: SW: Pimax PIPlay - lack of virtual room, only a visible logo of Pimax. It has some demos like video 360, movies VR, and steamVR button so its general purpose is to start the steamVR app ! Issues:
if already installed Oculus Home [ for a CV1 ] I had some problems, so I simply uninstalled it.
VR Tracking Ball and mount ( PS Move Service ) - 3D printed [ but can be a pingpong ball or something ] - I used a 12V LED bulb with a 12V power source [ 12V 1A power supply and cable attached directly to bulb ]
1-3 PSMove + 1-4 PS3Camera [ I bought 1 camera and 1 move - for about 10$ ]
a Bluetooth adapter [ if PC has - OK, if not buy a 5$ one, even if PSMove is connected with cable ] SW:
PSMoveServices, or better PSMoveSteamVRBridge [ with SteamVR support ] Releases · HipsterSloth/PSMoveSteamVRBridge · GitHub
[ it was designed for a move controllers, so you can have 1-2 moves which becames Steam VIVE controller, BUT: _wont simple work [ for an HMD tracking ] with a Pimax..._ mostly used for a phone HMD and with a VRift [ RiftCat combines to Steam and for a Cardboard google, or phone it works, with PIMAX - WONT ! [ hopefully there is a workaround - next point ]
FreePieConnector - this is the driver needed for a HMD with tracking ball [ or PS move on HMD ] to work with SteamVR - now is called Driver4VR [ demo let you test for 10 minutes / full version costs 8E ] http://www.driver4vr.com/
PS3 Camera driver [ 4.1) CL-Eye-Driver 4.2) [ Zadig ]
FreePie [ actually with SteamVR probably not needed ]
this is first weekend of configuration and playing [ using my 2DOF offcourse ! ] I hope you find it usefull, and thanks for reading !
Hi friend, thank you for your fabulous sharing. Our engineers are also working hard to push PiPlay ahead at present, you will see the customized room in Pimax 4K in the future
Pimax - has made a really great job making a 4K possible not in next two years, but here and now !
Probably lack of VRRoom for most of the users is not a real problem, since you could just follow an existing flow and as had already implemented “SteamVR compatibility” - the whole existing market of games is now available for P4K - so why not to use a SteamVR room and improve the compatibility [ like Revive ] ? Oculus / HTC had spent 4 years until PC Game devs studios [ not mentioning the Nvidia H/W dev teams ] sees the VR potential. I`ve seen how the Facebook [ with Oculus ] tried to implement in addition to their great product an Addon: whole new game platform [ “Home” ] but even having so much potential they cannot simply do this in easy way and for example convince any user to buy the same game twice ? as he already did in Steam ! What I meant it is very good to have own VR room [ I mention as a small difference to other platforms - not an issue since SteamVRGames works ] and if you are planning large completely new Game Platform with VR room - it could be just a little difficult to achieve and will requires many resources - for a player like me better to invest in PT - just a small suggestion
In general best wishes in any further implementations and improvements to make it even better, as Pimax4K has already changed the market ! I look forward especially on Positional Tracking addon - a real must have !
PS: Sony did their positional tracking of PSVR using a 4 LED in front panel and 2 LED in back and a PSCamera - so maybe it can be done in a simple way ?
Thanks @Heliosurge - just written what I had in mind after spending some time with Pimax4K [ in general is great 4K HMD ! and as all others VR has issues ]
Many people used it [ as I was considering to buy or not = reading all online reviews / comments ] only for a video player - but why ? if can play SteamVR games instead in 4K ! It has to be a full VR platform [ to be needs a PositionTracking upgrade for full 4K immersion ] since Pimax has it in progress stage - I just needed to check PT and really this is the missing step [ as CV1 / HTC provides out of the box ]. @NOLO project seems OK [ but as they first promised in @kickstarter to be 99$ and not 200$ upgrade - almost cost of the Pimax - but on the other hand HTC / Oculus PT - costs even more and maybe it will be worth finally ].
Also please have in mind that Greg@Driver4VR - is implementing a LeapMotion / Xbox Kinect - upgrade for PositionalTracking - so am really hoping that could be an affordable and easy solution !
Does anyone know if the psmoveserivce will work with the pimax 4k? Last time I checked, headtracking worked with vridge but not SteamVr alone, has this been fixed?
“Also please have in mind that Greg@Driver4VR - is implementing a LeapMotion / Xbox Kinect - upgrade for PositionalTracking - so am really hoping that could be an affordable and easy solution !”
Does anyone have more information about the leapMotion part?
I bought one, but it’s almost useless as a controller.
Thank you
Yes - can confirm as I used PSMoveSteamVR service and it worked with Pimax 4K HMD positional tracking, BUT *with the Driver4VR [ driver4vr.com ] installed ! so you need just this [ as PSMoveServices works only with Steam VR controllers from definition, so need to use as HMD tracker D4VR = it worked, even at the moment is working in my PC
I am waiting for the LeapMotion option - I have asked its developer: Greg@Driver4VR and he confirms that project is on its final stage and looks promising ! so also can`t wait to check this out [ one of potential minuses that probably it cannot track more than 200 degree, so when you are turned back - small issue - since who drives a car looking back ]
In general Driver4VR is an addon application/driver to provide variety of possible options to make PositionalTracking which works with a Pimax4K in SteamVR
Options:
PSMove [ ready and works ! ]
Kinect - [ in progress ]
LeapMotion - [ in progress ]
HTV Vive trackers and controllers [ in progress - *heard that will be supported in final version ].
I used D4VR with first option which is available - with a PS3MoveController&Camera + my 3D printed yellow plastic ball with a 12V LED light and IT WORKED [ uses a PSMoveSteamVR / PSMoveServices - libraries and applications to retrieve the orientation values and inject them into a SteamVR as HMD - like it pretends to be a Vive position tracker ].
I was able to test 1) and it is OK, but now waiting for 2/3 options to check, maybe better - I don`t know.
I didnt spent much time on this case, since wanted only the HMD tracking and controllers were irrelevant - but had such experience: without D4VR controllers works with positional tracking, with D4VR HMD works with positional tracking but controllers were not tracked [ rotation and clicks worked, so I can see them, even rotate, point, click, but are not following any movement ] - maybe I made a mistake during configuration, or a further S/W fix is needed [ really dont know as I don`t used them anymore ].
What I wanted to ask a @PIMAX-Support - the gyroscope in HMD after some time of usage drifts, in such cases only reseting orientation in PiPlay helps [ without Positional Tracking the SteamVR/Game view reset works fine, but with additional positional tracking it rotates “virtually” camera due to drift and only a Pimax recenter works ] - is there any option at least to have a possibility to set keyboard / controller button as a shortcut to PiPlay recenter option, [ instead of alt+tab -> PiPlay app -> recenter ] ?
and if you are planning large completely new Game Platform with VR room - it could be just a little difficult to achieve and will requires many resources - for a player like me better to invest in PT - just a small suggestion 
