I’ve had both the 8KX and the 5K Super at the same time and did a lot of testing A-B comparing them along with a Valve Index.
The problem for the 5K Super is that it’s not quite as good as the Index overall. So where a lot of people are going to have an Index kit first and then upgrade the headset to a Pimax… well, the 5K Super is arguably not an upgrade. It has a wider FOV than the Index, and that’s it. It’s worse at everything else. The image quality of the Index is better. Especially the Screen Door Effect (SDE) on the 5K Super is pretty bad. As much as I really liked the wide FOV and favor FOV strongly, it’s just hard to justify getting the 5K Super over an Index when the Index is noticeably better in every other area.
Note in particular that the high frame rates possible on the 5K Super are only achievable by narrowing the FOV substantially. So if you want to match the 144Hz of the Index, you’re actually going to have only just slightly larger FOV on the 5K Super. And that’s frankly not worthwhile. With the full FOV on the 5K Super you can only run 90Hz.
The 8KX, on the other hand, does offer notably superior performance to the Index headset. The display quality is better while also offering wide FOV. The important thing here is that upgrading from the Index to the 8KX does make sense. It’s an expensive upgrade, but a meaningful one. You don’t buy an 8KX looking for price performance. You buy an 8KX because you want the best VR headset available on the consumer market today.
I think the high end is where Pimax needs to live. And that’s reflected in the price points of the 12K and Crystal. The 3 year old Index still beats the snot out of anything nears its price range. And the low end, of course, is completely dominated by the sold-way-under-cost Quest 2.
I have a 5KS and love it but I would imagine I’d be much happier with the 8KX. The refresh rate and price are very nice with the 5KS though. Both are great.
Kudos to creative Pimax employees!
But please stop advertising with unrealistic GPU requirements. Neither will the 5kS be fun with a GTX 1050 nor will it make sense to buy a Crystal if one only has a GTX 1060.
That is right. But if I buy a 5kS I will likely do it for FoV and high refresh rates - or a Crystal for high PPD. The 5kS might also run at 60 Hz with potato FoV and if the Crystal can be switched to a one pixel per eye mode it might still run with a Zuse Z1 if someone manages to mod a USB and Displayport to it
But I wouldn’t recommend a person who has those GPUs to buy these Pimax headsets, with the expectation to use it with the features they are advertized with (and capable to deliver with appropriate hardware).
That said, will be interesting how much the internal standalone mode will get out of the Crystal and 12k.
I agree. These are minimum requirements for the product to be able to function, not an assessment of whether it would be a sensible combination. Pimax headsets are capable of very high FOV and resolution, but just because that capability is there doesn’t mean it has to be fully utilized in order for it to function. Sure, it’s overkill, wasteful, and silly to pair an 8KX with a minimum spec GPU, but it does work.
There is a market for both. Depends on one’s willingness to spend money to get bleeding edge given the speed at which obsolescence encroaches.
I am not a “want it all want it now” guy. I eventually get bleeding edge when it is still cutting edge but at a more reasonable price and a more mature product where the bugs have been worked out.
Then I’m easy. i could hardly see screen door in the CV1 once using it for a while and really don’t notice it in the 5K+.
Having had cataract surgery on each eye several months apart was an experience in how well the brain compensates for the eyes. i got some double vision after the first eye because i then had and IOL inside one eye and an external lens on the other. By the time i got to the other eye the brain had compensated and I had no double vision. When the 2nd eye got it’s IOL I had a slight double vision again for several weeks until the brain made the adjustment again. This is just to illustrate how true YMMV is. The only right opinion is the one that is right for you.
For my next HMD, I am looking to Team Quality of all components vs Team Pricepoint
Kudos to Pimax PR team ! Job well done !
I laughed hard with the comics! The dialog is not really important. The style is.
Looking forward for more of this kind of “duel” !
Btw, I am firmly in the 5k super team and will upgrade it to Crystal soon, because I am poor and cannot afford a 4090.
Thank you guys for spending your valuable time participating in the debate!
As for the Pimax Team all our products are like a babies to us, we create them and raise them the best we can and most importantly want everybody to like them. They all have their flaws just like Pimax itself, so we are glad you guys embrace them. We truly care about our products and our customers and we are truly thankful for all the warm support. Our goal is together with your help we can keep getting better. Thank you.
