The battery requirement is mandated by the chip manufacturer at the moment. I had read it was the snapdragon chip which forced this requirement and was not Pimax's idea.
Yes this is absolutely my understanding too, it is part of the Qualcomm XR2 Chipset agreement and that is why I don't fault Pimax for it at all. I just know it is an issue for some folks so I had to mention it. It was a deal breaker for one of my viewers, and he purchased the Aero instead because of it.
I have a Crystal.. The picture quality is for sure on another level compared to a Aero. I also have Aero, and the CA motion blur and red shift doesn't sit well with me. But setup is much more simplistic with the Aero. If you have any questions let me know. Look forward seeing your reaction to the Crystal.
Thanks so much for the offer. As a new "Pimaxian" I'm sure I will have several questions. I'll keep your offer in mind once I get my headset. Thanks so much for watching our stuff!
The CA motion blur and red shift only affects a very small number of users and i suspect its more to do with how your vision deals with it. Personally i have never had any issues or experience with motion blur or redshift.
@@pyroscot that's why I said with "me" everyone assumes I'm talking bad about the Aero and some how has something to do with what they see and the lack of what their experiencing. For "me" the Aero has some pretty glaring flaws it's hard to overlook. On the discord the issues I'v mentioned are not rare by any means.
@@pyroscot I can see the Chromatic Aberration and some shift when I'm in a menu or desktop but VERY rarely in a game. (I honestly thought the Red shift had to do with my eyesight until others started talking about it). These effects honestly aren't deal breakers on the Aero for me, but if the Crystal does NOT have these issues... then one less thing to worry about right?
I'm also an OLED snob. I returned the Index & Vive Pro 2 because the panels were just too dark. They turned "Arizona Sunshine" into "Arizona Cloudy Days." So I am too a Vive Pro user. The problem with off ear audio is that you hear everything that happens around you. I live in a noisy neighborhood with dogs, loud trucks, squeaky floorboards & I could hear when my cats walked into the room. This takes the immersion right out! & a noisy motion platform too. It's a shame that the Crystal isn't like their other headsets where it is set up just for base stations with NO controllers. Great video.
I think you could always remove the earphones and go with a wireless headset like the on the Aero. At least you could still use the built in mic in that situation. Thanks for the comment!
FOR SURE!!! Wireless Roomscale with that good of visuals will be so awesome. I have been holding off on Alex for just this reason. I want my first playthrough to be epic and I think the Crystal will deliver on that. Plus, I love Skyrim and can't wait to journey the lands with local dimming and good visuals! Thanks for watching!
They needed something to complain about. All the other headsets need an AC wall connection. Even if it didn't it had a fat cable to run that power. It also balances the headset. It is surprisingly comfortable.
@@justaguydoinstuff Awesome, I'm glad I'm not the only weird one in the bunch, it's so cool that some of my viewers get me. :) I can't tell you how many people in general have been like "how have you never played Alyx?" And don't even get me started on how hard it has been NOT to see spoilers because everyone uses Alyx as a demo! ENJOY my Friend!
Congratulations sir, you've convinced me. As I'd much rather place fps and sims than jump around bashing boxes with a saber (though it can also do that) I've now taken the plunge. :)
I'm a retired guy who flew GA aircraft and gliders IRL. I pre-ordered mine in late January and it just shipped today on July 3rd. I bought it specifically for Microsoft Flight Simulator on a 5800x3D/4090 rig, as it ticks all my boxes for sims. Really looking forward to flying with this level of detail and no screen door effect.
@@Sean_Coyne Man your FOV is going to be WAY better than the G2... not sure about a Pico 4, never tried that one. So Jealous yours is already on the way but man that was a long wait since January. Way to show some patience!
@@GYGOtv I got in early, as I knew there would be high demand once they started shipping. They have ramped up production now so you should not have to long to wait for yours. The Pico 4 has the same resolution panels as the G2 but with much better pancake glass lenses. It has a somewhat wider FOV than the G2, but not a huge leap. Unfortunately although the P4 has a much wider sweet spot, it does not have native PC connection via a display port cable, which means you have to use either WiFI 6 and Virtual Desktop or a combo of a high bit rate USB cable connected to an ethernet adaptor cable plugged into the router. Either way it has compression artifacts and I just can't get the sharpness and detail I had hoped for in MSFS. It's more for the stand alone room play of the beat saber crowd, than flight or race simmers.
@@Sean_Coyne And that is one of the things I LOVE about the Crystal, direct connect for sims and then wireless for roomscale. It really is the best of both worlds. Do you see a difference in the brightness from the G2 to the P4? One of the claimed disadvantages of Pancake lenses is they are supposed to waste a lot of the light bouncing back and forth between the lenses, so if the G2 and P4 have the same panels that is the perfect test of that theory.
I’m a Crystal beta tester and have had mine for a couple of months. The Crystal is great for simmers (I’m 98% iRacing). It’s bs that Pimax doesn’t include the DMAS as standard. I’ve had the Aero, and the Crystal is definitely an upgrade.
I'm excited to compare them for sure. It is my understanding that Pimax would like to include the DMAS with all of them, but they have limited stock of the DMAS left and haven't been able to find a new producer/supplier of them. This was just me reading between the lines of MRTV's interview, but that was the sense I got listening to the CEO's responses. That was why he was only willing to commit to all Pre-Orders before July getting them and thus why I pre-ordered! Thanks for the comment and watching our stuff.
Looking forward to your review. I got a long way to go before I get another one I just got the Varjo Aero, Base Station and audio headset and it’s gonna have to do I’m old fashion/ old guy I’m not gonna fall for the newest and greatest and it does sound tempting. I’ll tell one thing I love to inside out tracking better I guess it just fits better with my small gaming area. The Aero is sweet but very cumbersome especially when chatting and taking a peak which cat jump on my keyboard with the G2 I would go “Flashlight on “ to get to the pass through view 😂
LOL, yes Cats and Keyboards don't always mix very well. I personally don't think the Crystal will be worth the upgrade strictly from a Aero... but again I was ready for an upgrade from the Vive Pro so was worth taking a chance on it for that. The comparison to the Aero is just a bonus.
IMPORTANT CLEARIFICATION: When I say no other hardware is needed, I mean no other INTERNAL hardware in the headset. The Crystal is designed around modularity and thus you will need to purchase additional hardware to plug into the headset for advanced features... it is hardware complete internally, but still designed to be expandable externally. Sorry for any misunderstanding and I hope this clarifies the subject for everyone.
Hey there! I finally got my Crystal (after over a week delay at US customs, which was fun) and here are my thoughts so far: Mine came with a broken headstrap...ugh. A lot were damaged in shipping but they say they've resolved the packaging issues so we'll see when I get my new one. My controllers are also bad. They keep disconnecting completely every 5 minutes or so in game. When they are connected, they shake so much that I can't aim in HL Alex, lol. The triggers also stick. To be fair, I think I just got a bad pair as I don't see many people having his problem. I also had a weird issue with stutter on a 4090 and 7800x3D cpu, even on the Steam Home screen. After some research, this appears to be an issue with the 4090 and MSI Afterburner or other similar programs. I reinstalled windows completely without installing Afterburner and the stutter is gone. So in case that happens to anyone else, that's probably the issue. All that being said, the image is great. The colors are vibrant and the FOV is pretty good. I do see a LOT of blooming in dark scenes with a little light. I tried Skyrim at night with Azural Dream (sp?) ENB and it was unplayable at night. Daytime and other ENBs looked great although ENBs are a HUGE hit to framerates for modded Skyrim. Final thoughts, I will definitely be keeping it. It did take a while to figure out how to wear it on my head without it resting on my nose, but once figured it out it is comfortable. I think my solution is going to be to try the Bigscreen Beyond for my Katwalk and room scale gaming even though it's wired (tethered to the ceiling works well) simply because it is so light and I can feel the momentum of the Crystal move around when I'm doing fast paced games, or even medium paced like Alyx. Plus the black levels of the OLED screen of the Beyond will be better for dark games or games at night and the lighthouse tracking is just better all around since I already have the Index controllers. I'll mostly be using the Crystal for my driving and flying motion sim separately. Hope this helps anyone that's purchasing one! EDIT: In case you're wondering how I was even able to test it with a broken headstrap, I superglued the clip back on temporarily. Not great as it keeps breaking randomly again, but at least I could give the headset a decent test until I receive the new one. :)
Thanks for all the info justaguy... I'm hoping the bloom isn't too bad as that is one of the big things I'm looking forward too but I guess I will see. Not too worried about the controller tracking because I'm going Lighthouse as soon as that faceplate is available. Great tip on the stutter, I'll keep that in mind if I encounter any. Appreciate the comment!
@@GYGOtv You bet! Also to clarify the blooming, Azurals Dream ENB is literally pitch black at night in Skyrim with just the road lanterns illuminating here and there. Probably the worst case scenario for blooming. Other dark scenes in Alyx that I tested still looked good. Also, the speakers ARE amazing. I really couldn't believe it to be honest. They sound just as good if not better than the valve index speakers. That was definitely a happy little surprise. :)
As someone who also received their Crystal and tested it, another thing to note for who this is NOT for, and that is if you are running a 3DOF 4 actuator motion rig with Heave, and are doing sim racing. The inertia of the weight of the headset will make your eyes bounce around in the headset a bit causing distortion that your brain can feel. For flight simulation, this headset is great and will give most people exactly what they want. It just doesnt work for my setup as a dedicated sim racer with a motion rig. I will be returning mine and probably go with a BSB later this year.
@@sincity_steve Well we will certainly try that with my H6 (6dof) as it has heave too. Looks like lots of testing to be done once I get it. Thanks for the info and the comment!
Hi Freaky, yes and I think that was the same interview that the CEO mentioned they didn't have a supplier for them anymore and were looking to try and get production started again. That was what had me concerned... I'm sure they "plan" to include them but all the CEO would commit to at that point was getting them out to those who pre-order before the end of June if my memory serves me well. Time will tell, and thanks for watching.
Like you, I have a Varjo Aero for a while now. What stings for me is that the initial reviews all mentioned the Aero having local dimming that could be enabled by a software upgrade but they have gone deathly quiet since then. And for the most part, I have really enjoyed the newfound clarity moving from my Pimax 8K X, especially once I got the 4090 and was able to run most games without needing FSR/DLSS. And like you, I have gotten a taste of OLED in VR with the PSVR2. The wide FOV on the PSVR2 combined with OLED blacks and contrast and HDR in GT7 have really spoilt me. So when the April reviews on TH-cam were dropped, I decided to take the plunge to preorder it. And just got the email chain to confirm the final payment over the weekend. Now comes the wait!!
Thanks for the comment doogie, you and I share a lot of the same feelings for sure. When I did my review, I did confirm that the panels in the Aero were capable of local dimming... and I've asked about it almost every email I have with Varjo... but unfortunately nothing has come of it. Varjo did say early on that local dimming may never get activated, but I was hoping against hope they might see the light (or maybe the dark :)) Anyway, I'm curious to see how the Crystal compares... The Local Dimming and larger FOV might be enough to make the Crystal my daily driver... but time will tell. Thanks so much for watching our stuff and I'll let you know what I think when I get mine. Please do the same when you get yours too!
@@doggiehowzerappreciate the tip, I'll check that out. VR Optician won't have lenses for the Crystal until the end of July and VRRock doesn't go high enough for my correction.
@@doggiehowzer Already ordered mine... I like the magnet idea and they went up to my correction so that was the 2 things I was looking for. Thanks again for the tip!
Just subscribed, I really want to see what you think about it when it arrives. My pre-order is ready for purchase, but I'm on the fence, I still have a couple days to decide.
I paid for Mine about two weeks ago and i'm hoping I get a delivery confirmation soon. I have the Aero and my dislike for the field of view and bad overlap plus black Levels being Undesirable Makes the crystal a Necessary upgrade For me.
I agree, those are the things that drove me to want to try the Crystal as well. Please let me know what you think once you try it! Thanks for the comment.
You know what's funny, when I first put on the Crystal I felt like the binocular overlap was off....like it just felt a little odd in the image. I think I've come to realize that the overlap is just better than the Quest 2 I was using before and my eyes had to get used to it. Now it feels fine, so I guess I just didn't realize how bad it was before.
I have just purchased an Aero - they are offering 2 free bases until July/2nd. I had placed a pre-order for the Pimax, but thought the Aero might be a better fit for me. Hope it’s not too late to buy the Aero, I’m really excited with the upgrade from the G2!
That is a great deal, thanks for sharing the base station info. Obviously I will compare the 2 once I get a Crystal but I don't think you will be disappointed going from the G2 to the Aero... It really is an amazing experience, and the Aero is VERY well built. Please let me know what you think when you get it.
Thoroughly enjoying my Aero in DCS and MSFS (which are the only things I use it for). So I am very curious if the Crystal is worth "upgrading" to and selling the Aero? I think I'll wait for yours and a few other reviews before diving in 😄
I'm curious too. I'll let you know... My guess is no unless you REALLY want local dimming and that little larger FOV. Stay tuned and we will find out together!
Same raeson why I have not gotten rid of my HTC VIVE original is because of the OLED. I am waiting for someone to release micro-oled with big FOV. The big screen in my opinion is a scam. They built the headset around a lot of custom parts for the individual user so you pretty much have to trash the headset if something better comes out later. It's like buying a car but you can't adjust the seat distance from the wheel because it was designed just for your body.
Nice to know I'm not the only one addicted to OLED! I'm just guessing here but I think one of the problems with micro-oled is getting a bigger field of view due to the size of the screens. That is maybe why they were able to get it larger with the QLEDs... but again just a guess on my part. I think the Big Screen will have certain applications... like maybe watching movies or something but I haven't had any interest in it either, and you are right it is pretty heavily customized, hell you can't even adjust the IPD so you would have a very limited market to resell it to for sure.
Yes I am certainly pulling for them and hope they can achieve what they are shooting for. A few things that I worry about on that headset is the audio, and also the dual lens design... I hope they are as good as they seem, but until someone tries them I'm skeptical of a "dual lens" design. We will see. The biggest thing about the Somnium VR1 for me is no integrated "hot swappable" battery. That feature is such a big deal to me on the Crystal. Having used the Vive Pro Wirelessly for all this time, I can tell you it is a pain when the battery is low and you have to save the game, swap out the battery pack (which is usually on your belt or in a pocket) and then restart everything. Having the ability to hot swap a battery is a huge deal for wireless roomscale vr in my opinion and I don't see the VR1 going that direction. I personally think the VR1 will likely be a replacement option for Aero users more than wireless Crystal users because the Aero is also a PCVR only headset. Now of course, I also wonder if Varjo is working on an Aero2 and what that might bring as well... but I'm just guessing because I haven't heard anything about something like that. Anyway, fingers crossed the VR1 comes to market and is affordable because the more competition in this market, the better it will be for us consumers. Thanks for the comment!
I kinda think somnium vr1 will be less for more money in the end. It has no inside out tacking, none of the standalone & wireless possibilities. And it will have lower visual fidelity because of the wider fov. And because crystal has the lens mount system, they can end up providing wider field lenses for it at some point.
Awesome, yes they always intended to send the glass lenses, the poly lenses were only temporary to get them into customers hands quicker! Thanks for the info!
hey my friend i preordered mine in march and i was a little worried watching some of the reviews some good some bad but im going to only use it for msfs and i racing. so i think i would be ok with that. but what really sold me was sabastian MRTV i trust his word. and i think it was supposed to come with the 42 ppd lenses but havent heard anything on that. and you said there is a price drop on the crystal because i think its $1600 right or is it lower than that? oh my friend i will probably get mine before you so i will keep you informed buddy.
Hi Richard, no that original price was I think $1900 so I guess that is only $300 off the original (I never said I was good at math :)) For what you get I think that is a pretty good deal. I've hear they are still having issues with the 42ppd lens and to be honest I doubt most people would want to trade the higher ppd for the narrower fov. Maybe if you are doing virtual work like word processing or spreadsheets or something but I really don't think many people would use the 42 so no major loss there IMO. Let me know when you get yours buddy.
@@LuMo1980I spoke to one of the guys at Pimax this weekend at FlightSim Expo. They are coming out with the wider FOV lens as the second lens. I'm pretty sure they won't come out with the 42ppd. I tried Crystal back at CES in Jan and this weekend with MSFS2020, it looks amazing with MSFS. Eye tracking is about to be released as an update. This is what I've been waiting for in VR, I couldn't stand HTC Vive's screen door affect. So I sold it when the Crystal pre-orders came out as I wasn't using it much anymore. Then saw what they had at CES and decided to keep my pre-order then. My Crystal is being held up in Customs since last week, waiting in anticipation of it clearing customs..
Have you received your pimax yet? I was thinking of purchasing it but I was hoping it would come with the 42ppd swappable lenses. I've tried to find reviews about the 42ppd lenses but with no luck. Seems like those lenses are not ready yet
Hi Dennisdier, no I have not gotten mine yet. I'm hoping sometime in August but who knows. From what I'm hearing, the 42ppd lens isn't working optically like they want it to. Not sure if they are giving up on it or just still refining it. Honestly I think most people would just stick with the 35ppd since it gives more FOV and that is probably going to be more noticeable than the slight increase to 42ppd. I kind of think the 42ppd lens was more of a marketing gimmick so Pimax could claim "the highest ppd" over the Aero but I don't know that for sure. I guess we will see, and if mine does come with the 42ppd lenses, I'll obviously cover that as well. Thanks for the question.
If you preordered in November you should be fine. DMAS are supposed to come with all Pre-Orders before the end of this month (June), so I'd imagine you will get the DMAS included with your Crystal. Thanks for the question.
Yes I'm missing the lenses and the whole headset because it was just a Pre-Order :) I have heard they couldn't get the 42ppd lenses to work correctly so not sure if they are going to be a thing or not. If I get them when I get the headset, I will certainly mention it in the review. Thanks for watching.
I ordered mine too! I want to see your thoughts on how well it works and if its fine with rig movement (if the headset stays on your head or moves around too much)
Hi Tony, we almost have the Motion Compensation worked out pretty well. It is functioning 100% in SteamVR right now, but still need to work out some kinks for OpenVR. I'm interested in seeing how the Crystal handles motion comp as well but I don't see a problem with it working just like any other headset. Stay tuned and we will see. Thanks for the comment.
Just the Reservation Fee so far... they will charge the rest once my turn in line comes up. I think that is when they refund the $30 (or just take it off the total). Please feel free to use my affiliate link for the Pimax if you order one. pimax.com/?ref=GYGO
The battery requirement is mandated by the chip manufacturer at the moment. I had read it was the snapdragon chip which forced this requirement and was not Pimax's idea.
Yes this is absolutely my understanding too, it is part of the Qualcomm XR2 Chipset agreement and that is why I don't fault Pimax for it at all. I just know it is an issue for some folks so I had to mention it. It was a deal breaker for one of my viewers, and he purchased the Aero instead because of it.
I tried the Pimax Crystal at AWE a few weeks ago and was blown away by the visuals. You'll really appreciate it.
I'm so excited to try Elite Dangerous with the Local Dimming. Can't wait to see how it stacks up against the Aero! Thanks for the comment!
I have a Crystal.. The picture quality is for sure on another level compared to a Aero. I also have Aero, and the CA motion blur and red shift doesn't sit well with me. But setup is much more simplistic with the Aero. If you have any questions let me know. Look forward seeing your reaction to the Crystal.
Thanks so much for the offer. As a new "Pimaxian" I'm sure I will have several questions. I'll keep your offer in mind once I get my headset. Thanks so much for watching our stuff!
The CA motion blur and red shift only affects a very small number of users and i suspect its more to do with how your vision deals with it. Personally i have never had any issues or experience with motion blur or redshift.
@@pyroscot that's why I said with "me" everyone assumes I'm talking bad about the Aero and some how has something to do with what they see and the lack of what their experiencing. For "me" the Aero has some pretty glaring flaws it's hard to overlook. On the discord the issues I'v mentioned are not rare by any means.
@@Killswitch1411 Same here. I returned my Aero as well due to the red shifting and really bad mura effect on mine. The crystal truly is better.
@@pyroscot I can see the Chromatic Aberration and some shift when I'm in a menu or desktop but VERY rarely in a game. (I honestly thought the Red shift had to do with my eyesight until others started talking about it). These effects honestly aren't deal breakers on the Aero for me, but if the Crystal does NOT have these issues... then one less thing to worry about right?
I'm also an OLED snob. I returned the Index & Vive Pro 2 because the panels were just too dark. They turned "Arizona Sunshine" into "Arizona Cloudy Days." So I am too a Vive Pro user. The problem with off ear audio is that you hear everything that happens around you. I live in a noisy neighborhood with dogs, loud trucks, squeaky floorboards & I could hear when my cats walked into the room. This takes the immersion right out! & a noisy motion platform too. It's a shame that the Crystal isn't like their other headsets where it is set up just for base stations with NO controllers. Great video.
I think you could always remove the earphones and go with a wireless headset like the on the Aero. At least you could still use the built in mic in that situation. Thanks for the comment!
I received mine yesterday and can honestly say it’s amazing 👍
Thanks for the info ripstop! Now you are getting me even more excited!!!
Once they come out with their Ygig module, the 2 batteries will be priceless. Those complaining don't see the big picture. The batteries are a plus.
FOR SURE!!! Wireless Roomscale with that good of visuals will be so awesome. I have been holding off on Alex for just this reason. I want my first playthrough to be epic and I think the Crystal will deliver on that. Plus, I love Skyrim and can't wait to journey the lands with local dimming and good visuals! Thanks for watching!
They needed something to complain about. All the other headsets need an AC wall connection. Even if it didn't it had a fat cable to run that power. It also balances the headset. It is surprisingly comfortable.
@@GYGOtv Lol, that's exactly what I did. Waited for the crystal to play though Alyx. Just started it last night and yes, it looks amazing. :)
@@laartwork And if the battery life really is as long as they say, I think this is going to be a non-issue for 95% of the users anyway.
@@justaguydoinstuff Awesome, I'm glad I'm not the only weird one in the bunch, it's so cool that some of my viewers get me. :) I can't tell you how many people in general have been like "how have you never played Alyx?" And don't even get me started on how hard it has been NOT to see spoilers because everyone uses Alyx as a demo! ENJOY my Friend!
Congratulations sir, you've convinced me. As I'd much rather place fps and sims than jump around bashing boxes with a saber (though it can also do that) I've now taken the plunge. :)
I'll do a thorough review once I get one, I'm excited to see how it compares. Thanks for your trust and viewership!
I'm a retired guy who flew GA aircraft and gliders IRL. I pre-ordered mine in late January and it just shipped today on July 3rd. I bought it specifically for Microsoft Flight Simulator on a 5800x3D/4090 rig, as it ticks all my boxes for sims. Really looking forward to flying with this level of detail and no screen door effect.
Congrats, please let us know how you like it. Are you coming from a different VR headset?
@@GYGOtv Yeah, I have a G2 and Pico 4.
@@Sean_Coyne Man your FOV is going to be WAY better than the G2... not sure about a Pico 4, never tried that one. So Jealous yours is already on the way but man that was a long wait since January. Way to show some patience!
@@GYGOtv I got in early, as I knew there would be high demand once they started shipping. They have ramped up production now so you should not have to long to wait for yours.
The Pico 4 has the same resolution panels as the G2 but with much better pancake glass lenses. It has a somewhat wider FOV than the G2, but not a huge leap. Unfortunately although the P4 has a much wider sweet spot, it does not have native PC connection via a display port cable, which means you have to use either WiFI 6 and Virtual Desktop or a combo of a high bit rate USB cable connected to an ethernet adaptor cable plugged into the router. Either way it has compression artifacts and I just can't get the sharpness and detail I had hoped for in MSFS. It's more for the stand alone room play of the beat saber crowd, than flight or race simmers.
@@Sean_Coyne And that is one of the things I LOVE about the Crystal, direct connect for sims and then wireless for roomscale. It really is the best of both worlds. Do you see a difference in the brightness from the G2 to the P4? One of the claimed disadvantages of Pancake lenses is they are supposed to waste a lot of the light bouncing back and forth between the lenses, so if the G2 and P4 have the same panels that is the perfect test of that theory.
I’m a Crystal beta tester and have had mine for a couple of months. The Crystal is great for simmers (I’m 98% iRacing). It’s bs that Pimax doesn’t include the DMAS as standard. I’ve had the Aero, and the Crystal is definitely an upgrade.
I'm excited to compare them for sure. It is my understanding that Pimax would like to include the DMAS with all of them, but they have limited stock of the DMAS left and haven't been able to find a new producer/supplier of them. This was just me reading between the lines of MRTV's interview, but that was the sense I got listening to the CEO's responses. That was why he was only willing to commit to all Pre-Orders before July getting them and thus why I pre-ordered! Thanks for the comment and watching our stuff.
Looking forward to your review. I got a long way to go before I get another one I just got the Varjo Aero, Base Station and audio headset and it’s gonna have to do I’m old fashion/ old guy I’m not gonna fall for the newest and greatest and it does sound tempting. I’ll tell one thing I love to inside out tracking better I guess it just fits better with my small gaming area. The Aero is sweet but very cumbersome especially when chatting and taking a peak which cat jump on my keyboard with the G2 I would go “Flashlight on “ to get to the pass through view 😂
LOL, yes Cats and Keyboards don't always mix very well. I personally don't think the Crystal will be worth the upgrade strictly from a Aero... but again I was ready for an upgrade from the Vive Pro so was worth taking a chance on it for that. The comparison to the Aero is just a bonus.
IMPORTANT CLEARIFICATION: When I say no other hardware is needed, I mean no other INTERNAL hardware in the headset. The Crystal is designed around modularity and thus you will need to purchase additional hardware to plug into the headset for advanced features... it is hardware complete internally, but still designed to be expandable externally. Sorry for any misunderstanding and I hope this clarifies the subject for everyone.
Hey there! I finally got my Crystal (after over a week delay at US customs, which was fun) and here are my thoughts so far: Mine came with a broken headstrap...ugh. A lot were damaged in shipping but they say they've resolved the packaging issues so we'll see when I get my new one. My controllers are also bad. They keep disconnecting completely every 5 minutes or so in game. When they are connected, they shake so much that I can't aim in HL Alex, lol. The triggers also stick. To be fair, I think I just got a bad pair as I don't see many people having his problem. I also had a weird issue with stutter on a 4090 and 7800x3D cpu, even on the Steam Home screen. After some research, this appears to be an issue with the 4090 and MSI Afterburner or other similar programs. I reinstalled windows completely without installing Afterburner and the stutter is gone. So in case that happens to anyone else, that's probably the issue. All that being said, the image is great. The colors are vibrant and the FOV is pretty good. I do see a LOT of blooming in dark scenes with a little light. I tried Skyrim at night with Azural Dream (sp?) ENB and it was unplayable at night. Daytime and other ENBs looked great although ENBs are a HUGE hit to framerates for modded Skyrim. Final thoughts, I will definitely be keeping it. It did take a while to figure out how to wear it on my head without it resting on my nose, but once figured it out it is comfortable. I think my solution is going to be to try the Bigscreen Beyond for my Katwalk and room scale gaming even though it's wired (tethered to the ceiling works well) simply because it is so light and I can feel the momentum of the Crystal move around when I'm doing fast paced games, or even medium paced like Alyx. Plus the black levels of the OLED screen of the Beyond will be better for dark games or games at night and the lighthouse tracking is just better all around since I already have the Index controllers. I'll mostly be using the Crystal for my driving and flying motion sim separately. Hope this helps anyone that's purchasing one! EDIT: In case you're wondering how I was even able to test it with a broken headstrap, I superglued the clip back on temporarily. Not great as it keeps breaking randomly again, but at least I could give the headset a decent test until I receive the new one. :)
Thanks for all the info justaguy... I'm hoping the bloom isn't too bad as that is one of the big things I'm looking forward too but I guess I will see. Not too worried about the controller tracking because I'm going Lighthouse as soon as that faceplate is available. Great tip on the stutter, I'll keep that in mind if I encounter any. Appreciate the comment!
@@GYGOtv You bet! Also to clarify the blooming, Azurals Dream ENB is literally pitch black at night in Skyrim with just the road lanterns illuminating here and there. Probably the worst case scenario for blooming. Other dark scenes in Alyx that I tested still looked good. Also, the speakers ARE amazing. I really couldn't believe it to be honest. They sound just as good if not better than the valve index speakers. That was definitely a happy little surprise. :)
@@justaguydoinstuff That is great to hear. Skyrim is certainly going to get played again with this headset!
As someone who also received their Crystal and tested it, another thing to note for who this is NOT for, and that is if you are running a 3DOF 4 actuator motion rig with Heave, and are doing sim racing. The inertia of the weight of the headset will make your eyes bounce around in the headset a bit causing distortion that your brain can feel. For flight simulation, this headset is great and will give most people exactly what they want. It just doesnt work for my setup as a dedicated sim racer with a motion rig. I will be returning mine and probably go with a BSB later this year.
@@sincity_steve Well we will certainly try that with my H6 (6dof) as it has heave too. Looks like lots of testing to be done once I get it. Thanks for the info and the comment!
So, MRTV interviewed the PIMAX CEO and asked about making the DMass audio standard for all. He said that is in the plan.
Hi Freaky, yes and I think that was the same interview that the CEO mentioned they didn't have a supplier for them anymore and were looking to try and get production started again. That was what had me concerned... I'm sure they "plan" to include them but all the CEO would commit to at that point was getting them out to those who pre-order before the end of June if my memory serves me well. Time will tell, and thanks for watching.
Like you, I have a Varjo Aero for a while now. What stings for me is that the initial reviews all mentioned the Aero having local dimming that could be enabled by a software upgrade but they have gone deathly quiet since then. And for the most part, I have really enjoyed the newfound clarity moving from my Pimax 8K X, especially once I got the 4090 and was able to run most games without needing FSR/DLSS.
And like you, I have gotten a taste of OLED in VR with the PSVR2. The wide FOV on the PSVR2 combined with OLED blacks and contrast and HDR in GT7 have really spoilt me.
So when the April reviews on TH-cam were dropped, I decided to take the plunge to preorder it. And just got the email chain to confirm the final payment over the weekend. Now comes the wait!!
Thanks for the comment doogie, you and I share a lot of the same feelings for sure. When I did my review, I did confirm that the panels in the Aero were capable of local dimming... and I've asked about it almost every email I have with Varjo... but unfortunately nothing has come of it. Varjo did say early on that local dimming may never get activated, but I was hoping against hope they might see the light (or maybe the dark :)) Anyway, I'm curious to see how the Crystal compares... The Local Dimming and larger FOV might be enough to make the Crystal my daily driver... but time will tell. Thanks so much for watching our stuff and I'll let you know what I think when I get mine. Please do the same when you get yours too!
@@GYGOtv I have also just ordered the HonsVR prescription lens too so hopefully they both arrive at the same time.
@@doggiehowzerappreciate the tip, I'll check that out. VR Optician won't have lenses for the Crystal until the end of July and VRRock doesn't go high enough for my correction.
@@GYGOtv The HonsVR ones use magnets which seem like a neat idea.
@@doggiehowzer Already ordered mine... I like the magnet idea and they went up to my correction so that was the 2 things I was looking for. Thanks again for the tip!
Just subscribed, I really want to see what you think about it when it arrives. My pre-order is ready for purchase, but I'm on the fence, I still have a couple days to decide.
Thanks for the Sub! I won't have mine for awhile, but what is your use case, and what are you worried about? Maybe I can help?
I paid for Mine about two weeks ago and i'm hoping I get a delivery confirmation soon. I have the Aero and my dislike for the field of view and bad overlap plus black Levels being Undesirable Makes the crystal a Necessary upgrade For me.
I agree, those are the things that drove me to want to try the Crystal as well. Please let me know what you think once you try it! Thanks for the comment.
You know what's funny, when I first put on the Crystal I felt like the binocular overlap was off....like it just felt a little odd in the image. I think I've come to realize that the overlap is just better than the Quest 2 I was using before and my eyes had to get used to it. Now it feels fine, so I guess I just didn't realize how bad it was before.
@@justaguydoinstuff ya the binocular overlap is supposed to be very good in the Crystal.
I have just purchased an Aero - they are offering 2 free bases until July/2nd. I had placed a pre-order for the Pimax, but thought the Aero might be a better fit for me. Hope it’s not too late to buy the Aero, I’m really excited with the upgrade from the G2!
That is a great deal, thanks for sharing the base station info. Obviously I will compare the 2 once I get a Crystal but I don't think you will be disappointed going from the G2 to the Aero... It really is an amazing experience, and the Aero is VERY well built. Please let me know what you think when you get it.
Thoroughly enjoying my Aero in DCS and MSFS (which are the only things I use it for). So I am very curious if the Crystal is worth "upgrading" to and selling the Aero? I think I'll wait for yours and a few other reviews before diving in 😄
I'm curious too. I'll let you know... My guess is no unless you REALLY want local dimming and that little larger FOV. Stay tuned and we will find out together!
Same raeson why I have not gotten rid of my HTC VIVE original is because of the OLED. I am waiting for someone to release micro-oled with big FOV. The big screen in my opinion is a scam. They built the headset around a lot of custom parts for the individual user so you pretty much have to trash the headset if something better comes out later. It's like buying a car but you can't adjust the seat distance from the wheel because it was designed just for your body.
Nice to know I'm not the only one addicted to OLED! I'm just guessing here but I think one of the problems with micro-oled is getting a bigger field of view due to the size of the screens. That is maybe why they were able to get it larger with the QLEDs... but again just a guess on my part. I think the Big Screen will have certain applications... like maybe watching movies or something but I haven't had any interest in it either, and you are right it is pretty heavily customized, hell you can't even adjust the IPD so you would have a very limited market to resell it to for sure.
wait for somnium VR1. I hope it will be better in many ways
Yes I am certainly pulling for them and hope they can achieve what they are shooting for. A few things that I worry about on that headset is the audio, and also the dual lens design... I hope they are as good as they seem, but until someone tries them I'm skeptical of a "dual lens" design. We will see. The biggest thing about the Somnium VR1 for me is no integrated "hot swappable" battery. That feature is such a big deal to me on the Crystal. Having used the Vive Pro Wirelessly for all this time, I can tell you it is a pain when the battery is low and you have to save the game, swap out the battery pack (which is usually on your belt or in a pocket) and then restart everything. Having the ability to hot swap a battery is a huge deal for wireless roomscale vr in my opinion and I don't see the VR1 going that direction. I personally think the VR1 will likely be a replacement option for Aero users more than wireless Crystal users because the Aero is also a PCVR only headset. Now of course, I also wonder if Varjo is working on an Aero2 and what that might bring as well... but I'm just guessing because I haven't heard anything about something like that. Anyway, fingers crossed the VR1 comes to market and is affordable because the more competition in this market, the better it will be for us consumers. Thanks for the comment!
I kinda think somnium vr1 will be less for more money in the end. It has no inside out tacking, none of the standalone & wireless possibilities. And it will have lower visual fidelity because of the wider fov.
And because crystal has the lens mount system, they can end up providing wider field lenses for it at some point.
FYI, I just found out today that the final price does not include duties and taxes. Also they are shipping with the glass lenses now.... Good news!!
they are also shipping with the USB hub that will allow battery to stay charged while playing PCVR.
Awesome, yes they always intended to send the glass lenses, the poly lenses were only temporary to get them into customers hands quicker! Thanks for the info!
My crystal is coming soon. I just got the email to pay.
Awesome!!! Looks like Pimax is getting lots of interest in the Headset. I hope it lives up to expectations for us all!!! Congrats!
hey my friend i preordered mine in march and i was a little worried watching some of the reviews some good some bad but im going to only use it for msfs and i racing. so i think i would be ok with that. but what really sold me was sabastian MRTV i trust his word. and i think it was supposed to come with the 42 ppd lenses but havent heard anything on that. and you said there is a price drop on the crystal because i think its $1600 right or is it lower than that? oh my friend i will probably get mine before you so i will keep you informed buddy.
Hi Richard, no that original price was I think $1900 so I guess that is only $300 off the original (I never said I was good at math :)) For what you get I think that is a pretty good deal. I've hear they are still having issues with the 42ppd lens and to be honest I doubt most people would want to trade the higher ppd for the narrower fov. Maybe if you are doing virtual work like word processing or spreadsheets or something but I really don't think many people would use the 42 so no major loss there IMO. Let me know when you get yours buddy.
I heard they completely dropped the 42 ppd lenses because they weren't bringing anything to the table.
@@LuMo1980 I "heard" something similar too, but nothing official from Pimax so who knows.
@@LuMo1980I spoke to one of the guys at Pimax this weekend at FlightSim Expo. They are coming out with the wider FOV lens as the second lens. I'm pretty sure they won't come out with the 42ppd. I tried Crystal back at CES in Jan and this weekend with MSFS2020, it looks amazing with MSFS. Eye tracking is about to be released as an update. This is what I've been waiting for in VR, I couldn't stand HTC Vive's screen door affect. So I sold it when the Crystal pre-orders came out as I wasn't using it much anymore. Then saw what they had at CES and decided to keep my pre-order then. My Crystal is being held up in Customs since last week, waiting in anticipation of it clearing customs..
Have you received your pimax yet? I was thinking of purchasing it but I was hoping it would come with the 42ppd swappable lenses. I've tried to find reviews about the 42ppd lenses but with no luck. Seems like those lenses are not ready yet
Hi Dennisdier, no I have not gotten mine yet. I'm hoping sometime in August but who knows. From what I'm hearing, the 42ppd lens isn't working optically like they want it to. Not sure if they are giving up on it or just still refining it. Honestly I think most people would just stick with the 35ppd since it gives more FOV and that is probably going to be more noticeable than the slight increase to 42ppd. I kind of think the 42ppd lens was more of a marketing gimmick so Pimax could claim "the highest ppd" over the Aero but I don't know that for sure. I guess we will see, and if mine does come with the 42ppd lenses, I'll obviously cover that as well. Thanks for the question.
I preordered in November, and I recently paid the full amount. How can I add the headphones?
If you preordered in November you should be fine. DMAS are supposed to come with all Pre-Orders before the end of this month (June), so I'd imagine you will get the DMAS included with your Crystal. Thanks for the question.
@@GYGOtv Ok super, thanks for the reply!
hi, are you also missing a set of lenses?
Yes I'm missing the lenses and the whole headset because it was just a Pre-Order :) I have heard they couldn't get the 42ppd lenses to work correctly so not sure if they are going to be a thing or not. If I get them when I get the headset, I will certainly mention it in the review. Thanks for watching.
I ordered mine too! I want to see your thoughts on how well it works and if its fine with rig movement (if the headset stays on your head or moves around too much)
Hi Tony, we almost have the Motion Compensation worked out pretty well. It is functioning 100% in SteamVR right now, but still need to work out some kinks for OpenVR. I'm interested in seeing how the Crystal handles motion comp as well but I don't see a problem with it working just like any other headset. Stay tuned and we will see. Thanks for the comment.
@GYGOtv that's great news! Let us know how openVR handles it
@@TonyDrecaps Will do!!!
Did you paid the full price already or only the reservation fee of $30 ?
Just the Reservation Fee so far... they will charge the rest once my turn in line comes up. I think that is when they refund the $30 (or just take it off the total). Please feel free to use my affiliate link for the Pimax if you order one. pimax.com/?ref=GYGO
You'll have it in August :))
O' Goody... That would be great if that happens! Any info on how the shipping is currently going?
First
Congrats!!!
Hopefully you will get all the newer one than the one at launch th-cam.com/video/IFhTTtzYyXk/w-d-xo.html
Yep I did. Thanks for watching.