mhm… maybe i’m thinking too simple but if it’s not an bandwith issue (what i guess not when other HMD offer two ports and pimax’s statement that there was simply not enough space) a simple usb-c hub would solve the issue?
e.g. www.amazon.com/dp/B073JSV4DF or in black www.amazon.com/dp/B017H9CF1S
That might be a little bulky to affix to the headset?
I think forum user, technical genius and 8K-X tester, ‘Mirage335’, had an idea of using a flat and small scaled ribbon cable to make it more stealthy.
Ultimately I would imagine once there are literally hundreds of people wanting a DIY ‘hack’ someone on here with an 8K-X will perfect it, and hopefully arrange a ‘group buy’ or a set of instructions and we can all get our soldering irons and craft knives out, and maybe install some cabling into a 3D printed flat housing to make it all less visible.
Not a bad idea. But how the handtracking module attaches you would need the handtracking module to have a pass through port.
yeah, a Y cable more like OTG hubs would be even nicer/compact, but only found ones with USB-A ports on quick search so far:
You wouldnt need this with 8kx > 2port-hub > port1: eye + port2: hand
The problem with that is the design of the headset uses the bottom handtracker USB c port. no way to attach the splitter without a pass through port on the handtracker.
It is ultimately up to pimax to fix the problem not the community.
They may have made a big mistake rushing the X out the door removing the top port!
got it, so pimax need to come up with a handtracking module with a side port like the eyetracking module otherwise the port stays blocked as soon hand module is in -_-
My computer is on the other side of the room, having to run a whole nother cable to it is going to increase the weight of the cable substantially and is really not an adequate solution for such an expensive headset.
Also we will be waiting on a second gen hand tracking unit with a passthru for atleast a year in my opinion as it definitely doesn’t seem like a priority for pimax right now. Which is why I really want them to focus on a new cable design with integrated USB cable that @SweViver mentioned was a possibility.
We were promised modularity with these headsets and I bought a handtracking module a year ago with that promise in mind. If I’m forced to run a second extension cord accross my living room because pimax forgot about their modules when designing the X then I’ll just go ahead and cancel my order for handtracking as thats not what was promised.
So far pimax has seemed to blow off this issue as not a big deal which is also hugely disappointing to those of us who bought these modules assuming they could be used together. I really think they need to make a statement on this and what they intend to do, if anything, so I dont go thinking they will fix the issue and not put it on the backburner for another year.
That’s what I use for my extension cables… 
Lets stick with the facts we know so far for 8kx owners:
Pimax eye-tracking will be plugged in the bottom hmd-port via a short usb-c expansion cable that runs along the headset shell upwards. That’s how we all have to deal with it first.
When the handtracking module arrives they said that a new vesion of that module will have an usb-c port on the side wher you would then plug in the (even shorter?) usb-c expansion cable for the eye-tracking. Not a big deal imho.
Then sweviver was talking about an optical cable that improves the signal strenght so it will be available in a longer version like 10m, too. The benefit of such a cable is also that it would be thinner and lighter than the normal one. He is already testing such a cable. Sweviver said then that they are discussing a version of that cable with an additional usb plug. This would avoid the need of the short usb-c expansion cable mentioned above. I imagine this new cable would have an usb-c socket next to the input position used right now on the upper left side of the hmd, very close to where the upper usb-c hmd-port is on the 5k+/8k(+).
Pimax has to decide which of these two oftions is the one to go. Which one is faster to realize and which one is cheaper to do? Only Pimax knows.
The new cable with extra usb-c would be probably faster and cheaper to do than retooling the housing/redesigning pcb of the hand module. But then Pimax needs to send every backer/preorder of the 8kx who wants to use both hand and eye-tracking that cable with a discount or even for free.
So i think they will go with the delay of a couple weeks in redesigning the handtracking module.
Later on they can still sell the optical cable with or without the extra usb for a premium.
I think it’s a unfortunate situation, which Pimax did not anticipate. I don’t think they are “blowing off” the issue, but that they really had no other choice. A required chip has increased in size and there was no way to accommodate the second USB port without a time-consuming and expensive change to the headset housing. My understanding is that it would be on the order of a 3-month delay, to ship the 8KXes. That’s unacceptable to the majority of users who don’t plan on buying an optional module.
As I see it, you have a few unpalatable choices:
Being upset is understandable, but it won’t solve your dilemma, as Pimax has no short-term options, other than the short USB cable from the bottom port to the eye tracker.
No one needs to do that. And surely not the best option.
How else do you connect both the eye tracker and hand tracker (that has no passthrough)? (This thread is about how to connect both.)
You imply that there will be a handtracker without usb-c passthrough without having an option for the other cable. I highly doubt that Pimax will sell that version. That would be stupid.
I never suggested to delay the 8kx I am well aware why the top usb port was removed I dont need to be told again. I am suggesting the workaround that sweviver mentioned be something they look into more in depth.
These quotes from both sweviver and kevin give me the impression its not something thats a big deal to them which is why I made that comment.
Also if your just gonna come in here and say if you dont like it dont buy it then dont even bother responding…
Read the post above. PimaxUSA said that the HT module later might have a pass through. There is no imply.
He also said-
In regards to the passthrough module so I doubt anything will come to fruition in any reasonable timescale.
I believe a new cable is far easier to produce then retooling the module and probably alot cheaper too.
Pimax has said that the version which is available does NOT have a passthrough. (I was surprised by that too, since it precludes using the scent module with the hand tracker.) They didn’t plan for the 8KX USB port issue, which was apparently unanticipated.
See this thread: https://community.openmr.ai/t/is-it-possible-to-use-hand-tracking-with-eyetracking/28955/2?u=neal_white_iii
As for the hand tracker version with a passthrough USB port…
Why? Because he recommends running an additional USB cable from the PC to the eye tracker.
Um, I’m not planning on buying either at this point. I never even considered the hand tracker.
I responded to your post that “pimax has seemed to blow off this issue as not a big deal” by pointing out that they really have no other short-term options, which sucks, but it is what it is.
