I have a Reverb G2v2 and am very happy with it, comfort wise, it's the most comfortable HMD I have (and I have many), and as long as I keep my eyes real close to the optics (my face shape and eyes), I find the FOV to be better than the Quest-2 and maybe even the Pico 4 but nowhere as good as the Index, also, as long as your eyes are real close, the sweet spot gets considerably bigger to the point you can look around into the sweet spot and see good clarity all over. The biggest problem with the G2 is it's WMR tie in, WMR is plain and simple.... a pain in the butt. The G2 controllers are also pathetic at best, luckily I still have my index and bought two VRDongles and now use my knuckles with my G2 (OpenVR Space Calibrator). So in a way I get the best of both worlds. For sim racing, I love my G2 as compared to the Index (resolution and clarity) and especially over my Quest-2 and Pico 4 (compression ruins the clarity for distance viewing). Unfortunately, at the Crystal's price point, this is a forbidden fruit for myself even though I would love to try one.
I really enjoyed my time with the g2, mainly used it for IRacing. I think my main complaint was the fact that it ran on Windows Mixed Reality. I don't do much general vr, so the controllers were fine for me I've only had the Crystal for a few days, it's bulkier and gets a lot hotter but the dynamic foveated rendering is a game changer. I'm getting frame rates at a ridiculous resolution on a 3080 with openxr.
Yeah I own a G2 for sim racing & agree with you. Would love to try a pimax crystal but just way out of reach for $1600 so will be sticking to the G2 & see what comes along
I have my G2 after A Pimax5plus. I enjoy it and still won't replace it with the Crystal, mainly for the form factor and price. I will wait to hear from Valve though 😁
My g2 was the best headset ever. I did not have to mod it or do anything to it. It was just comfy with good sound. I used index controllers with it, and playing half life alyx for the first time was the best experience ever. Im not going to buy a big brick like crystal to put on my head no matter how good the screens are. Just wish HP could make the g2 with pancake lenses and infrared tracking like the Quest. Farewell HP VR.
So, I got impatient and ordered a used G2v2 from ebay for 200. I did that because my quest 2 had a big scratch in the lenses. Then the Crystal reviews came out and well, had to get it. I hated the G2 right off the bat. You really have to tinker to get it to where its great. Now that I cant live without my G2 and I cant wait to get the Pimax and compare. According to tracking it stuck in Customs because I guess they didn't fill out the paperwork correctly. Not sure if any Pimax users ran into this issue.
Nice review. However, I think most by now take it as read that the Crystal has the best display out there currently. What puts me off from upgrading from my G2, and from many others clearly, is the Pimax software and the horrendous problems still suffered by many of settings it up. Pimax history of this is well known, and while maybe it's improved it's still a huge barrier to entry at this high price point.
Completely understand that sentiment. My own history with Pimax products has been very up and down, from initially really disliking the 5K+ and never considering another HMD by them, to slowly warming to the 8KX. The Crystal is certainly one I am happy to recommend at this point, but the caveats remain. I'd like to make it clear, that I personally have never had any issues with this latest iteration of their software. It has honestly been rock solid with never an issue with it not detecting that the headset is connected etc. However, I have heard the reports, and have also seen videos reporting the same thing - videos which I fully believe to be accurate. So that has to be a consideration for potential buyers. I'd like to think my experience is the norm, and that dissatisfied users are the ones commenting on Reddit etc, and are overwhelming users who are not having issues, yet simply not reporting it with as much frequency. But I can't honestly say I know either way for sure. I'm making videos on the Crystal as honestly and transparently as I can with my own experience, but can perfectly understand hesitancy based on some of the reports.
The software is much better now. Just got the crystal yesterday.... No issues. You have that terrible Window mixed reality software with the G2 anyway.
thanks for the information. weight is a strange thing, i have nearly 6000 hrs in Ed (all VR) started with the HTC , then the pimax 8K (backer) then the index, then the quest 2 (2 of them, gave them both away to my squad) pimax 4k for a test, now using the Pico 4 all those headset are very different in weight and as ED is a sit down SIM then yea you get used to the weight very quick. i will not be getting the Pimax crystal for 1 the reason they treated as a kickstarter backup and 2, i bought the new DMS for the 8k and it is so uncomfortable. Pico 4 has acouple of downsides, u use it wireless so FPS drops, and the sound is stupid speakers in the strap with no audio jack (yes i know there are USB options) but playing ED in 4-5hr sessions does not leave a lot for the battery in it (have external battey attached) the Pico 4 visuals would in my guess be almost as good as the Crystal (a lot better than the quest 2) but framerate slower, so i wont be buying the crystal, will wait for the next VR headset on the market, maybe quest 3 or the Pico 5 (or even the pico 4 Link) who knows Keep up the good work mate
Completely understand your points, and if the Pico 4 is doing the job for you right now then I think you're making the right choice. I'm looking forward to trying the Quest 3 (or Pico 4) myself sometime too - or whatever else might be coming out for that matter!
FoV for the HP Reverb G2 is way better than the Quest 2, however I'm not using the default gasket, I opted to get VRCovers and I use the thinner leather cover instead. I think though there is a significant jump in FoV from the G2 to the Pimax Crystal / Valve Index. I'm actually looking at the Quest 3 as my new headset because I feel when moving from the CV1 to the G2 I've lost contact with mainstream VR and I want to get that back with the Quest 3. I feel if I bought the Crystal, it would be even more a sim only headset, I hope that makes sense.
Crystal is a great headset, i've have it for a couple of weeks now, the only drawbacks is that it is a heavy headset and would love a still bigger fov and oled screens to make it the perfect headset.
Ya, the G2 is probably still a great headset for sim users but not something that I'd recommend buying new anymore. As far as those users upgrading their G2 I suppose the logical options include the Quest Pro, Crystal, and BigScreen Beyond. I currently run a dual VR headset setup with a QPro/rtx4090, mainly wireless PCVR with Air Link, and a wired Vive Pro1 with Etsy lens mod and Index controllers. I'm looking at upgrading my VP1 later this year to either a Crystal or BigScreen Beyond, depending how final, functional versions pan out. Thanks for you interesting and honest vids mate and best cheers from Australia.
I’ve had a g2 for a year now for iRacing. Just last week it bit the dust. Cable issues and now I can even get the screen to come on after buying a new cable.
@@stevenhoffman7919 Maybe see if you can get a refund for your new cable and then move onto something else, maybe a nice new Quest 3? I now have one and it does a very good job with PCVR. I still prefer my QPro for PCVR but the Q3l does a very good job and its much better with standalone VR/MR. Glad to have both right now.
Although you mention it, the big issue is the cost. Import tax to the UK, along with $70 delivery (is that really needed for something this price?) makes it too much. And what happens if we have issues with it? No local distribution centre to send it back to, ship to USA? 3 month wait? I can see from your videos that you like it but unless you are USA based it's too much of a risk for me.
To add, I filled in their Reverb G2 questionnaire and am now a proud member of the Pimax 'club' but even the $100 discount they offered was not enough to tempt me.
All fair points. The replacement/repair issue seems to be a hot topic right now, and something I will try to remember to include in my final review for the Crystal.
I still have my G2 and I agree with everything you say about it. I'll probably get a Crystal unless something better comes along while I'm saving up for it. That would have to have similar audio and I think dynamic foveated rendering for me to consider it. But smaller and lighter would be nice!
Yes, that’s the tough thing really. There are other VR headsets being released all the time, but none seem to have every feature we want. Like you, I think the dynamic foveated rendering that you mention is one of the big things I wouldn’t like to lose when considering alternatives.
I'd like to add a comment about the Reverb G2 field of view compared to the Crystal. I'm quite sure you are comparing it to V1 which with the old gasket has a smaller field of view. I own the Reverb G2 V2 and the Crystal. Yesterday I did the comparison of field of view in MSFS2020, and in my test, 'my own test', the field of view is near identical in both, and remember I'm talking about the Reverb G2 V2, not V1, which with the new gasket managed to bring your eyes closer to the lenses. I'm saying this, because if any of you guys own the V2 is going to be disappointed expecting 'a much lager' FOV. Expect near the same. However! The vertical FOV is indeed quite larger, but not the horizontal one. Also true, as we all know by now, sweet spot and clarity, Crystal is the new king here. Can't wait for the upcoming 15% wider FOV lenses. My ideal headset? The Reverb G2 with the Crystal display and lenses, and while we are at it, make those displays OLED. Great videos my friend, good stuff 👍🏻
I am talking about my experience in the V1 G2 so I can't comment on the V2, but will take your word for it. I did use a gasket mod in my G2 to increase the FOV, which worked at the cost of comfort. Although, if I had spent a little more time getting the foam padding correct then it might not have been an issue (although I love the fabric cushion on both the G2 and Index face gasket).
It still depends on every one face form; I have too a G2 V2 and tried not only its new gasket, but many other 3d printed ones and thinner foams; for me the fov and sweet spot certainly increased, but marginally. Maybe the Crystal have same horizontal fov, BUT is "true" fov, I mean, edge to edge clarity means a lot for the fov to be "effective", and G2 with 150º horizontal fov for me would be the same than 90º because you couldn't just move your pupils to look around and still would need to turn your head to focus; because of the nature of its sweet spot the real thing that would have made a massive improvement (if not THE improvement) for the G2 is eye tracking with foveated rendering. That been said, agree with you with our dreamed G2 with updated lenses, it's a real pity that HP abandoned VR, they really pushed the industry and many, maaaany of us were waiting for G3 and they really had an easy job: since weight, form factor, and audio solution just didn't need to upgrade, the only thing they had to do is aspheric or pancake lenses, JUST that would had been enough. I've received today my Crystal, and since I'm still not at my home with my gaming pc I've just try the comfort... god, at least on that I'm going to miss G2 A LOT.
Dear Ham VR 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,
Could you tell me the Pimax Crystal is working with Luker Ross VR mod games? Like Cyberpunk VR or Elden Ring VR mod? Why i can't find any kind of gameplay video on the youtube ? Perhabs it isn'T working with Crystal? And the performance good or not and it will be much sharper also than with ther Reverb G2 ?
Dear Immersed Robot, 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. And my G2 has a good 3d effect overal.Thanks this answer in advance.
Binocular overlap doesn’t really affect how ‘3D’ things look in VR generally. Overlap is the percentage of view each eye can see if the opposite eye’s perspective. Stereo separation is what affects the level of 3D to the best of my understanding. Regardless of this, the binocular overlap is very good in the Pimax Crystal, and without knowing numbers, I’d estimate is as been somewhere in the high 80% - 90% range. Regarding how ‘3D’ things look, it didn’t look any different to either the Quest 2 or Index from what I can best report.
@@ImmersedRobot Thanks this answer and please tell me the crystal contoller is compatible most of the steam VR games and Oculus home games ( with revive ) ? Thanks this answer in advance,
Fair enough, and of course I mention this at the end of the video. But I will say that there are plenty of simmers who are looking for an upgrade path from a G2, and the Crystal, in terms of improvements, is one of the candidates which is why I made the video. Additionally, the G2 is now discontinued, and similar, dedicated PC VR headsets feel a little thin on the ground right now. Another option, however, is something I’ll be getting to soon - the DPVR E4, which is less an upgrade from the G2, but rather a suitable successor.
A lot of people have a G2 and see its limitations and want something better. So this is useful. It's not like it's easy to try before you buy. And it's not like, having bought a G2, it's impossible to spend more on the next one. It's a question of whether the benefits are big enough to be worth it, or wait for the next thing.
I have a Reverb G2v2 and am very happy with it, comfort wise, it's the most comfortable HMD I have (and I have many), and as long as I keep my eyes real close to the optics (my face shape and eyes), I find the FOV to be better than the Quest-2 and maybe even the Pico 4 but nowhere as good as the Index, also, as long as your eyes are real close, the sweet spot gets considerably bigger to the point you can look around into the sweet spot and see good clarity all over.
The biggest problem with the G2 is it's WMR tie in, WMR is plain and simple.... a pain in the butt. The G2 controllers are also pathetic at best, luckily I still have my index and bought two VRDongles and now use my knuckles with my G2 (OpenVR Space Calibrator). So in a way I get the best of both worlds. For sim racing, I love my G2 as compared to the Index (resolution and clarity) and especially over my Quest-2 and Pico 4 (compression ruins the clarity for distance viewing). Unfortunately, at the Crystal's price point, this is a forbidden fruit for myself even though I would love to try one.
I really enjoyed my time with the g2, mainly used it for IRacing. I think my main complaint was the fact that it ran on Windows Mixed Reality. I don't do much general vr, so the controllers were fine for me
I've only had the Crystal for a few days, it's bulkier and gets a lot hotter but the dynamic foveated rendering is a game changer. I'm getting frame rates at a ridiculous resolution on a 3080 with openxr.
Yeah I own a G2 for sim racing & agree with you. Would love to try a pimax crystal but just way out of reach for $1600 so will be sticking to the G2 & see what comes along
I have my G2 after A Pimax5plus.
I enjoy it and still won't replace it with the Crystal, mainly for the form factor and price. I will wait to hear from Valve though 😁
My g2 was the best headset ever. I did not have to mod it or do anything to it. It was just comfy with good sound. I used index controllers with it, and playing half life alyx for the first time was the best experience ever. Im not going to buy a big brick like crystal to put on my head no matter how good the screens are. Just wish HP could make the g2 with pancake lenses and infrared tracking like the Quest. Farewell HP VR.
My crystal arrives on Friday 👍
Nice! Hope you enjoy it!
When did u order?
I ordered end of May
So, I got impatient and ordered a used G2v2 from ebay for 200. I did that because my quest 2 had a big scratch in the lenses. Then the Crystal reviews came out and well, had to get it. I hated the G2 right off the bat. You really have to tinker to get it to where its great. Now that I cant live without my G2 and I cant wait to get the Pimax and compare. According to tracking it stuck in Customs because I guess they didn't fill out the paperwork correctly. Not sure if any Pimax users ran into this issue.
Nice review. However, I think most by now take it as read that the Crystal has the best display out there currently. What puts me off from upgrading from my G2, and from many others clearly, is the Pimax software and the horrendous problems still suffered by many of settings it up. Pimax history of this is well known, and while maybe it's improved it's still a huge barrier to entry at this high price point.
Completely understand that sentiment. My own history with Pimax products has been very up and down, from initially really disliking the 5K+ and never considering another HMD by them, to slowly warming to the 8KX. The Crystal is certainly one I am happy to recommend at this point, but the caveats remain.
I'd like to make it clear, that I personally have never had any issues with this latest iteration of their software. It has honestly been rock solid with never an issue with it not detecting that the headset is connected etc. However, I have heard the reports, and have also seen videos reporting the same thing - videos which I fully believe to be accurate. So that has to be a consideration for potential buyers.
I'd like to think my experience is the norm, and that dissatisfied users are the ones commenting on Reddit etc, and are overwhelming users who are not having issues, yet simply not reporting it with as much frequency. But I can't honestly say I know either way for sure.
I'm making videos on the Crystal as honestly and transparently as I can with my own experience, but can perfectly understand hesitancy based on some of the reports.
@@ImmersedRobot keep up with the videos, they're great
The software is much better now. Just got the crystal yesterday.... No issues. You have that terrible Window mixed reality software with the G2 anyway.
Great review thank you.
thanks for the information. weight is a strange thing, i have nearly 6000 hrs in Ed (all VR) started with the HTC , then the pimax 8K (backer) then the index, then the quest 2 (2 of them, gave them both away to my squad) pimax 4k for a test, now using the Pico 4 all those headset are very different in weight and as ED is a sit down SIM then yea you get used to the weight very quick. i will not be getting the Pimax crystal for 1 the reason they treated as a kickstarter backup and 2, i bought the new DMS for the 8k and it is so uncomfortable. Pico 4 has acouple of downsides, u use it wireless so FPS drops, and the sound is stupid speakers in the strap with no audio jack (yes i know there are USB options) but playing ED in 4-5hr sessions does not leave a lot for the battery in it (have external battey attached) the Pico 4 visuals would in my guess be almost as good as the Crystal (a lot better than the quest 2) but framerate slower, so i wont be buying the crystal, will wait for the next VR headset on the market, maybe quest 3 or the Pico 5 (or even the pico 4 Link) who knows
Keep up the good work mate
Completely understand your points, and if the Pico 4 is doing the job for you right now then I think you're making the right choice. I'm looking forward to trying the Quest 3 (or Pico 4) myself sometime too - or whatever else might be coming out for that matter!
FoV for the HP Reverb G2 is way better than the Quest 2, however I'm not using the default gasket, I opted to get VRCovers and I use the thinner leather cover instead. I think though there is a significant jump in FoV from the G2 to the Pimax Crystal / Valve Index. I'm actually looking at the Quest 3 as my new headset because I feel when moving from the CV1 to the G2 I've lost contact with mainstream VR and I want to get that back with the Quest 3. I feel if I bought the Crystal, it would be even more a sim only headset, I hope that makes sense.
I'm looking forward to the Quest 3 myself!
Crystal is a great headset, i've have it for a couple of weeks now, the only drawbacks is that it is a heavy headset and would love a still bigger fov and oled screens to make it the perfect headset.
I guess Beat Saber is out then!
I play beat saber and fps games without issues
Ya, the G2 is probably still a great headset for sim users but not something that I'd recommend buying new anymore. As far as those users upgrading their G2 I suppose the logical options include the Quest Pro, Crystal, and BigScreen Beyond. I currently run a dual VR headset setup with a QPro/rtx4090, mainly wireless PCVR with Air Link, and a wired Vive Pro1 with Etsy lens mod and Index controllers. I'm looking at upgrading my VP1 later this year to either a Crystal or BigScreen Beyond, depending how final, functional versions pan out. Thanks for you interesting and honest vids mate and best cheers from Australia.
I’ve had a g2 for a year now for iRacing. Just last week it bit the dust. Cable issues and now I can even get the screen to come on after buying a new cable.
@@stevenhoffman7919 Maybe see if you can get a refund for your new cable and then move onto something else, maybe a nice new Quest 3? I now have one and it does a very good job with PCVR. I still prefer my QPro for PCVR but the Q3l does a very good job and its much better with standalone VR/MR. Glad to have both right now.
Although you mention it, the big issue is the cost. Import tax to the UK, along with $70 delivery (is that really needed for something this price?) makes it too much. And what happens if we have issues with it? No local distribution centre to send it back to, ship to USA? 3 month wait? I can see from your videos that you like it but unless you are USA based it's too much of a risk for me.
To add, I filled in their Reverb G2 questionnaire and am now a proud member of the Pimax 'club' but even the $100 discount they offered was not enough to tempt me.
All fair points. The replacement/repair issue seems to be a hot topic right now, and something I will try to remember to include in my final review for the Crystal.
I still have my G2 and I agree with everything you say about it. I'll probably get a Crystal unless something better comes along while I'm saving up for it. That would have to have similar audio and I think dynamic foveated rendering for me to consider it. But smaller and lighter would be nice!
Yes, that’s the tough thing really. There are other VR headsets being released all the time, but none seem to have every feature we want. Like you, I think the dynamic foveated rendering that you mention is one of the big things I wouldn’t like to lose when considering alternatives.
I'd like to add a comment about the Reverb G2 field of view compared to the Crystal. I'm quite sure you are comparing it to V1 which with the old gasket has a smaller field of view.
I own the Reverb G2 V2 and the Crystal. Yesterday I did the comparison of field of view in MSFS2020, and in my test, 'my own test', the field of view is near identical in both, and remember I'm talking about the Reverb G2 V2, not V1, which with the new gasket managed to bring your eyes closer to the lenses.
I'm saying this, because if any of you guys own the V2 is going to be disappointed expecting 'a much lager' FOV. Expect near the same.
However! The vertical FOV is indeed quite larger, but not the horizontal one.
Also true, as we all know by now, sweet spot and clarity, Crystal is the new king here.
Can't wait for the upcoming 15% wider FOV lenses.
My ideal headset? The Reverb G2 with the Crystal display and lenses, and while we are at it, make those displays OLED.
Great videos my friend, good stuff 👍🏻
I am talking about my experience in the V1 G2 so I can't comment on the V2, but will take your word for it. I did use a gasket mod in my G2 to increase the FOV, which worked at the cost of comfort. Although, if I had spent a little more time getting the foam padding correct then it might not have been an issue (although I love the fabric cushion on both the G2 and Index face gasket).
It still depends on every one face form; I have too a G2 V2 and tried not only its new gasket, but many other 3d printed ones and thinner foams; for me the fov and sweet spot certainly increased, but marginally. Maybe the Crystal have same horizontal fov, BUT is "true" fov, I mean, edge to edge clarity means a lot for the fov to be "effective", and G2 with 150º horizontal fov for me would be the same than 90º because you couldn't just move your pupils to look around and still would need to turn your head to focus; because of the nature of its sweet spot the real thing that would have made a massive improvement (if not THE improvement) for the G2 is eye tracking with foveated rendering. That been said, agree with you with our dreamed G2 with updated lenses, it's a real pity that HP abandoned VR, they really pushed the industry and many, maaaany of us were waiting for G3 and they really had an easy job: since weight, form factor, and audio solution just didn't need to upgrade, the only thing they had to do is aspheric or pancake lenses, JUST that would had been enough. I've received today my Crystal, and since I'm still not at my home with my gaming pc I've just try the comfort... god, at least on that I'm going to miss G2 A LOT.
Dear Ham VR
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,
Could you tell me the Pimax Crystal is working with Luker Ross VR mod games? Like Cyberpunk VR or Elden Ring VR mod? Why i can't find any kind of gameplay video on the youtube ? Perhabs it isn'T working with Crystal? And the performance good or not and it will be much sharper also than with ther Reverb G2 ?
Dear Immersed Robot,
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. And my G2 has a good 3d effect overal.Thanks this answer in advance.
Binocular overlap doesn’t really affect how ‘3D’ things look in VR generally. Overlap is the percentage of view each eye can see if the opposite eye’s perspective. Stereo separation is what affects the level of 3D to the best of my understanding.
Regardless of this, the binocular overlap is very good in the Pimax Crystal, and without knowing numbers, I’d estimate is as been somewhere in the high 80% - 90% range.
Regarding how ‘3D’ things look, it didn’t look any different to either the Quest 2 or Index from what I can best report.
@@ImmersedRobot Thanks this answer and please tell me the crystal contoller is compatible most of the steam VR games and Oculus home games ( with revive ) ? Thanks this answer in advance,
Haven't even watched the video yet and I already know the G2 is just gonna get bashed on by the Crystal. Rip G2.
Yeah bashed by the quality, but not (by a long chalk) at the price point. All things considered, the Reverb G2 wins for now with it's price.
Compare a $500 to a $1600 headset. What next a ford focus compare with a Rolls?
Fair enough, and of course I mention this at the end of the video.
But I will say that there are plenty of simmers who are looking for an upgrade path from a G2, and the Crystal, in terms of improvements, is one of the candidates which is why I made the video.
Additionally, the G2 is now discontinued, and similar, dedicated PC VR headsets feel a little thin on the ground right now.
Another option, however, is something I’ll be getting to soon - the DPVR E4, which is less an upgrade from the G2, but rather a suitable successor.
A lot of people have a G2 and see its limitations and want something better. So this is useful. It's not like it's easy to try before you buy. And it's not like, having bought a G2, it's impossible to spend more on the next one. It's a question of whether the benefits are big enough to be worth it, or wait for the next thing.