I’d like to share my experience as i just performed an anti SDE mod on my Pimax 5K XR.
First of all: Many Thanks to those who were brave enough to tear-down their headset first so that someone like me can experiment and go further. those pioneers get all the credit!
Brief sum up of why I tried this fist hand:
I purchased this 5K XR few weeks ago for 450€, previously using a PSVR working with iVRy on my PC.
I’m only simracing and felt the need to have a better FOV for that matter.
Problem is the headset couldn’t match my IPD (64mm) and the software option wasn’t working for me.
Soo I decided to try this IPD mod that some others did on this forum.
Since I needed to teardown the whole thing to get to the lenses mechanism I thought I might as well try and reduce the very annoying SDE effect of this headset.
Since 2019 people have been asking someone to dare trying it: I just did! I don’t think I’m the first but At least I’m gonna document it…
So I applied some mate screen protectors directly on the screens and I managed to dispel most of the effect without blurring too much the image. An old trick I found that people did for the first oculus rift.
Here's the 5K XR once it's open.
From what I gathered in other forums it's slightly different inside from what you can find in other LCD models.
Still the process is the same.
full description Here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Pimax/comments/mizxcc/another_extreme_ipd_mod_8kx/
I found it very difficult to take off the anti dust and open the plastic case without braking anything. For those who want to try: Patience is the key. Using adapted tools is a must. I recommand having at least a smartphone repair kit to attempt this. overall it tok me like 2 hours to to manage to open this thing properly.
The screens aren’t too difficult to remove, you just have to carefully disconnect the two ribbon cables on each screens and take off the six screws holding them into place.
For this one you need to unscrew one of the top screw holding the motherboard (red arrow on the photo) in order to able to slightly bend the MB and access that damn final screw. Nerve racking moment for sure... I did not put this one back :laughing:
Once that’s done the only thing left to be removed is the silver tape glued between the two screens.
Now the major challenge once you have removed a screen is to keep it clean and avoid any dust to come inside of the lenses or onto the screen itself.
Any tiny little dust will result in a buble under your screen protector. so be prepared, be quick and precise and stop breathing… It felt like doing heart surgery…!
Therefore at this point I did’nt take pictures of the actual application of the film onto the screen…
But you do as you would for a smartphone: clean surface and clean application with a flat guide to avoid bubbles.
The screen protector I used is a mat one that I cut to the size of the screen beforhand.
You could go more aggressive on the choice of the filter but here I wanted to avoid softening the image too much.
But I’m very pleased with the result! I’d say it was worth it although very risky…
I will conclude by saying that the whole operation is quite difficult and requires patience, precision and delicacy… But it is totally doable!
while operating I encountered a few problems:
I nearly broke the microphone (attached at the bottom of the case with tape that stuck to my IPD wheel…)
The headset did not turn on on my first go because the clamps of some ribbon cables were SLIGHTLY off → be VERY careful with those clamps, it’s very easy to break them and if you loose one the ribbons do not connect…!
I’m honored to share with you dear Heliosurge, without kwowing you’ve helped me many times…!
Here’s a (terrible) photo throught the lense showing the greatly reduced SDE in asseto corsa. Apologies for that, my phone is like 10y old… I hope it’s clear enough to show that there is far less grid effect.
To compare I borrowed a “Tyrel Wood VR Tech” screen capture through the lenses of the unmodified 5KXR in asseto corsa too. (click to zoom in and better compare the two)
Thank you, always glad to be of help. TTL pics are indeed not easy to do. The pics you shared do show from what I can see to be quite an improvement. As the 5kXR typically due to the Pentile displays have a fairly pronounced sde as a result.
Ok, so the SDE mod is adding a matte screen protector.
Doesn’t that cause ‘bloom’ ? Like breathing on your glasses, then putting them on?
Very interested in this, but wouldn’t want to ‘switch’ problems…
IPD mod is cool though, will help my kids get a better image!
No, this mod doesn’t mess with the clarity if the screen protector applyed is appropriate (= not too thick or opaque)
Quite frankly in my case it increases the foreign clarity of the image since the distracting black grid is gone…!
The only downside in my case is that it does slightly alter the homogeneity of the colours.
See for yourself on the photo I uploaded: the sky is kinda mixed in colors.
But then again I think it’s entirely due to the screen protector I chose, I’m pretty sure I can get rid of this with a better one.
I may experiment again later…
But sometimes the best is the enemy of the good, so I’m not in a hurry to reopen that thing
