Impressions from Pimax Portal & Crystal at CES2023

In the Central Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center — between global tech giants — Pimax showcased its Crystal and Portal VR products at CES2023, to more than a hundred thousand visitors from around the world. The devices have attracted great attention from the media, as well as visits (and tryouts) from some of the top VR influencers in the world.


The Pimax Crystal is Pimax’s third generation VR headset, after Pimax’s 5K in 2017, and the 8K in 2018. The Crystal is the first PCVR and standalone dual-mode VR headset. It provides 2880*2880 pixels per eye, at a maximum refresh rate of 160 Hz. It has 6 cameras, 4 outside to track hand and body movements, and 2 inside, tracking eyes and face. Alongside eye-tracking, it also comes with auto-IPD.

More importantly, Crystal is the first VR product ever to support interchangeable lenses. With no image distortion, the maximum pixel density can be 42PPD, which is the highest PPD known in VR headsets. It has local dimming to further improve visual performance, and has already been dubbed ‘The King of Clarity’ for its stunning visual performance.

Comparison by Unbound VR

The Portal is a revolutionary hybrid multifunctional metaverse product. It’s a wholly new type of device, perfectly fit to be demonstrated among many other innovations of CES. Portal is built for users with multi-scene gaming demands. In recent years, VR games have become popular, but none of the products can really meet the needs of users for multi-scenario applications. The Portal integrates four functions – console, VR, portable PC, and living room entertainment hub.

Quotes from visitors

Scott Stein from CNET about the Portal: “Nintendo needs to do this with the Switch 2.”

Ian Carlos Campbell from Inverse: “I was skeptical of the Portal, but after trying the odd Android handheld and virtual reality headset hybrid at CES 2023, I can confirm that Pimax’s do-it-all machine really does work.”

Thrill from the Thrillseeker VR YouTube channel said: “Very pleasantly surprised by the Pimax Crystal. 35PPD at 140° FOV looks and feels spectacular.”

Cas and Chary VR: “The Pimax Crystal is better than expected. It’s an impressive display, crispy at 35/42 PPD without the ‘Pimax issues’ it had before.”

Michael Turner: “The VR future is Clear, Pimax Crystal Clear.”

Harry (Skeeva) Skigis: “The Pimax Crystal had the clearest picture I’ve seen in VR to date! Absolutely stunning visuals.”

For questions about product tryouts or tailor-made images or gaming footage on either the Crystal or the Portal, please contact : Daisy Dai

More images are available here.

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