When you look at the installed FP its literally a peice of plastic with no electronics. Which makes me wonder why have a removable FP at all??? Why not not have the LH sensors built in as standard? Or is it because Pimax want you to replace a piece of plastic with a piece of plastic and charge you $100-200?
I think Pimax really missed a selling point here. The LH FP should of come with a cool back lit LED as the LEDs are drawing power off the Cable and not the battery in PCVR mode.
Well could ask HTC as well. There really isnāt much electronics needed. A watchman chip or 2 and primarily the sensors. A camera module for a raspberrypi has minimal electronics in it as well. A usb flash drive the biggest component is the usb-A plug end.
That being said we could ask any number of manufacturers why such a high markup on simple devices.
HTC have the Vive Pro and the Vive Focus 3 so the option of either LH or IO tracking is there.
I think weāll see something special at CES2024 that will put it beyond Crystal. Its only the lenses that holds them back.
Your forgetting was it the Cosmos that later released a Steamvr tracking plate.
I know it can be hard after HTC started releasing all kinds of hmds. lol
Cosmos? You evil man wash your mouth out. lol
$60 more expensive than pimaxās. How much is a tracking puck and a dongle or 2? 
Even HTC donāt admit it existed. Theyāve removed it from their website and you canāt buy it anymore.
Cosmos was a disaster, tracking, camera placement and lenses were horrible.
But they only need to improve a few things because the build quality, software and Store are very good.
Yeah. Pretty much agree on this. Given the huge size of the headset already, it seems they could have just had that included and not bother with a faceplate for it. Rather bother to have the faceplate be used for other things, like Color passthru or something.
I donāt know the financials of what Pimax has to pay for the rights to use the tech in order to work with base stations. Would it have been better just to include the tech in the headset and enable it if the user CHOOSES in the store to activate it (by paying some amt of money).
Iām pretty sure those photo diodes cost pennies to buy from Valve.
Honestly I donāt know why Valve donāt make modular products like a FP, Head strap, eye box with panel, lenses all seperate. Then any company could just make the body and you get to pick what parts you want. Just need a universal connection from headstrap to body. Etsy VR anyone? lol
I presume you mean the Cosmos hmds as I can add the SteamVR tracking face plate to buy.
But yes the Cosmos series was an epic fail no matter what version you had. Even the model with Finch Shift just didnāt do well. And they had to add an emulation of vive wands until DeVs added some games with direct support.
It seems like the Cosmos was HTCās early attempt to divorce valve and failed miserably.
Valve doesnāt make the Sensors themselves iirc and last time looked them up was $1/piece but may have decreased in price; though the LHes were also suppose to be cheaper with the v2.0 and that didnāt happen. I will see if can find the sensors again.
Well they at one time tried to launch vr dev kits but they never took off. Which after LG Ultrgear bailed on with their Python Wands, them the Failed vr dev kits Valve moved on to the Index. Which I had thought Valve was originally going to use the Index to try and sell the idea of manufacturers building SteamVR hmds.
@Atmos this post is a bit old ss below for this link on Reddit
The sensor os designed by Valve but manufactured by Triad Semi conductors.
https://triadsemi.com/steamvr-tracking/
There is a post on here somewhere before that had link to buying them iirc during the KS days.
The tracking sensor chips was TS4231. No longer showing directly on Triad page.
Original post on it. But Lightbox no longer shows info in the screemshot and the link doesnāt goto the direct product anymore.
@Chumet might know the cost though or your pretty good at finding BOM lists.
I would suggest though comparing say a pimax BOM with those chips vs say a Valve/HTC product in case of difference in prices.
So. Safe to say that the LH module on the Crystal is CRAZY over priced?
Letās say each diode are $0.50 and thereās 12 needed that $6 added. Instead of Pimax incorporating those diodes the cheap way we now have that added expense. Not only is that bad for the consumer but itās bad for the environment and bumps the price of the Crystal.
Iām pretty sure the Crystal plus LH faceplate will be offered as a bundle, if it isnāt already.
That plus a necessary reduction in price when a) production is more scalable and b) it is necessitated by direct competitorsā offerings will hopefully make it a ~$1.000 LH-capable HMD with ET. I would consider purchasing this product even though I find both the form factor/weight as well as the lack of passthrough to be severe disadvantages.
Letās not guess when we have bread. crumbs. Initial ss shows closer to $3 ea. However I recall that may have dropped to around $1 ea. The Smallest Hive Ring tracker iirc had a single tracking sensor and with the additional components was around $3 to $4 for the complete tracker.
Okay found a supplier at very large Quantity: $0.79 us each at quantity off 12,000
$2.20 us each for a single unit.
Source.
https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/triad-semiconductor-inc/TS4231/12718618
Less guess more search. I know you had your heart set on max value of $0.50 us ea. As you can clearly see that is very under valued and if you worked for the company you just estimate a base component value by 58% costing the company an additional $0.29 us each assuming minimal buy of 12,000 pcs.
If you do that with each component used in the BOM the company will lose money.
I know you can do much better. 
Ok, I was quoting the cost of the chip and not the whole circuit board including the photodiode. My bad.
So $0.79 sounds reasonable.
As the Pimax FP seems to use 12 thatās still only $9.48 v my guesstimated $6 lol I was only $3.48 out.
"Join us to witness Crystal Complete Kit Software Evaluation Journey which will be showcasing its full functional capabilities. "
Pimax are saying on 30th September the Crystal will be showcasing its full functional capabilities.
How can that be when thereās no wifi?
Edit: unless they mean will be showcasing its fullY functionING capabilities
so wifi isnāt fully functioning so wonāt be showcased. Still, to not even mention itā¦
That is the question.
