Pimax Crystal Light | Initial Impressions | DCS | MSFS | Thru-lens
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 18 ธ.ค. 2024
- For a quality discount on the Pimax Crystal Light, use the following link:
pimax.com/?ref...
..and remember to use the coupon code: tallymouse
at the checkout!
Processor: Intel i9 11900KF (overclocked to 5.2GHz)
Motherboard: ASUS Maximus Hero VIII
Memory: 128GB CORSAIR VENGEANCE RGB PRO 3600MHz (4x32GB)
System Cooling: CORSAIR iCUE H150i Elite LCD XT Liquid CPU Cooler - IPS LCD Screen
Graphics Cards: MSI GeForce RTX 4090
Operating System: MS Windows 11 Professional
Operating System Drive: 2TB Samsung 990 Pro M2 NVMe
DCS Hard Drive: 2TB Samsung 990 PRO M2 NVMe
Power Supply: CORSAIR AX1000i ATX Titanium
Motion Platform: DOF Reality P3
Virtual Reality: Quest2, Quest3, Varjo Aero, Pimax 8KX and Pimax Crystal (eye-tracking)
Hand tracking: Pimax Hand Tracking module (LeapMotion IR170)
WinWing DDIs and UFC
Thrustmaster F/A-18C and F-16 Hornet stick and Warthog Throttle.
Thrustmaster TRP pedals.
Sim-shaker software driving 3 tactile bass-shakers: andres-shop.si...
If you enjoy aircraft, flight or flight simulation, consider getting yourself into Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020.
If you enjoy military aircraft, flight or flight simulation, consider getting yourself into DCS World.
Music:
Darkside Cover Orchestrated by TallyMouse
#msfs #aviation #flightsimulator #dcs #airplanes #jets #crystal #light
I just got mines last week and I can say this is future proof. No need for another VR update. If you get the new 5000 series RTX you’ll be in heaven as a Flight Sim or a Racing fan. On DCS with a 3080 ti I can read every word clear. I even can read the writing on the outside wing. It’s incredible.
Can you see the details for the radar contacts in F16? For me this is a must.
@nikoladimitrov3911 Yes. No issues. For me that was the big difference with the OH Crystal too. You can read everything clearly without leaning forwards..
What about local dimming? What about total weight? What about sound comparison? What about Quadrant view performance? How reprojected video looks - plane spotting, ground moving, etc?
I'll be covering that in an upcoming video!
Would definitely be good to hear how it runs on a 3080. All the reviews are with a 4090 and say how it’s mind blowing. It’s mind blowing to me that people have so much to spend on a GPU!
ikr
You should watch the video...since he talks about it.
@@l8knight845 I watched it. It’s not an in depth review at this point. If he is running it with a 3080 I’d like to hear more about it.
These headsets arent for poor people, they are for those of us that have the money for the gpu that will power the resolution, a 3080 isnt wnough for it at this resolution. Go get a quest 3 and cal it a day that thing is amazing. Pimax is a shitty headset now anyways, they keep taking away any features that make it good and make you pay for all the extras its to much for what you dont get.
@@nick-dm3if erm, thanks I’m not “poor”, if I wanted a 4090 I could buy a 4090. What I’m not is dumb-enough to buy a 4090 and then splash hundreds more on a VR headset. £2,000 to play DCS in VR isn’t a good use of my money. The only reason I am looking is due to Microsoft ending support for the Reverb G2 in the near future. Otherwise I’m happy with what I have.
Great first video Tally. I particularly enjoyed the comparisons, not to mention the fitment test at 2 minutes in 😂👌
Thank you kindly, sir!
@tallymouse were you using a 11900K processor to test the Pimax Crystal Light? Thanks!
@Crawdad_Nick 11900KF overclocked to 5.2GHz (water block) throughout.
Incredible! Your detailed knowledge of the specs is unsurpassed! Outstanding video, sir!
Thank you, sir! ..and welcome back - always a joy to see familiar names here..
A brilliant Crystal Light review AND a face reveal all in one video?! Interesting to see this pre production unit having removable lenses. Thanks for another great video 🐭
Thank you. I was scared to show my real face, but the community gave me the confidence to do it!
@tallymouse what do you use to capture the view in the goggles?
@@johnraahauge4552 OBS Studio along with OBS OpenXR Mirror.
4:34 This is incorrect. G2's hFOV is 98 and it was perfectly achievable, especially with the v2 so the difference is only 4 degrees. There's absolutely no reason Crystal has to be this wide.
100% its absolute madness. that thing reminds me of a dog with a stick trying to get through a doorway.
The Crystal has very different panels to the G2
@@tallymouse Yes but you can even see on the teardown videos the optical stack doesn't take much space at all.
It's so maddening that every review I've seen so far has raved about this headset, but I find the design simply repulsive.
@TheEnfo 😂 it's not the prettiest piece of product design.. you're not wrong there. Luckily, you cannot see it when it's on your head!
Really in-depth review! Can't wait to try it
I find it extremely hard to find any information at all about whether or not the crystal light supports prescription lens inserts / interchangeability, both in online reviews and on the official website. You'd think this was an extremely important aspect to consider with any VR headset.
@@neo2264 The lenses should be near identical to the OG Crystal, so Crystal inserts should work fine. May be worth checking directly with HonsVR, or whoever your preferred prescription lens provider is.
Why is it so much bigger than Quest 3? I don't believe screens are so much bigger. Thanks for the video.
I have the Reverb G2 and my question is, can you use Reverb G2's controller with Pimax Crystal Light?
Can you disable the fixed FOV setting and get clarity edge to edge/
@@familyfirst8364 Yes. You can just disable the FFR.
its embarassing that microsoft is killing some of the best consumer grade PCVR headsets, and the best replacement we have is this giant monstrosity at double the price.
I dont understand something. Taking your example in MSFS = How is the pimax giving smooth motion with fps floating around 30-34fps? I say this because, if you are using 72hz mode, the half refresh is 36fps. So if it dips below 36, it should screen tear, no?
How are you getting smooth gameplay at sub-36fps? If on my quest 3, it dips below 36frames/fps, it completely breaks down.
The trick is to not use smart smoothing. If you do so, then yes, everything falls apart if you drop below your target frame rate. In the THL video, I was actually running 120Hz, to better match my camera's frame rate and avoid screen aberrations.
Can u please do a review of the Crystal Light with DCS? Thanks.
Yes - will be coming soon!
i love it with MSFS but i have problems with Steam Vr
Have you tried just running through OpenXR and not using SteamVR?
th-cam.com/video/pbzW6RMP_gU/w-d-xo.html
Nice comparison showcase. Is the upgraded top strap worth it for a Pimax Light buyer ? Also what ear muffs are they on the DMAS speakers ?
Topstrap is totally worth it - makes adjustment so easy! I also cut out a bit of an old face-foam and used velcro tape to adhere it to the pad of the strap for extra comfort.
The cups are from the KDMAS, I contacted sale support and managed to buy an extra pair of cups.
@@tallymouse Great. Thanks Tallymouse
I'm upgrading from the Rift S so I got BIG expectations
Let me know how that goes as my jump would be the same 😊
@@voodoo7863 mine probably will arrive sometime in September so I hope I can remember to haha
@@voodoo7863 even Pico 4 was a HUGE upgrade for me...
One thing to test in your more thorough review would be inside out head tracking. I've been finding it not responsive enough for cockpit games on my Crystal.
That'll be in the next review vid. I wanted to spend more time with it, warts and all, before making a final recommendation either way.
@@tallymouseis that available yet? Watching for an indication it’s time to upgrade the Index. Thanks.
@@user_16309 yes is available and already shipping
@@tallymousethanks. Im leery of the quality issues. How are you finding the quality compared to say the Index? Overall build quality?
Great review, 30-40 fps in DCS is very off putting I will stick with my index at 80 fps.
Awesome review especially considering that it's been just two days since you got Crystal Light! Thanks Tally!
I try my best 😅
Why dont you use dlss in Dcs? It boost fps by a really high amount. You should defenitly give it a try
You'll note I am not using DL anything in DCS.. I normally fly with the OG Crystal.. and I get 72-100fps no probs.
Think we need to see what the PSVR2 to PC adapter brings to the table, its a pure OLED headset with a resolution similar to the Reverb G2 but with a wider FOV so will not require a more expensive GPU and CPU upgrade to drive it, the Crystal Light will need a lot more processing power to fill those ultra hi resolution screens.
The problem with the PSVR2 to PCVR adaptor is most of the great features of the PSVR2 will be disabled including eye tracking making the PSVR2 just another plain jane VR HMD. :(
@@jackr.749 There are no other OLED PCVR headsets out there under $1500, and the features you are talking about like DFR technology should not be needed for high end GPUs, Sony could also choose to add haptic and HDR support in the future if PCVR developers ask for it, I see the PSVR2 becoming the cheapest by far true PCVR headset with OLED displays.
@@techinfusions Agreed if you really want OLED, unfortunately, Sony went with Fresnel optics instead of either Pancake or Aspheric lenses. The Bigscreen Beyond is $1000 USA, but requires base stations and those kind of controller thus extra cost for those who don't have them, but it has micro OLED panels.
I hope you are right about Sony enabling the features they killed off with the PCVR adapter if there is strong enough demand.
Seeing as you have both the Quest 3 and Pimax Crystal, how do those two compare in terms of sharpness in MSFS? For example can you read the labels of the cockpit buttons in both without getting closer or is there no difference? Also what about the black-levels (flying at night) between the two?
The Quest3 has really excellent lenses, but at the end of the day, the Crystal simply wins on Pixel count. At night, the Crystal wins on the local dimming too (as long as you don't have local dimming set to "extreme"). The Quest3 is good, but you still have to lean forwards to read the smallest things, whereas with the Crystal, I don't need to lean forward. The Crystal has almost twice as many pixels per eye.
@@tallymouse My question is, for those who have the Quest 3 or Quest Pro, does it make sense to upgrade to the Pimax Crystal Light? I only use VR for MSFS.
@@DK-ov2kw That's a really great question. Owning and using both. I'd say NO: it's not worth the upgrade from the Q3 as long as you've pushed everything you can out of the Q3. If you were a G2 user, then the upgrade would be a no-brainer.
However, when the Crystal Super comes out at the end of this year, or early 2025, THAT would be a worthy upgrade. Going to >30million pixels with eye-tracking and DFR etc from the Q3 would give you a near 4x increase in the number of pixels and place you at 50ppd with a significantly higher FOV than the Q3...
I know it'll be more expensive, but it'll not be a VR1 or an XR4, and, if you're like me, you're always in search of the best possible visuals that make sense, from a financial perspective.
Your response is really cool, I even recommend you make a short TH-cam video with this perspective. A lot of people are getting into VR with the Quest 3 and all these releases make everything super confusing. Your take on finding the best value is spot on!
@@DK-ov2kw Thank you - I was thinking of making a Q3-to-Crystal comparison video for Flight Sims..
Thank you for the review. How’s the FPS in DCS and MFSF with the 3080 video card?
You can see it in the video - the 3080 is covered in both cases.
what about motion clarity, and brightness how does it compare to quest 3 ?
Clarity is about twice that of the Quest3, and brightness very similar. The DP cable is a major benefit over pushing data on USB (or Wifi6)
Oh you use Kdmas headphones on your genuine crystal ?
No.. i use DMAS, but I put KDMAS ear-cups on them!
@@tallymouse is it efficient ?
@@R1jerome When I first got the Crystal, last July, I found the DMAS lacked a little bass, that i'd been used to on the 8kx's KDMAS. So I took the cups off the 8kx and put them on the Crystal. I then contacted Pimax Sales and asked if I could buy just a pair of cups. I paid $50 for them.
With the cups on the DMAS I have to run at about 50% headset volume otherwise my ears get blown out. I've never suffered from the audio latency problem that a few people have, the sound has always been very in sync with what's going on upon the screen.
Thanks for answering me ;)
I must try to find this kind of ear cups for my Dmas to improve sound response in bass frequencies.
I have an audio delay issue in sim races games , i use no latency mode and eq by myself the sound. It's better but not ideal
Where did you get the ear cups for the dmas headphone?
I contacted sales support on Pimax and asked to purchase some. I think they cost me Eur50
@@tallymouse Oooff, thats spendy, cheers I'll get in contact
I’m a VR NOB what do you mean by Hand tracking? Is that like gloves for DCS? Also YES on we need reviews from NON 4090 users. 95% of us can’t afford a 4090. Thanks
Try watching this:
th-cam.com/video/WWewNUY0enE/w-d-xo.html
Its a deal breaker for me not having eye tracking. Dynamic foveated rendering doubles my FPS playing DCS and MSFS and I have a 13900k and 4090 and 30 fps without DFR is not acceptable when I can get 60+ with eye tracking.
MSFS doesnt even support eye tracking DFR.
@@PaulMcDonagh-rv6vc It doesnt have to support it... its in Pimax software... Maybe my MSFS is just special but my FPS doubles when Im using eye tracking DFR!!!!
Does it have an integrated microphone ? Will it work under win11 ? Under win11 it is planned that wmr is discontinued soon .
Has integrated microphone. Works well. I run it with Win11 no issues. Not a WMR headset, so unaffected by Microsoft's doscontinuation of WMR.
Coupon code doesn't work when buying a Crystal Light (headset only)
Thank you! I'll contact Pimax to find out what's going on.
Hi Tally sorry your ref link does take me to the page but not accepted the Code. i am in the UK is it maybe this stopping it?
Thank you! I'll contact Pimax to find out what's going on.
No pancake lenses is a real downer for me
Comment for the algorythm. Good work bro
What is the scaled 100% resolution for the Crystal vs the G2? My G2 is at 3100x3100 for distortion correct which it considers 100%; how does that compare to the Crystal? And for DCS world, how much worse is the Crystal Light with no foveated rendering VS the crystal with quadviews DFR performance?
The 100% resolution for the Crystal, which should be the same for Crystal Light, for the “Maximum” setting in Pimax Play software is 4312x5100 per eye. For the “Balanced” setting it’s 3,234x3825. There’s also a lower setting as well as a “custom” setting that you manually choose the resolution. The Balanced setting is a better image than the G2 even with super sampling to match, not to mention the Maximum being on another level as well.
For DCS, or any of the games supported, using DFR and Quad Views, you get nearly double the performance than without. It’s truly a massive improvement. With a 4090 you would get a smooth 90Hz and probably 120Hz with DFR and Quad Views
@@farmertrueVR Thank you for the reply! And for the great video. Wow, that max resolution is very high. Do you know why the vertical component (5100) scales the way it does for Pimax? IE on the G2 it upscales both X&Y at 150% but the Pimax seems to scale the Y at a higher amount (180%). Is that due to Aspheric lenses or something?
Regarding the DFR Quadviews mode for DCS, this makes things very difficult for me and I presume many others. I mostly play DCS. I don't want the original Crystal due to its weight, battery, chipset, etc. I don't want the Super due to it being way too much resolution. I want the Light - except it lacks eye tracking. I wish they would make an $1199 Crystal Light that weights 30 grams more with eye tracking, or something like that. I've been eyeing the Somnium VR1 but it looks like it will weight a good bit more than the Crystal Light + cost MUCH more.
Maybe the Light is still for me, even as a DCS player... but foregoing all that DFR performance gain is hard. If I used the Balanced setting as you say, it would still be a nice image upgrade over my G2 for a modest performance hit (3200x3800 vs 3100x3100), and I could also use 72fps rather than 45fps Motion Reprojection which would be great. What are your thoughts?
@@DS52116 personally, I think eye tracking, DFR and Quad Views is too important for PCVR now days that I don’t want a PCVR HMD without that support. Especially for DCS and sims. And I don’t even do any sim racing or flying within VR.
The weight is a non issue for me with the Crystal, even with added comfort mods and added weight. The Crystal is very balanced, has a much better mic from what I’ve heard from users who have the Crystal Light, has compatibility with the wide FOV lenses and future wireless wigig module, has several USB C ports for other accessories or adapters and has been out a year now so it’s well ironed out and works great.
The battery is also a non issue with proper accessories as I’m able to live stream VR for 6+ hours and still have a full battery when I’m done. Even without any adjustments, the battery lasts a solid 2.5-4 hours a piece.
My Crystal is lighter than my Index and Varjo Aero after comfort mods for all the HMDs. Not by a lot but I’m not phased by heavier headsets as long as they are well balanced and the Crystal is extremely balanced and comfortable IMO. Like I mentioned, I go 6+ hours live streaming VR without the need to take off or adjust the Crystal. And I stand and move around while in VR…
IMO the Crystal is the most well rounded PCVR HMD available and will be like half the price of the Somnium VR1. I’m fortunate enough to be able to use any VR headset and I prefer the Crystal. Eye tracking for DCS could be the difference between rough 60Hz on high graphical settings at max resolution and a smooth 90-120Hz high graphics with max resolution. Frametimes drastically improve as well so it’ll be much smoother.
But the Crystal is gorgeous either way and the Light is hard to ignore. I was lucky enough to catch the Crystal during Amazon doing flash deals for $1,219 in January. For that price, it can’t be beat and well worth the price and differences over the Light IMO. Pimax seems to always be doing some kind of deal anyway. Either HMD will be impressive, it just depends on what matters to you personally. IMO, the Crystal is far superior to the Light, especially for DCS.
I'm finding that along with the great abilities of the VR set, one is required to invest in the more expensive versions of the video cards. It seems the convincing examples are coming from 3090, 4090 Nvidia cards which cost 1k to 2k themselves. I have a 3060 and it seems that if I want the quality image, I am only going to get 30s range fps. So, if I invest in a $700 set, I need to consider spending another $1k to $2k to get the performance I'm shown in most videos.
This makes an otherwise easy decision, very questionable.
BTW: I am running I9 13900K, 128 Gig 5600 RAM, all latest gen NVMe and an Nvidia 3060. I have a 1200W power supply, so plenty of room in power.
Is there a 3rd party prog like "revive" that allows you to play non Steam DCS for example?
DCS is OpenXR native:
th-cam.com/video/A6g58RVPiUc/w-d-xo.html
@@tallymouse Cheers for your prompt reply.
Hmm I didn’t think this would be worth the money without eye tracking for DCS, but I might have to get this now.
You can still run QuadViews with it (OpenXR) and boost the frame rate considerably..
Yes, another one with the light.. I will watch you review and enjoy my breakfast 😊😊
How was breakfast?
@@tallymouse Fine, but I'm like a swine, eating, eating, eating, eating :D
How does the visual quality compare to the 8KX?
Significantly better, even on "stock resolution". On the 8kx you always have the issue where the fresnel lens causes the off-axis image to be blurry, so you have to move you head to bring dials etc into the middle of the image. The aspheric glass lens on the Crystal/Crystal_Light does a much better job!
sure that your weight is correct? 581g is significant lighter than in other reviews. even you had a pre production unit.
Yes. Mine was stripped down. Many others, such as Reinhard Roscher, had a test unit delivered with topstrap and DMAS headphones etc..
The light is a G2 killer. Said that, HP already canceled the G2 and pulled back from the VR consumer market. From what I can see the light targets more the entry level and the enthusiast still need to go for the more advanced version. Losing the battery makes sens but losing the eye tracking and ports on the HMD makes no sens to me. This was and is the best feature and the future for VR HMD. I don't want to miss Quadviews and the ability to add other USB devices to my HMD.
tl:dr Nice entry HMD missing the biggest and latest innovations in VR.
I agree, eye-tracking and DFR really is the future of VR.. especially as panels pack in more and more pixels!
Can the headphone units be removed completely to run personal headphones?
There's a little headphone jack in the bottom right corner of the headset.
@tallymouse so there's enough space for them to go over the head unit? For G2 I had to unscrew the stock headphones for example.
lol I hear you only play mouse hunt in VR... Love ya channel, great video!
Does this headset have eye tracking for the foveated rendering?
No, they removed the eye-tracking to reduce the cost. But you can still use QuadViews etc for FFR
which cover on the speakers are on your 8kx ?
The cups are from the KDMAS speakers
Wow! This is a great video - i'm only half way through, and this is a great review.. thank you!
Haha! ...wait until the end, I may pull a moon..
I cannot imagine about bad this would run with UEVR ( and I'm not even mentioning with the worst ones) !
So you can't get the larger FOV lenses if you want them? FAIL
No. The lenses are fixed.
6:60 That is NOT 'edge to edge' clarity - the Pimax, like all HDM's - still has a small (compared to the screen) sweet spot !!
You can never replace your eye with a camera's lens crudely pushed into the headset. With your eye, you get edge to edge clarity.
@@tallymouse
STOP TELLING LIES !!!
I'm talking about the sweet spot !!! - the Light (like EVERY HDM) OBVIOUSLY has one - and yes, we CAN see it here. That MEANS....blurry picture as you move out of it to the screen edge !!!
@@ChrisM541 I think it is yourself that is confused. The sweet spot is about position & if you need to be central the lenses hence 'sweet spot'. Edge to edge clarity is regarding the clarity across the lens when you look around the lens 'edge to edge'.
@@nrosko Obviously, you're looking through the lenses at the displays underneath, with the sweet spot being a result of 'issues' getting an optimal image into your eyes via those lenses. Clearly, no one is looking at the raw displays underneath. However...
When you're actually wearing any HDM, it's ALL about the (resulting) sweet spot, and that Light, just like any other HDM, suffers from it...where the image is most certainly more and more blurry as you look towards the screen edge.
This also, effectively, cancels out any benefit from dynamic(!) FR. So all we're left with is FFR - and that is as far away from FR's true potential as you can get. A damn shame. Hopefully innovation in lenses happens sooner than later.
If you use a 10 Gbit USB-C cable with the Quest 3, bump up the transfer-rate to 700-950 MBit and disable sharpening (which are the "compression artifacts") it's basically as good as DP. I sold the 8KX because the Quest 3 is in any regard much better apart from FOV. So saying, it's unfair to compare is BS. The Quest 3 is the only alternative under 1k worth to consider.
I use a Wifi6E AP about 2ft away from my head, and with VD, I find the image quality to be much improved over the Q3's link cable. However, the Q3's image quality doesn't come close to the Crystal's, and never could. The 8kx is a different beast, and those fresnel lenses were its saving grace yet also its downfall.
There are a lot of factor like latency (which is very very important for gaming and serious usage), weight, not worrying about the battery on the headset, and many things
@@tallymouse Basically the same overall setup and with my Q3/rtx4090 running msfs I can still get smoother performance, better distance clarity, and lower latency with my official link cable connected to my z790mb usb3.2 type-c port set to 650mbps bitrate than I can with VD. Also, my usb3.2 port provides enough power to maintain my headset battery at +80% for at least 5-6 hours. If you get much better results with VD then I kinda think this is due to settings and hardware (cable/connector). Even using Air Link I can just about match VD clarity at 200mbps Dynamic bitrate and it still tends to run a litle smoother. Anyway, as long as you are happy with your results using VD that's great.
I just get a little tired of the VD over-sell comments by those that don't know how to properly setup Link and Air Link to begin with. I will admitt that VD is a lot simpler to get setup and running though. I've used it on and off for +4yrs, starting with my Q1 and I'm still happy to have it as a backup.
I do agree that dedicated DP connected will always give slightly better/smoother results. I've found that my DP wired VP1 gets about 10% better overall FPS performance compared to my Q3 because of the encoding requirements. I pretty well make up this difference by running my Q3 at 80Hz refresh rate (targetting 40fps) compared to my VP1 at 90Hz (targetting 45fps).
Interesting, here is my 5 motnh experience witht he Quest 3 using a 78003xd +4090 +32gb.
I play MSFS. My settings are as follows in most GA aircraft:
Shadows low.
Terrain Vector: High
TLOD: 255
LOD:200
Tree's and buildings: ULTRA.
Grass: OFF.
Raymarched reflections: low
Ambeint occlusion: off
Windscreen resolution: ULTRA.
Antitropic filtering: x16.
Quest 3 settings:
Link (VDXR gave poor graphics compared with link, and yes, i was using archer 6e).
72hz mode.
Bitrate: 900
Pixel overide (super-sample): 1.4 (Gives me 3808 resolution in game).
ASW: AUTO
FPS: 36fps firm and steady.
This gives me stunning graphics and smooth gameplay.
However, using the USB I get the odd "flutter fart" which manifests as a real immersion breaker. Also, I cannot implement the "ASW OFF". When i do, i get ghosting. That's the USB latency issue, to the best of my knowledge. And thats what interests me about the pimax and the DP connection.
I do worry though if the pimax is going to give a better image than the 3080 resolution i am getting with Q3. I also wonder whether the pimax will be stable without any sort of ASW. Ive been told by a pimax-light user that the smart smoothing doesnt work well. So the question remains, will the pimax be smooth at 36fps (half 72hx) or smooth at 40fps (1/3rd refresh of 120hz)???
I have had no confirmation of this set of questions. And this stops me purchasing.
@PaulMcDonagh-rv6vc pimax play smart smoothing doesn't work well. However, PimaxXR's half-rate-lock works perfectly. I typically run my Crystal at 120Hz and half-lock it to 60Hz. Even if my frame rate drops below 60Hz, the wheels don't come off like they do with smart smoothing.
I like the Quest3, it's a very solid headset for the money, and very flexible in its use case.
However, when I am in DCS or MSFS, i notice the lower pixel density immediately, and the MFDs and gauges just do not have the same readability as with the Crystal. If you're instrument flying, then that is critical.
Unfortunately the only reason i would have wanted this was for the eye tracking. In my opinion, they took the stripping down of the crystal too far.
Excellent video Phil 👍
Thank you, sir!
I wanted to buy this for a reverb g2 replacement because in 2026 windows mixed reality might cease to exist meaning my reverb g2 will no longer turn on
You may want to double check the weight with your own scale. Both VoodooDE_VR and Reinhard Roscher measured their Crystal Lights and got around 925-950 grams. The figures on vr-compare for both the Crystal and Crystal Light are way off. The original Crystal is around 1.15 kg.
They had DMAS headsets attached AND topstraps..
@@tallymouse Indeed Reinhard did have the comfort topstrap on his but Thomas did not, just the DMAS. Did you weigh the unit yourself? I know the DMAS are a little heavy but I must admit I'm a bit shocked that there's such a difference between the DMAS and the SMAS (344 grams going by Thomas' measurement).
@@wittyname-sy5je yes.. and a calibrated scale. We've all received slightly different units with differing innards. It doesn't suprise me that there's such a disparity in weights.
@@tallymouse Wow that's really something. I might try taking the DMAS off my Crystal and experimenting with different headphones/earbuds. Losing a little mass/inertia could be nice. Thanks for the info.
Nice review. It looks like a great product but I would hesitate to buy due to problems at Pimax. I tried your discount code at checkout and was told it is not valid. I also tried to find out if the controllers for the crystal work with the crystal light but couldn't get a response from their online bot or humans. So I think I'll pass for now.
Thank you! I'll contact Pimax to find out what's going on.
Sold out :( - nice review.
Sold out already? Wow!
PCL is not an upgrade from Reverb G2. Pimax Play requires considerable CPU power to run compared to WMR software. The headset has less FOV and the clarity is the same as the G2 and requires top end GPU equal to a 4090.
We need eye tracking back
I used the link - the discount code is not valid
Try
pimax.com/?ref=TallyMouse
dont bother. i got sucked in to all the hype of the crystal and bought one to replace my G2. worsed decision i made. just do not know what all the hype is about. barely improved fov - way less comfortable, slightly better sharpness in peripheral. but certainly not worth the £££ in upgrade.
I agree with you. Tried the Crystal at a flightsim expo and was not impressed. Very large, heavy and not enough improvement. Wait for better FOV or good pass-through video for mixed reality enhancements.
2:31 that is so bad. that is what a prototype looks like. sharing the same housing. final release units should be half that size. how did they think people were going to be happy with this? if there was a reason for a massively wide headset, i would understand. but this thing does not have a wide FOV. why would we upgrade our headsets to a downgraded headset. this thing is too big. even if it was light (which it isnt), it is too big, that creates mass far away from your head. in other words, if you turn your head, the headset will not turn with it. this thing will not be remotely useful for fast moving games. i have never worried about comfort before because both my previous headsets (hp reverb g2 and lenovo epxlorer) have been quite light, compact and comfortable. but this thing puts me off straight away. everything else about this headset (other than its absurdly high price) sound perfect to me. so maybe i will consider it when they release a better one in a few more years.
Imho the most important thing is the weight, once we got 500gr less size doesn't matter
@@Raffapifa it matters. In fact even if the headset was slightly heavier but more compact, it would be less likely to move around on your head. Being bigger means the weight is spread out, is further away from your head. That's leverage. That thing at that size, even if it's not much heavier than a reverb g2, will wobble when you move your head quickly. No doubt about that.
@@socks2441 Just realized that you could just answer me "that's what she said" 🤣 I got your point, however I feel quite optmistic on that and I don't think will be a real problem. Let's see when it arrives, if you are right beers on me
This thing is still pretty ridiculous. It's built for a much bigger fov, and you need to lug all that extra headset size around even though the screens don't use anywhere near the available space. I wouldn't consider this thing until they actually use the entire available fov.
Someone fancying deadmau5? ☺️
Headset seems very meh tbh. Nothing new, no lessons learnt from previous versions. They have just ignored users feedback
You need to get a 4090 dude. Crystal works great with a 4090.
😂 i have a 4090... and I agree: everyone should get a 4090
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To smal fov no tanks
Fre-nel not freznul.
British pronunciation
Sounds like:
frez·nuhl
@@tallymouse I'm British lol, it's fre-nel. Because it's a french word. You can say it like a fool if you want. Aren't you the same guy who doubled down on the super prototype actually being the 12k?
@drmikehuntphd7905 Sorry, i just posted the dictionary definition from Oxford Dictionary. Yes, Augustin-Jean Fresnel was clearly French, but you'll find a whole bunch of people this side of the pond saying Freznel, y'all.
Plus the 12k prototype was the 12k prototype, because, well, I was there with the COO and CEO in Las Vegas, and you were not!
@@tallymouse Plenty of people say "fishes" too but it still irks me. Bro come on! It was literally the crystal super!!
We need eye tracking back