If you write it up like that yes it sounds stupid. But I think people mostly buy the crystal because of what it already can do.
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For sure if clarity is what youâre after Crystal is king.
But when I put my Pico4 on with options for WiFi or USB and comes with solid pass through and finger tracking and a huge library for AiO games I kind of look past that 150mb data limitation. But I could go for the Pico4 enterprise and also have eye and face tracking.
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Yeah I think thatâs exactly why people buy the Crystal. They just want the best visual clarity thatâs out there and I think most agree that thatâs where the Crystal wins. They donât care too much about the weight, huge form factor, lack of wireless gaming or the smaller FoV.
Thatâs why I think the market for the Crystal is quite small. Itâs really a niece within a niece.
Hopefully Pimax is focusing full force on the 12K, I think with the bigger FoV they can attract more buyers
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Yeah if the 12k were out today Iâd have my order in. For the size and weight its worth the sacrifice. But as Iâm not a simmer and more of a casual gamer going from the Pico4 to the Crystal is just an expensive sidegrade.
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Thatâs a horrifying image lol.
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Well⌠:7
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Thereâs another review in German from the Mixed.de website:
Pimax Crystal ausprobiert: Die Early-Access-VR-Brille fĂźr Bastler (mixed.de)
Same story as with most other reviews, while they are impressed with the visuals their conclusion is that this is an early access scheme for tinkerers who primarily want to do seated sims, not a proper commercial product yet (and donât forget, early access software may be fine because they can easily w/o cost replace the entire build you received earlier, but hardware is a completely different story, as soon as a firmware patch doesnât resolve the issues).
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To me this doesnât make any sense.
Not saying people couldnât play âtetheredâ with an appropriate length cable (if itâs feasible and exists). Though LH tracking allows for better tracking in situations where more fluid movement is advantageous, and being tethered does not coincide with that.
Indeed, first Iâve heard of this and donât ever recall PIMAX stating the limitation before.
This is one of many reasons why Iâve chosen to suspend any purchase of the headset, and it looks like it may be a reason I may not buy it at all.
Oh well⌠Get everyone hyped up in the beginning and hope you get the sales with those that take the risk. Not everyone will be disappointed by this, but Iâm sure thereâll be those who areâŚ
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Isnât it telling that the majority of VR influencers are essentially telling their audiences âitâs a PimaxâŚâ and thatâs enough for them to know what the deal is?
All the talk about having changed, being another company - boy, did that age poorly! If youâd look up the skeptical posts in the forum from say Spring 2022, even theyâd be proven to have been overly optimistic by now. If we compare the launch of the 8K/5K series and the Crystal, I am not sure I could argue that it has improved at all.
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My review is up, HD should be processed in 30 mins from now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enuO9NqOdY4
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Thank you for the time and effort you put into this review, I really appreciate it!
IF you find the time, could you try to answer the following questions?
Field of View (FOV): You mentioned the visual quality and brightness, but how does the Pimax Crystalâs FOV compare to other headsets youâve tried?
Software Ecosystem: Can you elaborate on the software ecosystem for the Pimax Crystal? Are there any exclusive games or apps? How easy is it to access popular VR platforms like SteamVR?
Heat and Noise: How does the headset handle heat during prolonged use? Is there any noticeable noise from the device, especially during intense graphical tasks?
Battery Life: For features that require battery power, like the controllers, how long does the battery typically last? And how long does it take to charge?
Customer Support: You mentioned some quality control issues. How responsive and helpful has Pimaxâs customer support been in addressing these issues?
Compatibility: Are there any known compatibility issues with popular gaming or software platforms?
Upgradability: Is the Pimax Crystal modular or upgradable in any way? Can components like the faceplate or lenses be swapped out for newer versions in the future?
Motion Sickness: Given the high resolution and refresh rate, did you experience any motion sickness or discomfort during prolonged use?
Setup Process: Can you provide more details about the initial setup process? How intuitive is it for someone new to VR?
Price Comparison: You mentioned the price being fine for what youâre getting. Can you provide a more detailed comparison of the Pimax Crystalâs price point versus its competitors, considering the features it offers?
Accessories: Are there any must-have accessories or add-ons that youâd recommend for the Pimax Crystal?
Future Updates: Are there any upcoming features or updates for the Pimax Crystal that potential buyers should be aware of?
Longevity: How do you anticipate the Pimax Crystal holding up over time, especially in comparison to other VR headsets that might be released in the near future?
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I think when you do a review you should only review the headset and not a modded headset.
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Itâs a bit above average, with it being 103 or so. Vertical FOV is nice and better than most. Very similar overall to the Pico 4 but without the incredible stereo overlap, quite average stereo overlap on the crystal. Personally, I didnât find the FOV a deal breaker but Iâve come to be happy enough with 100-105 as long as the vertical isnât cut off to like 90 like a lot of headsets.
I forgot to mention, wish I had, that the advertised FOV of the crystal is complete nonsense and straight up false advertising. But overall thanks to the massive sweetspot and good vertical FOV, I have been happy enough.
No exclusives that Iâm aware of, when I mentioned software in the video I was referring purely to the Pimax client and the PCVR software experience. I have some games on the pimax store and they just launch through steam VR, like if you launched a game from viveport. No issues with SteamVR, as easy to access as any other headset with additional software (like Aero, Vive Pro 2) but not as totally seamless as a native steamVR headset (index, bigscreen beyond).
Surprisingly good. Thereâs no extraction fan internal to the gasket or such but I found it find. For reference, I find headsets extremely hot (index is unusable) but I never had any heat issues with the crystal. I guess the active cooling (for the components, not the facial gasket) does a good job here. My first unit had some whine, the second 2 did not (first unit was pre-retail fwiw).
It was an issue in the first month, since then I have never had to change the battery and it charges from the PC overnight (if you use the included hub or antoher powered hub). Honestly, at this point I would say itâs a complete non-issue unless youâre a serious marathon player. I never reach more than 3 hours or so in 1 sitting so I might not be a good guage but I imagine my usuage falls into either the norm or slightly above average.
For me it was good but I was a beta tester so, like I mentioned in the video, I donât think I can give a useful perspective here as I was a bit more directly in touch and could prod directly if needed.
None that I came across.
Yes, to both. Lighthouse and 42ppd/wide fov lenses are confirmed and seem very much real, so at least to that extent. What more comes in the future is anyoneâs guess (if any).
None worse than any other headset. The only exception being, if it was a very active game then the inerthia could sometimes move the sweet spot around a bit and cause some eye fatigue. For simmers etc this shouldnât be an issue.
Controller grips, like the AMVR quest ones, are something everyone should get imo. Personally, I find the back headrest I put on essential but that will be subjective.
None that I think a current customer should take into account, best to assume what youâre getting right now is the entirety and if youâre not willing to buy the headset based on that then I would hold off.
In terms of form factor and comfort, itâs already not holding up. In terms of everything else, I would say pretty well especially if they get a good wireless solution going. If you find it comfortable then I think youâd happily use this headset for the next 3 or 4 years, I feel like at this stage the limitation is more the ingame assets than the headset visuals.
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Thatâs a fair point, but honestly I donât think I should even call my video a review tbh. More of a thoughts and extended impressions, review implies more methology. In future I donât think Iâll call my videos reviews, unless I change the format.
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As a heads up for anyone disappointed with the Crystal tracking, thereâs another method besides lighthouses that works really well, though a bit of a pain to set up⌠quest pro controllers. If you follow the guide here GitHub - mm0zct/Oculus_Touch_Steam_Link: SteamVR driver to enable Oculus Touch controllers with other headsets and also turn off the proximity sensor with the meta developer hub, the quest 2/pro stays on and lets you use the controllers with the Crystal. Just playing a few games I was having issues with like Beat Saber and RE2 VR mod, and itâs been working great
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I see youâre selling your Crystal (sold already i think?) on the pimax discord. do you still have the pico 4? are you buying a quest 3? iâm deffo buying a Q3.
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Yeah sold it, not willingly but personal finances called for it unfortunately. Iâll hopefully get one again in like 6 months when things settle down.
Quest Pro is my main headset atm, I had the Pico 4 for a while and for the money itâs pretty much unbeatable but I got the quest pro for only 250 more and overall much much prefer it. I really like the off-face style, I actually donât wear lightblockers at all and if the room lighting is even then it doesnât cause me any immersion breaking while meaning I can actually play in the summer. Definitely not an approach for everyone but I struggle to go back, between the colours, lenses, wireless and the off-face approachâŚI really really like the Quest Pro. Love it actually. Itâs an amazing headset for PCVR, terrible for productivity haha.
If they released a quest pro with 30+ PPD and a folding strap, or user replaceable like Quest 2 so you could put whatever strap you want on, then it would be pretty much my dream headset right now.
Sorry for the tangent haha. But yeah, Iâm not stuck for a headset anyway and will upgrade again next year when my financial situation allows for it.
Edit: As for buying quest 3, if you asked me a week ago the answer would have been definitely. Now Iâll have to see if it is justified while having the the Quest Pro as I need to be relatively frugal ha.
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But you said that if you canât get that 1700, youâd rather sell something else. So unless that âsomething elseâ was your Kitchen table or your sofa, I canât help but think that you just feel the Crystal is not worth its price. Otherwise why not sell âsomething elseâ instead of the Crystal if it really was that amazing?
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