Great review! I've been using a Pimax 8KX for flight sim, and decided to order both the Aero and Crystal to see for myself. I had heard and read about the Aero's severely cropped VFOV, so I ordered an open box one thinking I would hate it and could more easily return it. It arrived today and I really like it a lot! Even coming from the 8KX, which is the king of FOV, I really don't mind the cropped view, it's not nearly as bad as everyone says it is. And I just really love the general aesthetic and comfort of the Aero. The 8KX was awful to wear, and the Crystal is even worse, requiring loads of aftermarket straps to be comfortable. I dunno, I'm seriously loving the Aero and am wondering if I should cancel my Crystal order before it ships out, as returning it back to China won't be easy or cheap. I get that the Crystal has better visuals, but I feel like the Aero is good enough for my needs, even though it's hands down worse in visuals and FOV, and doesn't have local dimming. But I just feel happier supporting a company which isn't Pimax, as their customer service is awful. And who knows, the Aero may finally get local dimming some day. Could I please ask if you have you ever emailed Varjo to ask if they're still working on bringing local dimming to the Aero or they gave up on it as a feature?
Hi trias, If you don't mind the limited VFOV of the Aero then by all means I'd cancel the Pimax (unless you ordered it through my affiliate link of course :) jk) If you aren't doing wireless roomscale and love the comfort, I don't think the Crystal is going to give you that much more. Like I said, they are both premium experiences in my opinion. Of course in the end it is up to you. I haven't asked Varjo recently (Lord knows I hit them with that question a ton early on) but they did tell me a while back that local dimming was at the top of the most requested features from their customers. To be honest after messing with the local dimming on the Crystal, I don't think it is going to add that much to the visuals, the blooming is just so bad that you still need a little backlight so everything doesn't look foggy. That is probably why Varjo hasn't implemented it yet. Anyway, that's my 2 cents. Let me know what you decide and thanks for sharing your Varjo Aero experience with us.
@@GYGOtv Cheers mate! About the blooming on the Crystal, have you by chance tried out that JSON file tweak which someone posted a video to on your comments? The one where you change a single JSON scalar to 0.01. Am curious if that really fixes the bloom at all like the video claims?
@@trias1033Hi trias, yes that is what I'm referring to in my video by turning the back light on slightly. It basically takes away the bloom by matching it with the backlight, so no OLED level blacks with it. It is the best choice in my opinion but certainly doesn't give you the black blacks of OLED.
Compliments on your excellent no nonsense reviews. I have had the Aero for about 15 months and love it (I only sim race). Did have a fault develop about 6 months ago when the auto IPD and fan stopped working, after Varjo inspected it they authorised a new unit to be shipped to me, which I thought was excellent customer service. I have added aftermarket comfort kit from StudioForm VRwear (in Australia) which is excellent for 40 Aus$ or so. Really nice. Also,as the supplied ear buds from Varjo are so awful I use 1More Quad Driver In-Ear headphones; pricey but amazing sound quality, has a microphone and also benefits from buttons to adjust the volume (as the slider types are annoying). Was considering changing to the Crystal but your review has made me completely satisfied with the Aero, thank you.
Well thank you for the kind words and I'm glad you enjoy the content on the channel. Ya I don't think the Crystal is that much of an upgrade if you already have the Aero. I can also tell you Varjo is a MUCH better company to work with than Pimax. I just haven't been impressed with my dealings with them since I got my headset. If you do start doing things that need a little more vertical FOV, I'd recommend looking at adding a Quest 3 possibly. It gives you good Vertical FOV and is wireless to boot. For me, I think I'm done buying headsets for awhile until someone puts OLED screens behind some Aspheric lenses... now that will be something. Thanks for watching!
Thanks, I really try to be fair and balanced. No hidden agenda for me, other than I just want as many people as possible to enjoy this wonderful world of VR that I love so much. BTW you are behind... I already did the next video covering the price change ( th-cam.com/video/N7vK45iQYP4/w-d-xo.html ) Hope you like it too. I really appreciate the comment and thank you for watching.
Bought the Pimax Crystal. Fantastic device. Recent updates make it even better. Auto IPD, eye tracking for better frame rates, etc. Don't get the Varjo. You miss out on controllers, audio and FOV. They're also coming out with a wider field of view lens, wireless wifi module and more. Weight is the only element where the Varjo is ahead. Crystal is also cheaper...
Yep, just got the software update too and the auto ipd is nice! Also ordered the wider FOV lenses so I'm excited to see what they do too. Agree with what you list as Crystal's advantages, but Aero also has that nice fan inside the eyebox that the Crystal doesn't. Just wanted to add that as well. Appreciate the comment.
I’m on a motion platform pulling “G’s”🙂 so that weight is a big deal for me. With the Aero now being priced at $990 Crystal got it’s work cut out for it.
@@cecielhelder5923Yes the price cut certainly changes thing now. I did some testing racing and the headset did bounce off my nose a little but I did get used to it. Weight usually isn't a big deal to me but the Crystal certainly is probably the limit I'd ever want to go. Hope the 12k Qled Pimax is working on isn't much heavier! Thanks for the comment.
@@intetxUm Ya, look at the pinned comment, and it is actually $990. This video was made before the price change. Here is the follow-up video that mentions it th-cam.com/video/N7vK45iQYP4/w-d-xo.html
I certainly hope so, I guess I have enough experience with electronics to notice these things (which was harder to do since you don't really see the problem in this case with the hmd on). I hope it does save some people some grief. Pimax really should have put the connection in the halo strap like everyone else but I guess that would cost them extra and we know they don't like to do that. Thanks for the comment... and I love the notice I got "justcommenting commented" LOL!
Thanks for the comment, I honestly have had very good luck with the software, rarely do I have an issue and when I do it is usually because of the USB Hub they sent. Its a pretty big jump from an Index and I think you would be pretty impressed. I'm hopeful the new Wide-FOV lenses are going to make it that much better but I won't know until I try them. Since you already have lighthouses, I'd also recommend the Index faceplate... I use mine and the tracking is spot on just like you'd expect. If you do decide to pick one up and want to help the channel, we have an affiliate link in the description that will save you a few bucks. Good luck!
Awesome stealtribe, always good to know I'm not too far off the rails when I do stuff like this. Glad you watched it and agree!
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Great review! I've been using the Varjo Aero since it was released and I've been very happy with it! When the Crystal made its entry onto the scene, I was tempted for the better FOV, better colors and so on but what made me stay with the Aero was because I didn't want a headset requiring a battery. Since I do all my VR in front of my PC and spend 99% of that time in MSFS. Now though with the Crystal Light, I decided to get one and after all the good things I've heard about it, I'm very much looking forward to have it delivered! Was hoping to find your review on the CL but I guess it's not as interesting to you based on how you use your headsets where you like being able to go wireless but also when you already have the original Crystal. Maybe we'll see your review on the Crystal Super though once that one is released 🙂
Well thank you for watching and the comment. Since I buy all my headsets I have to pick and choose whatever I'm getting for review. Realistically the Crystal Light should be very similar to the Crystal (sans the eye tracking). To be honest, I've had some issues with Pimax lately and they are not even remotely in the ballpark as far as customer service is compared to Varjo. I've also given up on using the Crystal for roomscale because I don't think their Wireless option will be able to match what I'm getting from my Quest 3 (if it ever comes out)... and even if it does, the battery life will be garbage by comparison. The Crystal (and Crystal Light) is a good headset, just hope you don't need to deal with Pimax for any issues. I know in the future Pimax will be last on my list of purchases if there is any other company with a comparable headset at a comparable price, but alas for now the Crystal Light really is a great option.
Great review, very comprehensive. I want to pull the trigger on this one for my sim setup, been waiting for something to come along that has the clarity and fov of this!
Also owning both I have to say the increased FOV alone is worth the upgrade to the Crystal…also as a simracer I’ll take the Crystal all day over the Aero! Now we need an Aero 2 to compete 😊
Agree on the Aero 2, so the weight doesn't bother you banging off your nose when you move your head while racing in the Crystal? What else do you like better about the Crystal over the Aero? Love getting this kind of feedback from you guys as it might help others make a decision. Thanks for the comment.
Remove the super fat facial interface from the aero and have a look inside. Its actually amazing how much the precieved fov increases and to my eyes feels like the index fov. I cut a 2mm thick chunk of foam so that the hook and loop from the velcro wasn't digging into my forehead and now, never going back to that bulky stock interface.
@@stevebobowski3507Yep, the closer you can get your eyes to the lenses the better the FOV for sure. I have prescription lens inserts in mine so can't really do that unless I want them digging into my face. Great suggestion for others however. Thanks for watching.
Thanks for the comparison. Personally, ill wait it out for Index 2. Its amazing how well the Index aged. This is the main driver for thr hold out. Cheers
No problem, thanks for watching. I certainly understand your position but who knows how long you will be waiting... and the other issue is that by the time the Deckard (Index 2) gets released, it might already be old tech since it has been in development for so long. I'd imagine the EARLIEST the Deckard will be released will be the end of this year, and that is probably overly optimistic. I would recommend if you are really ready to upgrade from your Index and want an intermediate headset to hold you over, maybe pick up a Quest 3. They are reasonably affordable, and the jump from the Index will likely amaze you. Just a suggestion, obviously do whatever is right for you.
@@GYGOtv Thanks in advance. Ps- I'll be circling back for sure during that timeline on a potential H3/H6 purchase (solely for DCS). I'll be curious to see / hear if there is any heartburn on updates and changes DOF may do.
@@Wh1teriderPlease do, I just did the "Robert's mod" that smooths out the motion for flight, but the performance took a hit too. I'll be messing with it over the next couple of weeks and then will certainly do a video once I feel like I'm familiar enough with it to be informative to the viewers. Stay Tuned!
Great video! 👍 My Crystal arrived last week but unfortunately I’ve yet to get it working. The USB 3 plug on the cable gets hot if I plug it in to anything powered. Wether that be the hub (which is fine) my pc, or even a usb charger. With nothing else attached.. it will start warming up within a few seconds. Clearly faulty. I’ve been in touch with Pimax support but they’re not the quickest to respond. They did reply after a few days, asking me to connect the headset directly to the pc and to enter various things into the command prompt…. but I told them I couldn’t connect it again due to the risk of the overheated plug damaging the pc. I’m hoping they will sort it soon and send a replacement cable. Sorry to go on a bit here & thanks again for your review. Cheers, Steve
Congrats on the Pimax and bummer about the issue... Yes my experience with Pimax has not been great either... I think my Index Faceplate is faulty and the initial ticket took a week for them to answer and I'm still waiting on a follow-up, so you are not alone. Hope you get your replacement soon so you can enjoy all the Crystal goodness. Thanks for the comment, and never worry about going on a bit here... viewer feedback is very valuable to others who might watch this.
BREAKING NEWS (9/20/23) The Varjo Aero is NOW $990! This is the new standard price of the headset and not a promotional offer. This gives the Aero an even more compelling cases for purchase. Again, unless you really want wireless or that extra vertical FOV, the Aero is a fantastic option over the Pimax Crystal. (Aero Affiliate Link) varjo.idevaffiliate.com/111.html We had an issue with the previous upload and thus we had to delete the old video and upload this one. Sorry for any inconvenience to those who already posted comments, the change couldn't be avoided. Thanks to GT GT for making us aware of the issue. Hope you enjoy the review.
Varjo dropped to 990 euros excluding taxes, I might have to pull the trigger on that instead of pimax! Edit: Also you make amazing VR content, Keep it up man!
Had an Aero for a year then had problems with it ( now fixed ), so ordered a Crystal to see what is was like. Almost sent it back as I didn't do my due diligence on the setup instructions but once it was working, its been solid. Things I prefer over the aero....FOV, the fact I can leave it plugged it charging the battery and shut it down via software. No lighthouses...when I take the headset off I don't have to wait for it to resync tracking when I put it back on. And the headphones, even the default ones, are great, nice not to have to put on extra headphones. All these really add up. I don't love the weight but I'm getting used to it and getting the hang of putting the thing on correctly means its not that uncomfortable. So even though I am primarily a sim racer, I am preferring the Crystal so far.
Thanks for the feedback, I agree with everything you are saying. It's a tough call but the good news is they are BOTH really good experiences so really you can't go too wrong with either. I obviously really like the larger vertical FOV and that is what keeps bringing me back to the Crystal. I'm also hoping those new larger FOV lenses may give us a little more horizontal without costing us too much ppd. We will see. Thanks for watching.
I was impressed with the overall visual quality of the Pimax Crystal, but there is a defect on my display that required me to open a support ticket. My experience dealing with Pimax customer support has been absolutely abysmal. They do not speak english and are using translators and are otherwise completely incompetent. Its an issue with the display/lens and at one point they offered to replace my right controller!? Very frustrating for a $1500 piece of kit.
Fortunately I haven't had to deal with Customer Support much, but I do hear this a lot. The little experience I've had makes me think they are using AI bots mostly for initial contacts because the answers I've gotten back are stupid... kind of like your controller answer. Not sure this is the case but its my guess. I will say, to Pimax's credit, they have been pretty spot on as far as shipping dates when they promise something it has gone out pretty much when they say it will. I hear that is a big improvement from the old Pimax. Thanks for the comment craigh, hope you get your issue resolved quickly!
@craigh That's good information to know. As we know, sometimes support and what the company is all about can be nearly as important as the product or service.
Varjo Aero just had a permanent 50% price drop. Aero wins. Dog fighting requires a lot of head movement, I can play for hours, and Pimax quality is iffy. Aero just sounds better all around as more comfortable, no heavy battery, and there's a lot of people on Reddit doing returns of the Pimax.
I hate to disagree with you kendil22... but with a 50% price drop, the customers win :) LOL, I actually agree with you on this one although I do like that large VFOV! Hopefully this starts a price war an Pimax has to do something too. Thanks for the comment.
The 110 degree FOV for the Varjo really weak compared to the Pimax. The Varjo Aero has m better lenses and clarity, but the Pimax isn’t far behind, and its enormous FOV makes a huge difference, especially for flight sims. I’d have the extra FOV.
@@ericandiTo me the Horizontal FOV is about the same for both... Vertical is much better however. It might be because of the 15mm face gasket or something but I didn't notice much difference either way on HFOV. Obviously your mileage might vary... and it sounds like it does. Thanks for the info.
@@MCP2002Yep, that is the one thing I don't like about the Aero but if that isn't important to someone (like sim racers) then the Aero might be a good choice. Of course for Dogfighting I prefer the Crystal. Thanks for the comment.
Great review. As an aero owner, Crystal is a pass but I did spend money recently on another headset - big screen beyond! I’m looking for comfort - curious to get your thoughts on that especially since like me, you love OLED, which big screen is built on
Ya, for some reason the BSB didn't interest me other than the OLED Screens. Limited FOV and I HATE glare in headsets. Would love to get your impressions of it once you get it. I just can't afford to keep buying these things constantly... my wallet is bleeding :)
Very fair review/comparison. Although I would think a fighter pilot would need to use a lot of head movement which would favour the Aero. I’m more a bomber/ground attack sim pilot so prefer my Aero for its comfort and clarity. I’d like a wider/higher FOV in the next Varjo Aero Mk 2 please Varjo if you are listening but can happily wait a few years for that. With the new pricing Varjo is the obvious choice in September 2023 I would think.
Snowy, it is an interesting situation. So you do still need to move your head a lot to keep eyes on the bandit and the Aero is lighter so easier for sure. The problem is with the limited VFOV I can't tilt my head back far enough to see directly out of the top of the canopy with the Aero. With the Crystal I can because of the extra VFOV. Also, I agree with everything you are saying about the Aero 2, and believe me I email Varjo often reminding them of what I'd like to see in the future. Thanks for watching and the comment as well.
Yes, I think that is what most us PCVR users want, but I doubt we will see that for a long time. They still have a ton of accessories they need to get to market and then the 12k Qled as well. But we can always hope. I'd be willing to bet Deckard or an Aero 2 will hit the market before then. Time will tell I guess.
@@9ALiTYYes wouldn't we all :) I think it is going to be a VR headset that has the steam deck technology inside it. My guess is they are going to try to bring stand alone VR up to the level of PCVR (through split-rendering aka split-computing) I'm pretty sure you will be looking at $1000 to $1500 minimum and who knows what kind of FOV and visuals it will have. There are rumors of some sort of announcement coming soon but it's Valve, and we all know they operate on Valve Time.
@@GYGOtv I'm honestly getting tired of the stand alone headsets I wish a PCVR headset could just hit it out of the park in terms of - Fov, Pancake Lenses, IPD adjustment, Resolution, Comfort, not having distortion Best Tracking, Weight, Durability, & Price but I guess its too much to ask
@@9ALiTYSounds like you are talking about the Aero (except the Vertical FOV of course). Maybe the Aero 2 will be that headset if it ever comes out. Just for the record, I'm not a big fan of the stand alone either, especially from a company like Pimax who doesn't stand a chance in that market.
I am a DCS combat sim pilot. The Pimax Crystal is 100% the VR headset for me especially flying the F16 with its bubble canopy and that is no disrespect to a very good Varjo Aero headset.
I hear you adrianbroome, that larger Vertical FOV REALLY helped me with my dogfighting. I was starting to feel like I just wasn't as good a pilot anymore... but turns out I was just unable to keep my eyes on the bandit in the Aero when in ACM, that all changed when I started using the Crystal. Feels good to know I don't suck... well at least suck less than I thought I did. Thanks for watching and the comment.
Thanks for the comment romans, I am genuinely happy to be sharing this hobby I love with so many viewers out there. I'm still very humbled that so many people take time out of their day to watch our content. I certainly appreciate each and every one of you who do that. More good stuff to come so stay tuned!
Now the Aero just crushed the Crystal with the price. Huge Pro for the Aero at $990. If you had your choice now with the price points, which one would you go with?
I was waiting for you to make this comparison i bought the aero on your advice , love the headset but for me certain things were annoying like binocular overlap , was considering getting thr crystal but only for the black levels because i watch alot of cinema apps like virtual desktop and bigscreen but what you describe on the crystal sounds like it would be awful in a cinema setting. Thanks for the upload
Hey johngogan, the binocular overlap is better than the aero but certainly not true blacks. Now for watching movies it might not be too bad because there would just be a glow around the screen and then past that it would be black. Rewatch the through the lens and you'd get an idea of the blooming you would likely see on the spaceship part. You may also consider a Big Screen Beyond for watching movies. The FOV is smaller but it does use OLEDs. The only downside is I think the pancake lenses have a little glare but that would likely be better than the blooming on the Crystal. Hope that helps and thanks for watching.
I have a really small desk / room space. I'm assuming the Varjo Aero needs a "required space, " which when I looked it up, I don't have the required space. And the Pixel doesn't need this. Thanks!
Interesting, I've not had that issue and I think I have my sim setup as "standing" but I'll need to double check because I set that up a few years ago. Thanks for the info.
You said one of these days one of these VR headset manufacturers will figure out how to put an OLED screen behind aspheric lenses. My only experience with that combination was with the first Playstation VR and if I'm not mistaken, the first Gear VR. Back then it was low res so of course there were jaggies but agreeing with you, they need to go back to that.
Yes can you imagine how good a modern high resolution screen would look in OLED with these lenses. Fingers crossed it happens before I'm too old to enjoy it... got about a year or two left :)
Yes I want to experience it currently so bad and I think Pimax can pull it off. New ways to be immersed will keep you motivated to stay with us for the longest. 30 more years for you at least 🙂 @@GYGOtv
The fogginess you explained at 17:00 is the same on any "Quantum Dot" display including Samsung's 8K TVs. As you said, it's no OLED. P.s I wonder if this can help spot some Painites over on Omicron B B 1 😅
LOL, seems more like it would give false positives of Painite sites don't you think? Yes I've given up on any other technology giving me those black blacks other than OLED. Unfortunately Local Dimming isn't going to cut it for me. Thanks for watching!
Good review. I have tried three crystal units now and I think like text for instance is too blurry. It's too much chromatic abbreviation. Do you or don't you see this? Apparently not everyone is bother by this. It bothers the hell out of me😕
Hi Jesperfranzen, You have to make sure you have the headset positioned correctly on your head (the latest firmware helps you with this now). If you don't you will see major distortions and chromatic aberrations. It's kind of like on the old headsets everything would just be blurry if you weren't in the "sweet spot", but now with Aspheric Lenses, it isn't blurry anymore, it's distorted with chromatic aberrations instead. I hope this helps and thanks for the comment.
Thank you for answering but like I said I have tried three units so I have tried everything you can think of :) They know it's a problem apperantly, which is good.@@GYGOtv
Thanks for the review. Quite fair. I definitely hear you on the blooming. Ever since going from my OG Vive with OLED to other headsets like the Index and Vive Pro 2, I missed the black blacks I remembered. With that said, after initially being a bit dismayed the first time I saw the blooming you discuss (and the video you show of it is very representative), I've come to feel that regardless, the headset is still a massive improvement overall--though it may depend on exactly what you play. First, for virtually every title I play that occurs in normal lighting, the contrast is very OLED-like, and better than that, bright. It's just really, really good. This also seems to apply to many titles that mix stark blacks with bright areas in which I might have expected the blooming. For example in VPX Launcher (a VR menu system for Visual Pinball), the pinball machines are hosted against a black background and there is no blooming. I was also amazed in Apollo 11 HD VR, how even in extreme mode with bright landscapes and spacecraft against stark black backgrounds there is almost a complete absence of blooming. On the other hand, it cannot be denied that some titles are simply prone to it, like MSFS at night, where the blooming at the extreme local dimming setting is awful. But in those cases, turning down the backlighting to the middle setting (or more optimized custom setting), will fix it to a degree that is still better than any other headset I've owned (though I don't have an Aero, so I can't compare with that), but at the expense of some contrast. So basically, since I personally don't do MSFS at night very much, and because the titles I play tend to benefit strongly from the the QLED brightness/contrast the vast majority of the time, I end-up not being convinced that I'd actually prefer an OLED *overall*. I'm also thinking that there is also some optimization both by Pimax and by developers testing their new software with headsets like the Crystal that will bring future improvement. So I guess if you do a lot of night flying in simulators, I can easily see why an OLED would be nicer; but speaking more generally, I'm not as sure.
Thanks for taking the time for such a great comment David. As I said, I'm an OLED Snob so some of that might be showing. But I do totally agree that the benefits of the new High Resolution HMDs far outweighs our old OLED Headsets and that was the reason I realized it was time to give up the Vive Pro and go to something new. Don't get me wrong, I think the Pimax Crystal will fill that need nicely overall and I'm so glad I got it. I'm excited to hear that there might be hope in some of my other titles with the Pimax, I know I'm excited to see Skyrim at night once the wireless is released. I totally agree that in normal scenes, the Crystal is stunning but I needed to point out the disappointment from night flying since that is something I love to do. So would you say the Crystal would be good for watching movies on or do you think the bloom would be too much?
@@GYGOtv Yeah, I'm not sure why some titles (like MSFS at night, and say, "The Dawn of Art") have hideous bloom at the extreme local dimming setting, and other titles like Elite Dangerous, Star Wars Squadrons, and Space Engine have little to none (in fact, all three are quite spectacular). This also includes Big Screen, in which movies do not show any discernable bloom to me. So to answer your question: movies are just fine and far better than any previous headset I've had (again, excluding the Aero since I don't have one to compare with). It makes me inclined to think that the blooming may be as much a game engine issue as a local dimming issue, and leaves me with hope that it will be something that game developers might be able mitigate moving forward.
@@MrCrrispy Well, lets put it this way. I bought the Crystal mainly for playing sims like DCS and MSFS, but made the mistake of testing it with VPX. After that, I spent the next two weeks doing nearly nothing but downloading and playing pinball and barely touching anything else. Just for context, I built an arcade machine a while back that does visual pinball flatscreen very nicely, and have always found VR pinball to be cool, but more like a novelty on my Index and Vive Pro 2. But on the Crystal, there is no comparison. It's now like 90% of the real thing. I can now see and read the text on all targets across the playfield and the backglass looks like a magazine page. It's quite amazing, and for some tables almost hyper-real (meaning I almost forget its just an image). I've had an ambition for a while of building or buying a Virtual Pinball machine, but now that's changed to building or buying a PinSim. I may sound like I'm gushing, but really, it's that good and IMO VPX is the Crystal's sleeper killer app.
@@daviddahlstrom192 Thanks, that's what I thought, it definitely needs the highest possible resolution and sharpness! And how's the lag compared to a 120Hz classic screen? This is the most important parameter for virtual pinball, especially if you are used to real ones.
What are your thoughts on the aero vs crystal on frame rate with MSFS. As of now i have MSFS and the aero software set to use motion prediction at 45 fps and works really really well. From what i've seen with the crystal the frame rate might get to 45 but without motion prediction (as of now), so to me that sounds like the old look out the left tilt the wing in the crystal would result in blurry ground views unlike now with the Aero?
Hi markm, I haven't done too much in MSFS yet with the Crystal (still working on testing the Motion Comp in the Pimax Play software). Frame rates so far in DCS and Elite Dangerous have been fine but obviously that depends on your video card. The other BIG thing is the Crystal can go up to 120 Hz, so if you have enough horsepower in your GPU that "should" give you a framerate advantage. Even if you do the motion prediction route, that gives you 60 fps vs. 45. I'll get more into testing framerates once MC is sorted, but honestly it seems to be pretty on par with Varjo Base with my 4090. From what other viewers have said, they think the Varjo Base is slightly more efficient, which wouldn't surprise me because I saw the same thing when testing it vs. the HPG2. Also don't forget that with Dynamic Foveated Rendering, both headsets should get a huge performance improvement! Hope that helps answer the question and thanks for the comment.
I use fairly agressive visual settings in MSFS and was getting in the high 30s on my 4090; but the new ability to do DFR has made a significant difference, and I am now able to do a pretty solid 45 fps with no motion smoothing (and no blurry ground views). I can easily do even better by lowering settings, but 45 is a benchmark IMO that MSFS becomes largely "smooth enough" for the framerate to no longer be a distraction, and where you can turn up the options reasonably high to feel that you're not missing much more. In DCS and ED its even better, with 90fps now quite attainable, and with the center region over sampled, amazingly clear.
@@daviddahlstrom192Ya, Foveated Dynamic rendering is going to be a game changer for us! Its so awesome to be able to crank up the detail and still get decent frames without "seeing" the lower resolution around where you are looking.
Just got mine. And it left China only 3 days ago. Tomorrow I hook in up to a new PC with a 4090 in it. One should read the L.A. Times Article about the VR dynasty forming over there where Pimax is located. It's moving towards becoming the VR capital of the world. This thing was no accident.
I'll check that article out... It's just nice to see some advancement in VR... seemed pretty stagnant these past few year. Appreciate the view and comment.
I'm briefly going to turn the Rant Button on, by saying, I wish more American things would be "Made in America" and things don't always have to be farmed out to far off places (i.e. China). Ok, there.
@@mikem.2078I hear you, and I think (with a small t) we might have learned our lesson a little with the silicone chip shortage. I see US industry ramping up now more than I've seen in decades. We will see how it turns out but I agree with you.
@@mikem.2078we do because it's cheaper. Higher margins means more investors, so ultimately even a shittier product can outcompete a better one. Growth and return on capital rules all. Money is real and anything that slows it down is fake.
Thanks for the clear review. Had issues with dead pixels on the Aero, where I returned 2 headsets. Can you maybe talk a little bit about your experience with chromatic abberation, distortion in the corners of the eyes with the Crystal? Does that higher vertical FOV also help with seeing more of the instruments on knee-level in the pit? Cheers
Hi Ready.A-10C (Brrrt), Wow, sorry to hear about your Aero... So the Aero had more chromatic aberration than the Crystal, and honestly if the Crystal is placed correctly I really don't see any Chromatic aberration in it at all. I haven't noticed any distortion unless you don't have the headset centered on your head. Pimax really did a good job getting all that right. As for more instruments, I haven't messed with it in a racecar but based on what I see in my F/A-18, I'd say you probably still need to look down as far as you did in the Aero, you would just see more of the dashboard when you do. It really is more vision up not really down. Hope that helps and thanks for watching.
Okay thanks, for me in the hog it is more about the A2G and sporadically ACM. What about your recordings? You use a mirror for recording both headsets and do you get similar dimensions in the recordings? Did you compare this aspect by any chance? I am having some difficulty getting a nice centered canvas to record and guess that the Pimax will give a bit more stuff to display? thanks
@@Ready.A-10CI just slide the double eye over to the side to just show a single, then put the motion platform camera on the other side. I'll probably look into possible doing a "mirror" at some point, but right now this setup works for me. The Crystal is a lot more Square on each eye so will work good too in my current setup. I think the PimaxXR app allows for a "mirror" image from the VR view that might be what you are looking for. Hope that helps.
Hi girdsy9971, unfortunately I can't afford another $1000 headset :( I really don't have much interest in the BSB because it is a smaller FOV and even though I like the idea of the OLED panels... I hear it has glare with the pancake lenses so that is another issue that I hate, Godrays and Glare BOOO. I think it could be right for folks who like to watch movies in HMD's and stuff like that but having gamed in a HPG2, I don't really want to feel like I'm looking through binoculars anymore. I do appreciate your watching GYGO and if they send me a BSB to test, I'd happily review it, but not spending my own money on it for now.
Thanks Kang, yes I did that but still not Black Black because it turns on the backlighting... it helps but still not OLED. Remember I'm an OLED Snob :)
@@GYGOtv Ok, I do agree but It neutralizes the bloom and does give blacks that are better than any other non oled pannel headsets. I think its the best compromise. The only way to get oled blacks is with oled. Lets see what the future hold. I still prefer my crystal over my Aero though; For pretty much everything. My Aero is my backup.
@@kangjames2492Yep, with the 0.01 fix it is good in some titles but still crap in my flight sims when flying at night... with any backlighting it feels like I'm looking at a screen instead of being out in the darkness like I felt with my Vive Pro (obviously a big difference in resolution) but we are talking blacks here. Might be a compromise, but I've been "compromising" on this for far too long and tired of it. Hope that makes sense?
@GYGOtv It makes sense. I don't think they can make it better either. Have you tried adjusting the numbers to see if it can get any better. So what do you think your solution will be? The Big Screen, mayb? I don't know of anything on the horizon.
@@GYGOtvtry playing around with the numbers. I didn't like .01 because as you said, the blacks aren't good enough, but I settled on .005 to minimize the blooming but still have good blacks. Not quite oled but I'm happy enough now
Hi atriusvinius319! Unfortunately I can't afford another $1000+ headset right now. I buy almost everything myself so between the RTX 4090 and the Crystal, the bank account is feeling it right now. Plus, other than the OLED screens, I'm not really interested in the Bigscreen. The FOV is smaller and it has glare (which I hate). I'd rather have a bigger hmd with the best visuals and fov vs. that small form factor. Hope that isn't too disappointing and thanks for watching.
I've herd no one mention if eye correction is needed only for Presbyopia or also for myopia ? I know the lens are close but you what happens when you focus on the horizon in games?
Hi ChristSimd, Yes you need correction for Presbyopia or Myopia, I don't know of any current mainstream headsets that corrects for those conditions. Without correction everything is blurry. You can either try to wear corrective glasses (which I highly DON'T recommend because you can scratch both your glasses and the VR lenses), wear contact lenses, or buy some lens inserts (like from HonsVR) to put into your headset. Thanks for the question.
@GYGOtv You do know the DMAS is NOT included as Standard with the Crystal and will be something extra you'll need to purchase if you haven't pre-ordered or got some review unit. At least this was the latest situation from PIMAX.
The reason they haven't been using OLED in VR is because they solved the screen door effect issue, but unless you use micro OLED the mura issue is just as bad as an SDE. The psvr2 is a really big disappointment in that regard. I love the blacks but I'm way more immersed when using my quest 2 even considering the added visual quality of psvr2
Thanks for the info ScareBros, ya I'm hoping they can come up with an OLED that fixes those issues. Should be possible, probably just not cheap. Appreciate you watching.
@@GYGOtv there is actually a headset that doesn't have mura but is OLED. Big screen beyond! It uses micro OLED eliminating the issue. And it's custom made to your face. It's very possible, just expensive.
@@ScareBrosYep, but the lenses also have glare so not quite there yet. Also FOV is a bit more limited than what is common in headsets anymore. But at least it is a Huge step forward in the direction I'd like to see.
I was SOOOO bummed about this because I was hoping local dimming would get us close to OLED. I don't think we are ever going to get to the Vive Pro level of blacks until someone puts an OLED panel behind aspheric lenses. Even using Pancake lenses (like the Big Screen Beyond) isn't ideal because you still get glare in really contrasted scenes. Thanks for watching.
Aero 2 needs a much larger vertical FOV as well as local dimming and an off ear audio/mic solution (license from valve?). Also reductions in the headset size and weight would be welcome.
Have you got motion compensation working with the crystal yet? I finally have it working using the pimax software, but it's so sensitive the tiniest amount of vibration is viewable in the cockpit. Wondering if you're having the same problem?
Hey William, are you using one of the Crystal controllers? The software doesn't really allow any filtering. You may look at switching to the Lighthouse Faceplate and an index controller as you can get much better results that way and have some settings you can adjust in the software. I also built a mount that "absorbs" a lot of the vibration, the combination of the mount with the software settings gets me pretty much working great. I am still working on the video... but at this point you probably have given up on me... sorry just a lot going on over the holidays and a lot to sort in the Motion Comp world. If you email me, I'll send you some photos of the mount we made.
@@GYGOtv sorry I should have mentioned that yes I already have the a lighthouse faceplate which was the only way to motion compensation. And I'm using a Vive tracker mounted on my P6 roughly where a steering wheel would go but I don't have a steering wheel. I've tried mounting it on my seat behind me but it just picks up microscopic vibrations that I can't even feel and transfers it if only there was a way to turn down the sensitivity of the tracker?
@@WilliamDeanPlumbingYa you need to not use that, they don't have any adjustment in it. Try this instead ovrmc.dschadu.de/ it is what I use (it is for OpenVR a.k.a. Steam). It is an add-on in the Steam Menu that you can activate and then adjust. If you are using OpenXR instead you can use this one github.com/BuzzteeBear/OpenXR-MotionCompensation/releases/ but I can't get it to work on my system so you might have to do some troubleshooting on your own. BuzzteeBear has good documentation on how to set up Motion Comp with his program. In OVRMC (The OpenVR Version) My settings are "LPF Beta value" is .9999 and the "DEMA samples" are 2. That seems to do the best job of cancelling out any remaining vibrations that the mount doesn't absorb, at least on my rig. Again, if you email me, I'll email you back some photos of the mount we did because on mine it is a combination of a good isolated mount and using the filters in the OVRMC add-on. Hope this helps.
Hey PChow! Thanks for the compliment, always great to see you around the channel. So still working on the Motion Comp content, will have a video as soon as I get everything sorted. I want to wait to try the integrated MC from Pimax (the hint I showed at the end) so will have to wait until I get my lighthouse faceplate to test that. After watching this video, Pimax said they may send me a sample faceplate sooner, so that will help get the video done as well. As for the Witmotion on the H6, it doesn't work for most of the axis. It is great for the H2/H3 but doesn't do surge, yaw and I don't think sway either. The only way to compensate for those are to mount a controller to the rig and use it as a tracker. You might want to start working on that now if you want the best Motion Comp for the H6. In the meantime if you want to work on getting the Witmotion running for the roll and pitch, here is a link that might help www.simracingstudio.com/post/motion-compensation
@@pchow6829No problem, I double checked the Witmotion in my rig last night, and as far as I can tell it only does pitch and roll. Not the best for the H6.
I already have a Vive Pro, 3 base stations, index controllers etc. I do NOT use flight sims, however, I used to sim race as my main hobby and I now wanna get back into it. Which of these 3 are best for Sim Racing? The Varjo, The Crystal, or The Bigscreen VR(little) considering I already have base stations? I will say this, WEIGHT is a big issue for being in VR for long periods, especially in Sim racing, so that tiny bigscreenvr seems nice. I also play VRChat, but not as much anymore.
Great question silverfoxvr, SO I don't have any experience with the Bigscreen but here is what I'd say. It's almost a continuum going from comfort up to best FOV. BigScreen would be your most comfortable but it has glare and the smallest FOV of the 3. The Pimax is the heaviest but has the largest FOV (especially Vertical FOV), and obviously the Aero is right in between. I'd say since you already have the Lighthouses, the Aero at the new price would be my bet for you. It also has a nice facial cooling fan in it for those long races that will keep you refreshed. Obviously, do your research and make up your own mind, but those are my thoughts. If you do choose the Aero, I'd really appreciate if you use my affiliate link... It really helps the channel and doesn't cost you anything extra varjo.idevaffiliate.com/111.html Thanks for the question.
to fix the battery hard to open is simple on the battery juat file down the clips to 1mm in height or lower then you will not have a problem to open or close
Dear Get your game on, Bionocular overlap is good in this eadset ? You can see the 3d effect very well right? Because in the past i have one pimax 5k plusand the a3 effect was very poor because of this lack of bionocular overlap. Thanks this answer in advance.
Yes the Binocular Overlap is probably the best I've seen on any headset. Very good on the Crystal. If you do decide to buy one, I have a $20 off code "GYGO20" and I would appreciate it if you use our affiliate link pimax.com/?ref=GYGO Thanks for the question.
Well it certainly should help for those that didn't want to spend that much! I mean I still recommend the Aero over the Crystal for a majority of cases and now with it being half price it is almost a no brainer for anyone who already has lighthouse basestations and controllers. Even if you don't, at almost $1000 saving, that would let you pick up a lighthouse (you only need one for simming 99% of the time) and a controller if you wanted, but you don't even need a controller because of the access the hmd has with the buttons on the side.
I'd like to see if pimax can pull off standalone. I have doubts they will be able to send that high resolution over wifi and have the frames consistent
Hi stevebobowski, I don't see their standalone doing ANYTHING here in the States... maybe in China and maybe that is the plan. With all the other gaming platforms available I personally think the Pimax Store is a pipedream. I do think they could be able to have some decent performance with Wifi 6, I was doing wireless with my Vive Pro and it was about 7 Gbps and Wifi 6 is 9.6 Gbps. I know the Crystal has higher resolution but I'm hopeful they will pull off acceptable performance maybe with better compression algorithms than 5 years ago. Time will tell I guess and thanks for the comment.
Great to hear your thoughts on this. the Aero really is awesome and was ahead of its time, hope I can try one some day. I started in VR about 11 months ago with a G2. I loved it and upgraded from 3080 to 4090 so I could run it at high res and framerates in MSFS and DCS. Then in March I switched to a Pico4 even though I'm in the US, because I was absolutely desperate to get away from the G2's awful lenses. Pico has been great as a stopgap device, have spent some money upgrading other aspects of my sim-pit but at the end of this year I will buy a high end hmd. The Somnium VR1 is #1 on my list but at this point my main worry is getting an order fulfilled on one, as I fear they may be overwhelmed by demand and it may take a long time to get one.
Welcome to VR jimmy, and thanks for watching GYGO! I haven't tried the Pico but I can say the Aspheric lenses are amazing compared to the old Fresnel style. I'm really hoping Varjo is working on an Aero 2 (totally speculation) that might address some of my issues with it. Also, rumors are kicking around again about the Valve Deckard getting closer to an announcement so we will see. Either way, it is a great time to be a VR Enthusiast.
Love the name Because_Reasons! To be honest I haven't had a chance to compare fps because with the 4090 it hasn't been a problem anymore. I'll try to test that out one of these days but I do know the Varjo Base software is very efficient so that wouldn't surprise me at all. Thanks for the comment.
Thanks for this comparison! Ibwas looking for better blacks than my Aero has for Metro VR. I will try out was makes more sense between my PSVR via PC and the Varjo Aero. But i will stay away from Pimax. I had a Pimax before and it was a software disaster.
Ya I'm really having a hard time with my Pimax right now. I even went back to my Quest 3 last night and surprisingly it wasn't a terrible experience by comparison. I'm really struggling because the Pimax Super OLED is the only OLED HMD coming out soon but I really want to get away from Pimax in general. We will see what I end up doing. Glad the video helped.
What are your thoughts coming from the quest 2 having an 3080 ti (willing to upgrade to 4090) and with the new price of the Aero. I have a old og vive soI have base stations and controllers.
Hi MrThyler, if you already have basestations and controllers then the Aero is almost a no brainer! The difference you will see from a Quest 2 will likely amaze you. When I first tried the Aero, it was a similar feeling to the first time I ever tried VR, just amazing. My 3080ti ran my Aero pretty good and now with Dynamic Foveated Rendering, I don't think you would even need a 4090. If you do decide to buy one, I'd really appreciate if you use our affiliate link as it really helps out the channel varjo.idevaffiliate.com/111.html Thanks for the question.
My biggest issues so far are comfort (I think i fixed it to where it is "acceptable"), distortion and I think chromatic aberration (its noticable in some games and not in others). I might just return this for a Beyond...
I hear you on the comfort deal!!! That 15mm face gasket helped a ton for me (stock is only 11mm), and the Apache strap was a life saver! Make sure you have the headset centered properly on your head, if not the distortion and Chromatic Aberration is bad, but it goes away when you find that sweet spot, at least for me. Good luck, I think it is possible to get it comfortable, just takes a lot of extra it seems like.
@@MrCrrispy Yes BUT the crystal was not made for my face. I've tried adding extra foam padding, trying out the apache strap. Nothing has worked. Out of all the headsets I've worn, this has been the most uncomfortable headset I have ever worn. I'd rather deal with the glare at this point. I don't care anymore, thats how bad it is for me. BUT this won't be the case for everyone. Just for me. I hated it. My Quest 2 original strapping was much more comfortable and that says a lot. If the headset is good for you, then congrats. Not everyone wins the genetic lottery to use such a great headset.
11/27 new Varjo product announcements. Let's see where it lands. I feel $990 is still too much for the Aero and $2K was brutal. When you can buy a used Pico 4 for $250-300 it is really hard.
Can't wait to hear what is coming up for sure. Now I haven't ever used a Pico, but from what I understand it is slightly worse than the Quest 3 in many areas like FOV and color and edge to edge clarity, so why not go with a new Quest 3 instead? That might be the perfect balance for you? Thanks for watching.
@@GYGOtvI'd disagree the Pico 4 is slightly worse than Quest on visuals. The canted screens in Q3 is weird. the vertical FOV is not as good. The comfort of Q3 is not great., needing add-ons. in all they are very very close. For PCVR I think the Pico 4 is remarkable value, and Q3 is insignificantly better than Pico 4. Next step is Bigscreen Crystal of Varjo. None of which seem to be balanced as well as the Pico 4 or Quest 3 for price to performance.
@@b6s4shelterThanks for your feedback, again I don't have a Pico (living in the USA) so I'm just going off of what I have seen others say about it. The majority says you get distortion at the edges of the lenses, the panels are a little more washed out and the FOV isn't as good. In my defense I did say "slightly worse" which seems to align with what you are saying. Unfortunately this may be a non issue moving forward because there are rumors Pico may close shop, which would be a big loss to the VR Industry. Fingers crossed the rumor isn't true.
@@GYGOtvwe're on the same page. Ebay regularly sees a few Pico 4 selling for $250ish in USA. i bought mine for $210... ! works just fine in USA too. Pico seems to be refocusing on Hardware and Step changes to pursue Apple etc... Moved Software under Bytedance/tiktok etc.. It makes sense. They will survive. If anything the Chinese make amazing hardware and generally are bad at software. Might make for good hardware prospects.
Thanks for the comment James, Ya the Bigscreen seems to suffer from glare and has a smaller FOV so not really interested in it (plus I can't afford another $1000 hmd right now :)) I love the form factor, but the trade offs for me aren't worth it... even with the OLED. Now if it didn't have glare maybe I'd be more interested but I'd rather have the big bulky Crystal with better visuals than the small form factor with compromises. Just my opinion. Thanks for watching.
Do you know if the Apple Vision Pro with it’s micro-oped screens feature aspheric lenses? At this point I don’t think it will be Steam compatible so maybe a moot point even if I could afford it.
Sorry Dukester, I have no idea what the Apple headset uses... I think it's pancake but not sure. I have no interest in that product because it isn't a gaming headset and way too expensive for what would be a toy for me. I'm very sure it will NOT be Steam compatible. Thanks for the question anyway.
As always, absolutely love the in depth, detailed & relatable information! Thank you very much for the video and can't wait for your next VR HMD review 😉 Want to give folks a heads up with the Aero. I highly suggest getting "smart plug outlets" for the headset so you can put the HMD on an auto off timer and have a very convenient way to turn on/off the HMD. I have my three 2.0 base stations and Varjo Aero on smart outlets, that I got on Black Friday for like $20, that I turn on/off with a button on my iPhone. Also have my Varjo on a timer that if I do forget to turn it off, it will turn off so it doesn't get left on. Also, want to let folks know my IPD and FOV with the Varjo Aero using the two largest FOV test applications. Both measure 65 IPD and the FOV measures 108-110 horizontal (wider than my Valve Index) and 78-80 vertical. It's a true 16:9 resolution. The diagonal FOV is also larger than my Index. Would I like a larger vertical FOV, of course but it has never caused an issue in the 200ish VR titles I own. Also note that I don't do flying sims like our friend here at @Get Your Game On but I am a variety VR user that plays anything and everything. One more thing I'd like to add is that Varjo has released an "Optical Enhancement" Beta that makes any previous red/blue shift/chromatic aberration no longer there and it enhances the clarity quite a bit. I never had a problem with the red/blue shift but did notice it at times when looking for it, and it has made the Varjo Aero feel like a brand new HMD. It really does drastically improve the clarity and sharpness of the HMD. That also goes to show that even after nearly 3 years after it releasing, Varjo is still improving the Aero and their HMD's which is another reason why I love the Varjo Aero. You wont find customer support or software that is better in VR. I could go on and on about the Varjo Aero so if anybody has questions or concerns, I'm more than happy to answer or offer help. But for my wants and needs the Varjo Aero has been nearly flawless. It's been my daily HMD for over 10 months & spend 4-6 hours straight using the HMD each time without issues. Another big thank you to GYGO for his honesty as he was a major reason for me getting the Aero and another major reason why I'm holding off on the Crystal. Cheers!
Thanks for your insight Farmer... For those of you who do not know, FarmertrueVR is a Twitch Streamer who is well known in our community. He certainly has the credibility to speak on these subjects. I love the idea of a timer for the Aero... I have mine on smart switches too, but mine are on an old school remote instead of using my phone (I'm so old geez). Again, Farmer obviously agrees that the Aero is still an amazing headset and that is what I was trying to make sure everyone understands... EITHER the Crystal or Aero will give you an amazing experience, such a great time to be in VR that we have 2 HMDs that really deliver on the promise of what VR can be. Thank you for the info Farmer! You can check him out on his twitch channel www.twitch.tv/farmertrue if you want to see some awesome roomscale VR titles being played.
Yo thank you very much! It's always good to talk and see you. You did a wonderful job at letting folks know the ins and outs! Looking forward to your next video@@GYGOtv
Im curious, as to your audio solution for the Aero. I am so close to pulling the trigger to get one, it will still cost me a packet more than most due to silly import fees into Norway, but for this kind of money, I would like to invest in a great audio solution too or at least whatever one works well. Not everything has to cost alot to get great results after all.
@@lordwarchildone Thanks for watching lordwarchildone, here you go th-cam.com/video/RmghNPlvJUk/w-d-xo.html Please note that I mention a lack of "positional audio" in the video but that turned out to be outdated drivers for the audio headset. Everything works great with it now. Realistically, any audio solution that has the features you are looking for should be fine. Audio can be such a personal preference sometimes. If you do decide to pick one up, I'd appreciate if you use my affiliate link varjo.idevaffiliate.com/111.html as it won't cost you anything more and really helps out the channel. Thank you for your question.
for sure. Great audio is very important to the overall experience as well.@@lordwarchildone I use the Sennheiser 599 SE headphones. They are open back and I could not be happier with them. With how my head is shaped, they fit perfectly with the Aero. They are usually $200 but I was able to get them on Black Friday for $80. I'd suggest getting them on sale as they go on sale regularly. For my mic, I use the Antlion wireless mod mic. It's not bluetooth and ultra low latency. So low that you do not notice any delay. Something like 6 times less latency than bluetooth. But the audio quality on that is exceptional for a wireless mic as well. Better than average desktop mics and has omni and unidirectional modes. It fits right on the side of my Sennheiser 599 SE headphones. Now it is also expensive. The price has gone up to $140 (used to find it for $99) but it goes on sale for $120 from time to time. Both audio solutions are far superior than any built in audio on VR headsets. It's easy upkeep and convenient as well.
I have not been able to get my Crystal to connect. Pimax support is 11 hours and all done by email. I changed my video card and upgraded from a 3080 to a 4080. This thing just will not connect. I even tried another machine with no luck.
Make sure you have that battery all the way seated in the headset because it won't work if it is slightly loose, I'm guessing this might be the issue if its not working on either computer. Also, I had trouble until I did the first firmware update but it wasn't really a big deal. Hope that helps and good luck.
The Varjo is 999$ not 1999$ since a while now. I tried both. The vertical fov on the Varjo is not bad at all. I also think double for the Crystal is an exaggeration. But there is a difference. The Crystal feels very uncomfortably heavy to me. Fast head movements are a chore and makes the headset wobble all over with distortions due to how the lenses are built. The Crystal has better screens but worse lenses in my experience. For both cases get lighthouses, it's a much better experience to have accurate tracking.
If it's $999, then guess I don't know how to read drive.google.com/file/d/1_eJLGaryEBCvQG1N-kQRQyoq4KOBdX4Z/view?usp=sharing and I don't consider the 6 days since the price went lower "a while now", but heck what do I know. Thank you for the rest of your feedback... I mostly agree with your analysis as you can see in my videos.
Hi jsnazz77, yep I can't believe how much more comfortable it is with that Apache strap! Just FYI, you can thread the velco strap between the cable box and the headstrap. Took a little work but got it there. I think you can see it in the video if you pause. Thanks for watching.
@GYGOtv if you haven't looked at the VR Cover PU Foam Replacement for Samsung Odyssey as a pimax face replacement it's a worthwhile topic/upgrade option. Thanks for your videos! We share a lot of similarities in setup
@GYGOtv its larger in depth than either pimax supplied foam, and soft, your face sinks into it. $35 for 2 pk on Amazon with bag of cleaning wipes. Headset feels more stable to me.
Dear Get Your Game on, Can you recomend this Pimax Crystal headset just for room scale VR? Shooter - Skyrim VR , Fallout VR Hubris , Hellsplit Arena ect.. I have a Reverb G2 and i can handle the room scale VR but i would like to get a better picture quality. Thanks this answer in advance,
That is the main reason I bought it. Should work great, especially when the wireless module comes out. Controller tracking might be a slight issue, but I expect that to improve with software/firmware updates. If it doesn't you could always go to the lighthouse faceplate for better tracking too. Thanks for the question.
I love my pimax crystal, I upgraded from a quest 2 and it’s so much clearer! I mainly play sim games but played crisis brigade 2 last night and played for over an hour! On the quest 2 never really could get into it as it was too blurry for me! The increase detail in the distance is amazing. Takes a few mins for me to get my head comfortable and in the sweetspot and occasionally found the lens steam up but that’s easy to take of and clean . The one issue I did have was the display port was hard to connect to the headset. But once it connected that it! I don’t need to disconnect it now. I’m sure you will love it!
@@PaulBriggs-kb9byGreat feedback! Yes I can imagine coming from the Quest 2 would be quite a jump. I'm a little concerned myself about the DP Port because I will be plugging and unplugging it a lot for roomscale vs. my sim rig. We will cross that bridge when we get to it I guess. Thanks for watching.
@@GYGOtv yes indeed, although I read it gets easier the more you unplug it. I will certainly be awaiting with interest now for the wifi module to be released.
Hi hendrikwillemadrianusthart2233 (wow that is quite a user name) Anti-aliasing doesn't affect the blooming because it is due to the backlight panel not having as high a pixel count as the color panel so when local dimming kicks in, the area that lights up on the backlight panel is bigger than the area that is showing on the color panel. The only way to get rid of it is to always have the backlight panel "on" at least a little bit... which then of course means it isn't black black. Thanks for trying to help anyway and thanks for watching.
@@GYGOtv yes GYGOtv, I've said this because during testing of the settings of supreme commander I've noticed once a sort of blooming effect on the eyes which made them glow different, at 2x they had a shape. At 4x it was nearly impossible when zoomed to see the forms, and at 8x there was also around the eyes a sort of "mist" and the individual form was not visible, a sort of clough overlighted the whole with outsprouted out of its border shaped. It might have been the engine, it was strange. Then again, the buildup of the Pimax Crystal is new to me, thanks for the indetail review and explanation.
@@hendrikwillemadrianusthart2233I'll try to test it when I get back into the Crystal, but the effect I'm seeing happens regardless of the game title, it is on everything so I doubt it is the same thing. I feel pretty confident it is the backlight panel causing this not some software setting. Thanks for the explanation however, really appreciate the help.
@@GYGOtv I hope you can fix it, there would also come different lenses, I took a look yesterday on the many things this headset, the panels, but I also heard the lenses have some sort of coating, could in some way the coating be a spreader of the direct light forming the clough noticeably stronger isolated due to the darkness on the background?
@@hendrikwillemadrianusthart2233well again I'll try to take a look but I honestly think it is just the nature of the panels. The effect looks exactly like what i'd expect from a backlight panel and local dimming, in fact I can see a similar effect on my QLED 50" TV and there are no lenses causing it on there for sure. The fact I can make the problem go away when I turn on the backlight slightly also indicates it isn't a software or anti-aliasing problem because it would still be there a little bit if that was the case.
How can the horizontal field of view be the same and yet the vertical field of view be double when both are using effectively the same resolution (only 3-4% more vertical on Crystal)?
Yes I asked myself the same question... I don't really know how they did it but they did. I'm sure something to do with the aspect ratio on the screens and the design of the lenses. But honestly that is just a guess. If anyone else knows for sure, please comment below. Thanks for watching DrR1pper.
I've been on the verge of buying the Varjo Aero since price drop but requirements for base stations and audio make me think id be better off with the pimax crystal, but some issues I've heard others mention have me concerened. Would just as soon do the pimax and not need base stations and audio solutions and pimax sounds better overall. My pc is an i7-10700K, 32gb ram, 4080 gpu. Will I be able to get good enough fps to take advantage of pimax crystal and have smooth flying good fps and not have headaches getting it to work well? I'm using a Reverb g2 now and it's not been that great for me, clear enough in cockpit but view of earth not clear enough have trouble spotting runways until very close.
Thanks for the question donc9751, so not sure if you watched my latest on this ( th-cam.com/video/N7vK45iQYP4/w-d-xo.html ), but in it I basically have a handful of reasons to buy the Crystal over the Aero. Obviously one is basestations... but honestly you can get a few basestations for the difference in price of the Aero to the Crystal now, and you can just use your audio headset that you currently own (or buy one and still probably be about the same price). So lets take price out of it and look at the other factors. The overall experience in both is very good so realistically I'd say the biggest question is the larger Vertical FOV of the Crystal vs. the Comfort of the Aero. I'd say which ever one of those factors is more important to you is the direction I'd recommend. I hope that helps, and if it does, please feel free to use one of my affiliate links for either one when you order if you'd like to help out the channel. Please let me know if you have any other questions or I can help you more. Thanks again for watching.
@@GYGOtv That does help alot and I like dogfighting! So only concern left is blooming issue if it's bad in night flights but I fly mostly daytime so I don't think that'll be a big issue! I'll be happy to be able to enjoy better clarity outside the cockpit views so thanks! I've saved this so when I decide, I can use your affiliate links!
@@donc9751Thanks donc9751, I think we already covered this in the other comment but just to make sure. The blooming is bad if you go full extreme on the local dimming, however if you turn the backlight on slightly it takes care of that problem. You don't get the absolute blacks like OLED but its still ok (again I'm an OLED snob so I'm really critical of any backlight). From the sound of it, the Crystal might be your best choice as long as you can tolerate a heavy and bulky headset, but let me know if you have any other questions. Appreciate you helping the channel with the affiliate links!
Excellent review, thanks! I'm a big dogfighting fan, so I was a bit worried about the mass of the crystal. Do you find the other pros of the crystal outweigh the increased mass? Does the increased mass ever cause problems in a close in "knife fight"? I'm concerned that whipping my head around to keep track of a bandit heading from one side (from 5 to 7, or over/under me) to the other will cause the headset to slip. What's your experience?
Hi stevie, so in my opinion yes the increased VFOV is worth the weight of the headset once you get it comfortable. That Apache strap helps for sure. When you whip your head around, the headset will bounce off your nose a little but it isn't too bad. Even with the motion platform throwing me around it is tolerable. Headset doesn't really slip, it more bounces and comes back to position if that makes sense? Again for dogfighting the Crystal is the way to go for sure IMO. Thanks for the question.
Can someone confirm and give more detail on the battery performance of the Crystal. If its plugged into the PC why does the battery run down anyway? If so how long exactly before I have to switch out the battery?
When plugged in I ran it for about 3 hours and lost 1 of the 5 bars on the headset... that means you should be able to run it about 15 hours before you would need to change it out. The reason it drains is the XR chipset pulls more power from the battery than the cable can charge back, also known as negative charging. The Quest headsets have this problem too. Qualcomm requires users of their chips to pull power from a battery instead of pulling it from a constant power source. I don't know why, but they do. Anyway I hope that helps... like I said in the video, the battery is a non-issue unless you are going to VR for longer than 30 hours (using both batteries). Thanks for watching.
I'd imagine so depending on what you are doing. I never had a 4070 so don't really know but I will say the Varjo Base software is one of the most efficient "drivers" of any headset that I've seen it compared to. Plus with Dynamic Foveated Rendering I'd imagine the 4070 should be just fine.
Great review my friend I love My crystal I also ordered the balance kit and it is great. The headset is no longer heavy on my head lol. I’m also waiting for the new larger FOV lenses that are glass and you will get a discount if you pre-ordered your headset instead of paying $129 you will pay $69. It’s an option to get the original 42 PPD or upgrade to the larger FOV lenses that are made of glass. Oh, I wanted to ask you to turn the power on and off on the Crystal are you holding the power switch until the light blue light comes on, right? Thanks for the review mark I really enjoyed it and I’m glad you fix some of your issues so you can enjoy the headset.
Hi Richard, yes I pre-ordered the larger FOV Lenses too. Really didn't see a need for the 42PPD and even smaller FOV so I'm glad Pimax gave us that option. As for the power button, I think I just click it to turn it on and then hold it down to turn it off. Haven't really paid that close attention, just kind of muscle memory on it. I do know the blue light comes on and then goes green when connected. Anyway, glad you enjoyed the review my friend and thanks as always for your support.
@@GYGOtv no problem buddy I do like the fact that there is no more battery issues I don’t even come to the point to even have to change out the battery anymore. Iracing is amazing, that’s what I’ve been doing lately. OK buddy talk to you soon.
Don't feel buyer's remorse... both headsets give you an awesome experience. @RScottBell disagreed with me below for sim racing so certainly my opinion obviously isn't true for everyone. Plus if you don't have lighthouses then the Pimax is the correct choice for you over the Aero for sure. What headset are you coming from?
I would strongly consider the crystal if it was not from recent Valve rumors preparing a new headset… plus if no news from Valve in 2024 than the pimax 12k will be out lol
I hear you Glerox, but we've been waiting on Valve for A LONG TIME so just be ready to wait awhile... I say this and watch them announce next week :) I will make a suggestion in the meantime, maybe consider a Quest 3... It is a third the price and is quite an upgrade from most headsets. What VR Headset are you using now?
@@GYGOtv PSVR2, there is no killer game so far forcing me to buy a PC VR headset unfortunately. There was HL Alyx and I passed it on a quest 2 then sold it. And to me, the next big VR game will be RE4 PSVR2.
@@GleroxAh, I haven't used a PSVR2 but as you say you can't do PCVR on it. The reason I mention the Quest 3 is because it gets really close to the experience of the Crystal with its Pancake lenses and does an AMAZING job streaming PCVR content (if you have a good router that is uncongested) Anyway, just thought that might be a good compromise while you wait. If you don't mind, can you tell me more about your PSVR2 experience? I'm going to be doing a VR for Beginners video soon and would like to include it... but as I mentioned I have no experience with it so I can use all the help I can get.
@@GYGOtvI like the PSVR2. Like you, I'm an OLED snob and the PSVR2 is OLED. Also it has eye tracking for foveated rendering which works really well. What I dont like is many games have to use reprojection because the PS5 is not powerful enough for native 90fps... I dont like reprojection it gives me nausea. I'm also disappointed about the lack of games... I was expecting Sony to publish more VR games to promote their new headset... but the lack of games is a problem on PC too lol. Currently im waiting for RE4 which will probably be insane in VR!
I love you're videos. But this one wasn't a fair comparison of the 2. 19 minutes on Pimax, 7 min on Aero. The good news is that you have covered Aero extensively
Well if that is how you want to break it up... it isn't fair because Aero has 4 videos instead of the 3 for the Crystal. Maybe "fairness" should be based more on the content and not by a stopwatch? Just a thought? Thanks for commenting and watching either way.
@@dwdrum1I did read the comment and you were basing the fairness of the comparison on how much time I spent on each headset. I was merely pointing out that the Aero has plenty of other coverage and that maybe the time spent on each overall on the channel would be "fair". I think you and I just don't communicate well for whatever reason. I do thank you for watching and I'll try to read any future comments (if there are any) with that in mind.
I would get a Pimax Crystal but Pimax refuses to answering my question about the Facial Tracking module that was over-hyped/over-promised during the Crystal announcement then never said anything about it again.. I'm not spending nearly $2k on a new HMD with the Base Station Tracking Module etc and all the goodies and no have Facial Tracking when I could by the Pico 4 Pro (Chinese Enterprise with Consumer software sideloaded on it) or the Pico 5 Pro and MAX coming out next year for half the price with both features..
Thanks for the comment, yes Pimax is not the best at communicating with the customer so I feel your pain. I'm still trying to find out about the Wifi Wireless Option which is the main reason I bought it and it doesn't look like that will be out before next year. Of course I can't speak to the Pico because it is not officially available in the USA, but that Pico 5 Pro Max looks to be an amazing option if they can put it all together. Of course we are talking about another year so if you are willing to wait that is probably the way to go. Honestly the only thing the Crystal has is best visuals in VR right now, everything else is worse IMO. SO if you want best visuals it is the way to go, if you can sacrifice on that I think there are... and will be better options in the future.
@@GYGOtv Hi thanks for the reply ^^ that was the other thing I forgot about. Pimax hasn't commented on Wireless Link to SteamVR either which I believe kinda makes the thing overpriced without it when you're a SteamVR user. Pixmas store is very lacking in games and let's be real, most SteamVR players are playing VRChat the most expensive free 2 play game.. xD Valve is supposed to be announcing their new VR Headset in December and I really hope it has all the bells and whistle features we want. I believe the Valve Index is the best VR Headset but it's outdated now making it very over-priced when Vive and Pixmas have been making newer and better headsets for a few years now and the Index is hard to recommend when the Pico 4 and Quest 3 offer a better out of the box experience. The only regret to buying a Pico 4 or Quest 3 is ultimately when user wants Full Body Tracking. SteamVR with Tundra or Vive trackers is the best for FBT. Sure there is Slimes and other wireless options, but they lag behind and have accuracy problems. Vive's new wireless Tracker is too expensive per-tracker and isn't SteamVR support on release.. PC VR is in the middle of a continuum of being not quite updated but also not quite got anything better on the market but you know it's around the corner.. and buying now might be a regret in 2 or 3 months..
I sure hope they announce the new Valve headset, will be interesting to see what they have come up with. It is so weird with the Full Body Tracking, because those Quest Pro controllers (with the camera's in them) are the perfect solution for Full Body Trackers... but nobody seems to be thinking about using that technology that way. That was the first thing I thought of when I saw they were independent of the headset. As for Pimax Stand Alone... Ya right... good luck with that :) Thanks for the comment.
Customer interest was too low. IE nobody wants a face tracking module, so they ditched it because they weren't going to make any money on it. It's a waste of time and energy.
You made the battery animation yourself? Or someone else did? Neat. So just clarifying -- when plugged in, the battery will be (nearly) unlimited? Yes your through the lens shows what you mean -- looks like lenses fogged. Yes, that would probably not look cool. Good job for you to keep pushing the issue. Is the SIDE to SIDE fov pretty good? I read somewhere the Crystal fov is not much wider than HP G2. That doesn't sound so impressive. I find G2 fov rather bad, like binoculars.
Hi mikem, yes made the animation myself (also did the title intro and outro too), I love 3D animation and use a program called Lightwave 3D. So I haven't seen the battery go down at all even after several hours using the headset. It might have an eventual limit but I'm guessing it would take 8 hours or more, if ever, from what I've seen. As for the Horizontal FOV, to me it is about the same as the Varjo Aero, which I'm estimating is about 10 degrees more than the HP G2 has. It is not huge but certainly better than the G2 for me at least. Pimax is also releasing a new lens that has a wider FOV at the cost of some PPD, not sure how much but will let you know when I get one. Thanks for watching.
FYI Mike, I just played Elite Dangerous for about 3 hours and I finally dropped one bar in the Pimax Battery meter. I think it will be fine for most users at that rate.
@@GYGOtv Yah, one bar sounds like no problem. Is it four bars total? Still kinda confusing why it would drop a bar even plugged in. Oh well, anyways no huge worry.
@@mikem.2078it is 5 bars actually! It's a Qualcomm requirement that the headset is fed from the battery. The Quest does the same thing. At least it shouldn't be an issue for most.
Not being able to run your fully tethered face-monitor without a battery. 10/10 design, would pay $1600 pre-tax and pre-shipping for Frankenstein's monster. The goodwill for Pimax surely will never run out after all these years of sheer goodwill for this company. Solumium VR is the only hope in that niche really, aside from the next Valve HMD. FFS Pimax...I waited for this and would have bought it, but after all these years I have no more goodwill left for Pimax after this release. I hope they stay as a competitor, so better designed HMDs in that niche will cost less.
Hi PiterburgCowboy, you are certainly not alone in your opinion of Pimax. I get it for sure. Since this is my first Pimax headset, I still have a little "goodwill" left in my tank but we will see how long that lasts. As for the battery issue, that is WAY overblown in my experience. I've run mine for 3 hours and only lost a single bar out of 5, so playing for 8 hours with it plugged into the powered hub should be very doable. I'm hopeful for the Somnium VR1 too but will have to wait to see how good it really is. Deckard from Valve would be very welcome but who knows when that will really come out (Valve time and all). I also bet that Varjo is working on an Aero 2 so they might be a potential option down the road too. We will have to wait and see I guess. Thanks for the comment and watching the content, appreciate it.
@@GYGOtv I'm pretty sure you will enjoy it, it is full of good tech after all. Also the price "isn't unreasonable" too (oh god) in this niche. I can't be a HMD collector though so there's one shot at VR 2.0. and Pimax just did not cut it with this release. So it is either these two European startups or rare blessings from Gabe I'll put my bet on. Thanks for the reply and wish you the best with your channel! BTW nice home cockpit, you might want to check out VKB/Virpil stuff for flightsims if you haven't already. Virpil rudder and throttle are frikn amazing. For stick I'd go VKB. Cheers
@@PiterburgCowboyThanks and thank you for watching. It seems as VR Enthusiasts we always want more (me included), but taking a step back look at where we have come from the OG Vive days... I mean these new headsets are giving visuals that we could only dream of years ago. Can't wait to see what the next few years hold, a great time to be in VR for sure!
@@GYGOtv We truly live in the days we dreamed as kids and it's complaining at highest tiers, so it comes down to things like: The need for counterweights to balance tells me about problems I will encounter playing DCS/IL2/WT in the mancave.... I mean study.
I've had both for some time and mostly do DCS and MSFS and for me the crystal I can't wear for more that 20 minute before it literally starts to hurt. straps do not help, 15mm face gasket does not help. I need prescription lens and with them inserted I can't wear the headset for more that the 20 minutes, my face shape with the crystal, the lens push against my brow to hard. if I don't its so loose it falls off my face. so have to wear lens inserts and without them the visuals just are not as good as the Areo. so all the pluses, to me do not matter if I can't wear it
Hi smgvbest... wow sounds like you had almost the exact same experience I did ( th-cam.com/video/YvLr3x1Nqn4/w-d-xo.html ) Fortunately the Apache Strap, 15mm and counterweight made the thing wearable but I TOTALLY understand your discomfort. StudioForm VR is working on a dedicated strap for the Crystal if you are interested in trying to still get it to work, but honestly if you are where I was... I sure wouldn't mess with it anymore. Still amazes me that some people can just wear this with no problems and others like us can't tolerate it after 20 min. At least the Aero is a great alternative. Thanks for sharing.
Ah, this is the first complaint I've heard on this? Tell me more of what you are hearing and maybe I can adjust it. The mic I'm using wasn't exactly cheap to start with. On a completely unrelated note, here is a link to my Patreon page www.patreon.com/GYGO :)
Great information and you have a new subscriber. However, you didn't help me with my decision! I am so divided on these two headsets. Crystal has bigger vertical FOV but is heavy and software and customer support seems to be an issue. Aero comes in cheaper but no controllers or tracking means - is it really? I'm coming from a Rift S so anything is an upgrade, but if I'm diving in, I want the best I can get, especially for this kind of money. I have the computer to run them (3090 & an i9 9900) and just dove into sim racing but also do a lot of room scale stuff - Arizona Sunshine 2 just dropped and I would love to see that through one of these headsets as opposed to the screen door and dull colors of my Rift S right now. I'm still mulling and I have to sell off a couple guitars (that I never learned to play anyway) to make this move, but man I really don't know......
Hey thanks for the SUB!!! So based on what you are saying, and not to complicate this even more, I might recommend you look at the Quest 3 as well. The reason I say this is because you mention Room Scale and personally I can't stand being tethered to a headset for roomscale. The Quest 3 gets very close to the experience of these headsets at a fraction of the cost. You can check out my review here if you haven't seen it yet th-cam.com/video/jV5otY20y0U/w-d-xo.html However, if you don't want to go that route, I'd say your choice is easy between the Aero and the Crystal, for the same reason I mention the Quest 3. The Crystal will eventually have a wireless mod and the Aero will always be tethered. Just FYI, I bought my Crystal for roomscale BUT it is looking more and more likely that I will use the Quest 3 instead because it just works so much better. The last good thing about the Quest 3 is you might not have to sell your guitars :) Anyway, I hope this helped... please feel free to ask any other questions you might have and I'll do my best to answer them. Glad you found our channel!
@@GYGOtv So would you say the Aero and Crystal are only (or mainly) for seated experiences and sims? For example the previously mentioned Arizona Sunshine 2 would be better played on the Quest 3 than the Crystal?
@@tattoodude8946Right now yes for sure on the Aero, but the Crystal will be wireless probably sometime next year so it will give you that same great wireless experience as the Quest 3 does now. I'd say the Quest 3 gives you about 80% of the visuals of the Crystal, so if you absolutely want the best the Crystal is still the way to go but you are sacrificing comfort and ease of use for that extra 20%. Again, I already made my choice in favor of the Quest 3 for roomscale and using the Crystal for flight/racing. The Quest 3 does flight and racing pretty well too just FYI. I can tell you that coming from the Rift S... any of these are going to blow you away. Hope that helps.
@@GYGOtv The word “help” may be off the mark as you added a wrinkle to my decision, but I do appreciate the information! 😂 I’m such a sucker for buying the best too, which is why I was looking at those two in particular and I think in six months the Quest 3 is just going to have me itching…. I don’t mind being tethered - it’s what I’m used to anyway - and the Aero is going to be as much as the Crystal and maybe even more when looking at getting two or three lighthouses and a set of index controllers. Right now I have the Quest 3 in a cart on one computer ($800 with everything I want) and the Crystal in the cart on my other computer ($1580 with everything) - I just have to enter payment on one or the other! Twice the price but a more impressive machine to be sure…. I think I have to stew for a bit but I also just put on my Rift and sighed at the crosshatching over my vision and the dull colors…. I haven’t much time….🤣
@@tattoodude8946 I totally get buying the best... I'm the same way! Just FYI, Pimax has also announced a 12k QLED th-cam.com/video/hP39Mpu0GYQ/w-d-xo.html unit in development now which should give the clarity of the Crystal with a wide FOV... Maybe Quest 3 now and 12k when it comes out? There I go "helping" again 😁
I know this is a older video but it's only 9 months old, so much has happened in 9 months. Pimax announced the Crystal Light, a pure PCVR HMD (I ordered one, expecting it in August (sooner if I get real lucky, I know, that's what she said. LOL). The Varjo Aero no longer exists which is why I lost all respect for that company, they lowered the price of the Aero to half it's original price and then not long after, they announced it was discontinued, so basically, they lowered the price to get rid of inventory. This was most unfortunate, I was thinking of getting one but if discontinued, why bother. REAL PCVR HMDs are hard to find now days and they are expensive, the Crystal Light became a good alternative due to it's lower price, lighter weight compared to OG Crystal and options that not everyone wants or needs (eye tracking, auto IPD, Stand Alone mode, etc). Very much looking forward to getting mine to compare with my Reverb G2v2. :) It was nice watching your comparison between the Crystal and the Aero again, a little eye opener if you will. :)
Thanks for the comment, I think you are going to be astounded by the difference in the G2's Fresnel Lenses vs. Aspheric Lenses... it really is a new level of clarity. The Crystal Light is a good option for current PCVR headsets. I still think the Quest 3 is likely another good option if you don't need lighthouse tracking (for motion compensation in motion platforms for example). Personally I would consider getting one to replace my OG Crystal because it has been pissing me off lately with the excessive battery drain and now I'm having other issues (waiting for Pimax support to be back in the office on Monday). I just don't want to give up the eye tracking because it makes a HUGE difference in DCS which is my favorite flight sim. Please let me know what you think of the light, I'm pretty sure you will be happy with your purchase.
@@GYGOtv Thank you for the reply. I have to admit, I am very anxious to try the Aspheric optics, I do have a Quest 3 and am blown away by it's optics. I use the Quest 3 on my upstairs setup for general VR, the Crystal Light will replace my G2 in the basement where my sim rig is. LOL, I do not have a motion rig so not worried about the problems that might cause. As for the visuals, the Quest 3 is very close to being on par with the G2 for sim racing and MSFS, still see just a little bit of compression but no where as bad as the Quest 2 and Pico 4 (XR2 Gen1 vs Gen2, Gen2 is so much better at decoding the video stream). I hope you get whatever issues you are having with your OG Crystal sorted out. Right now Pimax support is slow at responding due to the Crystal Light orders, looks like the light is selling well so many people are messaging support, more than likely with "when will I get my HMD?" LOL
@@jackr.749 Yep, so if you've tried the Q3 you have an idea of the great visuals these new headsets provide. The Crystal will be similar to the Quest 3 but you will have the advantage of directly connecting to the display port. So next you need a motion rig... it was almost as big a step as going to VR was. Very excited for you!
@@GYGOtv I don't think I want a motion rig, yes, there's the expense but also the noise of the actuators. I'm 65, don't know if I want my booty shaken or kicked at this point in life! LOL
@@jackr.749 I can understand that for sure. Keep in mind the DOF Rigs are very quite and you can turn them down so they don't throw you around like a maniac. For flying they add so much and are not very jarring so for that type of experience I still highly recommend.
@@GYGOtv Right now I am using a valve index. I bought the Beyond and was part of the first batch they shipped to the public. That thing had issues connecting to my Base Stations. But when it did, it looked amazing. Just couldn't keep it working correctly. They even sent me a new one and it did the same thing. They couldnt figure it out. So I sent it back and got the Varjo Aero. That had issues as well. But they helped me figure it out. I had to roll back the Nvidia Drivers. I just kept fighting with how uncomfortable it was. I could only keep playing for about 20 min at a time cause it just started marking my face up. Like glasses do to your nose but this was my whole face. The valve index, to me is far far more comfortable. I did like how it had eye tracking but preferred just having the whole space the same sharpness. I couldnt stand the FOV. Compared to the valve it was a huge disappointment. Ill stick with the lower resolution and clarity the valve has along with the comfort for anything that just bothers me too much. I will wait to see what valve has coming next. one more thing, the lack of headphones built in also bothered me. Their plug in headphones are terrible. The valve has amazing sound along with the mic.
@@armhunterThanks for the reply, Ya the Valve Index was an amazing headset, and that sound was incredible. Sorry to hear your issues with the Aero... I know I had the same problems with the Pimax Crystal and that is no fun when it doesn't fit right. Just a suggestion, have you thought about a Quest 3? My good friend Jeff Weaver just migrated to the Quest 3 from the Index and he absolutely loves it. You will likely want a better headstrap for comfort, but it would still be cheaper than the Aero was. The PCVR on it is really good too, and you will get almost as good of clarity out of it as you saw on the Aero. Just a thought, I hate to see VR Enthusiasts not able to enjoy all that modern VR has to offer.
@@armhunterI think it might be a good fit for you until the Valve Headset gets released (who knows how long that will be), certainly worth the $499 IMO!
Probably your eyelash touching on the vr lense with 11mm face foam is because Honsvr lense is installed far away from Crystal vr lense and that is why i hate magnetic style vr lense
Hi ji3200, no this was before I had the lenses installed, once they were installed they actually touched my brow. They do take up lots of space like you say. Thanks for the comment.
@@GYGOtv so your eyelash touching before install it? And after you installed and now both eyelash and even eyebrow touching with 11mm foam? Im shock you are the only youtuber mention this
@@ji3200Well technically it was Darrell who felt the eyelashes ( th-cam.com/video/YvLr3x1Nqn4/w-d-xo.html ), but I could tell my eyes were close too. Honestly once I got the 15mm I didn't ever go back to test the 11mm again with all the changes with the Apache strap and balance kit etc. Again, I'm just sharing my experiences so it doesn't surprise me that others are having a different fit. I've heard others say no issues with glasses at all so take it for what it is worth I guess. I've also not heard may others talking about how painfully uncomfortable the Crystal is stock, so I guess I just have a weird facial structure. I do appreciate the follow-up.
@@GYGOtv one last question, since its magnetic version, do you notice little more gap than non magnetic version from other headset? Does it look like it could install even closer? Thanks
@@ji3200Certainly sticks out more than non-magnetic so if you don't share your headset or show it off to friends a lot, I think non-magnetic is a better choice. For me, lots of people want to try it so the magnetic is more convenient and with the 15mm it isn't a problem hitting my eyes. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask... love chatting with my viewers.
Sorry, nonsense. I’ve had both the Aero and the Crystal, and I simrace 95% of the time. The Aero is SO claustrophobic that it’s a non-starter. I have overlays looking up and had to WAY move my head to see them. Also, I couldn’t see my mirrors without cranking my head around. I don’t have to do either of these in the Crystal.
No need to be sorry RScottBell, your opinion is welcome on this channel. I didn't consider overlays, so I can see the use for the vertical in that situation. To me the Aero felt a lot like wearing my old racing helmet so it was a very natural feeling in the racecar (kind of a claustrophobic feeling in real life too). Anyway, you don't have any issues with the front heavy nature of the headset moving around when you move your head quickly during the race? I know mine bangs off my nose everytime I swing my head... but then again I do have a big nose :) Thanks for the comment and watching.
Hi x32i77... Maybe, after watching their interview on MRTV I'm worried that headset may start at about $2000 and go up from there (probably more like $2500 with eye tracking). Also I'm still a little worried that their lens design is going to give off glare and reflections but we will see. AND OF COURSE it will have blooming just like the Crystal since it is using the same panels. I hope it IS the perfect hmd like you say... just seen too many of these promising headsets turn out to be less than promised (yes I'm looking at you Vive Pro 2!!!). Thanks for the comment!
@@GYGOtv we will see very soon 🙂 Starting price will be 1200€ I think Fully loaded with color passthrough and Handtracking will cost 2500-2800€ I think + you'll get a super well build case . I am not worried about the glare at all since index had double stack fresnel lenses . These are completely different I am most excited about the already build in lighthouse tracking + very good fov + good headstrap and awesome lense design with way better visuals than crystal ( chromatic aberations)
@@x32i77Agree, we will see for sure. BTW from my experience, you shouldn't be getting noticeable chromatic aberrations in the Crystal if you are wearing it correctly. Also, not sure "way better" visuals are really possible because the Crystal looks pretty amazing... better maybe but not that much room for improvement on the image itself. Appreciate your point of view and I hope you are correct!
The Somnium would have given the Aero a run for its money when it was $2000, but the Aero is now competing, feature-wise, mainly with the BSB. Given that Somnium has ditched the SOC, will have no inside-out options, standalone, or controllers, and will be teaming with the expensive Nofio for wireless, it won't be competing with Crystal either. Basically, in its likely price class it will have nothing to compete with other than Apple. So may the more perfect headset win.
@@daviddahlstrom192I'm hopeful but skeptical of the Somnium, not sure I'm sold on that lens design not to produce reflections and glare but we will see. Until someone actually tries it, I'm not holding my breath. I felt the same way about the Crystal and fortunately it mostly worked out. Again I see the Somnium as starting at about $2000 and realistically with eye tracking, probably $2500, and you will need to buy basestations for it too if you don't have them.
@@dwdrum1I do enjoy input from my subscribers, which is exactly my point... You are saying right here that your statement was input and I was saying I'm not going to change. A little input from me to you is maybe work on your tone so you don't come across so critical. I generally try to respond with the same tone as the comment and that is what I did here. If you didn't mean it that way then sorry for taking it that way... but you have something to do with that too... Let's try this again, Thank you for watching and I'm glad you liked the review. Me constantly moving the headset around is just my style as I don't really write out a script and that is just part of me going through my process. Sorry about driving you Nucking FUTS, and if it is too bad for you, I'll understand if you just can't stand to watch my content anymore. I'd hate to lose any Subscribers but I completely understand if you just can't tolerate me moving the headset around so much. Thank you for your support.
looks like a bunch of crap to deal with if you go pimax, not sure if the fov is worth it. i will surely not pay 400-500 clams extra for it since the arejo price dropped to about a grand.
Yep, that is the trade off that you have to decide for yourself if it is worth it. I think Steve the VR Flight Sim Guy said it best when he compared it to a high performance sportscar. He basically said it takes a lot more work, is more expensive and can have a lot more problems than a regular car... but when it works it is amazing. I don't personally regret buying the Crystal because it is THE BEST visuals out there, but it took a lot of work to get it there (especially in the comfort department for me). Again, the Aero is a great headset (that you might be able to find used for even cheaper now that they announced it's discontinuation). And don't forget the Quest 3 which is almost as good and A LOT more affordable. Thanks for the comment.
I don't remember putting any lipstick on unless someone did it to me while I was sleeping... It is probably Carmex that didn't soak in yet, it can be dry here in Colorado.
![ละลาย (LALALYE) - DAOU PITTAYA ต้าห์อู๋ พิทยา [OFFICIAL MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/wo6r9TgausI/mqdefault.jpg)
Oh yeah!!!! • Mine is arriving next week!!!
I can’t sleep!!!
If you can't sleep now, wait until you try it!!! Thanks for watching and the comment.
Great review! I've been using a Pimax 8KX for flight sim, and decided to order both the Aero and Crystal to see for myself. I had heard and read about the Aero's severely cropped VFOV, so I ordered an open box one thinking I would hate it and could more easily return it. It arrived today and I really like it a lot! Even coming from the 8KX, which is the king of FOV, I really don't mind the cropped view, it's not nearly as bad as everyone says it is. And I just really love the general aesthetic and comfort of the Aero. The 8KX was awful to wear, and the Crystal is even worse, requiring loads of aftermarket straps to be comfortable. I dunno, I'm seriously loving the Aero and am wondering if I should cancel my Crystal order before it ships out, as returning it back to China won't be easy or cheap. I get that the Crystal has better visuals, but I feel like the Aero is good enough for my needs, even though it's hands down worse in visuals and FOV, and doesn't have local dimming. But I just feel happier supporting a company which isn't Pimax, as their customer service is awful. And who knows, the Aero may finally get local dimming some day. Could I please ask if you have you ever emailed Varjo to ask if they're still working on bringing local dimming to the Aero or they gave up on it as a feature?
Hi trias, If you don't mind the limited VFOV of the Aero then by all means I'd cancel the Pimax (unless you ordered it through my affiliate link of course :) jk) If you aren't doing wireless roomscale and love the comfort, I don't think the Crystal is going to give you that much more. Like I said, they are both premium experiences in my opinion. Of course in the end it is up to you. I haven't asked Varjo recently (Lord knows I hit them with that question a ton early on) but they did tell me a while back that local dimming was at the top of the most requested features from their customers. To be honest after messing with the local dimming on the Crystal, I don't think it is going to add that much to the visuals, the blooming is just so bad that you still need a little backlight so everything doesn't look foggy. That is probably why Varjo hasn't implemented it yet. Anyway, that's my 2 cents. Let me know what you decide and thanks for sharing your Varjo Aero experience with us.
@@GYGOtv Cheers mate! About the blooming on the Crystal, have you by chance tried out that JSON file tweak which someone posted a video to on your comments? The one where you change a single JSON scalar to 0.01. Am curious if that really fixes the bloom at all like the video claims?
@@trias1033Hi trias, yes that is what I'm referring to in my video by turning the back light on slightly. It basically takes away the bloom by matching it with the backlight, so no OLED level blacks with it. It is the best choice in my opinion but certainly doesn't give you the black blacks of OLED.
Compliments on your excellent no nonsense reviews.
I have had the Aero for about 15 months and love it (I only sim race).
Did have a fault develop about 6 months ago when the auto IPD and fan stopped working, after Varjo inspected it they authorised a new unit to be shipped to me, which I thought was excellent customer service.
I have added aftermarket comfort kit from StudioForm VRwear (in Australia) which is excellent for 40 Aus$ or so. Really nice.
Also,as the supplied ear buds from Varjo are so awful I use 1More Quad Driver In-Ear headphones; pricey but amazing sound quality, has a microphone and also benefits from buttons to adjust the volume (as the slider types are annoying).
Was considering changing to the Crystal but your review has made me completely satisfied with the Aero, thank you.
Well thank you for the kind words and I'm glad you enjoy the content on the channel. Ya I don't think the Crystal is that much of an upgrade if you already have the Aero. I can also tell you Varjo is a MUCH better company to work with than Pimax. I just haven't been impressed with my dealings with them since I got my headset. If you do start doing things that need a little more vertical FOV, I'd recommend looking at adding a Quest 3 possibly. It gives you good Vertical FOV and is wireless to boot. For me, I think I'm done buying headsets for awhile until someone puts OLED screens behind some Aspheric lenses... now that will be something. Thanks for watching!
Varjo is literally 990USD$ today haha but dude I love your video! You review in such a rational manner!
Thanks, I really try to be fair and balanced. No hidden agenda for me, other than I just want as many people as possible to enjoy this wonderful world of VR that I love so much. BTW you are behind... I already did the next video covering the price change ( th-cam.com/video/N7vK45iQYP4/w-d-xo.html ) Hope you like it too. I really appreciate the comment and thank you for watching.
Bought the Pimax Crystal. Fantastic device. Recent updates make it even better. Auto IPD, eye tracking for better frame rates, etc. Don't get the Varjo. You miss out on controllers, audio and FOV. They're also coming out with a wider field of view lens, wireless wifi module and more. Weight is the only element where the Varjo is ahead. Crystal is also cheaper...
Yep, just got the software update too and the auto ipd is nice! Also ordered the wider FOV lenses so I'm excited to see what they do too. Agree with what you list as Crystal's advantages, but Aero also has that nice fan inside the eyebox that the Crystal doesn't. Just wanted to add that as well. Appreciate the comment.
I’m on a motion platform pulling “G’s”🙂 so that weight is a big deal for me. With the Aero now being priced at $990 Crystal got it’s work cut out for it.
@@cecielhelder5923Yes the price cut certainly changes thing now. I did some testing racing and the headset did bounce off my nose a little but I did get used to it. Weight usually isn't a big deal to me but the Crystal certainly is probably the limit I'd ever want to go. Hope the 12k Qled Pimax is working on isn't much heavier! Thanks for the comment.
The Varjo is 999$ Not 1999$
@@intetxUm Ya, look at the pinned comment, and it is actually $990. This video was made before the price change. Here is the follow-up video that mentions it th-cam.com/video/N7vK45iQYP4/w-d-xo.html
It is shocking that you have such a great amazing review with some of the best headsets on the market but it looks like it was filmed in the 80s
LOL I'm a child of the 80's so I guess that makes sense. What would you like to see different? Thanks for the input.
Good tip about power ribbon being damaged by acting as a headstrap. Surely saved some RMAs.
I certainly hope so, I guess I have enough experience with electronics to notice these things (which was harder to do since you don't really see the problem in this case with the hmd on). I hope it does save some people some grief. Pimax really should have put the connection in the halo strap like everyone else but I guess that would cost them extra and we know they don't like to do that. Thanks for the comment... and I love the notice I got "justcommenting commented" LOL!
And now 6 months from now i've seen updates and new software for pimax! I might decide on buying on since i've been stuck with index for a long time
Thanks for the comment, I honestly have had very good luck with the software, rarely do I have an issue and when I do it is usually because of the USB Hub they sent. Its a pretty big jump from an Index and I think you would be pretty impressed. I'm hopeful the new Wide-FOV lenses are going to make it that much better but I won't know until I try them. Since you already have lighthouses, I'd also recommend the Index faceplate... I use mine and the tracking is spot on just like you'd expect. If you do decide to pick one up and want to help the channel, we have an affiliate link in the description that will save you a few bucks. Good luck!
Great video as always. Appreciate the effort. I am lucky enough to have both and agree with your summary.
Awesome stealtribe, always good to know I'm not too far off the rails when I do stuff like this. Glad you watched it and agree!
Great review!
I've been using the Varjo Aero since it was released and I've been very happy with it!
When the Crystal made its entry onto the scene, I was tempted for the better FOV, better colors and so on but what made me stay with the Aero was because I didn't want a headset requiring a battery. Since I do all my VR in front of my PC and spend 99% of that time in MSFS.
Now though with the Crystal Light, I decided to get one and after all the good things I've heard about it, I'm very much looking forward to have it delivered!
Was hoping to find your review on the CL but I guess it's not as interesting to you based on how you use your headsets where you like being able to go wireless but also when you already have the original Crystal.
Maybe we'll see your review on the Crystal Super though once that one is released 🙂
Well thank you for watching and the comment. Since I buy all my headsets I have to pick and choose whatever I'm getting for review. Realistically the Crystal Light should be very similar to the Crystal (sans the eye tracking). To be honest, I've had some issues with Pimax lately and they are not even remotely in the ballpark as far as customer service is compared to Varjo. I've also given up on using the Crystal for roomscale because I don't think their Wireless option will be able to match what I'm getting from my Quest 3 (if it ever comes out)... and even if it does, the battery life will be garbage by comparison. The Crystal (and Crystal Light) is a good headset, just hope you don't need to deal with Pimax for any issues. I know in the future Pimax will be last on my list of purchases if there is any other company with a comparable headset at a comparable price, but alas for now the Crystal Light really is a great option.
Great review, very comprehensive. I want to pull the trigger on this one for my sim setup, been waiting for something to come along that has the clarity and fov of this!
Glad to help, appreciate you watching our content. Enjoy it and don't forget the $20 discount code GYGO20!
Also owning both I have to say the increased FOV alone is worth the upgrade to the Crystal…also as a simracer I’ll take the Crystal all day over the Aero! Now we need an Aero 2 to compete 😊
Agree on the Aero 2, so the weight doesn't bother you banging off your nose when you move your head while racing in the Crystal? What else do you like better about the Crystal over the Aero? Love getting this kind of feedback from you guys as it might help others make a decision. Thanks for the comment.
Remove the super fat facial interface from the aero and have a look inside. Its actually amazing how much the precieved fov increases and to my eyes feels like the index fov.
I cut a 2mm thick chunk of foam so that the hook and loop from the velcro wasn't digging into my forehead and now, never going back to that bulky stock interface.
@@stevebobowski3507Yep, the closer you can get your eyes to the lenses the better the FOV for sure. I have prescription lens inserts in mine so can't really do that unless I want them digging into my face. Great suggestion for others however. Thanks for watching.
An Aero 2 with aspheric lenses and OLED, with bigger FOV and audio would be ideal
Yes Please!!! I'd like to get my pre-order in now :) Thanks for watching.
Thanks for the comparison. Personally, ill wait it out for Index 2. Its amazing how well the Index aged. This is the main driver for thr hold out. Cheers
No problem, thanks for watching. I certainly understand your position but who knows how long you will be waiting... and the other issue is that by the time the Deckard (Index 2) gets released, it might already be old tech since it has been in development for so long. I'd imagine the EARLIEST the Deckard will be released will be the end of this year, and that is probably overly optimistic. I would recommend if you are really ready to upgrade from your Index and want an intermediate headset to hold you over, maybe pick up a Quest 3. They are reasonably affordable, and the jump from the Index will likely amaze you. Just a suggestion, obviously do whatever is right for you.
@@GYGOtv Thanks for the response. No rush here and I appreciate the feedback! Just keeping my feet wet on what's out there. Cheers
@@Wh1teriderAwesome, I can tell you the clarity being able to read the gauges is great even on the Quest 3... if you do start to get that itch :)
@@GYGOtv Thanks in advance. Ps- I'll be circling back for sure during that timeline on a potential H3/H6 purchase (solely for DCS). I'll be curious to see / hear if there is any heartburn on updates and changes DOF may do.
@@Wh1teriderPlease do, I just did the "Robert's mod" that smooths out the motion for flight, but the performance took a hit too. I'll be messing with it over the next couple of weeks and then will certainly do a video once I feel like I'm familiar enough with it to be informative to the viewers. Stay Tuned!
Great video! 👍
My Crystal arrived last week but unfortunately I’ve yet to get it working. The USB 3 plug on the cable gets hot if I plug it in to anything powered. Wether that be the hub (which is fine) my pc, or even a usb charger. With nothing else attached.. it will start warming up within a few seconds. Clearly faulty.
I’ve been in touch with Pimax support but they’re not the quickest to respond. They did reply after a few days, asking me to connect the headset directly to the pc and to enter various things into the command prompt…. but I told them I couldn’t connect it again due to the risk of the overheated plug damaging the pc. I’m hoping they will sort it soon and send a replacement cable.
Sorry to go on a bit here & thanks again for your review.
Cheers,
Steve
Congrats on the Pimax and bummer about the issue... Yes my experience with Pimax has not been great either... I think my Index Faceplate is faulty and the initial ticket took a week for them to answer and I'm still waiting on a follow-up, so you are not alone. Hope you get your replacement soon so you can enjoy all the Crystal goodness. Thanks for the comment, and never worry about going on a bit here... viewer feedback is very valuable to others who might watch this.
Nice..my Crystal arrives soon..I do already have the studio pads for comfort 👍☺️
Way to plan ahead... I think you will enjoy it for sure. Thanks for watching.
@@GYGOtv you are most Gracious welcome 👍😌
BREAKING NEWS (9/20/23) The Varjo Aero is NOW $990! This is the new standard price of the headset and not a promotional offer. This gives the Aero an even more compelling cases for purchase. Again, unless you really want wireless or that extra vertical FOV, the Aero is a fantastic option over the Pimax Crystal. (Aero Affiliate Link) varjo.idevaffiliate.com/111.html
We had an issue with the previous upload and thus we had to delete the old video and upload this one. Sorry for any inconvenience to those who already posted comments, the change couldn't be avoided. Thanks to GT GT for making us aware of the issue. Hope you enjoy the review.
It's even lower now with the Black Friday sales.
Varjo dropped to 990 euros excluding taxes, I might have to pull the trigger on that instead of pimax!
Edit: Also you make amazing VR content, Keep it up man!
Thanks Moth, especially if you already have the lighthouses and controllers! Appreciate the view and the compliment.
Had an Aero for a year then had problems with it ( now fixed ), so ordered a Crystal to see what is was like. Almost sent it back as I didn't do my due diligence on the setup instructions but once it was working, its been solid. Things I prefer over the aero....FOV, the fact I can leave it plugged it charging the battery and shut it down via software. No lighthouses...when I take the headset off I don't have to wait for it to resync tracking when I put it back on. And the headphones, even the default ones, are great, nice not to have to put on extra headphones. All these really add up. I don't love the weight but I'm getting used to it and getting the hang of putting the thing on correctly means its not that uncomfortable. So even though I am primarily a sim racer, I am preferring the Crystal so far.
Thanks for the feedback, I agree with everything you are saying. It's a tough call but the good news is they are BOTH really good experiences so really you can't go too wrong with either. I obviously really like the larger vertical FOV and that is what keeps bringing me back to the Crystal. I'm also hoping those new larger FOV lenses may give us a little more horizontal without costing us too much ppd. We will see. Thanks for watching.
I was impressed with the overall visual quality of the Pimax Crystal, but there is a defect on my display that required me to open a support ticket. My experience dealing with Pimax customer support has been absolutely abysmal. They do not speak english and are using translators and are otherwise completely incompetent. Its an issue with the display/lens and at one point they offered to replace my right controller!? Very frustrating for a $1500 piece of kit.
Fortunately I haven't had to deal with Customer Support much, but I do hear this a lot. The little experience I've had makes me think they are using AI bots mostly for initial contacts because the answers I've gotten back are stupid... kind of like your controller answer. Not sure this is the case but its my guess. I will say, to Pimax's credit, they have been pretty spot on as far as shipping dates when they promise something it has gone out pretty much when they say it will. I hear that is a big improvement from the old Pimax. Thanks for the comment craigh, hope you get your issue resolved quickly!
@craigh That's good information to know. As we know, sometimes support and what the company is all about can be nearly as important as the product or service.
@@mikem.2078Ya Varjo certainly takes the win for customer service over Pimax in my experience!
What issue are you having?
@@skrtskrt3429I assume you are asking craigh1790 right?
Varjo Aero just had a permanent 50% price drop. Aero wins. Dog fighting requires a lot of head movement, I can play for hours, and Pimax quality is iffy. Aero just sounds better all around as more comfortable, no heavy battery, and there's a lot of people on Reddit doing returns of the Pimax.
I hate to disagree with you kendil22... but with a 50% price drop, the customers win :) LOL, I actually agree with you on this one although I do like that large VFOV! Hopefully this starts a price war an Pimax has to do something too. Thanks for the comment.
The 110 degree FOV for the Varjo really weak compared to the Pimax. The Varjo Aero has m better lenses and clarity, but the Pimax isn’t far behind, and its enormous FOV makes a huge difference, especially for flight sims. I’d have the extra FOV.
@@ericandiTo me the Horizontal FOV is about the same for both... Vertical is much better however. It might be because of the 15mm face gasket or something but I didn't notice much difference either way on HFOV. Obviously your mileage might vary... and it sounds like it does. Thanks for the info.
Aero vertical fov is so bad.
@@MCP2002Yep, that is the one thing I don't like about the Aero but if that isn't important to someone (like sim racers) then the Aero might be a good choice. Of course for Dogfighting I prefer the Crystal. Thanks for the comment.
Great review. As an aero owner, Crystal is a pass but I did spend money recently on another headset - big screen beyond! I’m looking for comfort - curious to get your thoughts on that especially since like me, you love OLED, which big screen is built on
Ya, for some reason the BSB didn't interest me other than the OLED Screens. Limited FOV and I HATE glare in headsets. Would love to get your impressions of it once you get it. I just can't afford to keep buying these things constantly... my wallet is bleeding :)
Very fair review/comparison. Although I would think a fighter pilot would need to use a lot of head movement which would favour the Aero. I’m more a bomber/ground attack sim pilot so prefer my Aero for its comfort and clarity. I’d like a wider/higher FOV in the next Varjo Aero Mk 2 please Varjo if you are listening but can happily wait a few years for that. With the new pricing Varjo is the obvious choice in September 2023 I would think.
Uh, fighter pilots wear helmets, and I strongly suspect they are heavier than a Pimax.
Snowy, it is an interesting situation. So you do still need to move your head a lot to keep eyes on the bandit and the Aero is lighter so easier for sure. The problem is with the limited VFOV I can't tilt my head back far enough to see directly out of the top of the canopy with the Aero. With the Crystal I can because of the extra VFOV. Also, I agree with everything you are saying about the Aero 2, and believe me I email Varjo often reminding them of what I'd like to see in the future. Thanks for watching and the comment as well.
Honestly hope they make a version of the Cristal without the battery & without the standalone stuff inside it. Would be cheaper & better.
Yes, I think that is what most us PCVR users want, but I doubt we will see that for a long time. They still have a ton of accessories they need to get to market and then the 12k Qled as well. But we can always hope. I'd be willing to bet Deckard or an Aero 2 will hit the market before then. Time will tell I guess.
@@GYGOtv ya I wish we knew more about the Decard
@@9ALiTYYes wouldn't we all :) I think it is going to be a VR headset that has the steam deck technology inside it. My guess is they are going to try to bring stand alone VR up to the level of PCVR (through split-rendering aka split-computing) I'm pretty sure you will be looking at $1000 to $1500 minimum and who knows what kind of FOV and visuals it will have. There are rumors of some sort of announcement coming soon but it's Valve, and we all know they operate on Valve Time.
@@GYGOtv I'm honestly getting tired of the stand alone headsets I wish a PCVR headset could just hit it out of the park in terms of - Fov, Pancake Lenses, IPD adjustment, Resolution, Comfort, not having distortion Best Tracking, Weight, Durability, & Price but I guess its too much to ask
@@9ALiTYSounds like you are talking about the Aero (except the Vertical FOV of course). Maybe the Aero 2 will be that headset if it ever comes out. Just for the record, I'm not a big fan of the stand alone either, especially from a company like Pimax who doesn't stand a chance in that market.
Really great Review, Thank you sir! :)
Thank You for watching. We certainly put a lot into making these things and it is nice to know it is appreciated.
I am a DCS combat sim pilot. The Pimax Crystal is 100% the VR headset for me especially flying the F16 with its bubble canopy and that is no disrespect to a very good Varjo Aero headset.
I hear you adrianbroome, that larger Vertical FOV REALLY helped me with my dogfighting. I was starting to feel like I just wasn't as good a pilot anymore... but turns out I was just unable to keep my eyes on the bandit in the Aero when in ACM, that all changed when I started using the Crystal. Feels good to know I don't suck... well at least suck less than I thought I did. Thanks for watching and the comment.
Guy looks so genuinely happy to have these toys 😂
Thanks for the comment romans, I am genuinely happy to be sharing this hobby I love with so many viewers out there. I'm still very humbled that so many people take time out of their day to watch our content. I certainly appreciate each and every one of you who do that. More good stuff to come so stay tuned!
Now the Aero just crushed the Crystal with the price. Huge Pro for the Aero at $990. If you had your choice now with the price points, which one would you go with?
Great question... click here to find out :) th-cam.com/video/N7vK45iQYP4/w-d-xo.html Thanks for the comment.
@@GYGOtv Oh yeah I watched it. Loved the mic drop, lol.
@@ComdrStewThanks, I came up with that is morning right before I started filming. Appreciate the view!
I was waiting for you to make this comparison i bought the aero on your advice , love the headset but for me certain things were annoying like binocular overlap , was considering getting thr crystal but only for the black levels because i watch alot of cinema apps like virtual desktop and bigscreen but what you describe on the crystal sounds like it would be awful in a cinema setting. Thanks for the upload
Hey johngogan, the binocular overlap is better than the aero but certainly not true blacks. Now for watching movies it might not be too bad because there would just be a glow around the screen and then past that it would be black. Rewatch the through the lens and you'd get an idea of the blooming you would likely see on the spaceship part. You may also consider a Big Screen Beyond for watching movies. The FOV is smaller but it does use OLEDs. The only downside is I think the pancake lenses have a little glare but that would likely be better than the blooming on the Crystal. Hope that helps and thanks for watching.
I have a really small desk / room space. I'm assuming the Varjo Aero needs a "required space, " which when I looked it up, I don't have the required space. And the Pixel doesn't need this. Thanks!
Interesting, I've not had that issue and I think I have my sim setup as "standing" but I'll need to double check because I set that up a few years ago. Thanks for the info.
You said one of these days one of these VR headset manufacturers will figure out how to put an OLED screen behind aspheric lenses. My only experience with that combination was with the first Playstation VR and if I'm not mistaken, the first Gear VR. Back then it was low res so of course there were jaggies but agreeing with you, they need to go back to that.
Yes can you imagine how good a modern high resolution screen would look in OLED with these lenses. Fingers crossed it happens before I'm too old to enjoy it... got about a year or two left :)
Yes I want to experience it currently so bad and I think Pimax can pull it off. New ways to be immersed will keep you motivated to stay with us for the longest. 30 more years for you at least 🙂 @@GYGOtv
@@GYGOtv You only have a year or two left. Wait, what do you mean? Left for what?
@@mikem.2078I'm getting old Mike... who knows how much longer I have... but hell I didn't think I'd make it to 50 so who knows. :) sorry to scare you.
Great insights, thanks and keep it up
Appreciate you watching, lots more to come so stay tuned!
The fogginess you explained at 17:00 is the same on any "Quantum Dot" display including Samsung's 8K TVs. As you said, it's no OLED.
P.s I wonder if this can help spot some Painites over on Omicron B B 1 😅
LOL, seems more like it would give false positives of Painite sites don't you think? Yes I've given up on any other technology giving me those black blacks other than OLED. Unfortunately Local Dimming isn't going to cut it for me. Thanks for watching!
Good review. I have tried three crystal units now and I think like text for instance is too blurry. It's too much chromatic abbreviation. Do you or don't you see this? Apparently not everyone is bother by this. It bothers the hell out of me😕
Hi Jesperfranzen, You have to make sure you have the headset positioned correctly on your head (the latest firmware helps you with this now). If you don't you will see major distortions and chromatic aberrations. It's kind of like on the old headsets everything would just be blurry if you weren't in the "sweet spot", but now with Aspheric Lenses, it isn't blurry anymore, it's distorted with chromatic aberrations instead. I hope this helps and thanks for the comment.
Thank you for answering but like I said I have tried three units so I have tried everything you can think of :) They know it's a problem apperantly, which is good.@@GYGOtv
Thanks for the review. Quite fair. I definitely hear you on the blooming. Ever since going from my OG Vive with OLED to other headsets like the Index and Vive Pro 2, I missed the black blacks I remembered. With that said, after initially being a bit dismayed the first time I saw the blooming you discuss (and the video you show of it is very representative), I've come to feel that regardless, the headset is still a massive improvement overall--though it may depend on exactly what you play.
First, for virtually every title I play that occurs in normal lighting, the contrast is very OLED-like, and better than that, bright. It's just really, really good. This also seems to apply to many titles that mix stark blacks with bright areas in which I might have expected the blooming. For example in VPX Launcher (a VR menu system for Visual Pinball), the pinball machines are hosted against a black background and there is no blooming. I was also amazed in Apollo 11 HD VR, how even in extreme mode with bright landscapes and spacecraft against stark black backgrounds there is almost a complete absence of blooming. On the other hand, it cannot be denied that some titles are simply prone to it, like MSFS at night, where the blooming at the extreme local dimming setting is awful. But in those cases, turning down the backlighting to the middle setting (or more optimized custom setting), will fix it to a degree that is still better than any other headset I've owned (though I don't have an Aero, so I can't compare with that), but at the expense of some contrast.
So basically, since I personally don't do MSFS at night very much, and because the titles I play tend to benefit strongly from the the QLED brightness/contrast the vast majority of the time, I end-up not being convinced that I'd actually prefer an OLED *overall*. I'm also thinking that there is also some optimization both by Pimax and by developers testing their new software with headsets like the Crystal that will bring future improvement. So I guess if you do a lot of night flying in simulators, I can easily see why an OLED would be nicer; but speaking more generally, I'm not as sure.
Thanks for taking the time for such a great comment David. As I said, I'm an OLED Snob so some of that might be showing. But I do totally agree that the benefits of the new High Resolution HMDs far outweighs our old OLED Headsets and that was the reason I realized it was time to give up the Vive Pro and go to something new. Don't get me wrong, I think the Pimax Crystal will fill that need nicely overall and I'm so glad I got it. I'm excited to hear that there might be hope in some of my other titles with the Pimax, I know I'm excited to see Skyrim at night once the wireless is released. I totally agree that in normal scenes, the Crystal is stunning but I needed to point out the disappointment from night flying since that is something I love to do. So would you say the Crystal would be good for watching movies on or do you think the bloom would be too much?
@@GYGOtv Yeah, I'm not sure why some titles (like MSFS at night, and say, "The Dawn of Art") have hideous bloom at the extreme local dimming setting, and other titles like Elite Dangerous, Star Wars Squadrons, and Space Engine have little to none (in fact, all three are quite spectacular). This also includes Big Screen, in which movies do not show any discernable bloom to me. So to answer your question: movies are just fine and far better than any previous headset I've had (again, excluding the Aero since I don't have one to compare with). It makes me inclined to think that the blooming may be as much a game engine issue as a local dimming issue, and leaves me with hope that it will be something that game developers might be able mitigate moving forward.
How is VPX VR with the Crystal? I want to try VR "on" my cab :-)
@@MrCrrispy Well, lets put it this way. I bought the Crystal mainly for playing sims like DCS and MSFS, but made the mistake of testing it with VPX. After that, I spent the next two weeks doing nearly nothing but downloading and playing pinball and barely touching anything else. Just for context, I built an arcade machine a while back that does visual pinball flatscreen very nicely, and have always found VR pinball to be cool, but more like a novelty on my Index and Vive Pro 2. But on the Crystal, there is no comparison. It's now like 90% of the real thing. I can now see and read the text on all targets across the playfield and the backglass looks like a magazine page. It's quite amazing, and for some tables almost hyper-real (meaning I almost forget its just an image). I've had an ambition for a while of building or buying a Virtual Pinball machine, but now that's changed to building or buying a PinSim. I may sound like I'm gushing, but really, it's that good and IMO VPX is the Crystal's sleeper killer app.
@@daviddahlstrom192 Thanks, that's what I thought, it definitely needs the highest possible resolution and sharpness! And how's the lag compared to a 120Hz classic screen? This is the most important parameter for virtual pinball, especially if you are used to real ones.
What are your thoughts on the aero vs crystal on frame rate with MSFS. As of now i have MSFS and the aero software set to use motion prediction at 45 fps and works really really well. From what i've seen with the crystal the frame rate might get to 45 but without motion prediction (as of now), so to me that sounds like the old look out the left tilt the wing in the crystal would result in blurry ground views unlike now with the Aero?
Hi markm, I haven't done too much in MSFS yet with the Crystal (still working on testing the Motion Comp in the Pimax Play software). Frame rates so far in DCS and Elite Dangerous have been fine but obviously that depends on your video card. The other BIG thing is the Crystal can go up to 120 Hz, so if you have enough horsepower in your GPU that "should" give you a framerate advantage. Even if you do the motion prediction route, that gives you 60 fps vs. 45. I'll get more into testing framerates once MC is sorted, but honestly it seems to be pretty on par with Varjo Base with my 4090. From what other viewers have said, they think the Varjo Base is slightly more efficient, which wouldn't surprise me because I saw the same thing when testing it vs. the HPG2. Also don't forget that with Dynamic Foveated Rendering, both headsets should get a huge performance improvement! Hope that helps answer the question and thanks for the comment.
I use fairly agressive visual settings in MSFS and was getting in the high 30s on my 4090; but the new ability to do DFR has made a significant difference, and I am now able to do a pretty solid 45 fps with no motion smoothing (and no blurry ground views). I can easily do even better by lowering settings, but 45 is a benchmark IMO that MSFS becomes largely "smooth enough" for the framerate to no longer be a distraction, and where you can turn up the options reasonably high to feel that you're not missing much more. In DCS and ED its even better, with 90fps now quite attainable, and with the center region over sampled, amazingly clear.
@@daviddahlstrom192Ya, Foveated Dynamic rendering is going to be a game changer for us! Its so awesome to be able to crank up the detail and still get decent frames without "seeing" the lower resolution around where you are looking.
Just got mine. And it left China only 3 days ago. Tomorrow I hook in up to a new PC with a 4090 in it. One should read the L.A. Times Article about the VR dynasty forming over there where Pimax is located. It's moving towards becoming the VR capital of the world. This thing was no accident.
I'll check that article out... It's just nice to see some advancement in VR... seemed pretty stagnant these past few year. Appreciate the view and comment.
I'm briefly going to turn the Rant Button on, by saying, I wish more American things would be "Made in America" and things don't always have to be farmed out to far off places (i.e. China). Ok, there.
@@mikem.2078I hear you, and I think (with a small t) we might have learned our lesson a little with the silicone chip shortage. I see US industry ramping up now more than I've seen in decades. We will see how it turns out but I agree with you.
@@mikem.2078we do because it's cheaper. Higher margins means more investors, so ultimately even a shittier product can outcompete a better one. Growth and return on capital rules all. Money is real and anything that slows it down is fake.
Thanks for the clear review. Had issues with dead pixels on the Aero, where I returned 2 headsets. Can you maybe talk a little bit about your experience with chromatic abberation, distortion in the corners of the eyes with the Crystal? Does that higher vertical FOV also help with seeing more of the instruments on knee-level in the pit? Cheers
Hi Ready.A-10C (Brrrt), Wow, sorry to hear about your Aero... So the Aero had more chromatic aberration than the Crystal, and honestly if the Crystal is placed correctly I really don't see any Chromatic aberration in it at all. I haven't noticed any distortion unless you don't have the headset centered on your head. Pimax really did a good job getting all that right. As for more instruments, I haven't messed with it in a racecar but based on what I see in my F/A-18, I'd say you probably still need to look down as far as you did in the Aero, you would just see more of the dashboard when you do. It really is more vision up not really down. Hope that helps and thanks for watching.
Okay thanks, for me in the hog it is more about the A2G and sporadically ACM. What about your recordings? You use a mirror for recording both headsets and do you get similar dimensions in the recordings? Did you compare this aspect by any chance? I am having some difficulty getting a nice centered canvas to record and guess that the Pimax will give a bit more stuff to display? thanks
@@Ready.A-10CI just slide the double eye over to the side to just show a single, then put the motion platform camera on the other side. I'll probably look into possible doing a "mirror" at some point, but right now this setup works for me. The Crystal is a lot more Square on each eye so will work good too in my current setup. I think the PimaxXR app allows for a "mirror" image from the VR view that might be what you are looking for. Hope that helps.
Have you looked in to the bigscreen beyond?
Would love to see your review on it
Hi girdsy9971, unfortunately I can't afford another $1000 headset :( I really don't have much interest in the BSB because it is a smaller FOV and even though I like the idea of the OLED panels... I hear it has glare with the pancake lenses so that is another issue that I hate, Godrays and Glare BOOO. I think it could be right for folks who like to watch movies in HMD's and stuff like that but having gamed in a HPG2, I don't really want to feel like I'm looking through binoculars anymore. I do appreciate your watching GYGO and if they send me a BSB to test, I'd happily review it, but not spending my own money on it for now.
If you haven't, edit the pimax app file to 0.01 for local dimming to fix it. It'll make all the differnce in the world.
Thanks Kang, yes I did that but still not Black Black because it turns on the backlighting... it helps but still not OLED. Remember I'm an OLED Snob :)
@@GYGOtv Ok, I do agree but It neutralizes the bloom and does give blacks that are better than any other non oled pannel headsets. I think its the best compromise. The only way to get oled blacks is with oled. Lets see what the future hold. I still prefer my crystal over my Aero though; For pretty much everything. My Aero is my backup.
@@kangjames2492Yep, with the 0.01 fix it is good in some titles but still crap in my flight sims when flying at night... with any backlighting it feels like I'm looking at a screen instead of being out in the darkness like I felt with my Vive Pro (obviously a big difference in resolution) but we are talking blacks here. Might be a compromise, but I've been "compromising" on this for far too long and tired of it. Hope that makes sense?
@GYGOtv It makes sense. I don't think they can make it better either. Have you tried adjusting the numbers to see if it can get any better. So what do you think your solution will be? The Big Screen, mayb? I don't know of anything on the horizon.
@@GYGOtvtry playing around with the numbers. I didn't like .01 because as you said, the blacks aren't good enough, but I settled on .005 to minimize the blooming but still have good blacks. Not quite oled but I'm happy enough now
Hi there. A very detailed review. Are you going to buy Bigsreen with OLED screens?
Hi atriusvinius319! Unfortunately I can't afford another $1000+ headset right now. I buy almost everything myself so between the RTX 4090 and the Crystal, the bank account is feeling it right now. Plus, other than the OLED screens, I'm not really interested in the Bigscreen. The FOV is smaller and it has glare (which I hate). I'd rather have a bigger hmd with the best visuals and fov vs. that small form factor. Hope that isn't too disappointing and thanks for watching.
I've herd no one mention if eye correction is needed only for Presbyopia or also for myopia ? I know the lens are close but you what happens when you focus on the horizon in games?
Hi ChristSimd, Yes you need correction for Presbyopia or Myopia, I don't know of any current mainstream headsets that corrects for those conditions. Without correction everything is blurry. You can either try to wear corrective glasses (which I highly DON'T recommend because you can scratch both your glasses and the VR lenses), wear contact lenses, or buy some lens inserts (like from HonsVR) to put into your headset. Thanks for the question.
@GYGOtv You do know the DMAS is NOT included as Standard with the Crystal and will be something extra you'll need to purchase if you haven't pre-ordered or got some review unit.
At least this was the latest situation from PIMAX.
I do know that, that was why I recommended Pre-Ordering. Still worth the extra cost IMO. Thanks for the clarification and the view.
The reason they haven't been using OLED in VR is because they solved the screen door effect issue, but unless you use micro OLED the mura issue is just as bad as an SDE. The psvr2 is a really big disappointment in that regard. I love the blacks but I'm way more immersed when using my quest 2 even considering the added visual quality of psvr2
Thanks for the info ScareBros, ya I'm hoping they can come up with an OLED that fixes those issues. Should be possible, probably just not cheap. Appreciate you watching.
@@GYGOtv there is actually a headset that doesn't have mura but is OLED. Big screen beyond! It uses micro OLED eliminating the issue. And it's custom made to your face. It's very possible, just expensive.
@@ScareBrosYep, but the lenses also have glare so not quite there yet. Also FOV is a bit more limited than what is common in headsets anymore. But at least it is a Huge step forward in the direction I'd like to see.
16:50 This is all you need to know about the local dimming
Sadly Vive Pro 1 has the best contrast still today...
I was SOOOO bummed about this because I was hoping local dimming would get us close to OLED. I don't think we are ever going to get to the Vive Pro level of blacks until someone puts an OLED panel behind aspheric lenses. Even using Pancake lenses (like the Big Screen Beyond) isn't ideal because you still get glare in really contrasted scenes. Thanks for watching.
Aero 2 needs a much larger vertical FOV as well as local dimming and an off ear audio/mic solution (license from valve?). Also reductions in the headset size and weight would be welcome.
I couldn't agree more. In fact I'd say they need good OLED screens (but then again I'm an OLED Snob). Thanks for your comment!
Have you got motion compensation working with the crystal yet? I finally have it working using the pimax software, but it's so sensitive the tiniest amount of vibration is viewable in the cockpit. Wondering if you're having the same problem?
Hey William, are you using one of the Crystal controllers? The software doesn't really allow any filtering. You may look at switching to the Lighthouse Faceplate and an index controller as you can get much better results that way and have some settings you can adjust in the software. I also built a mount that "absorbs" a lot of the vibration, the combination of the mount with the software settings gets me pretty much working great. I am still working on the video... but at this point you probably have given up on me... sorry just a lot going on over the holidays and a lot to sort in the Motion Comp world. If you email me, I'll send you some photos of the mount we made.
@@GYGOtv sorry I should have mentioned that yes I already have the a lighthouse faceplate which was the only way to motion compensation. And I'm using a Vive tracker mounted on my P6 roughly where a steering wheel would go but I don't have a steering wheel. I've tried mounting it on my seat behind me but it just picks up microscopic vibrations that I can't even feel and transfers it if only there was a way to turn down the sensitivity of the tracker?
@@WilliamDeanPlumbingWhat program are you using for the Motion Compensation tracking? Are you in OpenVR or OpenXR?
@@GYGOtv pimax software. Go to advance settings, hit ctrl Q and a hidden pop-up menu shows, select tracker you setup on the motion rig.
@@WilliamDeanPlumbingYa you need to not use that, they don't have any adjustment in it. Try this instead ovrmc.dschadu.de/ it is what I use (it is for OpenVR a.k.a. Steam). It is an add-on in the Steam Menu that you can activate and then adjust. If you are using OpenXR instead you can use this one github.com/BuzzteeBear/OpenXR-MotionCompensation/releases/ but I can't get it to work on my system so you might have to do some troubleshooting on your own. BuzzteeBear has good documentation on how to set up Motion Comp with his program. In OVRMC (The OpenVR Version) My settings are "LPF Beta value" is .9999 and the "DEMA samples" are 2. That seems to do the best job of cancelling out any remaining vibrations that the mount doesn't absorb, at least on my rig. Again, if you email me, I'll email you back some photos of the mount we did because on mine it is a combination of a good isolated mount and using the filters in the OVRMC add-on. Hope this helps.
Another great video with lots of details. Any thoughts on a video of the Witmotion device and how to set it up with the DOF H6? Thanks Mark.
Hey PChow! Thanks for the compliment, always great to see you around the channel. So still working on the Motion Comp content, will have a video as soon as I get everything sorted. I want to wait to try the integrated MC from Pimax (the hint I showed at the end) so will have to wait until I get my lighthouse faceplate to test that. After watching this video, Pimax said they may send me a sample faceplate sooner, so that will help get the video done as well. As for the Witmotion on the H6, it doesn't work for most of the axis. It is great for the H2/H3 but doesn't do surge, yaw and I don't think sway either. The only way to compensate for those are to mount a controller to the rig and use it as a tracker. You might want to start working on that now if you want the best Motion Comp for the H6. In the meantime if you want to work on getting the Witmotion running for the roll and pitch, here is a link that might help www.simracingstudio.com/post/motion-compensation
appreciate the info Mark.
@@pchow6829No problem, I double checked the Witmotion in my rig last night, and as far as I can tell it only does pitch and roll. Not the best for the H6.
I already have a Vive Pro, 3 base stations, index controllers etc. I do NOT use flight sims, however, I used to sim race as my main hobby and I now wanna get back into it.
Which of these 3 are best for Sim Racing? The Varjo, The Crystal, or The Bigscreen VR(little) considering I already have base stations?
I will say this, WEIGHT is a big issue for being in VR for long periods, especially in Sim racing, so that tiny bigscreenvr seems nice. I also play VRChat, but not as much anymore.
Great question silverfoxvr, SO I don't have any experience with the Bigscreen but here is what I'd say. It's almost a continuum going from comfort up to best FOV. BigScreen would be your most comfortable but it has glare and the smallest FOV of the 3. The Pimax is the heaviest but has the largest FOV (especially Vertical FOV), and obviously the Aero is right in between. I'd say since you already have the Lighthouses, the Aero at the new price would be my bet for you. It also has a nice facial cooling fan in it for those long races that will keep you refreshed. Obviously, do your research and make up your own mind, but those are my thoughts. If you do choose the Aero, I'd really appreciate if you use my affiliate link... It really helps the channel and doesn't cost you anything extra varjo.idevaffiliate.com/111.html Thanks for the question.
to fix the battery hard to open is simple on the battery juat file down the clips to 1mm in height or lower then you will not have a problem to open or close
Still a stupid design IMO, but thanks for the tip. I suppose it won't fall out as it's a snug fit even without the clips.
Dear Get your game on,
Bionocular overlap is good in this eadset ? You can see the 3d effect very well right? Because in the past i have one pimax 5k plusand the a3 effect was very poor because of this lack of bionocular overlap. Thanks this answer in advance.
Yes the Binocular Overlap is probably the best I've seen on any headset. Very good on the Crystal. If you do decide to buy one, I have a $20 off code "GYGO20" and I would appreciate it if you use our affiliate link pimax.com/?ref=GYGO Thanks for the question.
@@GYGOtv ok i will use this if i will purchase thanks!
@@NyersevoThanks, it helps the channel out a lot. Appreciate you watching!
Now that the Aero is half the cost, I wonder if that will make it the easier choice.
Well it certainly should help for those that didn't want to spend that much! I mean I still recommend the Aero over the Crystal for a majority of cases and now with it being half price it is almost a no brainer for anyone who already has lighthouse basestations and controllers. Even if you don't, at almost $1000 saving, that would let you pick up a lighthouse (you only need one for simming 99% of the time) and a controller if you wanted, but you don't even need a controller because of the access the hmd has with the buttons on the side.
I'd like to see if pimax can pull off standalone. I have doubts they will be able to send that high resolution over wifi and have the frames consistent
Hi stevebobowski, I don't see their standalone doing ANYTHING here in the States... maybe in China and maybe that is the plan. With all the other gaming platforms available I personally think the Pimax Store is a pipedream. I do think they could be able to have some decent performance with Wifi 6, I was doing wireless with my Vive Pro and it was about 7 Gbps and Wifi 6 is 9.6 Gbps. I know the Crystal has higher resolution but I'm hopeful they will pull off acceptable performance maybe with better compression algorithms than 5 years ago. Time will tell I guess and thanks for the comment.
Great to hear your thoughts on this. the Aero really is awesome and was ahead of its time, hope I can try one some day.
I started in VR about 11 months ago with a G2. I loved it and upgraded from 3080 to 4090 so I could run it at high res and framerates in MSFS and DCS. Then in March I switched to a Pico4 even though I'm in the US, because I was absolutely desperate to get away from the G2's awful lenses. Pico has been great as a stopgap device, have spent some money upgrading other aspects of my sim-pit but at the end of this year I will buy a high end hmd.
The Somnium VR1 is #1 on my list but at this point my main worry is getting an order fulfilled on one, as I fear they may be overwhelmed by demand and it may take a long time to get one.
Welcome to VR jimmy, and thanks for watching GYGO! I haven't tried the Pico but I can say the Aspheric lenses are amazing compared to the old Fresnel style. I'm really hoping Varjo is working on an Aero 2 (totally speculation) that might address some of my issues with it. Also, rumors are kicking around again about the Valve Deckard getting closer to an announcement so we will see. Either way, it is a great time to be a VR Enthusiast.
I noticed, even on Pimax's own website that the Aero gets way better fps, like on average 10-15 more fps.
Love the name Because_Reasons! To be honest I haven't had a chance to compare fps because with the 4090 it hasn't been a problem anymore. I'll try to test that out one of these days but I do know the Varjo Base software is very efficient so that wouldn't surprise me at all. Thanks for the comment.
Thanks for this comparison! Ibwas looking for better blacks than my Aero has for Metro VR. I will try out was makes more sense between my PSVR via PC and the Varjo Aero. But i will stay away from Pimax. I had a Pimax before and it was a software disaster.
Ya I'm really having a hard time with my Pimax right now. I even went back to my Quest 3 last night and surprisingly it wasn't a terrible experience by comparison. I'm really struggling because the Pimax Super OLED is the only OLED HMD coming out soon but I really want to get away from Pimax in general. We will see what I end up doing. Glad the video helped.
What are your thoughts coming from the quest 2 having an 3080 ti (willing to upgrade to 4090) and with the new price of the Aero. I have a old og vive soI have base stations and controllers.
Hi MrThyler, if you already have basestations and controllers then the Aero is almost a no brainer! The difference you will see from a Quest 2 will likely amaze you. When I first tried the Aero, it was a similar feeling to the first time I ever tried VR, just amazing. My 3080ti ran my Aero pretty good and now with Dynamic Foveated Rendering, I don't think you would even need a 4090. If you do decide to buy one, I'd really appreciate if you use our affiliate link as it really helps out the channel varjo.idevaffiliate.com/111.html Thanks for the question.
My biggest issues so far are comfort (I think i fixed it to where it is "acceptable"), distortion and I think chromatic aberration (its noticable in some games and not in others). I might just return this for a Beyond...
I hear you on the comfort deal!!! That 15mm face gasket helped a ton for me (stock is only 11mm), and the Apache strap was a life saver! Make sure you have the headset centered properly on your head, if not the distortion and Chromatic Aberration is bad, but it goes away when you find that sweet spot, at least for me. Good luck, I think it is possible to get it comfortable, just takes a lot of extra it seems like.
The Beyond has bad glare....
@@MrCrrispyYep, that is exactly why I'm not interested in it. I hate glare and godrays! Thanks for the comment.
@@MrCrrispy Yes BUT the crystal was not made for my face. I've tried adding extra foam padding, trying out the apache strap. Nothing has worked. Out of all the headsets I've worn, this has been the most uncomfortable headset I have ever worn. I'd rather deal with the glare at this point. I don't care anymore, thats how bad it is for me. BUT this won't be the case for everyone. Just for me. I hated it. My Quest 2 original strapping was much more comfortable and that says a lot. If the headset is good for you, then congrats. Not everyone wins the genetic lottery to use such a great headset.
@@thatstokedgamer wow, if it was less comfortable than Q2 stock, I understand. My Q2 was only comfortable when I replaced the strap with a Kiwi
11/27 new Varjo product announcements. Let's see where it lands. I feel $990 is still too much for the Aero and $2K was brutal. When you can buy a used Pico 4 for $250-300 it is really hard.
Can't wait to hear what is coming up for sure. Now I haven't ever used a Pico, but from what I understand it is slightly worse than the Quest 3 in many areas like FOV and color and edge to edge clarity, so why not go with a new Quest 3 instead? That might be the perfect balance for you? Thanks for watching.
@@GYGOtvI'd disagree the Pico 4 is slightly worse than Quest on visuals. The canted screens in Q3 is weird. the vertical FOV is not as good. The comfort of Q3 is not great., needing add-ons. in all they are very very close. For PCVR I think the Pico 4 is remarkable value, and Q3 is insignificantly better than Pico 4. Next step is Bigscreen Crystal of Varjo. None of which seem to be balanced as well as the Pico 4 or Quest 3 for price to performance.
@@b6s4shelterThanks for your feedback, again I don't have a Pico (living in the USA) so I'm just going off of what I have seen others say about it. The majority says you get distortion at the edges of the lenses, the panels are a little more washed out and the FOV isn't as good. In my defense I did say "slightly worse" which seems to align with what you are saying. Unfortunately this may be a non issue moving forward because there are rumors Pico may close shop, which would be a big loss to the VR Industry. Fingers crossed the rumor isn't true.
@@GYGOtvwe're on the same page. Ebay regularly sees a few Pico 4 selling for $250ish in USA. i bought mine for $210... ! works just fine in USA too. Pico seems to be refocusing on Hardware and Step changes to pursue Apple etc... Moved Software under Bytedance/tiktok etc.. It makes sense. They will survive. If anything the Chinese make amazing hardware and generally are bad at software. Might make for good hardware prospects.
The Bigscreen Beyond has OLED panels but with Pancake lenses. I'd be interested in your opinion of the experience if you have a chance to demo one.
Thanks for the comment James, Ya the Bigscreen seems to suffer from glare and has a smaller FOV so not really interested in it (plus I can't afford another $1000 hmd right now :)) I love the form factor, but the trade offs for me aren't worth it... even with the OLED. Now if it didn't have glare maybe I'd be more interested but I'd rather have the big bulky Crystal with better visuals than the small form factor with compromises. Just my opinion. Thanks for watching.
Do you know if the Apple Vision Pro with it’s micro-oped screens feature aspheric lenses? At this point I don’t think it will be Steam compatible so maybe a moot point even if I could afford it.
Sorry Dukester, I have no idea what the Apple headset uses... I think it's pancake but not sure. I have no interest in that product because it isn't a gaming headset and way too expensive for what would be a toy for me. I'm very sure it will NOT be Steam compatible. Thanks for the question anyway.
As always, absolutely love the in depth, detailed & relatable information! Thank you very much for the video and can't wait for your next VR HMD review 😉
Want to give folks a heads up with the Aero. I highly suggest getting "smart plug outlets" for the headset so you can put the HMD on an auto off timer and have a very convenient way to turn on/off the HMD. I have my three 2.0 base stations and Varjo Aero on smart outlets, that I got on Black Friday for like $20, that I turn on/off with a button on my iPhone. Also have my Varjo on a timer that if I do forget to turn it off, it will turn off so it doesn't get left on.
Also, want to let folks know my IPD and FOV with the Varjo Aero using the two largest FOV test applications. Both measure 65 IPD and the FOV measures 108-110 horizontal (wider than my Valve Index) and 78-80 vertical. It's a true 16:9 resolution. The diagonal FOV is also larger than my Index. Would I like a larger vertical FOV, of course but it has never caused an issue in the 200ish VR titles I own. Also note that I don't do flying sims like our friend here at @Get Your Game On but I am a variety VR user that plays anything and everything.
One more thing I'd like to add is that Varjo has released an "Optical Enhancement" Beta that makes any previous red/blue shift/chromatic aberration no longer there and it enhances the clarity quite a bit. I never had a problem with the red/blue shift but did notice it at times when looking for it, and it has made the Varjo Aero feel like a brand new HMD. It really does drastically improve the clarity and sharpness of the HMD. That also goes to show that even after nearly 3 years after it releasing, Varjo is still improving the Aero and their HMD's which is another reason why I love the Varjo Aero. You wont find customer support or software that is better in VR.
I could go on and on about the Varjo Aero so if anybody has questions or concerns, I'm more than happy to answer or offer help. But for my wants and needs the Varjo Aero has been nearly flawless. It's been my daily HMD for over 10 months & spend 4-6 hours straight using the HMD each time without issues. Another big thank you to GYGO for his honesty as he was a major reason for me getting the Aero and another major reason why I'm holding off on the Crystal. Cheers!
Thanks for your insight Farmer... For those of you who do not know, FarmertrueVR is a Twitch Streamer who is well known in our community. He certainly has the credibility to speak on these subjects. I love the idea of a timer for the Aero... I have mine on smart switches too, but mine are on an old school remote instead of using my phone (I'm so old geez). Again, Farmer obviously agrees that the Aero is still an amazing headset and that is what I was trying to make sure everyone understands... EITHER the Crystal or Aero will give you an amazing experience, such a great time to be in VR that we have 2 HMDs that really deliver on the promise of what VR can be. Thank you for the info Farmer! You can check him out on his twitch channel www.twitch.tv/farmertrue if you want to see some awesome roomscale VR titles being played.
Yo thank you very much! It's always good to talk and see you. You did a wonderful job at letting folks know the ins and outs! Looking forward to your next video@@GYGOtv
Im curious, as to your audio solution for the Aero. I am so close to pulling the trigger to get one, it will still cost me a packet more than most due to silly import fees into Norway, but for this kind of money, I would like to invest in a great audio solution too or at least whatever one works well. Not everything has to cost alot to get great results after all.
@@lordwarchildone Thanks for watching lordwarchildone, here you go th-cam.com/video/RmghNPlvJUk/w-d-xo.html Please note that I mention a lack of "positional audio" in the video but that turned out to be outdated drivers for the audio headset. Everything works great with it now. Realistically, any audio solution that has the features you are looking for should be fine. Audio can be such a personal preference sometimes. If you do decide to pick one up, I'd appreciate if you use my affiliate link varjo.idevaffiliate.com/111.html as it won't cost you anything more and really helps out the channel. Thank you for your question.
for sure. Great audio is very important to the overall experience as well.@@lordwarchildone I use the Sennheiser 599 SE headphones. They are open back and I could not be happier with them. With how my head is shaped, they fit perfectly with the Aero. They are usually $200 but I was able to get them on Black Friday for $80. I'd suggest getting them on sale as they go on sale regularly.
For my mic, I use the Antlion wireless mod mic. It's not bluetooth and ultra low latency. So low that you do not notice any delay. Something like 6 times less latency than bluetooth. But the audio quality on that is exceptional for a wireless mic as well. Better than average desktop mics and has omni and unidirectional modes. It fits right on the side of my Sennheiser 599 SE headphones. Now it is also expensive. The price has gone up to $140 (used to find it for $99) but it goes on sale for $120 from time to time.
Both audio solutions are far superior than any built in audio on VR headsets. It's easy upkeep and convenient as well.
I have not been able to get my Crystal to connect. Pimax support is 11 hours and all done by email. I changed my video card and upgraded from a 3080 to a 4080. This thing just will not connect. I even tried another machine with no luck.
Make sure you have that battery all the way seated in the headset because it won't work if it is slightly loose, I'm guessing this might be the issue if its not working on either computer. Also, I had trouble until I did the first firmware update but it wasn't really a big deal. Hope that helps and good luck.
The Varjo is 999$ not 1999$ since a while now.
I tried both. The vertical fov on the Varjo is not bad at all. I also think double for the Crystal is an exaggeration. But there is a difference.
The Crystal feels very uncomfortably heavy to me.
Fast head movements are a chore and makes the headset wobble all over with distortions due to how the lenses are built.
The Crystal has better screens but worse lenses in my experience.
For both cases get lighthouses, it's a much better experience to have accurate tracking.
If it's $999, then guess I don't know how to read drive.google.com/file/d/1_eJLGaryEBCvQG1N-kQRQyoq4KOBdX4Z/view?usp=sharing and I don't consider the 6 days since the price went lower "a while now", but heck what do I know. Thank you for the rest of your feedback... I mostly agree with your analysis as you can see in my videos.
I picked up the strap with 100g weight, much better than stock comfort. Strap kinda interferes with cable adapter, did you get yours under it somehow?
Hi jsnazz77, yep I can't believe how much more comfortable it is with that Apache strap! Just FYI, you can thread the velco strap between the cable box and the headstrap. Took a little work but got it there. I think you can see it in the video if you pause. Thanks for watching.
@GYGOtv if you haven't looked at the VR Cover PU Foam Replacement for Samsung Odyssey as a pimax face replacement it's a worthwhile topic/upgrade option. Thanks for your videos! We share a lot of similarities in setup
@@jsnazz77Thanks for the suggestion, does it have that large forehead pad... I think I need that extra support in this headset.
@GYGOtv its larger in depth than either pimax supplied foam, and soft, your face sinks into it. $35 for 2 pk on Amazon with bag of cleaning wipes. Headset feels more stable to me.
Dear Get Your Game on,
Can you recomend this Pimax Crystal headset just for room scale VR? Shooter - Skyrim VR , Fallout VR Hubris , Hellsplit Arena ect..
I have a Reverb G2 and i can handle the room scale VR but i would like to get a better picture quality.
Thanks this answer in advance,
That is the main reason I bought it. Should work great, especially when the wireless module comes out. Controller tracking might be a slight issue, but I expect that to improve with software/firmware updates. If it doesn't you could always go to the lighthouse faceplate for better tracking too. Thanks for the question.
I love my pimax crystal, I upgraded from a quest 2 and it’s so much clearer! I mainly play sim games but played crisis brigade 2 last night and played for over an hour! On the quest 2 never really could get into it as it was too blurry for me! The increase detail in the distance is amazing. Takes a few mins for me to get my head comfortable and in the sweetspot and occasionally found the lens steam up but that’s easy to take of and clean . The one issue I did have was the display port was hard to connect to the headset. But once it connected that it! I don’t need to disconnect it now. I’m sure you will love it!
@@PaulBriggs-kb9byGreat feedback! Yes I can imagine coming from the Quest 2 would be quite a jump. I'm a little concerned myself about the DP Port because I will be plugging and unplugging it a lot for roomscale vs. my sim rig. We will cross that bridge when we get to it I guess. Thanks for watching.
@@GYGOtv yes indeed, although I read it gets easier the more you unplug it. I will certainly be awaiting with interest now for the wifi module to be released.
Have you tried bringing down anti aliasing to reduce the bloom?
Hi hendrikwillemadrianusthart2233 (wow that is quite a user name) Anti-aliasing doesn't affect the blooming because it is due to the backlight panel not having as high a pixel count as the color panel so when local dimming kicks in, the area that lights up on the backlight panel is bigger than the area that is showing on the color panel. The only way to get rid of it is to always have the backlight panel "on" at least a little bit... which then of course means it isn't black black. Thanks for trying to help anyway and thanks for watching.
@@GYGOtv yes GYGOtv, I've said this because during testing of the settings of supreme commander I've noticed once a sort of blooming effect on the eyes which made them glow different, at 2x they had a shape. At 4x it was nearly impossible when zoomed to see the forms, and at 8x there was also around the eyes a sort of "mist" and the individual form was not visible, a sort of clough overlighted the whole with outsprouted out of its border shaped. It might have been the engine, it was strange. Then again, the buildup of the Pimax Crystal is new to me, thanks for the indetail review and explanation.
@@hendrikwillemadrianusthart2233I'll try to test it when I get back into the Crystal, but the effect I'm seeing happens regardless of the game title, it is on everything so I doubt it is the same thing. I feel pretty confident it is the backlight panel causing this not some software setting. Thanks for the explanation however, really appreciate the help.
@@GYGOtv I hope you can fix it, there would also come different lenses, I took a look yesterday on the many things this headset, the panels, but I also heard the lenses have some sort of coating, could in some way the coating be a spreader of the direct light forming the clough noticeably stronger isolated due to the darkness on the background?
@@hendrikwillemadrianusthart2233well again I'll try to take a look but I honestly think it is just the nature of the panels. The effect looks exactly like what i'd expect from a backlight panel and local dimming, in fact I can see a similar effect on my QLED 50" TV and there are no lenses causing it on there for sure. The fact I can make the problem go away when I turn on the backlight slightly also indicates it isn't a software or anti-aliasing problem because it would still be there a little bit if that was the case.
How can the horizontal field of view be the same and yet the vertical field of view be double when both are using effectively the same resolution (only 3-4% more vertical on Crystal)?
The difference is larger than 3-4%, thats why. Its actually 6% higher resolution on the Crystal.
Yes I asked myself the same question... I don't really know how they did it but they did. I'm sure something to do with the aspect ratio on the screens and the design of the lenses. But honestly that is just a guess. If anyone else knows for sure, please comment below. Thanks for watching DrR1pper.
I've been on the verge of buying the Varjo Aero since price drop but requirements for base stations and audio make me think id be better off with the pimax crystal, but some issues I've heard others mention have me concerened. Would just as soon do the pimax and not need base stations and audio solutions and pimax sounds better overall. My pc is an i7-10700K, 32gb ram, 4080 gpu. Will I be able to get good enough fps to take advantage of pimax crystal and have smooth flying good fps and not have headaches getting it to work well? I'm using a Reverb g2 now and it's not been that great for me, clear enough in cockpit but view of earth not clear enough have trouble spotting runways until very close.
Thanks for the question donc9751, so not sure if you watched my latest on this ( th-cam.com/video/N7vK45iQYP4/w-d-xo.html ), but in it I basically have a handful of reasons to buy the Crystal over the Aero. Obviously one is basestations... but honestly you can get a few basestations for the difference in price of the Aero to the Crystal now, and you can just use your audio headset that you currently own (or buy one and still probably be about the same price). So lets take price out of it and look at the other factors. The overall experience in both is very good so realistically I'd say the biggest question is the larger Vertical FOV of the Crystal vs. the Comfort of the Aero. I'd say which ever one of those factors is more important to you is the direction I'd recommend. I hope that helps, and if it does, please feel free to use one of my affiliate links for either one when you order if you'd like to help out the channel. Please let me know if you have any other questions or I can help you more. Thanks again for watching.
@@GYGOtv That does help alot and I like dogfighting! So only concern left is blooming issue if it's bad in night flights but I fly mostly daytime so I don't think that'll be a big issue! I'll be happy to be able to enjoy better clarity outside the cockpit views so thanks! I've saved this so when I decide, I can use your affiliate links!
@@donc9751Thanks donc9751, I think we already covered this in the other comment but just to make sure. The blooming is bad if you go full extreme on the local dimming, however if you turn the backlight on slightly it takes care of that problem. You don't get the absolute blacks like OLED but its still ok (again I'm an OLED snob so I'm really critical of any backlight). From the sound of it, the Crystal might be your best choice as long as you can tolerate a heavy and bulky headset, but let me know if you have any other questions. Appreciate you helping the channel with the affiliate links!
Love my Crystal.
Glad you are enjoying it. It really is the best visuals you can get right now. What kind of games do you play the most?
Excellent review, thanks!
I'm a big dogfighting fan, so I was a bit worried about the mass of the crystal. Do you find the other pros of the crystal outweigh the increased mass? Does the increased mass ever cause problems in a close in "knife fight"? I'm concerned that whipping my head around to keep track of a bandit heading from one side (from 5 to 7, or over/under me) to the other will cause the headset to slip. What's your experience?
Hi stevie, so in my opinion yes the increased VFOV is worth the weight of the headset once you get it comfortable. That Apache strap helps for sure. When you whip your head around, the headset will bounce off your nose a little but it isn't too bad. Even with the motion platform throwing me around it is tolerable. Headset doesn't really slip, it more bounces and comes back to position if that makes sense? Again for dogfighting the Crystal is the way to go for sure IMO. Thanks for the question.
Can someone confirm and give more detail on the battery performance of the Crystal. If its plugged into the PC why does the battery run down anyway? If so how long exactly before I have to switch out the battery?
When plugged in I ran it for about 3 hours and lost 1 of the 5 bars on the headset... that means you should be able to run it about 15 hours before you would need to change it out. The reason it drains is the XR chipset pulls more power from the battery than the cable can charge back, also known as negative charging. The Quest headsets have this problem too. Qualcomm requires users of their chips to pull power from a battery instead of pulling it from a constant power source. I don't know why, but they do. Anyway I hope that helps... like I said in the video, the battery is a non-issue unless you are going to VR for longer than 30 hours (using both batteries). Thanks for watching.
Feedback much appreciated. Thank you.@@GYGOtv
@@RonniePetersonThanks for watching!
Great reivew, always clear in explanation and feel the passion you have.
Can a 4070 handle varjo aero??
I'd imagine so depending on what you are doing. I never had a 4070 so don't really know but I will say the Varjo Base software is one of the most efficient "drivers" of any headset that I've seen it compared to. Plus with Dynamic Foveated Rendering I'd imagine the 4070 should be just fine.
@@GYGOtv Thank you very much 🙂
Great review my friend I love My crystal I also ordered the balance kit and it is great. The headset is no longer heavy on my head lol. I’m also waiting for the new larger FOV lenses that are glass and you will get a discount if you pre-ordered your headset instead of paying $129 you will pay $69. It’s an option to get the original 42 PPD or upgrade to the larger FOV lenses that are made of glass. Oh, I wanted to ask you to turn the power on and off on the Crystal are you holding the power switch until the light blue light comes on, right? Thanks for the review mark I really enjoyed it and I’m glad you fix some of your issues so you can enjoy the headset.
Hi Richard, yes I pre-ordered the larger FOV Lenses too. Really didn't see a need for the 42PPD and even smaller FOV so I'm glad Pimax gave us that option. As for the power button, I think I just click it to turn it on and then hold it down to turn it off. Haven't really paid that close attention, just kind of muscle memory on it. I do know the blue light comes on and then goes green when connected. Anyway, glad you enjoyed the review my friend and thanks as always for your support.
@@GYGOtv no problem buddy I do like the fact that there is no more battery issues I don’t even come to the point to even have to change out the battery anymore. Iracing is amazing, that’s what I’ve been doing lately. OK buddy talk to you soon.
Mines on the way, I'm a sim racer and now feeling potentially high buyers remorse. :(
Don't feel buyer's remorse... both headsets give you an awesome experience. @RScottBell disagreed with me below for sim racing so certainly my opinion obviously isn't true for everyone. Plus if you don't have lighthouses then the Pimax is the correct choice for you over the Aero for sure. What headset are you coming from?
I would strongly consider the crystal if it was not from recent Valve rumors preparing a new headset… plus if no news from Valve in 2024 than the pimax 12k will be out lol
I hear you Glerox, but we've been waiting on Valve for A LONG TIME so just be ready to wait awhile... I say this and watch them announce next week :) I will make a suggestion in the meantime, maybe consider a Quest 3... It is a third the price and is quite an upgrade from most headsets. What VR Headset are you using now?
@@GYGOtv PSVR2, there is no killer game so far forcing me to buy a PC VR headset unfortunately. There was HL Alyx and I passed it on a quest 2 then sold it. And to me, the next big VR game will be RE4 PSVR2.
@@GleroxAh, I haven't used a PSVR2 but as you say you can't do PCVR on it. The reason I mention the Quest 3 is because it gets really close to the experience of the Crystal with its Pancake lenses and does an AMAZING job streaming PCVR content (if you have a good router that is uncongested) Anyway, just thought that might be a good compromise while you wait. If you don't mind, can you tell me more about your PSVR2 experience? I'm going to be doing a VR for Beginners video soon and would like to include it... but as I mentioned I have no experience with it so I can use all the help I can get.
@@GYGOtvI like the PSVR2. Like you, I'm an OLED snob and the PSVR2 is OLED. Also it has eye tracking for foveated rendering which works really well. What I dont like is many games have to use reprojection because the PS5 is not powerful enough for native 90fps... I dont like reprojection it gives me nausea. I'm also disappointed about the lack of games... I was expecting Sony to publish more VR games to promote their new headset... but the lack of games is a problem on PC too lol. Currently im waiting for RE4 which will probably be insane in VR!
@@GleroxThanks for the update Glenrox, I really appreciate it. Do you notice god rays or glare with the PSVR2 and the Fresnel lenses?
So Aero it is still ;) and for Wireless Vive Pro 1 or Pro 2..
Hi Helifax, no if you want wireless go for the Crystal... It will be able to do both! Thanks for watching.
I love you're videos. But this one wasn't a fair comparison of the 2. 19 minutes on Pimax, 7 min on Aero. The good news is that you have covered Aero extensively
Well if that is how you want to break it up... it isn't fair because Aero has 4 videos instead of the 3 for the Crystal. Maybe "fairness" should be based more on the content and not by a stopwatch? Just a thought? Thanks for commenting and watching either way.
@@GYGOtv And again, you didn't READ the comment. "The good news is that you have covered Aero extensively"
@@dwdrum1I did read the comment and you were basing the fairness of the comparison on how much time I spent on each headset. I was merely pointing out that the Aero has plenty of other coverage and that maybe the time spent on each overall on the channel would be "fair". I think you and I just don't communicate well for whatever reason. I do thank you for watching and I'll try to read any future comments (if there are any) with that in mind.
I would get a Pimax Crystal but Pimax refuses to answering my question about the Facial Tracking module that was over-hyped/over-promised during the Crystal announcement then never said anything about it again.. I'm not spending nearly $2k on a new HMD with the Base Station Tracking Module etc and all the goodies and no have Facial Tracking when I could by the Pico 4 Pro (Chinese Enterprise with Consumer software sideloaded on it) or the Pico 5 Pro and MAX coming out next year for half the price with both features..
Thanks for the comment, yes Pimax is not the best at communicating with the customer so I feel your pain. I'm still trying to find out about the Wifi Wireless Option which is the main reason I bought it and it doesn't look like that will be out before next year. Of course I can't speak to the Pico because it is not officially available in the USA, but that Pico 5 Pro Max looks to be an amazing option if they can put it all together. Of course we are talking about another year so if you are willing to wait that is probably the way to go. Honestly the only thing the Crystal has is best visuals in VR right now, everything else is worse IMO. SO if you want best visuals it is the way to go, if you can sacrifice on that I think there are... and will be better options in the future.
@@GYGOtv Hi thanks for the reply ^^ that was the other thing I forgot about. Pimax hasn't commented on Wireless Link to SteamVR either which I believe kinda makes the thing overpriced without it when you're a SteamVR user. Pixmas store is very lacking in games and let's be real, most SteamVR players are playing VRChat the most expensive free 2 play game.. xD
Valve is supposed to be announcing their new VR Headset in December and I really hope it has all the bells and whistle features we want. I believe the Valve Index is the best VR Headset but it's outdated now making it very over-priced when Vive and Pixmas have been making newer and better headsets for a few years now and the Index is hard to recommend when the Pico 4 and Quest 3 offer a better out of the box experience. The only regret to buying a Pico 4 or Quest 3 is ultimately when user wants Full Body Tracking. SteamVR with Tundra or Vive trackers is the best for FBT. Sure there is Slimes and other wireless options, but they lag behind and have accuracy problems. Vive's new wireless Tracker is too expensive per-tracker and isn't SteamVR support on release..
PC VR is in the middle of a continuum of being not quite updated but also not quite got anything better on the market but you know it's around the corner.. and buying now might be a regret in 2 or 3 months..
I sure hope they announce the new Valve headset, will be interesting to see what they have come up with. It is so weird with the Full Body Tracking, because those Quest Pro controllers (with the camera's in them) are the perfect solution for Full Body Trackers... but nobody seems to be thinking about using that technology that way. That was the first thing I thought of when I saw they were independent of the headset. As for Pimax Stand Alone... Ya right... good luck with that :) Thanks for the comment.
Customer interest was too low. IE nobody wants a face tracking module, so they ditched it because they weren't going to make any money on it. It's a waste of time and energy.
@@Whatsup_AbroadAre you sure it has been cancelled or just put to the back of the development list?
You made the battery animation yourself? Or someone else did? Neat.
So just clarifying -- when plugged in, the battery will be (nearly) unlimited?
Yes your through the lens shows what you mean -- looks like lenses fogged. Yes, that would probably not look cool. Good job for you to keep pushing the issue.
Is the SIDE to SIDE fov pretty good? I read somewhere the Crystal fov is not much wider than HP G2. That doesn't sound so impressive. I find G2 fov rather bad, like binoculars.
Hi mikem, yes made the animation myself (also did the title intro and outro too), I love 3D animation and use a program called Lightwave 3D. So I haven't seen the battery go down at all even after several hours using the headset. It might have an eventual limit but I'm guessing it would take 8 hours or more, if ever, from what I've seen. As for the Horizontal FOV, to me it is about the same as the Varjo Aero, which I'm estimating is about 10 degrees more than the HP G2 has. It is not huge but certainly better than the G2 for me at least. Pimax is also releasing a new lens that has a wider FOV at the cost of some PPD, not sure how much but will let you know when I get one. Thanks for watching.
FYI Mike, I just played Elite Dangerous for about 3 hours and I finally dropped one bar in the Pimax Battery meter. I think it will be fine for most users at that rate.
@@GYGOtv Yah, one bar sounds like no problem. Is it four bars total? Still kinda confusing why it would drop a bar even plugged in. Oh well, anyways no huge worry.
@@mikem.2078it is 5 bars actually! It's a Qualcomm requirement that the headset is fed from the battery. The Quest does the same thing. At least it shouldn't be an issue for most.
Not being able to run your fully tethered face-monitor without a battery. 10/10 design, would pay $1600 pre-tax and pre-shipping for Frankenstein's monster. The goodwill for Pimax surely will never run out after all these years of sheer goodwill for this company. Solumium VR is the only hope in that niche really, aside from the next Valve HMD. FFS Pimax...I waited for this and would have bought it, but after all these years I have no more goodwill left for Pimax after this release. I hope they stay as a competitor, so better designed HMDs in that niche will cost less.
Hi PiterburgCowboy, you are certainly not alone in your opinion of Pimax. I get it for sure. Since this is my first Pimax headset, I still have a little "goodwill" left in my tank but we will see how long that lasts. As for the battery issue, that is WAY overblown in my experience. I've run mine for 3 hours and only lost a single bar out of 5, so playing for 8 hours with it plugged into the powered hub should be very doable. I'm hopeful for the Somnium VR1 too but will have to wait to see how good it really is. Deckard from Valve would be very welcome but who knows when that will really come out (Valve time and all). I also bet that Varjo is working on an Aero 2 so they might be a potential option down the road too. We will have to wait and see I guess. Thanks for the comment and watching the content, appreciate it.
@@GYGOtv I'm pretty sure you will enjoy it, it is full of good tech after all. Also the price "isn't unreasonable" too (oh god) in this niche. I can't be a HMD collector though so there's one shot at VR 2.0. and Pimax just did not cut it with this release. So it is either these two European startups or rare blessings from Gabe I'll put my bet on.
Thanks for the reply and wish you the best with your channel! BTW nice home cockpit, you might want to check out VKB/Virpil stuff for flightsims if you haven't already. Virpil rudder and throttle are frikn amazing. For stick I'd go VKB. Cheers
@@PiterburgCowboyThanks and thank you for watching. It seems as VR Enthusiasts we always want more (me included), but taking a step back look at where we have come from the OG Vive days... I mean these new headsets are giving visuals that we could only dream of years ago. Can't wait to see what the next few years hold, a great time to be in VR for sure!
@@GYGOtv We truly live in the days we dreamed as kids and it's complaining at highest tiers, so it comes down to things like: The need for counterweights to balance tells me about problems I will encounter playing DCS/IL2/WT in the mancave.... I mean study.
@@PiterburgCowboyNo you were right the first time... MANCAVE!!! :)
I've had both for some time and mostly do DCS and MSFS and for me the crystal I can't wear for more that 20 minute before it literally starts to hurt. straps do not help, 15mm face gasket does not help. I need prescription lens and with them inserted I can't wear the headset for more that the 20 minutes, my face shape with the crystal, the lens push against my brow to hard. if I don't its so loose it falls off my face. so have to wear lens inserts and without them the visuals just are not as good as the Areo. so all the pluses, to me do not matter if I can't wear it
Hi smgvbest... wow sounds like you had almost the exact same experience I did ( th-cam.com/video/YvLr3x1Nqn4/w-d-xo.html ) Fortunately the Apache Strap, 15mm and counterweight made the thing wearable but I TOTALLY understand your discomfort. StudioForm VR is working on a dedicated strap for the Crystal if you are interested in trying to still get it to work, but honestly if you are where I was... I sure wouldn't mess with it anymore. Still amazes me that some people can just wear this with no problems and others like us can't tolerate it after 20 min. At least the Aero is a great alternative. Thanks for sharing.
Christmas is coming, why don’t you ask the Santa for a new mic for the channel :D
Ah, this is the first complaint I've heard on this? Tell me more of what you are hearing and maybe I can adjust it. The mic I'm using wasn't exactly cheap to start with. On a completely unrelated note, here is a link to my Patreon page www.patreon.com/GYGO :)
Great information and you have a new subscriber. However, you didn't help me with my decision!
I am so divided on these two headsets. Crystal has bigger vertical FOV but is heavy and software and customer support seems to be an issue. Aero comes in cheaper but no controllers or tracking means - is it really? I'm coming from a Rift S so anything is an upgrade, but if I'm diving in, I want the best I can get, especially for this kind of money. I have the computer to run them (3090 & an i9 9900) and just dove into sim racing but also do a lot of room scale stuff - Arizona Sunshine 2 just dropped and I would love to see that through one of these headsets as opposed to the screen door and dull colors of my Rift S right now. I'm still mulling and I have to sell off a couple guitars (that I never learned to play anyway) to make this move, but man I really don't know......
Hey thanks for the SUB!!! So based on what you are saying, and not to complicate this even more, I might recommend you look at the Quest 3 as well. The reason I say this is because you mention Room Scale and personally I can't stand being tethered to a headset for roomscale. The Quest 3 gets very close to the experience of these headsets at a fraction of the cost. You can check out my review here if you haven't seen it yet th-cam.com/video/jV5otY20y0U/w-d-xo.html However, if you don't want to go that route, I'd say your choice is easy between the Aero and the Crystal, for the same reason I mention the Quest 3. The Crystal will eventually have a wireless mod and the Aero will always be tethered. Just FYI, I bought my Crystal for roomscale BUT it is looking more and more likely that I will use the Quest 3 instead because it just works so much better. The last good thing about the Quest 3 is you might not have to sell your guitars :) Anyway, I hope this helped... please feel free to ask any other questions you might have and I'll do my best to answer them. Glad you found our channel!
@@GYGOtv So would you say the Aero and Crystal are only (or mainly) for seated experiences and sims? For example the previously mentioned Arizona Sunshine 2 would be better played on the Quest 3 than the Crystal?
@@tattoodude8946Right now yes for sure on the Aero, but the Crystal will be wireless probably sometime next year so it will give you that same great wireless experience as the Quest 3 does now. I'd say the Quest 3 gives you about 80% of the visuals of the Crystal, so if you absolutely want the best the Crystal is still the way to go but you are sacrificing comfort and ease of use for that extra 20%. Again, I already made my choice in favor of the Quest 3 for roomscale and using the Crystal for flight/racing. The Quest 3 does flight and racing pretty well too just FYI. I can tell you that coming from the Rift S... any of these are going to blow you away. Hope that helps.
@@GYGOtv The word “help” may be off the mark as you added a wrinkle to my decision, but I do appreciate the information! 😂
I’m such a sucker for buying the best too, which is why I was looking at those two in particular and I think in six months the Quest 3 is just going to have me itching….
I don’t mind being tethered - it’s what I’m used to anyway - and the Aero is going to be as much as the Crystal and maybe even more when looking at getting two or three lighthouses and a set of index controllers.
Right now I have the Quest 3 in a cart on one computer ($800 with everything I want) and the Crystal in the cart on my other computer ($1580 with everything) - I just have to enter payment on one or the other! Twice the price but a more impressive machine to be sure….
I think I have to stew for a bit but I also just put on my Rift and sighed at the crosshatching over my vision and the dull colors…. I haven’t much time….🤣
@@tattoodude8946 I totally get buying the best... I'm the same way! Just FYI, Pimax has also announced a 12k QLED th-cam.com/video/hP39Mpu0GYQ/w-d-xo.html unit in development now which should give the clarity of the Crystal with a wide FOV... Maybe Quest 3 now and 12k when it comes out? There I go "helping" again 😁
Aero dropped to $990. That puts them on the same level price wise when you add the lighthouses and controllers.
Ya for sure, and if you already have those things you are money ahead! Great move by Varjo!!! Thanks for watching.
I know this is a older video but it's only 9 months old, so much has happened in 9 months.
Pimax announced the Crystal Light, a pure PCVR HMD (I ordered one, expecting it in August (sooner if I get real lucky, I know, that's what she said. LOL).
The Varjo Aero no longer exists which is why I lost all respect for that company, they lowered the price of the Aero to half it's original price and then not long after, they announced it was discontinued, so basically, they lowered the price to get rid of inventory. This was most unfortunate, I was thinking of getting one but if discontinued, why bother.
REAL PCVR HMDs are hard to find now days and they are expensive, the Crystal Light became a good alternative due to it's lower price, lighter weight compared to OG Crystal and options that not everyone wants or needs (eye tracking, auto IPD, Stand Alone mode, etc).
Very much looking forward to getting mine to compare with my Reverb G2v2. :)
It was nice watching your comparison between the Crystal and the Aero again, a little eye opener if you will. :)
Thanks for the comment, I think you are going to be astounded by the difference in the G2's Fresnel Lenses vs. Aspheric Lenses... it really is a new level of clarity. The Crystal Light is a good option for current PCVR headsets. I still think the Quest 3 is likely another good option if you don't need lighthouse tracking (for motion compensation in motion platforms for example). Personally I would consider getting one to replace my OG Crystal because it has been pissing me off lately with the excessive battery drain and now I'm having other issues (waiting for Pimax support to be back in the office on Monday). I just don't want to give up the eye tracking because it makes a HUGE difference in DCS which is my favorite flight sim. Please let me know what you think of the light, I'm pretty sure you will be happy with your purchase.
@@GYGOtv Thank you for the reply.
I have to admit, I am very anxious to try the Aspheric optics, I do have a Quest 3 and am blown away by it's optics. I use the Quest 3 on my upstairs setup for general VR, the Crystal Light will replace my G2 in the basement where my sim rig is. LOL, I do not have a motion rig so not worried about the problems that might cause.
As for the visuals, the Quest 3 is very close to being on par with the G2 for sim racing and MSFS, still see just a little bit of compression but no where as bad as the Quest 2 and Pico 4 (XR2 Gen1 vs Gen2, Gen2 is so much better at decoding the video stream).
I hope you get whatever issues you are having with your OG Crystal sorted out. Right now Pimax support is slow at responding due to the Crystal Light orders, looks like the light is selling well so many people are messaging support, more than likely with "when will I get my HMD?" LOL
@@jackr.749 Yep, so if you've tried the Q3 you have an idea of the great visuals these new headsets provide. The Crystal will be similar to the Quest 3 but you will have the advantage of directly connecting to the display port. So next you need a motion rig... it was almost as big a step as going to VR was. Very excited for you!
@@GYGOtv I don't think I want a motion rig, yes, there's the expense but also the noise of the actuators. I'm 65, don't know if I want my booty shaken or kicked at this point in life! LOL
@@jackr.749 I can understand that for sure. Keep in mind the DOF Rigs are very quite and you can turn them down so they don't throw you around like a maniac. For flying they add so much and are not very jarring so for that type of experience I still highly recommend.
I returned my Aero today, couldn't stand it.
Sorry to hear that, tell me more, what didn't you like about it?
@@GYGOtv Right now I am using a valve index. I bought the Beyond and was part of the first batch they shipped to the public. That thing had issues connecting to my Base Stations. But when it did, it looked amazing. Just couldn't keep it working correctly. They even sent me a new one and it did the same thing. They couldnt figure it out. So I sent it back and got the Varjo Aero. That had issues as well. But they helped me figure it out. I had to roll back the Nvidia Drivers. I just kept fighting with how uncomfortable it was. I could only keep playing for about 20 min at a time cause it just started marking my face up. Like glasses do to your nose but this was my whole face. The valve index, to me is far far more comfortable. I did like how it had eye tracking but preferred just having the whole space the same sharpness. I couldnt stand the FOV. Compared to the valve it was a huge disappointment. Ill stick with the lower resolution and clarity the valve has along with the comfort for anything that just bothers me too much. I will wait to see what valve has coming next. one more thing, the lack of headphones built in also bothered me. Their plug in headphones are terrible. The valve has amazing sound along with the mic.
@@armhunterThanks for the reply, Ya the Valve Index was an amazing headset, and that sound was incredible. Sorry to hear your issues with the Aero... I know I had the same problems with the Pimax Crystal and that is no fun when it doesn't fit right. Just a suggestion, have you thought about a Quest 3? My good friend Jeff Weaver just migrated to the Quest 3 from the Index and he absolutely loves it. You will likely want a better headstrap for comfort, but it would still be cheaper than the Aero was. The PCVR on it is really good too, and you will get almost as good of clarity out of it as you saw on the Aero. Just a thought, I hate to see VR Enthusiasts not able to enjoy all that modern VR has to offer.
@@GYGOtv I might give the a try. thank you. keep up the good work.
@@armhunterI think it might be a good fit for you until the Valve Headset gets released (who knows how long that will be), certainly worth the $499 IMO!
Probably your eyelash touching on the vr lense with 11mm face foam is because Honsvr lense is installed far away from Crystal vr lense and that is why i hate magnetic style vr lense
Hi ji3200, no this was before I had the lenses installed, once they were installed they actually touched my brow. They do take up lots of space like you say. Thanks for the comment.
@@GYGOtv so your eyelash touching before install it? And after you installed and now both eyelash and even eyebrow touching with 11mm foam? Im shock you are the only youtuber mention this
@@ji3200Well technically it was Darrell who felt the eyelashes ( th-cam.com/video/YvLr3x1Nqn4/w-d-xo.html ), but I could tell my eyes were close too. Honestly once I got the 15mm I didn't ever go back to test the 11mm again with all the changes with the Apache strap and balance kit etc. Again, I'm just sharing my experiences so it doesn't surprise me that others are having a different fit. I've heard others say no issues with glasses at all so take it for what it is worth I guess. I've also not heard may others talking about how painfully uncomfortable the Crystal is stock, so I guess I just have a weird facial structure. I do appreciate the follow-up.
@@GYGOtv one last question, since its magnetic version, do you notice little more gap than non magnetic version from other headset? Does it look like it could install even closer? Thanks
@@ji3200Certainly sticks out more than non-magnetic so if you don't share your headset or show it off to friends a lot, I think non-magnetic is a better choice. For me, lots of people want to try it so the magnetic is more convenient and with the 15mm it isn't a problem hitting my eyes. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask... love chatting with my viewers.
Sorry, nonsense. I’ve had both the Aero and the Crystal, and I simrace 95% of the time. The Aero is SO claustrophobic that it’s a non-starter. I have overlays looking up and had to WAY move my head to see them. Also, I couldn’t see my mirrors without cranking my head around. I don’t have to do either of these in the Crystal.
No need to be sorry RScottBell, your opinion is welcome on this channel. I didn't consider overlays, so I can see the use for the vertical in that situation. To me the Aero felt a lot like wearing my old racing helmet so it was a very natural feeling in the racecar (kind of a claustrophobic feeling in real life too). Anyway, you don't have any issues with the front heavy nature of the headset moving around when you move your head quickly during the race? I know mine bangs off my nose everytime I swing my head... but then again I do have a big nose :) Thanks for the comment and watching.
Somnium vr1 will be almost perfect hmd 🙂
Hi x32i77... Maybe, after watching their interview on MRTV I'm worried that headset may start at about $2000 and go up from there (probably more like $2500 with eye tracking). Also I'm still a little worried that their lens design is going to give off glare and reflections but we will see. AND OF COURSE it will have blooming just like the Crystal since it is using the same panels. I hope it IS the perfect hmd like you say... just seen too many of these promising headsets turn out to be less than promised (yes I'm looking at you Vive Pro 2!!!). Thanks for the comment!
@@GYGOtv we will see very soon 🙂
Starting price will be 1200€ I think
Fully loaded with color passthrough and Handtracking will cost 2500-2800€ I think + you'll get a super well build case .
I am not worried about the glare at all since index had double stack fresnel lenses . These are completely different
I am most excited about the already build in lighthouse tracking + very good fov + good headstrap and awesome lense design with way better visuals than crystal ( chromatic aberations)
@@x32i77Agree, we will see for sure. BTW from my experience, you shouldn't be getting noticeable chromatic aberrations in the Crystal if you are wearing it correctly. Also, not sure "way better" visuals are really possible because the Crystal looks pretty amazing... better maybe but not that much room for improvement on the image itself. Appreciate your point of view and I hope you are correct!
The Somnium would have given the Aero a run for its money when it was $2000, but the Aero is now competing, feature-wise, mainly with the BSB. Given that Somnium has ditched the SOC, will have no inside-out options, standalone, or controllers, and will be teaming with the expensive Nofio for wireless, it won't be competing with Crystal either. Basically, in its likely price class it will have nothing to compete with other than Apple. So may the more perfect headset win.
@@daviddahlstrom192I'm hopeful but skeptical of the Somnium, not sure I'm sold on that lens design not to produce reflections and glare but we will see. Until someone actually tries it, I'm not holding my breath. I felt the same way about the Crystal and fortunately it mostly worked out. Again I see the Somnium as starting at about $2000 and realistically with eye tracking, probably $2500, and you will need to buy basestations for it too if you don't have them.
Great review, but my gawd, the fact that you consistently move the headset around and around and around and around drives me Nucking FUTS!
Good thing you have lots of other content to watch on TH-cam. This is just my style, not changing it for you, sorry.
@@GYGOtv Love your videos, didn't ask you to change. Clearly you don't like input from your subscribers
@@dwdrum1I do enjoy input from my subscribers, which is exactly my point... You are saying right here that your statement was input and I was saying I'm not going to change. A little input from me to you is maybe work on your tone so you don't come across so critical. I generally try to respond with the same tone as the comment and that is what I did here. If you didn't mean it that way then sorry for taking it that way... but you have something to do with that too... Let's try this again, Thank you for watching and I'm glad you liked the review. Me constantly moving the headset around is just my style as I don't really write out a script and that is just part of me going through my process. Sorry about driving you Nucking FUTS, and if it is too bad for you, I'll understand if you just can't stand to watch my content anymore. I'd hate to lose any Subscribers but I completely understand if you just can't tolerate me moving the headset around so much. Thank you for your support.
The crystal was great until it stopped working
Bummer, mine is still good... What happened?
looks like a bunch of crap to deal with if you go pimax, not sure if the fov is worth it. i will surely not pay 400-500 clams extra for it since the arejo price dropped to about a grand.
Yep, that is the trade off that you have to decide for yourself if it is worth it. I think Steve the VR Flight Sim Guy said it best when he compared it to a high performance sportscar. He basically said it takes a lot more work, is more expensive and can have a lot more problems than a regular car... but when it works it is amazing. I don't personally regret buying the Crystal because it is THE BEST visuals out there, but it took a lot of work to get it there (especially in the comfort department for me). Again, the Aero is a great headset (that you might be able to find used for even cheaper now that they announced it's discontinuation). And don't forget the Quest 3 which is almost as good and A LOT more affordable. Thanks for the comment.
Is he wearing lipstick?
I don't remember putting any lipstick on unless someone did it to me while I was sleeping... It is probably Carmex that didn't soak in yet, it can be dry here in Colorado.