After being quite disappointed at how difficult it is to run OG Crystal, I'm SO happy with my Crystal Light experience! Grab it for $10 off until Sep 15 using my discount code "DiscoVR" - pimax.com/pages/crystal-light/?ref=KRDI8M
Can u review "bigscreen VR". I think it is a right direction for VR. It is not perfect but the size, weight, oled is worth trying. Can only imagine in 2-3 years from now u will get something like bigscreenVR size, with 180', 180hz dolbyVision, dolbyatmos, with oled pancakes
Great review! I would recommend every one who play vr alot to get a fan..costs ca 20 bucks..it can get really warm no matter what headset..and it is also about the stress level of the vr experience. And the blowing air ads to the immersion as well😊👍
Hi my OG Crystal is being replaced here's the thing ..a replacement is being shipped back to me however ship label has been created but it's been 7 plus days it hasnt moved
This review is incredibly detailed! I completely agree with your thoughts on the Crystal Light. The clarity you described sounds like it brings VR to a whole new level of realism. Also, your feedback on the headset's weight and comfort gives me more confidence to try it out. I’m looking forward to your next video comparing the Pimax Crystal Light with the PSVR 2!
I have the Crystal Light and I also bought the PSVR 2 with adapter to try it out. I also have the Quest 3 since launch. To me the clarity and super high resolution of the Pimax Crystal Light makes it the only one I want to use. I returned the PSVR 2 because the lenses were just old and not up to par in 2024 and I pretty much only turn on my Q3 if I am trying to compare it to the Crystal Light to answer a question for somebody. It is important to mention that the DMAS speakers for the crystal light are absolutely worth $100 because they make it sound like the valve index. Also the Studioform Comfort kit for Pimax Crystal is an absolute must buy as well.
@@DiscoVRTetiana standalone is a big step down from PCVR and mixed reality is not good enough to get me excited. Why would I want to see a fuzzy image of my living room when I can be in Skyrim or Diamond City from fallout 4? I use VR as a way to escape reality.
If you find the facial cushion not fitting well, the Studioform Creative facial cushion allows you to get a custom fit by stacking thin layers of Velcro under its cushion. You can even put more padding on the sides vs the center to wrap around your face. Not sponsored I just love it on my OG Crystal.
A good honest review as usual Tetiana, you mentioned the problems and the need to upgrade the hardware to get the best out of the headset, as well as the positives aspects. The headset looks so massive its like Pimax just cannot be bothered in redesigning the form factor to make it look less like somthing out of a 1980s Arcade, they need to do a bit more R&D and those heat problems might become really problematic in some environments? The need to upgrade to a 4090 to really fill those displays is also a no no for many people, I would say if you have an Index or a Reverb G2 and want the next step up and do not want to have to spend extra on a 4090 gpu, is to just buy yourself a PSVR2 with its OLED displays and displayport technology and you will have an instant visual fidelity upgrade but without the need to buy new PC hardware, if you happen to have a reference RX7000 series GPU as well you may have a Virtual Link Port on your GPU so no PC Adapter required just plug your PSVR2 into the GPU.
My main negative on this headset is how bulky and heavy it is compared to the quest 3 and psvr2. It amazes me that it still weighs less than the crystal but still very heavy compared to others
Yeah although it looks similar to Pimax Crystal, it's much ligher. If using a comfortable topstrap, the weight is perfectly balanced. Not a big prob actually. 😉
@@PimaxVR15 unfortunately for me it is. I have chronic neck tightness and even with the quest 3 being lighter I can only use it for 30 minutes at a time before I have to take it off due to weight and that is with a head strap that counter balances the weight. I’m looking at big screen beyond just because of the how much it doesn’t weigh for me.
It's because they changed the cable. Instead of the light and thin fibre optic cable of the Pimax Crystal, we now have a thick and heavy cable which negates some, or all, of the weight saved from the headset. It's something these TH-cam reviewers never mention.
I used to have the Pimax 8K Plus before "upgrading" to the Pimax 8K X. It's bizarre how many people complain about issues with Pimax headsets when I have had no issues at all with them. The 2 biggest +'s for me are 1, the huge FOV and 2, how "huge" the headsets are. I am 6' 5" and have a very hard time getting most headsets to fit me comfortably. As for the new Pimax headsets, I have had my heart set on the Pimax 12k for some time now. Although since it was supposed to be out last year and still no ETA, I guess it's time to move on. The Crystal Light looks promising.. but seeing the specs for the Crystal Super, especially the mini OLED model got me going "that's what I want!". Pimax let me pre-order the Super... now to wait and see what happens.
I run the Crystal Light on a AMD 5600x and 3080 RTX 10 Gb just fine. I do lower the resolution via the OpenXR Toolkit to roughly 70% of the native rendering resolution.
This is the kind of headset thats great for people with a lot of disposable income. Even though it's not super expensive, most people are better off with a quest 3 or psvr2, where you can move around more freely
Hey, Tetiana, been a minute! Good to see you back! As a VR user who sometimes likes exploring the worlds in VR games more than she likes playing the actual games, and as someone who will often buy a game just for the sake of enjoying its excellent visuals, even if I don't much like the genre, I find the almost universally positive comments about the Pimax Crystal Light's clarity VERY intriguing. Likewise, even at $899, the Crystal Light's price is almost insanely low for what you get, espeically now that Pimax seems to have figured out its software. So, what's keeping me from getting a Crystal Light right this minute? That's simple: it's that form factor. Even if it doesn't weigh "that much", the Crystal Light is so big and heavy, relative to almost other popular PCVR headset that's been released in the last four or five years (I hear the Somnium is also a real chonk-a-VR), I would find it almost impossibly uncomfortable to wear Crystal Light for more than an hour. Since my computer also runs a 4090, your comments on how hot the headset can get if you're playing games at their highest quality also gives me pause. That potential heating issue is something no other reviewer I've watched has mentioned, by the way, so I appreciate the observation. I wish Pimax had made the Crystal "Light" truly "light", instead of hanging onto a form factor that was born of the their original (and mostly abandoned) desire to make a headset with a "human-sized" FOV. I mean, Yo, Pimax! 2017 just called, and they want their form-factor back. My second issue with getting a Crystal Light, at least at this point, is Pimax itself. While I'm glad they seem to have advanced to the point where I no longer feel like buying their headsets means "Never Getting What We Were Actually Promised", based on others' comments, it appears that dealing with Pimax's Customer Service if there's a problem with your headset can still be quite the frustrating adventure. Yes, I've also heard that, (this time) they're finally actively trying to rectify their CS issues... but, well, I think I'll wait a bit before I decide whether or not I'll ulitmately pull the trigger and give the Crystal Light a go. Who knows? By then, maybe someone will magically appear with a PCVR headset that has the Crystal Light's clarity, the Pico 4's excellent balance--and a working DisplayPort. But yes, the Crystal Light and the possibility of real clarity for what many enthusiasts would definitely consider a reasonable price, is definitely intriguing. Thanks for the very informative review, Tetiana... I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who is really glad your videos are back... 😊
I was incredibly frustrated with the original Pimax Crystal release process. Headsets that try to do everything end up doing nothing exceptionally well. The Crystal Light seems like Pimax finally getting on track after all the silly decisions. I would buy this headset, but I am waiting for the Super. Oled. Eye tracking. Smaller. Etc. Also allows time for a competitor to entice me with another product. *looking at you, Valve*
I have an original Crystal and it's such a pain to run, especially because the included USB HUB constantly fails, leading to eye-tracking disconnects, battery charging failure, and head set shutdowns. Not having to deal with the battery would be great, but I also would not want to lose eye-tracking.
I love to play No Man's Sky in VR. also love the Lone Echo series, but honestly there's just too many to name! I have a list of games I want to play :D
@@DiscoVRTetiana Cool, No Man's Sky VR offers endless planets to explore. Enjoy the new games too! Thanks Tetiana for the helpful reviews and VR coverage as usual. Great work!
AVP is 3,660 × 3,200 per eye 😨pretty incredible visuals indeed. With such high resolutions, you almost don't even notice the differences in quality any more. I didn't even think to compare it to AVP since it can't play PCVR *sigh*
@@DiscoVRTetiana I think Sebastian made it work with steam and some new controllers. Anyways I was blown away I didn't expect that kind of resolution. I am going to buy it for my business. Thank you Tetiana!
@@DiscoVRTetianaActually you can play PCVR with Vision Pro I forget what the software name is but theirs plenty of videos about it and a company is releasing Quest Pro style controllers for the headset.
@@DiscoVRTetiana Technically it can run steamVR / PCVR, but it is like quest or pico without the DP, it is like netflix streaming, so it looks not good at all. I have the OG crystal and the Crystal light, very good HMD's. Right now, I'm at shanghai, 4th at Pimax HQ and tested the 60G and Crystal Super Prototype and saw the new final version of the small housing, so good times will come.
A very good review, I liked the pixel graphic - very informative. Is great you now have a 4090, but I would have loved to have seen you try this with your old 3080 as well . Although I understand the difficulties for you in doing this. Look forward to the PSVR2 comparison video.
@@DiscoVRTetiana I recd my PCL and it is working well with the 3080 for MSFS (my main reason for getting it). However, it is also too wide for my face and most uncomfortable. Especially for glasses wearers. Pimax should include a better foam face pad so glasses wearers can use it out of the box. I have ordered a new foam face pad, but I should not have needed to. Even the Quest 2 came with a glasses spacer. Also the sound is horrible. Your review was spot on btw.
I have a Pimax 8KX, had it for several years now, it is still okay, but won't play some games, recently NMS won't load on the 8KX. I have PSVR2 headset, it connected to the PC with no problems, and is pretty good, I was able to play NMS without a problem, which leads me to think that I couldn't on the 8KX because of a problem with the Pimax software.
Sorry to hear that you had some software issues with 8KX. Our softerware has been constantly updated. On Pimax Crystal series, it's been working smoothly well. No worries about that! 😄
Great review, i shouldn't think the graphics settings of a game would over heat the screens, possibly your computer was dumping heat onto the plastic? otherwise perhaps it needs some little fans in the head set
Thank you for the video! I know it's a lot of work, but it would be cool if you could show some FCAT VR benchmarks with the headset so we can get an ideal of the performance needed to run such a demanding headset.
Mine does not get hot, just a little bit varm if I put my hand on it. Can not feel it beeing warm on my face. It should not depend on what resolution you use, there is no components in the headset producing more or less heat, it just shows the image from the PC. I have played in long sessions with all kinds of resolutions, no difference. There is a comfortkit from Studioform that you can buy to make it fit your head better. I also have a little leakage on the sides and this kit solves it and also makes it more comfortable to wear.
how does this compare to the quest 3 with virtualdesktop sharpness 100% and snapdragon sharpening? also, steamVR 150% supersampling, as well as wifi6e and maxing out bandwith for streaming? Even at 70%, it's still very sharp. My PSVR2 is sadly not sharp enough compared to quest 3. I been looking for this just because of the QLED!
I don't understand the complain about the size of the headset. The +30% in FOV does not come from nothing. I think it is a great HMD for experiencing VR while seated. It is probably not so good for room sized VR and fitness apps. Beside of the size (would be interesting if the straps could hold this sized headset) there is also the cable. Not necessarily the cable as such but it supplied cable does not look longer than maybe 1.5m and I guess getting such cable in appropriate length will be costly. Oh, and of course... a headset that quickly heats up is not very comfortable while moving a lot. They probably should have kept at least one fan in.
The Quest 3 actually costs more or comes very close to the price of this once you factor in a link cable, facial interface, alternative headband, storage upgrade, etc
@@fups1 A link cable for Quest 3 is about £15, kiwi head strap is another £30. I don't need another facial interface and, why would I need a storage upgrade? So the total is about £45 extra that you have to pay on top of the Quest 3 price. With the Pimax Crystal Light with controllers costing over £900, what you say about these headsets costing about the same after all the upgrades is obviously nonsense. One thing I noticed while comparing prices is that Pimax downgraded the cable. It is no longer the light and thin fiber optic cable they used on the Pimax Crystal but is now heavy and thick. It's something I have not seen any of these TH-cam reviewers with their affiliate links ever mention.
@@dtz1000you mean fortunately no pancakes! You don't want it to lose all it's brightness do you? Pimax is more about priority on visual quality than form factor. I think the micro oled version of the super will have pancake lenses though, unfortunately, simply because you need to magnify the small panel so much you can't use the aspheric. A shame, because if you didn't cripple the brightness with pancake lenses you could be getting serious numbers of nits to your eyes, and it would really feel more like reality.
@@CorporateZombi Someone on their discord told me the OLED Pimax Super will have aspheric lenses. I don't like aspheric lenses too much because of the small distortion sweetspot. You have to position your head in exactly the right spot otherwise you will see distortions. No such problems with pancake lenses.
@@dtz1000 That is true about the distortion sweetspot. It's always a compromise. Probably that micro oled version is still in development. It did seem crazy to have an entirely replaceable optical stack! Have you considered the big screen beyond as an alternative?
Why would the headset get any hotter running games at higher settings in PC. Surely it just displays when the PC sends to it so shouldn't matter what's in screen? Heat is only coming from your PC no? Sounded a weird thing to say.
I totally agree with you - the weight and the design at this point feel dated. Sure the tech is amazing, but Pimax should definitely look to Meta for some inspiration. The more we get to a headset that ‘gets out of the way’ the closer we are to a ‘mass adoption’ moment. For now it leans heavily into a super-niche enthusiast audience, which is fine, but there still should be some movement there.
And it is also really clear that Pimax sell that thing with an invisible 60 hz refresh rate ! And about the non local dimming version it was cancelled !
A 4090 GPU cost 2,299,00$. Of course you are gonna get a better picture with something like a Cristal Light since it needs a powerful pc to work at all and 1,529,00$ to buy. You can't compare that to psvr2 or quest 3 like some people report in the comments...
Is it as clear as your blue eyes? Now thats what I want from my VR, to be able to see something clear like that. Using quest 3 for iRacing and its just a fraction blurry
From 4k to 8k is x4 times more pixels + 240hz is x2 from 120hz In summary, you need 8 times more power to drive it + no wireless Wi-Fi can handle so much data stream
i was so surprised with the software is really really good.... ive had no problems at all besides not having the 15mm face foam... which is really important if you ware glasses like i do.... ,BE WARNED my 4070 super was not good enough for SIMS in VR... not to really get your moneys worth. my new 4080 super is so much better, night and day... also the face foam housing is really cheap and already starting to crack at the hook clip points
I ordered the Studioform comfortpads instead. Much better comfort and you can adapt it to your liking. I got mine today and it was a great improvment, both with glasses and without.
Don’t understand why you think PSVR2 is a better comparison to this, than the Meta Quest 3… for one the Quest 3 is more price comparable than the PSVR2 (specially after it’s been heavily discontinued, because sony doesn’t give a damn about it or it’s customers who wasted money on it)… secondly, the Quest 3 was made for mobile and pc from its inception, PSVR2 was just WD40 and Duck/Duct tapped together to work on pc. So it makes no sense to compare this against something that’s not meant for pc (loses 99% of its features just to work on pc, with a SOLD SEPARATELY adapter). Yes I brought the PSVR 2 day one under the false illusion sony would actually make games for it… yes I own a Quest 3, 2 and rift… out of all of them I’d pick the Quest 3 any day of the week, because the pancake lenses are worlds better than fanel lenses (no more seeing the rings because there is non on pancake lenses… so everything looks clear now). I also like the hammerhead shark look of this headset, would be nice if it was more compact tho.
Well, I can already say, the PSVR2 can't win against the Crystal Light because of its low resolution and OLED vs MiniLCD is also not a so big difference as a LCD like in the Meta Quest 2 vs PSVR2 OLED. And the most interesting parts of the PSVR2 is not supported under Windows. But of course, if you already have a PSVR2 for PS5 and a solid gaming PC but no PCVR headset yet, it is a no-brainer to use it with a PC.
Great points! You definitely got them right ;) I'll be mentioning them and others in the upcoming PSVR2 vs CL comparison video, should be live in just a couple of days
No eye-tracking is an immediate no from me. "hey, instead of changing our outdated, bulky lens/panels design, we'll just strip down every necessary technology from our headset to improve form factor and weight." Apple gives us the most sleek, frictionelss OS ever made in VR with embedded DFR and a revolutionary control system while Pimax insistently put foward software armageddon with no actual OS while also completely abstaining from eye-tracking. The lack of vision is incomprehensible.
You do realize that the AVP is meant for an entirely different market compared to this headset, and while yes eye tracking could be useful for things such as foveated rendering, a modification to get eye tracking working would be easy, and the VR community as a whole has gotten off without eye tracking for years, so there is no rush to get that out before we can get down the simple basics of what works. VR is still pretty much a wild west, everyone is trying to figure out what sells and what works, think of it less than a product, and more of a blind man's walking stick, trying to feel out how to go forward, you know?
@@spidermonkeynr1outside of social VR apps the biggest reason you want eye tracking is for foverating rendering which reduces the demand on your system while letting you push higher visuals.
While I appreciate the work that goes into these reviews, it's not particularly useful to anyone not running the fastest gpu currently available, which is most of us.
See??? You still had to install the software twice! I just don’t trust Pimax to actually plug and play! Plus it’s so massive- you look like you have a surfboard over your face
@@DARK_KATACLYSM But you wrote that it was to big, not to heavy. So that is what I replyed on. Still, I do not have a problem with the weight coming from a Reverb G2. It is more comfortable during long stints in my opinion.
I’m sorry, but it just looks awful putting a big truck fender on your head. Combine that with the facial interface and the heat and it’s a no. Plus, maybe it’s just me but I don’t want any wires or be tethered to a computer. I’ll stick with the Quest 3 and enjoy the graphics I get
I don't want to deal with the horrible latency and compression I get from using my Quest 3 for PCVR anymore, so I can't wait to sell it and get this Pimax!
@edenassos There's a minimum of 35ms of input latency no matter how good your setup is, you can cope all you want but that's worse than cheap Walmart tvs.
not gonna lie, the form factor is ridiculous ... it hadn't changed at all for the past 5 years ...i would never pay money on a vr headset that looks like this in 2024
It's not just about looks; it's about ergonomics and convenience. The bulkier a theater-attached device is, the less likely you'll use it-especially when others are already offering sleeker options. I don't want wires, and I definitely don't want a toaster strapped to my face.
I have a quest 3 which i use wired to a pc to get a higher bitrate than is possible with wireless. But i got a Pimax Crystal Light 2 days ago and it blows the Quest clean out of the water visualy. Yes the quest is easy to use blah blah blah. But compared to the Crysal visualy its like N64 graphics 😮
its already proved to be defective and overpriced product. And yet still another youtuber "so happy with their experience" lolz is it because you are getting an extra cents from every purchase under your affiliation link? is this what your channel is about?
After being quite disappointed at how difficult it is to run OG Crystal, I'm SO happy with my Crystal Light experience!
Grab it for $10 off until Sep 15 using my discount code "DiscoVR" - pimax.com/pages/crystal-light/?ref=KRDI8M
Can u review "bigscreen VR". I think it is a right direction for VR. It is not perfect but the size, weight, oled is worth trying. Can only imagine in 2-3 years from now u will get something like bigscreenVR size, with 180', 180hz dolbyVision, dolbyatmos, with oled pancakes
Great review! I would recommend every one who play vr alot to get a fan..costs ca 20 bucks..it can get really warm no matter what headset..and it is also about the stress level of the vr experience. And the blowing air ads to the immersion as well😊👍
Despite it still being HUGE I do like that there is still development toward higher end VR units going on.
Its not going to stop any time soon buddy.
Agree. We still have much room for development. Will keep working on it. 💪
This isnt the high end, lol. This is the BUDGET model. 3k is where the high end starts.
Thanks for your detailed review!! Really appreciate your support. 👍
Thank you for making a great device!
Hi my OG Crystal is being replaced here's the thing ..a replacement is being shipped back to me however ship label has been created but it's been 7 plus days it hasnt moved
This review is incredibly detailed! I completely agree with your thoughts on the Crystal Light. The clarity you described sounds like it brings VR to a whole new level of realism. Also, your feedback on the headset's weight and comfort gives me more confidence to try it out. I’m looking forward to your next video comparing the Pimax Crystal Light with the PSVR 2!
Thanks so much! The next comparison is coming in just a few days 🥳
I have the Crystal Light and I also bought the PSVR 2 with adapter to try it out. I also have the Quest 3 since launch. To me the clarity and super high resolution of the Pimax Crystal Light makes it the only one I want to use. I returned the PSVR 2 because the lenses were just old and not up to par in 2024 and I pretty much only turn on my Q3 if I am trying to compare it to the Crystal Light to answer a question for somebody. It is important to mention that the DMAS speakers for the crystal light are absolutely worth $100 because they make it sound like the valve index. Also the Studioform Comfort kit for Pimax Crystal is an absolute must buy as well.
Yes those speakers are great! I’m gonna be switching them from my old pimax Crystal.
You don’t use quest 3 as a stand alone? Or for mixed reality?
You'd be better off buying the Pimax top strap.
@@DiscoVRTetiana standalone is a big step down from PCVR and mixed reality is not good enough to get me excited. Why would I want to see a fuzzy image of my living room when I can be in Skyrim or Diamond City from fallout 4? I use VR as a way to escape reality.
If you find the facial cushion not fitting well, the Studioform Creative facial cushion allows you to get a custom fit by stacking thin layers of Velcro under its cushion. You can even put more padding on the sides vs the center to wrap around your face. Not sponsored I just love it on my OG Crystal.
A good honest review as usual Tetiana, you mentioned the problems and the need to upgrade the hardware to get the best out of the headset, as well as the positives aspects.
The headset looks so massive its like Pimax just cannot be bothered in redesigning the form factor to make it look less like somthing out of a 1980s Arcade, they need to do a bit more R&D and those heat problems might become really problematic in some environments?
The need to upgrade to a 4090 to really fill those displays is also a no no for many people, I would say if you have an Index or a Reverb G2 and want the next step up and do not want to have to spend extra on a 4090 gpu, is to just buy yourself a PSVR2 with its OLED displays and displayport technology and you will have an instant visual fidelity upgrade but without the need to buy new PC hardware, if you happen to have a reference RX7000 series GPU as well you may have a Virtual Link Port on your GPU so no PC Adapter required just plug your PSVR2 into the GPU.
My main negative on this headset is how bulky and heavy it is compared to the quest 3 and psvr2. It amazes me that it still weighs less than the crystal but still very heavy compared to others
this is my exact negative I mention in the video 😥
Yeah although it looks similar to Pimax Crystal, it's much ligher. If using a comfortable topstrap, the weight is perfectly balanced. Not a big prob actually. 😉
@@PimaxVR15 unfortunately for me it is. I have chronic neck tightness and even with the quest 3 being lighter I can only use it for 30 minutes at a time before I have to take it off due to weight and that is with a head strap that counter balances the weight. I’m looking at big screen beyond just because of the how much it doesn’t weigh for me.
It's because they changed the cable. Instead of the light and thin fibre optic cable of the Pimax Crystal, we now have a thick and heavy cable which negates some, or all, of the weight saved from the headset. It's something these TH-cam reviewers never mention.
@@PhotoJohn80
VR is not made for everyone...
I used to have the Pimax 8K Plus before "upgrading" to the Pimax 8K X. It's bizarre how many people complain about issues with Pimax headsets when I have had no issues at all with them. The 2 biggest +'s for me are 1, the huge FOV and 2, how "huge" the headsets are. I am 6' 5" and have a very hard time getting most headsets to fit me comfortably.
As for the new Pimax headsets, I have had my heart set on the Pimax 12k for some time now. Although since it was supposed to be out last year and still no ETA, I guess it's time to move on. The Crystal Light looks promising.. but seeing the specs for the Crystal Super, especially the mini OLED model got me going "that's what I want!". Pimax let me pre-order the Super... now to wait and see what happens.
My pc would die running that beast. But a guy can have dreams. The fov is just a must.
I run the Crystal Light on a AMD 5600x and 3080 RTX 10 Gb just fine. I do lower the resolution via the OpenXR Toolkit to roughly 70% of the native rendering resolution.
@@bubba3133 That's good news as I have a 3080.
Your videos are so straight forward, I really appreciate your channel a lot as a VR enthusiast.
Thank you! That made my day
This is the kind of headset thats great for people with a lot of disposable income. Even though it's not super expensive, most people are better off with a quest 3 or psvr2, where you can move around more freely
Hey, Tetiana, been a minute! Good to see you back!
As a VR user who sometimes likes exploring the worlds in VR games more than she likes playing the actual games, and as someone who will often buy a game just for the sake of enjoying its excellent visuals, even if I don't much like the genre, I find the almost universally positive comments about the Pimax Crystal Light's clarity VERY intriguing.
Likewise, even at $899, the Crystal Light's price is almost insanely low for what you get, espeically now that Pimax seems to have figured out its software. So, what's keeping me from getting a Crystal Light right this minute?
That's simple: it's that form factor. Even if it doesn't weigh "that much", the Crystal Light is so big and heavy, relative to almost other popular PCVR headset that's been released in the last four or five years (I hear the Somnium is also a real chonk-a-VR), I would find it almost impossibly uncomfortable to wear Crystal Light for more than an hour. Since my computer also runs a 4090, your comments on how hot the headset can get if you're playing games at their highest quality also gives me pause.
That potential heating issue is something no other reviewer I've watched has mentioned, by the way, so I appreciate the observation.
I wish Pimax had made the Crystal "Light" truly "light", instead of hanging onto a form factor that was born of the their original (and mostly abandoned) desire to make a headset with a "human-sized" FOV. I mean, Yo, Pimax! 2017 just called, and they want their form-factor back.
My second issue with getting a Crystal Light, at least at this point, is Pimax itself. While I'm glad they seem to have advanced to the point where I no longer feel like buying their headsets means "Never Getting What We Were Actually Promised", based on others' comments, it appears that dealing with Pimax's Customer Service if there's a problem with your headset can still be quite the frustrating adventure.
Yes, I've also heard that, (this time) they're finally actively trying to rectify their CS issues... but, well, I think I'll wait a bit before I decide whether or not I'll ulitmately pull the trigger and give the Crystal Light a go.
Who knows? By then, maybe someone will magically appear with a PCVR headset that has the Crystal Light's clarity, the Pico 4's excellent balance--and a working DisplayPort.
But yes, the Crystal Light and the possibility of real clarity for what many enthusiasts would definitely consider a reasonable price, is definitely intriguing.
Thanks for the very informative review, Tetiana... I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who is really glad your videos are back... 😊
I was incredibly frustrated with the original Pimax Crystal release process. Headsets that try to do everything end up doing nothing exceptionally well. The Crystal Light seems like Pimax finally getting on track after all the silly decisions. I would buy this headset, but I am waiting for the Super. Oled. Eye tracking. Smaller. Etc. Also allows time for a competitor to entice me with another product. *looking at you, Valve*
Thank you for your great interest in the Super. Hopefully it will come out soon. 😉
If valve drops a new headset competitors are gone ong
I have an original Crystal and it's such a pain to run, especially because the included USB HUB constantly fails, leading to eye-tracking disconnects, battery charging failure, and head set shutdowns. Not having to deal with the battery would be great, but I also would not want to lose eye-tracking.
The difference now is NIGHT AND DAY
Helpful review of the Pimax Crystal, thanks. What is one of your favorite VR games so far?
I love to play No Man's Sky in VR. also love the Lone Echo series, but honestly there's just too many to name! I have a list of games I want to play :D
@@DiscoVRTetiana Cool, No Man's Sky VR offers endless planets to explore. Enjoy the new games too! Thanks Tetiana for the helpful reviews and VR coverage as usual. Great work!
Is it more clear than the Apple Vision Pro? I went to try the AVP and it blew me away.
AVP is 3,660 × 3,200 per eye 😨pretty incredible visuals indeed. With such high resolutions, you almost don't even notice the differences in quality any more. I didn't even think to compare it to AVP since it can't play PCVR *sigh*
@@DiscoVRTetiana I think Sebastian made it work with steam and some new controllers. Anyways I was blown away I didn't expect that kind of resolution. I am going to buy it for my business. Thank you Tetiana!
@@DiscoVRTetianaActually you can play PCVR with Vision Pro I forget what the software name is but theirs plenty of videos about it and a company is releasing Quest Pro style controllers for the headset.
Totally different use case
@@DiscoVRTetiana Technically it can run steamVR / PCVR, but it is like quest or pico without the DP, it is like netflix streaming, so it looks not good at all. I have the OG crystal and the Crystal light, very good HMD's. Right now, I'm at shanghai, 4th at Pimax HQ and tested the 60G and Crystal Super Prototype and saw the new final version of the small housing, so good times will come.
A very good review, I liked the pixel graphic - very informative. Is great you now have a 4090, but I would have loved to have seen you try this with your old 3080 as well . Although I understand the difficulties for you in doing this. Look forward to the PSVR2 comparison video.
I sold my 3080 , but it works excellently on 4080, which is quite similar to 3080!
@@DiscoVRTetiana I recd my PCL and it is working well with the 3080 for MSFS (my main reason for getting it). However, it is also too wide for my face and most uncomfortable. Especially for glasses wearers. Pimax should include a better foam face pad so glasses wearers can use it out of the box. I have ordered a new foam face pad, but I should not have needed to. Even the Quest 2 came with a glasses spacer. Also the sound is horrible. Your review was spot on btw.
I have a Pimax 8KX, had it for several years now, it is still okay, but won't play some games, recently NMS won't load on the 8KX. I have PSVR2 headset, it connected to the PC with no problems, and is pretty good, I was able to play NMS without a problem, which leads me to think that I couldn't on the 8KX because of a problem with the Pimax software.
Sorry to hear that you had some software issues with 8KX. Our softerware has been constantly updated. On Pimax Crystal series, it's been working smoothly well. No worries about that! 😄
I'm REALLY looking forward to your comparing the Pimax Crystal Light with the PSVR2 on PC. I can't wait. Thank you!
coming in just a couple of days!
Spoiler alert Obviously pimax is superior
I'm also looking forward to the comparison 😉
Great review, i shouldn't think the graphics settings of a game would over heat the screens, possibly your computer was dumping heat onto the plastic? otherwise perhaps it needs some little fans in the head set
Thank you for the video! I know it's a lot of work, but it would be cool if you could show some FCAT VR benchmarks with the headset so we can get an ideal of the performance needed to run such a demanding headset.
Mine does not get hot, just a little bit varm if I put my hand on it. Can not feel it beeing warm on my face. It should not depend on what resolution you use, there is no components in the headset producing more or less heat, it just shows the image from the PC. I have played in long sessions with all kinds of resolutions, no difference. There is a comfortkit from Studioform that you can buy to make it fit your head better. I also have a little leakage on the sides and this kit solves it and also makes it more comfortable to wear.
@@marcushellberg907 It probably depends on the brightness of the screen. If you put it on max brightness then it will get hot.
@@dtz1000 Nope, I have it on max brightness all the time.
I'm waiting to see the OLED version in the future.
how does this compare to the quest 3 with virtualdesktop sharpness 100% and snapdragon sharpening? also, steamVR 150% supersampling, as well as wifi6e and maxing out bandwith for streaming? Even at 70%, it's still very sharp. My PSVR2 is sadly not sharp enough compared to quest 3. I been looking for this just because of the QLED!
How long did it take for your Crystal Light to be delivered?
I don't understand the complain about the size of the headset. The +30% in FOV does not come from nothing.
I think it is a great HMD for experiencing VR while seated.
It is probably not so good for room sized VR and fitness apps. Beside of the size (would be interesting if the straps could hold this sized headset) there is also the cable. Not necessarily the cable as such but it supplied cable does not look longer than maybe 1.5m and I guess getting such cable in appropriate length will be costly.
Oh, and of course... a headset that quickly heats up is not very comfortable while moving a lot. They probably should have kept at least one fan in.
There is no +30% FOV. You are believing in marketing bs.
Once again, no mention of VAT when talking about prices. It is way more expensive than Quest 3 and PSVR2 when you add taxes and delivery.
The Quest 3 actually costs more or comes very close to the price of this once you factor in a link cable, facial interface, alternative headband, storage upgrade, etc
@@fups1 A link cable for Quest 3 is about £15, kiwi head strap is another £30. I don't need another facial interface and, why would I need a storage upgrade? So the total is about £45 extra that you have to pay on top of the Quest 3 price.
With the Pimax Crystal Light with controllers costing over £900, what you say about these headsets costing about the same after all the upgrades is obviously nonsense.
One thing I noticed while comparing prices is that Pimax downgraded the cable. It is no longer the light and thin fiber optic cable they used on the Pimax Crystal but is now heavy and thick. It's something I have not seen any of these TH-cam reviewers with their affiliate links ever mention.
Hopefully the Pimax Crystal Super will be good!
Honestly, after Crystal Light, I feel much more hopeful than after my OG Crystal review!
Unfortunately, still no pancake lenses for that one.
@@dtz1000you mean fortunately no pancakes! You don't want it to lose all it's brightness do you?
Pimax is more about priority on visual quality than form factor.
I think the micro oled version of the super will have pancake lenses though, unfortunately, simply because you need to magnify the small panel so much you can't use the aspheric.
A shame, because if you didn't cripple the brightness with pancake lenses you could be getting serious numbers of nits to your eyes, and it would really feel more like reality.
@@CorporateZombi Someone on their discord told me the OLED Pimax Super will have aspheric lenses. I don't like aspheric lenses too much because of the small distortion sweetspot. You have to position your head in exactly the right spot otherwise you will see distortions. No such problems with pancake lenses.
@@dtz1000 That is true about the distortion sweetspot. It's always a compromise. Probably that micro oled version is still in development. It did seem crazy to have an entirely replaceable optical stack!
Have you considered the big screen beyond as an alternative?
Hi Tetiana, I have a question. Is the fov of pimax crystal light really 125 degree horizontal? Did you measure it yourself? how about vertical?
Why would the headset get any hotter running games at higher settings in PC. Surely it just displays when the PC sends to it so shouldn't matter what's in screen? Heat is only coming from your PC no? Sounded a weird thing to say.
I totally agree with you - the weight and the design at this point feel dated. Sure the tech is amazing, but Pimax should definitely look to Meta for some inspiration. The more we get to a headset that ‘gets out of the way’ the closer we are to a ‘mass adoption’ moment. For now it leans heavily into a super-niche enthusiast audience, which is fine, but there still should be some movement there.
Aspheric lenses are best to get rid of the lens glare finally
Did you try Elite Dangerous with headset and how black does the screen? My Quest Pro gets pretty dark.
I remember I tried it back on pimax Crystal - very deep blacks! But I haven’t compared it to quest pro or 3 side by side yet
Impressive but I still like Wireless PCVR over having to be plugged in.
It looks too big for my little muppet head. Thanks for the review.
Yeah I know it looks giant... actually it's not that heavy as you may imagine. 😂
Disco-VR ist officially P.I.M.P.ED
😆😎
And it is also really clear that Pimax sell that thing with an invisible 60 hz refresh rate !
And about the non local dimming version it was cancelled !
At 9.47 what is this game please ?
I believe it's "Air Car".... Free on Steam
@@dave2blame444 ah ok thanks
Will it work on my ZX Spectrum?
I hope so, been waiting forever to play Manic Miner in VR.
A 4090 GPU cost 2,299,00$. Of course you are gonna get a better picture with something like a Cristal Light since it needs a powerful pc to work at all and 1,529,00$ to buy. You can't compare that to psvr2 or quest 3 like some people report in the comments...
Let alone Somnium vr1 headset ^^
Love your nails!
oh no that's concerning! Have you reached out to Pimax with your tracking issues?
P.S. Thank you! 💅
Mine tracks perfect, both in Steam VR and without(iRacing, DCS, MSFS)
What is the game with the water ! That looks sooooo cool. I want to play that with my quest 3
That’s Kayak Mirage!
i keep thinking of the drink when I hear the name of it xP
I don't undestand the battery , i have the cable .. one moment CRYSTAL 60G AIRLINK WoW !!!! I need the battery !!!!
Is it as clear as your blue eyes? Now thats what I want from my VR, to be able to see something clear like that. Using quest 3 for iRacing and its just a fraction blurry
I want 8K per eye. 240Hz. OLED. Wireless. PC only.
From 4k to 8k is x4 times more pixels + 240hz is x2 from 120hz
In summary, you need 8 times more power to drive it
+ no wireless Wi-Fi can handle so much data stream
I also want that 😆plus sunglasses size, 300 FOV, cheap price...
@@blessed747 Maybe in ten years from now you will get all that.
@@iraklimgeladze5223 There are 50 Ghz technologies in the labs. There is enough transfer even without compression. You just have to want it.
@@PimaxVR15 You'll still make a pretty penny for two small OLED screens and a 50 GHz wireless connection, so there's no point in crying ;)
All they need to do is reduce this thing in half and it’ll be a hot seller.
Oh boy, a suitcase on my face…. Not…. What’s their next headsets name, Pimax country time lemonade?
i was so surprised with the software is really really good.... ive had no problems at all besides not having the 15mm face foam... which is really important if you ware glasses like i do.... ,BE WARNED my 4070 super was not good enough for SIMS in VR... not to really get your moneys worth. my new 4080 super is so much better, night and day... also the face foam housing is really cheap and already starting to crack at the hook clip points
I ordered the Studioform comfortpads instead. Much better comfort and you can adapt it to your liking. I got mine today and it was a great improvment, both with glasses and without.
It is a good time for pcvr.
Man i hope to god that pimax doesn't go bankrupt due to they having like 7 headsets coming out. This headset looks extremly promicing
They aren't Fanatec
Don’t understand why you think PSVR2 is a better comparison to this, than the Meta Quest 3… for one the Quest 3 is more price comparable than the PSVR2 (specially after it’s been heavily discontinued, because sony doesn’t give a damn about it or it’s customers who wasted money on it)… secondly, the Quest 3 was made for mobile and pc from its inception, PSVR2 was just WD40 and Duck/Duct tapped together to work on pc.
So it makes no sense to compare this against something that’s not meant for pc (loses 99% of its features just to work on pc, with a SOLD SEPARATELY adapter).
Yes I brought the PSVR 2 day one under the false illusion sony would actually make games for it… yes I own a Quest 3, 2 and rift… out of all of them I’d pick the Quest 3 any day of the week, because the pancake lenses are worlds better than fanel lenses (no more seeing the rings because there is non on pancake lenses… so everything looks clear now).
I also like the hammerhead shark look of this headset, would be nice if it was more compact tho.
Well, I can already say, the PSVR2 can't win against the Crystal Light because of its low resolution and OLED vs MiniLCD is also not a so big difference as a LCD like in the Meta Quest 2 vs PSVR2 OLED. And the most interesting parts of the PSVR2 is not supported under Windows. But of course, if you already have a PSVR2 for PS5 and a solid gaming PC but no PCVR headset yet, it is a no-brainer to use it with a PC.
Great points! You definitely got them right ;) I'll be mentioning them and others in the upcoming PSVR2 vs CL comparison video, should be live in just a couple of days
This thing is like wearing a shoebox on your face
No eye-tracking is an immediate no from me. "hey, instead of changing our outdated, bulky lens/panels design, we'll just strip down every necessary technology from our headset to improve form factor and weight." Apple gives us the most sleek, frictionelss OS ever made in VR with embedded DFR and a revolutionary control system while Pimax insistently put foward software armageddon with no actual OS while also completely abstaining from eye-tracking. The lack of vision is incomprehensible.
I see 0 use for eye tracking.
You do realize that the AVP is meant for an entirely different market compared to this headset, and while yes eye tracking could be useful for things such as foveated rendering, a modification to get eye tracking working would be easy, and the VR community as a whole has gotten off without eye tracking for years, so there is no rush to get that out before we can get down the simple basics of what works. VR is still pretty much a wild west, everyone is trying to figure out what sells and what works, think of it less than a product, and more of a blind man's walking stick, trying to feel out how to go forward, you know?
@@spidermonkeynr1outside of social VR apps the biggest reason you want eye tracking is for foverating rendering which reduces the demand on your system while letting you push higher visuals.
Go buy an apple then
not that great I sold my crystal on favour of the quest 3
It looked so meh compared to Somnium VR 1 . Like for real 😅👌 i was at somnium Connect and compared them
Bit more expensive?
@@kOBR4one yeah but much better though
@@x32i77 Lemme guess you did try out their ultimate headset aswell? X3 times the pimax crystal light price
@@kOBR4one yeah I tried all models and preordered the eye tracking edition
@@x32i77 need that review!’when you get it ofc
+VAT or TAX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yeah it sounds nice and all but I seriously think that nothing can beat Meta Quest 3 at this point.
unmatched FOV? you shilling me?
Yeah, I have the Crystal, the q3 and the psvr2 and the FOV from smallest to largest is crystal, q3 then psvr2.
While I appreciate the work that goes into these reviews, it's not particularly useful to anyone not running the fastest gpu currently available, which is most of us.
See??? You still had to install the software twice! I just don’t trust Pimax to actually plug and play! Plus it’s so massive- you look like you have a surfboard over your face
:)
Thats too big in my opinion. Just my thoughts.
You dont see it when you wear it😊
@@marcushellberg907 yeah, but you feel the weight of it
@@DARK_KATACLYSM But you wrote that it was to big, not to heavy. So that is what I replyed on. Still, I do not have a problem with the weight coming from a Reverb G2. It is more comfortable during long stints in my opinion.
@@marcushellberg907 what about a quest 3?Are they too heavy?
It just looks big actually. The weight is alright. 😉
Too bulky to be practical imo
Practical for what?
@@antjones2281 your face
I’m sorry, but it just looks awful putting a big truck fender on your head. Combine that with the facial interface and the heat and it’s a no. Plus, maybe it’s just me but I don’t want any wires or be tethered to a computer. I’ll stick with the Quest 3 and enjoy the graphics I get
I don't want to deal with the horrible latency and compression I get from using my Quest 3 for PCVR anymore, so I can't wait to sell it and get this Pimax!
The question is why worry about the looks. You can't see it anyway its on your head.
It is very comfortable and, as already stated, you do not see it when you wear it.
@@fups1 What latency and compression? Using Virtual Desktop with Wifi 6E on a 10Gbps line and it works amazing. Skill issue.
@edenassos There's a minimum of 35ms of input latency no matter how good your setup is, you can cope all you want but that's worse than cheap Walmart tvs.
not gonna lie, the form factor is ridiculous ... it hadn't changed at all for the past 5 years ...i would never pay money on a vr headset that looks like this in 2024
If you care about how you look whilst gaming don't get a VR headset lol
It's not just about looks; it's about ergonomics and convenience. The bulkier a theater-attached device is, the less likely you'll use it-especially when others are already offering sleeker options. I don't want wires, and I definitely don't want a toaster strapped to my face.
@@Gr8Success "Toaster" 😂😂👍
I have a quest 3 which i use wired to a pc to get a higher bitrate than is possible with wireless. But i got a Pimax Crystal Light 2 days ago and it blows the Quest clean out of the water visualy. Yes the quest is easy to use blah blah blah. But compared to the Crysal visualy its like N64 graphics 😮
@@Equinoxcode what GPU do you have?
I have a 3080 and think it may struggle with the headset.
its already proved to be defective and overpriced product. And yet still another youtuber "so happy with their experience" lolz is it because you are getting an extra cents from every purchase under your affiliation link? is this what your channel is about?
who have this headset ... ? ben aflec ?
1:34 even higher than the Apple Vision Pro??