Not sure I like these “Upgrade” prices. The new HMDs come with the Modular Audio strap already, So if you buy the new HMD they should still give you your free one. Also they screwed us on the eyetracking (thought $99 price is not bad). They are saving all this money by not having to give us these stretch goals but not really giving us a discount at all. The prices also include $100 downgrade coupon.
During the video it said that the backer discount for the eye tracking was $100 ($99 instead of $199). Yet if we opt to keep the coupon then the new headset would cost us $50 more.
So - surely that means that we only get a $50 discount since foresaking the eye tracker backer discount means one would cost $199 and keeping it cost us $50+$99 = $149 (backer price for eye tracking).
The only way you can get it for $99 is if you don’t buy a new headset at all. That just seems strange.
EDIT: I suppose the other way to look at it is that is you opt to keep the coupon is still costs $99 but if you choose to not have it then it would cost you $150 (sort of) because you get $50 extra off the 8k+/X headset.
I would also like it if they were more permissive with the coupons, especially the downgrade $100 - since that’s less of a coupon/bonus and more of a "we’ll hold that $100 you gave us until later… but at best they’ll honor what was said in the original swapping to 5K+ email… which means the now totally 3rd party hand motion and eye tracking modules are out… though they did excplicitly say it would be good with the wireless (which is my most likely use for it):
You can use the coupon in whatever Pimax produced:
1. Accessories: headstrap with earphones, face cushion, 10m cable, cooling fan, VR frame; 2. Modules produced by Pimax. e.g. hand motion, wireless etc. 3. Pimax controllers; 4. When X becomes available, we’ll provide more benefits for both the 5K+ and 8K backers.
You can use both wireless coupon and the $100 coupon with 5K+ ($200 in total) to buy wireless module. Since the accessories are not available now, you can use the $100 coupon in the future.
and we’re waiting on clarification, because in a post in THIS closed coupon thread yesterday PimaxUSA said the coupon could only be used in the upgrade packages… though I’m hoping it was a misunderstanding and they meant only used against those particular upgrade packages, and not that it won’t be useable in future for people who don’t upgrade.
I think this is simmilar to the cost of changing to valve base stations and controllers now… their discount coupons to us can be higher than their actual cost to pimax.
So you paid for base stations and controllers, likely at close to what they estimated their “cost” would be to Pimax… but if you swap to Valve’s, Valve charges more and get to keep the profit, and there is a layer of inefficiency in ordering and shipping, hence the extra cost. Same with eyetracking, to $100 discount probably actually costs Pimax $50, due to the deal they worked out with the third party, so if you opt to keep the cash, they only give you the $50 credit towards the HMD.
As an original 8K bundle backer I pledged $846.00 two years ago to get an 8K HMD with a pair of base stations and controller. As of now, I have only received a downgraded 5K+ HMD and a virtual $100 coupon that I reluctantly agreed to after they failed to deliver on the 8K as promised. With no base stations or controllers the headset is unplayable. For 8 months now I’ve been waiting for those items to arrive so I can use the 5K+ HMD. So now they want me to give up the bundled controllers/base stations and promised stretch goals and then pay them an additional $649 for an 8K that works plus $479 for the bundled controllers I already bought in the first place and never delivered. Basically they want me to pay them an additional $1128 on top of the $846 I sent 2 years ago. Thats $2000 I will have spent to get that 8K w/controllers that I originally wanted. Oh and no promised ship dates still. I don’t get it, how is this a fair deal? Two years of waiting and all I got for my $846 pledge is an unplayable subpar 5K+ HMD and a lot of empty promises. You know if PiMax were headquartered here in the US they would have been slapped with a class action lawsuit by now.
At this point, with how long things have been delayed, how many kickstarter promises they look to be breaking, and that confusing array of offers, the plan I want is a full refund.
This is from another thread where someone was asking about coupons:
Is this not an official response or are we waiting for an announcement that clearly states that the $100 8k to 5k downgrade voucher can only be used for the 8k+ or 8kx?
I would like to buy the 8kX but until I don’t receive my base stations, controllers and eyetracking (plus other goals), I won’t do it. We don’t know how long Pimax can do the same than before. Not more patience here. First what you promised later maybe I buy again.
When are they going to ask backers for the controllers (index) and the eyetracking payment?
Yeah, they also added a deluxe vs regular mas option which weren’t discussed at all! What is the difference between the two and why do we have to pay extra for that on the 8k+ and 8kX which are already expensive, high-end headsets?
They didn’t even talk about if the 8kX could use a 2m extension in upscalar mode or reduced fov mode, dropped the bombshell that the 8kX can’t work with wireless but again neglected to mention if in upscalar or reduced fov mode, still in limbo about 90hz native mode on the 8kX, so many of us can’t make a purchase decision until we have these answers!
