but pre-ordering from Pimax ALWAYS ends in disappointment. You know that by now. The first version released mostly is just not good enough. Software needs changing and most likely the headset hardself itself will need a revision too before it’s any good. Never ever pre-order anything from Pimax, I thought everybody had learned that lesson by now. The first Pimax customers actually are always beta testers. They just need to pay for it. When did Pimax ever release a ‘finished’ product from the get-go ? Never.
I for one will never-ever pre-order anything from them again. Maybe if a product gets really good reviews, I’ll step in. But honestly, I’m quite skeptical towards any of their products.
Well tbh I find that with most products. First to have for example GPUs.
I do agree that the timelines have been rarely to even close to being accurate. Software with the KS headsets was made clear that the software was not as ready as preferred and has been up & down with releases. Something ppl like you and I knew from the P4k days.
Crystal Light I don’t really see much for bumps in terms of delays; software generally shouldn’t be too bad as this is more like the Artisan release.
The Crystal Super on the other hand having some new cutting edge features like the swap out “Optic Engine”? Yes I can see that being a challenge hence the extremely low reserve fee that you almost couldn’t buy a coffee with.
While I agree their past record makes sense to wait if you have any apprehensions. However a buck or two even to be kept potentially in the loop(KS usually charge isn’t $5 us?). Isn’t really a risk to hold a spot in line if your one that wants to be one of the first to have.
Even HTC has demonstrated being first is often potentially a bad idea.
On the plus they do seem to taking feedback better ie Crystal Light.
Maybe with the Super they will show how much their listening and ensure a much smoother launch then past projects to date.
I’d posit being a “pioneer” buyer of any product or service, from any supplier, constitutes settling oneself with a more than likely host of growing pains, and initial R&D recoup on the price (…although Pimax can indeed be a bit of a… special case).
I do wonder whether the extra, sturdy-enough-for-handling, casings inherent to the swappable crucial parts, incurs any noteworthy mass increase…
Don‘t worry, it really was more of a gag. Had it been 20$, I wouldn‘t have done it.
I will have to wait for the first samples in the wild because I first need to check out their lenses hands-on: I had an issue with the convergence on the 8KX, and also with the Crystal prototype demoed during their road show. So before spending big time I first need to verify that the device really works for me.
But I see a chance that Pimax did manage to put together a feasible concept here. They took an existing design, and upgrade it with new lenses & displays. Sort of what the community would have liked Pimax execute with the 8KX. Take what‘s working and improve it where it makes sense with new components having become available in the meantime.
But knowing Pimax, and their history of releases of beta stage devices to early customers, I am not planning to purchase it early anyhow.
I think that’s a big problem for Pimax setting the reserve too low. How can they take these reserves serious which asks the question what the point asking for a reserve in the first place?
A serious pre- order scheme would give Pimax a real indication of orders and allow them to prepare for 5000, 10,000 or 50,000+ units. A reservation is useless apart from put customers in an order queue.
Pimax should have kept quiet about the Super. Just release one headset at a time. Give six month minimum between product releases. Max out sales of one product before moving onto the next.
Having a Light, Standard, Super and 12K to think about muddies the water not only for customers but also Pimax staff. I’m having a headache thinking of all the complex possibilities each HMD brings with controllers, face plates, eye tracking, audio, wireless, backlighting, pass through the trade in program. Lol #minefield.
It’s one reason I stick to my Pico4. Life’s simple. I just wait for the next headset that gives me everything Pico 4 does but more and no future Pimax HMD gives me wireless streaming because they’re all non Qualcomm HMDs and non native Lighthouse.
Just checking perspective interest. The Light we know is not going to take a lot of time to get geared up. The Super release will naturally take longer as it is much more advanced. So a low low reserve makes sense vs asking for a higher reserve.
But it doesn’t does it because Axacuatl has already stated had it been higher he wouldn’t of done it.
It means Pimaxes 1$ reserve gives a false sense of interest. People can say well for 1$ I can be first in the queue even though I’m 99% certain i’m not going to buy but who cares for 1$. Pimax are like, wow we just got 100,000 reserves best order 100,000 pair of lenses. 9 months later a rival HMD is announces and Pimax are left crying when the bill for $3.2 million turns up and no one actually goes ahead with their order.
So with your 100,000 estimate that is $100k being held. Even if only 10% that is 10k units. Ramping up the line is going to take a bit of time. So still not bad on a company side of things.
This is almost like the $5 keep me informed KS teir.
This is actually spot on, that was my thought too, paired with a desire to give them some kind of mini recognition because I was thinking „okay, Pimax, at last you are backing off of going full wishlist mode and start to make necessary choices which make sense for a headset & are realistic for Pimax“.
I am glad they announced all at once. The Light isn‘t an entirely bad option either if it works well - it‘s exactly what many of us were shouting when the Crystal was announced: why add this stand-alone crap overloading a potentially good PCVR headset and making it heavy & very expensive for no good reason?
But knowing that they might offer 6K per eye, and Eye-trackin allowing for DFR (while OpenXR is pushing DFR now even more) that is quite an exciting proposition. So I will not even think about getting me a Light, and wait and see what happens with the Super, hopefully be able to go try it on their road show or at MRTV‘s place.
So I am fine with their announcements. As long as they actually live up to them. But yeah, knowing Pimax I certainly won‘t be surprised if it takes them a year longer for the Super. But then again, my hope here is that there is actually a modest set of challenges for them, mainly the new lenses which always seems to be a tricky part. But there are hardly any new features they need to implement, compared to the announcement of the 12K & Crystal where there was this long list of features they had never done before and wanted the new headsets to boast. The one‘s they need for the Super, they have achieved for the Crystal so far, so it‘s more of a copy paste.
Because unlike the Light model it is a lot more complex and more complex than the Standard with the Optic Engine. I think Sept could be doable but only time will tell.
The Light model is more stripping things down than adding and making big changes.
Bill of material and assembly time is reduced for light, it’s basically building a crystal with less parts, shouldn’t be difficult to ship on time. I’d be interested to know the increased production volume possible with the simpler build.
Yes we are all beta testers for sure with there products,i did beta test the pimax crystal but paid the full price and did give them feedback about the product…
But people after me who bought the retail unit where still beta testers in the beginning(and maybe still).
i returned my unit because the feedback was too slow(or nothing at all) and my private situation.
But i just could have bought the retail unit because there was no benifit at all to help them… No more preorders or beta testing for me from their products…
