Started a new job about the same time as getting the crystal so have been super hectic! But yeah, the NDA is finished. I will put up a video in the next week or so, a QnA. Feel free to post any questions here.
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Fun with simplified math
Interestingly if you take the 8kX and use the 6k Displays to have 50% more res at same FoV your ppd would be around 35…
If you increase the FoV by 20% that would equal around 28ppd using rough math…
The Crystal having 8kX res with approx 34% less FoV(103 wide) equals around 35ish ppd.
Maybe lens magic might change ppd concentration.
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Awesome sounds good. Congrats on the new job as well. 
From what some of the other testers have said though not have had much new to test in terms of mia features or has this changed?
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No, still no ET etc. The main notable features right now are the controller tracking, local dimming and audio. ET and all related features are yet to come, Standalone currently exists in a limited capacity (as in it starts up, you’re in a space station style room, there’s a screen with some chinese (I think says “coming soon” or such) and if you go outside of the play area then you can see black and white passthrough like the Quest 2. No wireless yet.
I’ll cover it all in more detail soon, just finished work and going straight to sleep lol. Overall the experience has been very positive, I think as it is right now it’s already great but with the usual pimax rough edges (although stuff like headset connectivity to the PC is a lot better than 8kx, personally I found 5k+ and 5k super always connected without issue). It’s definitely not a headset for everyone but it definitely will be great for many people. Comfort is on par with Index or such. Other than the bigscreen beyond there probably isn’t much more comfortable headsets, or at least generally just similar. Quest Pro is more comfortable once you add a headstrap etc. Pico 4 I could never get comfortable personally but for many it likely is more comfortable. Vive elite XR seems to have very mixed opinions (haven’t tried myself so can’t comment).Then all other headsets will be similar or worse in terms of comfort imo, comes down to personal headshape etc.
I’ll cover the good, the bad and the absent. Just gonna do a video as it’s an easier format to get all my thoughts out, not monetized or anything and not trying to start a career as a youtuber, so not meant to be me trying to capitalise on having the headset early. I guess someone can grab an AI video transcript if that’s preferable! Anyway, night ha.
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Isn’t there some issue with Audio and they’re doing some re-work on the DMAS or some such thing?
They didn’t allude to any kinda soft target to get the above features out to you guys to start testing, have they?
I mean, as it stands now, it kinda seems we’re more months away from some official release.
I guess they’ll release with missing/untested features?
I mean, is this how PIMAX usually operates?
Second last update made the DMAS incredible, like better than index audio. They are still working on the audio in terms of latency, so test firmwares can have differing levels etc (and personally I had no latency, but others did, joys of a varied PC hardware landscape I guess). Anyway, I am still on the firmware with the great audio and hopefully that is what the consumer gets. I actually had modded the DMAS onto the crystal, just because it’s my favourite headstrap in terms of comfort, but the improved audio was enough to make me go back. Now that I have gotten used to the default headstrap…I…actually…kinda prefer it to the DMAS. Which is oddly painful for me to say as I love that headstrap, I think it might be familiarity for a lot of that though.
Anyway, the default balance and headstrap is great.
Most recent official update, for consumers, is end of June for ET and standalone (I am guessing ET will only be auto-IPD initially). That said with my 4090 I haven’t had any issues running the headset at full resolution, so I’m not in a huge rush for DFR but when it does come I will be very grateful. If they actually pull off 160hz then I’ll lose my mind, not that there’s much to be lost there tbf.
It’s becoming the norm across the industry unfortunately. Quest Pro has wifi 6e but still hasn’t been enabled, same with Vive XR elite and its depth sensor, same with Varjo Aero and its local dimming. Crystal is definitely taking it a step further but personally I’m not missing standalone or ET right now. I guess for people on less stupidly over the top GPUs then the DFR would be a very nice addition. As it stands though, the crystal is already an incredible headset and had it been marketed differently (as in focus on the core features and then keep announcing new amazing additions as they come out) then the tone towards it would be drastically different.
Anyway, back to work now ha
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Actually, this is the most stock headset I have ever owned. I did the usual things initially, swapping out the headstrap, putting on a PU leather facial interface but ended up going back to how it was out of the box. In particular, the facial foam they have is really nice. I have never liked a foam interface before, always preferring to go for PU leather but I think they did a good job. Tbf, other headsets I always wanted to do workout stuff in it but now I use the quest pro exclusively for that (more airflow to face and quick to jump into, also wireless) so I guess the need to PU leather isn’t a thing anymore on the Crystal for me so instead I get the added comfort of the foam.
I really was not expecting to be won over by the headstrap as I hated that style on the 8kx and Vive pro but once I wore it for a bit (and with the balance from the battery on the back) it actually is pretty good. I did still add the creative form apache strap, not really mandatory or anything but it seems to have made it just that bit more comfortable, although I can’t really tell for sure. Might just be me trying to justify having bought it ha.
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Thanks for the reply.
Yeah. I mean, if they wanna go this way, I guess I’d be more persuaded to jump in on some conditions:
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If they don’t deliver all the features they’ve promised within 6 months of my purchase, then I can return for a full refund (as long as headset condition is reasonable condition), or, I’m willing to accept to pay a 5% fee for return based on the full purchase price.
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Once their last Feature is in place and working, then warranty coverage period starts from that date.
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That’s never happening, and I don’t think they will be struggling to fill orders with what is already there tbh. Best to wait for the features to be implemented, see the feedback on those features from normal people and then make the decision. Otherwise, if you’re buying the headset now then I would only be buying it under the guise of a standard PCVR headset like we have seen so far, and nothing else. I think it’s already worth asking as is, so I’m happy enough. I think with only these features though, then the bigscreen beyond is compelling competition, although my understanding is that the crystal is much much brighter, along with decently better clarity. So it’s a tough call. I don’t know if I can go back to a dimmer headset though, the brightness might actually be my favourite aspect of the crystal and it’s not even really a feature as such.
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This is in the realm of subjectivity, and that’s fine.
If people feel it’s worth it now to drop the cash for an incomplete product because it has r,s,t features but not the remaining x,y,z ones. Yeah go ahead.
They all must remember, that what’s included in the price are other features they may not care about or want, but are paying for anyways.
And, even after all that, if people still feel it’s worth it, then yeah, people will do what they want and that’s fine.
And yup. No one is forcing anyone to buy anything, I also get that too.
It’s just a pity that the ‘whole package’ can’t be matured before release. (Well, seems likely it won’t be matured anyways). I mean to say, at least all promised features are present and working as intended, minus the odd bugs here and there that they’d actively be squashing.
True, best to wait for features, but in all honesty, PIMAX doesn’t want to hear that. The longer people wait, the sooner something comparable will come to market and bite into PIMAX’s sales. So it’s not in PIMAX’s best interest for potential customers to hold out and wait for their features. My suggestion above may not be imaginable or plausible from initial consumption. However, if something like that could be in place, I’m willing to bet it would help secure a lot more people to come on board if they know they have an out if PIMAX fails to ultimately deliver on their promised features.
Sure, they’ll make sales, but the last thing I think they need is to have any more mistrust in their commitment to quality and keeping their word.
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Personally, my view is that we’re getting a headset that exceeds the varjo aero already for much cheaper and includes controllers, audio solution etc. I was eyeing up the aero for a long time but it always just felt ridiculous for the money, the crystal came in and filled that want in a much more reasonable way.
If the aero was already selling as it was, then the crystal will be fine, and that’s only for now early on before the features are fleshed out and enabled. If for some reason the features end up not getting released and are cut then the price should be lowered and a partial refund provided to previous customers. (I think they will actually deliver on the features though, to what level of quality will need to be seen but the features will be enabled almost certainly).
What is there currently is very good, much better than the aero. I think it’s fine to release it as is, as long as it’s made abundantly clear that certain features are not enabled yet. As always with Pimax it ultimately comes down to poor communication.
Honestly, it can’t get any worse than it already is so they may as well take advantage of that lol. Hopefully the communication and marketing side of Pimax will improve, it’s honestly their biggest problem. Everything so far could have all been massively positive if things were just communicated differently.
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Thing is that changes at the end of this month when the DMAS is no longer included. So as is now is not as is in June.
Pimax will be asking premium prices for a non premium HMD. A mistake if you ask me.
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Yeah, there should be no version without DMAS imo. The non-dmas audio solution they have now should not exist.
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You’re basically spending £1800 on 2 aspherical lenses and two 3k panels.
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No one is forcing you to find it good value or buy it. Aero costs more for objectively less, and that was a threshold that became unfeasible for me personally. Crystal manages to fit into my personal threshold (just barely). It’s all rather subjective. I think your take is valid for yourself but it’s not at all how I see it personally, I see it as a PCVR headset with great displays, colours, refresh rate, brightness and great optics along with decent controllers and decent tracking. Meaning I can have a single package for top end PCVR without needing base stations.
As it currently stands, out of the box, it’s a pretty good value proposition for many. For most it isn’t, but that’s the nature of enthusiast level stuff.
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Sure, but who’s to protect consumers << IF >> PIMAX reneges on any of those Features down the road? Plus, how is the end consumer getting the full warranty’d value of the headset for all features for the full warranty duration from purchase if not all Features are out yet?
These comments are all in the vain of me wanting PIMAX to succeed and have as much sales as possible. Things like the above CAN sway a good number of people away from the product. A more reasonable stance by PIMAX (If they’re going to release with several key features not working) I think wouldn’t be terribly unreasonable.
So I hope PIMAX shows more flexibility with things like the above if they want to sell their headset at full price and deliver, with missing features.
Anyways. Thanks for your continued information about the product. I find it interesting.
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Not that different than Aero in that Analogy as if ET is in place end of June it will be on even ground…
Except you forget there are 2 controllers included as well. So with the actual hmd Price point it compares well with similar or higher priced hmds.
That will be dependent on consumer laws. If the onboard advertised features do not become implemented it becomes false advertisement. Not a good position for a company to be in.
Things like LH, MR FP and WiGiG they have wiggle room as there not included features but proposed add ons.