Great comparison. Each have their own pros and cons. I picked the Pimax Crystal and couldn't be happier. The weight doesn't bother me even when playing active games and the apache strap helps with comfort.
On the crystal when you are flying at night, especially in DCS it feels like you're flying with fogged up goggles with all the blooming. They really need to continue pushing micro OLED as VR seems to be the perfect application for it
I'm a Pico4 owner and when thinking about upgrading I can only imagine going even lighter with Beyond. I think weight and comfort is as critical as image quality.
@@axev133I must be dumb but I don't find this on the web with your keyword vrware. Any idea where I can find the product. I want to improve the confort of my crystal. Thanks!
Bigscreen Beyond put a spotlight on the subject of comfortability, which was never really talked about because everyone was just thinking about functionality, making even bigger headsets with more features... but, I've definitely noticed the discomfort from wearing a toaster on your forehead, it prevents longer use and immersion
I just snagged an Aero having previously used a G2 which was my first VR headset. I was tempted by the Pimax, but the silly battery requirement even when plugged in (seriously?) as well as software that didn't seem as mature as Varjo made me go to Varjo. I like the adjustability, crystal-clear DFR-enabled clarity, great build quality, and software maturity. I may try a Crystal one day too, who knows?
Dynamic foviated rendering is a huge reason I went for the Aero despite the reduced vertical FOV. DFR significantly improves performance in the games I play and is an essential feature of a proper VR set.
Thanks for the videos. I am impressed that you do this while working a full-time job! I definitely agree with you that we need a headset that finally combines all the things we know to make a truly great VR headset without obvious compromises in one or more areas. I'm also very hopeful to see Valve release their next headset, asap. I was ready to upgrade from the Index a while ago, and I'm impatient. I'm eyeing the Somnium VR1, but I have my doubts about what the price could be, given the wide range Artur has mentioned to date ($1000-$3500). It's still unknown if they'll offer off-ear audio as good as Index, but he's hinted that it will be an option.
I've had my Crystal now for a week and absolutely love it. It seems now with the latest firmware and software upgrades that Pimax is much more on top of it's game. The battery life seems quite good (I can use it for 2 hours and the battery still has 75% power left). And with the supplied hub it will automatically start charging the battery when I turn it off, so I haven't had to use the separate battery charger at all. It took me a few tries to get the headset mounted in just the right place but now I can do it quickly and find it is very comfortable.
Good reviews! My Crystal is incredibly sharp and clear, like real life. It is heavy like a helmet. I’ve added a small velcro balance weight at the back.
I think you did a great job summing up the options 🎉 the winners in all this is the consumer because we now have options with more to come from Valve and Somnium
Beware of Crystal. It has a LOT of problems and Pimax’s support is utterly horrible. I made the mistake of buying one and wouldn’t recommend anyone to make the same mistake. With that said, when it works, it’s amazing.
Maybe I’m lucky . I see a lot of people complain about the Pimax. I only had (so far fingers crossed) one was when I set it up I had not pushed the DP cable in to the headset enough. That was just me being parinoid.I did not want to break it 😂 After checking orientation I pushed harder and I was up and working 🤣 The other issue my right controller was not working once but just checking the manual just had to hold the reset button for 20secs. So far it’s amazing! I’m just hoping I don’t run into any major issue. All be it when I emailed Pimax about the controller they responded quickly and professionally. Yes I was worried and still am a bit due to bad press. I’m so glad I brought it ! For my eyes I could not use the Quest2 for long periods of time. Pimax I can play for hours. So my recommendation is go for it, hopefully if they have it on Amazon UK people could buy it and send it back if not happy.
@@Lakedistrictrider Failed firmware updates, firmware updates that broke functionality that worked before the update. Sub par power hub quality , causing random disconnects. But most importantly, my headset was shipped with a faulty cable. Not completely faulty but with incorrect resistance, causing much too high current draw that couldn’t ge supplied by computer/hub. To this date my problem still hasn’t been solved by Pimax. The support is just horrible. They keep asking questions and between every question/reply it takes between 4-10 days. They speak very litte, if any, English. I still haven’t seen any replacement cable and doubt that I ever will. Luckily I chose to buy it from a local store rather than from Pimax and the store supplied a replacement cable until Pimax get their hand out of their ass. Oh….the controllers are so bad I don’t even want to speak about them. And the audio….there is a latency that is unbearable. But again - when it works it is amazing. I think it’s more Pimax that is the problem than Crystal. They release a half finished product to the market and then make it even worse by providing mediocre support.
@@PaulBriggs-kb9by Yes, buying from Amazon or a local retailer is also something I would highly recommend, so that local laws will protect the investment. When buying from Pimax the "warranty" is also Virtual…. :)
Just look at the weight, they also charge premium price for a mediocre QC and horrible design. They really need to up their game. They are great at making good displays but everything else is shite
Finally, the well-awaited review, and as always totally honest, short, and to the point.. It did, however, muddy the waters to some extent 🥲. I was leaning towards the Aero but the Crystal does seem to be very tempting (if you ignore the battery issue, oh.. and Pimax's reputation). It seems that waiting is the best strategy, especially with Pico back in the game now, and both Somnium V1 and Valve Deckard on the horizon. This likely means that this Black Friday will be crazy. Thanks again Steve for devoting the time to help the simmers out there ;)
I have it, and it seems really good, most impressive headset I have seen so far. I haven't tested the Crystal, but the weight , price and quality control is a big no no
@@markkovalcson7243 What a sad thought! Better not be. Valve really needs to announce and release very soon already, and Somnium VR1 needs to have a good price. If not, then we'll be stuck in this "still nothing perfect" limbo forever.
@@DMan-ud6bt Our idea of perfect is a sliding bar that we keep moving. The Bigscreen Beyond is unlike anything else out there and my guess it that it may be at least another 3 years before we see anything approaching it's size and weight. The Somnium VR1 is definitely not my idea of a perfect headset and I doubt Valve will approach perfection either. We are at the upper limit of was DP 1.4 is capable of so we will need to wait until 2025 for the 5090 series to have DP 2.1 that should keep our VR headsets fed for a little while longer. meanwhile the ultra wide 4 panel microOLED pancake displays that have been shown in prototype form are certainly beyond what a 4090 could push and I would put them at least 1-2 years away from being seen in a headset. FWIW even they don't have enough vertical FOV compared to what I would like. Something small, and light, with high resolution, large FOV, and high refresh rate is a lot to ask for. Then varifocal will likely start to become something we want. Also our idea of what high enough resolution will probably keep rising until we get to 60-70 ppd. So maybe 5 years, maybe.
Realistically nothing that exists today is even remotely close to what I would like to eventually have. There are many technological advances that will be necessary before it will be possible. I think 5 years is actually HIGHLY optimistic.
Thank you, i just watched your video and these are exactly my thoughts. None is good enough to replace my old Reverb G2. Still waiting for a hmd that is cheaper than 1000€, does not need lighthouse tracking, has at least as good fov as Crystal, good colors like Bigscreen and good overall quality as Aero. A Crystal without batteries and less weight, or a Bigscreen without glare and lighthouse, or Aero with better fov & without lighthouse. Maybe next time.
@@VRFlightSimGuy I agree with @airsheep, I think the delta is not that big and my Reverb (G1 for that matter) will hold one year or so and by then an almost perfect headset (as you mention) will be available. I ordered a Q3 for standalone playing in the meantime. I can afford any of those headsets, or all of them even, but I find they are still half baked solutions.
I bought the Bigscreen beyond because comfort is very important and it has the Oled screens, but I had to purchase an iPhone so I could get a face scan. I will take the phone back because you have 14 days to return it they suggested that at the Apple store and it was okay to do that.
Hi, how do You know that valve is going to announce something? Based on the 1030 certification? cuz 1030 is likely a revised steam deck. Or perhaps You have insider info?
I tried the Pimax Crystal light (inside out tracking, HUGE mistake) currently using the Aero, but have a Beyond on Order... I'm looking forward to the popping colors, deep blacks and of course the form factor of the Beyond! :)
Very happy with my Aero purchase after the price drop. Thanks Steve. Perfection would be micro OLED panels with aspheric lenses, individual eye dioptre adjustment (so easy I don't know why it isn't always standard) and wide FOV. I genuinely don't know why this doesn't exist already as the Arpara design had it except it used pancake lenses and was killed off (outside of China) by TH-camrs. The other critical thing that swung me to buying the Aero was availability from stock. That isn't the case for the other headsets.
@@Dougie085 I don't know if it's 'most' but certainly 'some'. My astigmatism is only 0.25 dioptre in one eye and doesn't even need correction in glasses. Samsung's VR headset adapter for their phones showed that a simple variable distance adjustment from lens to panel provided a big advantage even if the eyes did not have quite the same prescription (certainly better than wearing glasses). Just place each lens on a very fine screw mechanism. It's trivial.
I imagine a future with a vr glasses with the video quality of pimax Crystal, black oled and cooling from big screen beyond, construction from varjo aero and price of Quest 3, a dream 😎😅🙏
Funnily Quest 3 seems to have almost everything and AR on top of being jack of all trades. A Quest Pro that weighs around 500g and with Oled would be sublime. I am very impressed with the Q3 for now. The worst headset I have ever owned was the Vive Focus 3, it felt like I was under water. Everything was blury.
Great review as always! Although I must say it’s kind of paradoxical that you mention the Aero comes from a fighter pilot DNA and at the same time, suffers from a smaller vertical FOV which is important for dogfights… Keep them coming! For me, the Crystal is perfect right now! MajorDad
@@VRFlightSimGuy Currently using G2 and I am thinking about upgrading to the Aero....are the vertical FOVs similar between these headsets? Many thanks for your videos I rely on your expert advice as I contemplate which headset to upgrade to !
@@John-ly1zt Do you use/enjoy the built-in off-ear audio solution? You'll lose it going to Aero. Even with the price decrease, that's the killer for me. That strange FOV design too.
@@John-ly1zt Hey John, that's kind of you, but I'm really no expert. Th Crystal will give you more of a wow factor, if you get a good one, you'll love it, providing you don't mind the extra weight. The Aero however, is a safer sound purchase, because it's as reliable as a wood burning stove. You do lose some FOV though. I have a comparison video on the channel, I'd recommend you give it a watch when you have time. Cheers.
This really helped me. Out of the three, this video sorta DQ’s the Pimax for me; I want the best visuals but I think the weight and battery will make me desire replacing it as soon as something better comes along. The best headset is one you can just put on and are comfortable using daily; so that leaves the Aero and Bigscreen Beyond. I will wait to hear your comparison of the Quest 3 to these two and then go from there. (I have a Quest 3 on pre order regardless). Now I’m just torn as my second main use case is Elite Dangerous - so true blacks (BSB) vs. no glare of any kind (Aero) and both should still be significantly better than Quest 2/3. Thanks!!
The cost of the Pimax is horrible, too, and they have poor quality control. I am looking at the Quest 3, Jack of all trades for now. Look at how light the Beyond is and in 2023 Pimax release a very heavy headset 🤣
The battery is a non-issue. I haven't swapped or changed the battery in weeks. I play about 6 hours per session 5 days a week. I never need to remove or charge the battery at all.
I just can't wait to get back into VR with the Beyond flying my Camel against Dr1s.(my daily driver died a few months ago) Nothing will beat that based on your videos. The small size will make moving your head around so much easier. WW1 dogfights are incredibly dynamic and require you to move your head around sooooo much.
Which is it? Well as you stated frequently it fully depends on your personal preference/needs, budget, the hardware you use, and what you're using VR for mainly (MSFS2020, DCS, Racing for me with an RTX4090). I do believe all the mentioned sets have their pros and cons. I decided to buy the Crystal because it delivers clarity and high resolution, FOV and that is very important to me. Yes, I wish the Crystal was lighter and they should have offered such a config, but now I use it together with a velcro head strap from Studioform which makes wearing the Crystal much more comfortable. I don't like glare and also want to share my experience with friends so the BB isn't a good choice for me I guess. Now after the price drop of the Varjo Aero I maybewould have selected that one because of the fact their product support seems to be better than Pimax offers but the lack of FOV hmmm. Hopefully, Pimax will catch up soon. For now, I'm very satisfied with the Crystal. Btw... I like your reviews!
Thankyou for sharing your thoughts and opinions here, I personally feel you made the right choice. The Crystal's visuals are second to none. Thanks for your kind words.
@@Lakedistrictrider Since my Pimax Crystal was delivered (early August) I didn't have any software issues. By now the set has received two firmware updates that improved the usability (Eyetracking, Dynamic FOV rendering). Also, the Standalone mode now is operational, but I don't use that option. Be aware that some Pimax Crystal users reported software issues. At least two users I saw bricked their Crystal after a firmware update. I'm not sure if they followed the correct procedure though. So for some users it seems to be a hit or miss, but I don't regret buying the Crystal. I'm sure there will be better VR sets produced in the future, but that isn't worth waiting for. If that happens I'll sell my Crystal and move on. Btw... running the Machloop with the Crystal gave me a realistic Deja Vu 😉
@@Lakedistrictrider Thanks and I agree, but life isn't without taking risks. Maybe 1000 users don't have an issue and only 2 do right? I'm sure that also can happen with a Varjo. Worst case scenario: return the Pimax Crystal.
Thanks for the comparisons, it's helpful for newbies, like me. I'm narrowing down the VR features which are important to me. I also wonder about the VR-to-user interface. I use X-Plane and there aren't many videos about how to turn dials, push buttons etc. Have you done one or could you do one. Thanks
I think I've been one of the lucky ones - I have owned a Pimax Crystal for a month or so and could not be happier with it. I should say I have a very high end PC which is able to handle it, and also I did need to get the Apache strap and counterweight before it felt good to wear. From a pick-up-and-play perspective it is much simpler than I expected, and I haven't really had any technical issues outside of some minor things that can be easily worked around (touch wood). Battery life is a non-issue for me - I've actually not had to change it once since I started using the USB hub. I don't tend to do super-long (>2 hour) VR sessions often though due to eye strain so that may be why. The actual VR experience it gives is as incredible as you describe, both with flight simming and also driving games. Mind-blowing is not too strong an adjective! I can't speak for the other two headsets (though they both look great from what I've seen), but it's so good to have different viable choices. More competitiveness for high end consumer VR products is a really positive thing as it hopefully keeps prices low(ish), incentivises people to buy them and developers to keep them in mind when developing their software.
@@sephiroth4543 It took some getting used to especially coming from a Quest 2 which is so much lighter, but now it’s fine really. The Apache strap (and counterweight) helps a lot, it’s a bit of a kicker to have to spend more money just to make it feel comfortable having shelled out so much already but it turns it into something I’m happy to wear for a couple of hours at a time with no issues
Even though I love the Crystal's visuals, I find that it wants all my attention when I'm wearing it. Instead of concentrating on the sim, I'm distracted by the Crystal saying 'Hi! I'm on your head!!'.
How do you know that Valve will have an announcement soon? Is that just the well-known fact that Deckard is in the works or have you heard something that the rest of us don't know?
I love my crystal but it started showing horizontal lines all across the display and I'm having a NIGHTMARE with Pimax's customer service. Nearly a month now and I'm STILL waiting for them to ship out a replacement! A far cry from HP's customer service unfortunately.
Thanks, excellent comments. One over-riding question: which headset gives you the most immersive experience when you are flying (and concentrating on flying) in DCS/MSFS?
Great informative video again, thank you. Can you elaborate on your statement regarding super sampling the BSB. You say it can match the visuals of the Crystal? How much SS is required and does it have an acceptable impact on fps, can you still achieve 45fps in FSS2020? Loving my Crystal but I'm tempted by the form factor of the BSB. And lastly how does the FOV fall in with the other two headsets, are you happy with the BSB FOV...
There is a website called vr-compare that does a decent job of this. However there are errors ... also the weight and FOV numbers are inaccurate for the Crystal (but the numbers are what is claimed on their official spec sheet).
Bad Vertical fov and not a good color contrast stop me buying Aero. Im still going for Beyond. I did try Pimax and everything is perfect but discomfort made me return it
@@ji3200 The Vert isnt bad at ALL in the Aero. Solid HMD. I ordered a Beyond for the form factor, and popping colors and deep blacks.. .I am keeping the Aero for people to try, its a quality piece of gear! Pimax, I ordered a Crystal light (w/ inside out tracking) GARBAGE! support took forever.. never again with that company...
Thankyou. Horizontal FOV is better, but the vertical FOV is squashed down a bit. But after an hour, you'll get used to it, if anything, it will be a non issue since you can see so much more, due to the large sweet spot.
What do you think if you use wifi 6 ( or 6E ) with this quest pro this pictures enough there is no articact on the screen? ( AV1 codec is much better than the old one ) So the Quest 3 would be sharper and it means there won'T be so much picture quality differenc with Crystal or Varjo which use display port or the wireless VR won't be the same picture quality than the dedicated display ports PC VR ? it is impossible? Thanks this answer in advance,
Great video can you post a full video on the setup of Nvidia , Varjo Aero and MSFS 2020 setup lately everything is 6 month old and I am not feeling all what everyone is saying about the Varjo so I believe some setups are wrong at my end . I have the Asus Nvidia RTX 4070 so I should be seeing a little of what everyone is mentioning but I am not. A setup lesson will be great as I am sure lots of subscribers where able to but the Varjo headset VR. Thanks a lot
Unless I missed it, you didn't mention the Beyond's vertical FOV. You said the Areo was like a letterbox and the Crystal was better in the vertical. But how about the Beyond in that regard ? Cheers
I bought the Aero following the price drop, plus a 4090; I was an early adopter G2 person, bought largely on Steve's observations . After a week: the Aero is in many ways the souped-up G2 we all dreamed of. The highlight is the virtual whole screen sweet spot, like central section G2 resolution all over, but sharper. The field of view feels essentially like the G2, but less like a round hole. The possibly larger vertical FOV in the G2 gave it that hole feeling for me, so if the horizontal is a bit wider and the vertical a bit less, that's fine. Personally, I don't find it a problem re dog fighting in DCS. The binocular overlap some folks have mentioned is fine in terms of getting a 3D effect, but it is slightly odd, perhaps because of the lense shapes; but like a ticking clock or tinnitus, your brain switches it out pretty soon. The cooling is a dream, especially with my VR Optician correctors that bring the lens surface closer to your warm, wet, steamy eyeballs. Jabra bluetooth headphones are perfect for it. Fires up first time, every time. Glad to have the excuse to buy a set of knuckles and get some Half Life action among the manic simming. Btw, I tried the Aero with my 3080 10G but, while okay, it wasn't really hacking it; so you will probably want a 4090 for any of these. The G2 really was a brilliant, ahead of its time, headset.
Which one would you recommend for iRacing, or sim racing in general. My complaint with my G2 is fov and having to move your head to see the apex, because off off center blur
I have owned several headsets. Valve Index, Pico 4, Bigscreen Beyond, and just recently Varjo Aero. Ill be honest. I returned every single one of them besides the Valve Index. Its the most comfortable and actually was the easiest to get up and running. Not as clear as the others at all but the others either took a lot of time to get up and running or are just plain uncomfortable. I will wait to see what Valve does next. I even returned the Varjo Aero and was seriously disappointed in it.
I use a quest 2 and the fidelity is way too low to me. Is the fidelity in the Reviewed Headsets a lot better? Like lets say, double as good? I hate the low Resolution feel at far away things. Vr works good in close but in sims... if you can not say if u see a tree or a house... that is a problem.
I have a quest 3 on pre order but really debating if I should cancel and get the aero. I have a 3080ti and not sure which headset will be harder ro run in msfs?
Always thankful for your insightful and helpful videos, Steve! :) Based largely on your passion for the headset, I gleefully sprang for the Varjo Aero when the price dropped so precipitously! 😄 I'm eagerly looking forward to setting it up this weekend, and discovering the difference between it and my long-trusty G2. That said, I've been combing TH-cam for CURRENT videos about settings for the Aero, and not finding anything meaningful so far. Most of what I'm seeing seems out of date... Do you have an plans for doing an updated 'settings' video for the Aero, in the wake of numerous changes and updates to both MSFS and Varjo's firmware, etc...? I'd love to have a 'great' experience with the Aero on my first effort -- and not be frustrated by poor performance because of my own ignorance.
I am a GA pilot and want to get into SIM's for practice etc. Is a VR headset the right idea or should I stick with a standard 3/4 monitor or 3 projector setup? When you are flying on a VR headset are you 100% using keyboard and mouse or is there a yoke and rudder pedals etc on your setup?
I Have been told that you need 2 base stations to get the Varjo Aero and the pimax to work for about £ 200 pounds each is that right ,and thx for the vids nice one mate.
Aero: Active cooling, build quality, 200Hz eye tracking, edge to edge clarity, best software, and best customer service. Crystal: Bigger vertical FOV, OLED screen, and built in audio. Crystal owners I've talk to said that the visuals are not all the way to the edge, are very blurry and kills about 10 degrees of the FOV. It has 120 Hz eye tracking, and the worst customer service they have ever experienced. They even said it was so bad they would never buy another Pimax product again. Think if Bigscreen had eye tracking and active cooling it would be the best one out of all of them. I've heard that BigScreen's problem is the god rays though. I am wanting to see the reviews of the Somnium VR1.
I have some extremely happy Crystal owners on my Discord, so I guess it all depends where the information comes from. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
I have a crystal. Had one of the first units. At first the customer service was great and responsive. As they started shipping more, they started taking longer to respond. The software has been slowly improving but although I liked it for the most part, the comfort just wasn't all there and found myself always having to readjust every couple of minutes. As time went on, I didn't necessarily regret the purchase, but found myself struggling to justify the price I paid. The death blow to me was the Aero price drop. Ordered an aero and will probably getting rid of the Crystal at a massive loss. Well played Varjo, well played.
still having rough time with the Varjo it now shut's down the sim half way during the flight ( short flights) I was told by the support to go back on my Nvidia to 532 version which I did but this time the moment I opened MSFS and started the plan go around procedures it crashes and shuts down the sim . Very frustrating.
These are the 3 Options I'm Debating in my head, but I don't have an iphone so I think the Beyond is not something I can get bc of the Face Scanning only for Iphone users.
Great video! Just a quick note, Aero is not the first headset to use Aspheric lenses. PSVR 1, Gear VR and Rift DK1/2 used aspheric, I believe there are others. I would say it's the first modern headset to go back to that lens technology, that's pretty fair.
@@VRFlightSimGuy love your videos! Hope my comment didn't come across as a nitpick, just thought you might find it interesting as aspheric lenses disappeared for a while!
Hi! I'm really confused, in one video you say that the Beyond big screen, in the following one it seems to not be so fantastic anymore... I own a Varjo Aero, it's excellent but I didn't find it so comfortable, that's why I was tempted to buy a Bigscreen but in this 'last video you don't seem so convinced anymore... I understand that the comfort factor is important to me but I'm not willing to lose too much image quality, and the Varjo has some defects on this too, the image is so faded that the black doesn't exist and the colors don't look great either, even after having adjusted every setting, client and software several times... Can you give me some advice that will help me?
Pimax needs to do something about their batteries along the lines of ASUS motherboards and their GPU eject button. It shouldn't be so difficult to change out a battery. Regarding the Varjo Aero, I found it to be the most uncomfortable HMD I've tried. The front does not flip up to enable a glasses wearer to put it on or off.
You do know that all the commentors on Pimax's reddit are over 50 right? It's literally decrepit old men complaining about changing the batteries being too hard for their geriatric fingers. Pimax themselves have even reported than all of their customers are over 50
Hey! Thanks a lot for the video, it was really great.👍 Could you please give me advice? I think you're the only one who has enough knowledge in this area to answer my question. I'm mostly looking for a headset to watch movies and shows. I have a good 65" hdr oled tv but want to get really cinema and 3d effects with good picture(I don't have an appropriate wall for a video projector). My priority is not comfort but to get the most enjoyable and realistic picture from watching movies. I'm ready to buy Pimax Crystal but is it the best choice in comparison with Bigscreen Beyond or maybe there is a better choice? I mean which one can give the best cinematic experience? I've read that Pimax Crystal has HDR and Bigscreen has a "glare" issue during scenes with high contrast, is it true? Or maybe it's impossible for now to get better cinematic experience from a VR headset than from a good 65" hdr oled tv set? What do you think?
Thank you for all your info,I've been waiting for this compering .we have the quest 3 over the corner and it will be interesting. I'm about to upgrade my hp g2 and still don't know what will be best for me 😅
I already returned the Varjo Aereo due to the small FOV and extreme chromatic aberration. My Pimax Crystal arrived 2 days ago and the FOV is larger and the chromatic aberration is acceptable. However, the image warping is unacceptable because it breaks immersion when objects change shape. Will likely return that as well.
Advice needed! I fly airliners in msfs. I have a 4090 and an i9. Pretty well specd pc. I fly at night more than I do during the day. Am I right in assuming the Beyond is the one for me? Should I wait for this new valve headset? Plz help.
For me it's a toss up between the Aero and BSB. Reliability or OLED... Pimax has too many iffy stories around the crystal right now. The good news is my Quest Pro works fine so I can wait. Just wish it was a bit sharper with distant objects when I'm trying to see the silhouette of a distant ww2 fighter. The extra pixel density of any of these headsets would help out there.
You never know, the Quest 3 with its improved steaming capabilities and resolution might be enough for you. I'll guess we'll find out next week. Thanks for your comments.
So the unanswered question, without qualifiers, is this: if YOU could only keep one of the three, for your sim hardware and use case, which would it be?
This was an unexpected surprise, like Uber Eats when you are hungover, the order says 45 mins away and then your delivery arrives in 15 minutes - just what I was after! Thank you Sir! 😝 I do enjoy reading the comments and opinions of others on your vids as well I must say…..For me, good build, customer support and active cooling are important (Australia gets warm!). I’m not used to a motorcycle helmet weight on my head, so I’m still swaying towards the Aero, only current issue is, the AU distributors haven’t reduced the price as yet, generally speaking😤
For being unscripted it was a good video. I think maybe just mention how many people are having problems with their crystal. Mine has Chromatic aberration and barrel distortion. Huge audio delay and broken power hub. Another British TH-camr had problems with both his and one of them had perfect visuals but the other he got had visual issues like mine. Seems like they have quality issues. That is important for such an expensive investment in a hobby. Should not be a lottery if you get what you pay for.
I hated my Crystal, slapping a hot CRT monitor on your head and using counter weights to offset face fatigue was not worth it and to be honest I hated the lenses and colors.
Why did you hate the lenses? The comfort is horrible in the crystal. The face gasket is almost flat so it does not make contact all around the face. It is also too heavy in the front and buying a aftermarket strap to hold it in place better should not be necessary to be able to use it. It is unusable without it unless you have a wide face.
@@Henningdale i hate dealing with sweet spots and coupled with the weight of the headset made it a chore. Also the backlighting is so low and the local dimming just seemed to make a muddy grey. I gave it a good effort, but it just wasn’t worth the pain for the price.
Thanks for your comment. I never script my videos, I like to just let my thoughts flow. It does seem to be a lottery whether you get a good headset sadly.
I do enjoy your content. It is really valuable for planning and deciding on what VR headset is best and why for simulation in particular. Coming from Norway it’s impossible to try them before buying them, so this is the next best thing. Keep up the good work👌🏾 You should try and get a hold of the Yaw2 for a review since you already have some experience with motion platforms😄
Sold my Aero, have the Crystal and waiting on my Bigscreen Beyond. I could feel comfortable in the Aero for maybe 30min and it starts to hurt the back of my head with that small pad, feels like I needed to have longer hair in the back for it not to hit pressure points. Find the Crystal more comfortable but yeah much more clunky when moving your head. Look forward to using the Beyond, hopefully the glare is something I can live with.
I really disagree with the varjo aero segment, I had mine for 7 months and went through 3 replacements and finally for the fourth one I simply returned it for my money back. Far too many issues, including bad build quality with the headstrap breaking for no apparent reason [this was a brand new headset]
Great comparison. Each have their own pros and cons. I picked the Pimax Crystal and couldn't be happier. The weight doesn't bother me even when playing active games and the apache strap helps with comfort.
I was just asking for this comparison yesterday in the comments and you delivered a day later. Your legendary mate.
My pleasure 🙂
On the crystal when you are flying at night, especially in DCS it feels like you're flying with fogged up goggles with all the blooming. They really need to continue pushing micro OLED as VR seems to be the perfect application for it
I'm a Pico4 owner and when thinking about upgrading I can only imagine going even lighter with Beyond. I think weight and comfort is as critical as image quality.
Tip: I bought the Studioform VRWARE Velcro Kit for the Crystal. Much more comfortable.
@@axev133I must be dumb but I don't find this on the web with your keyword vrware. Any idea where I can find the product. I want to improve the confort of my crystal. Thanks!
@@cyrilgpilot lol, did you try googling the Studioform part? Try it.....
@@cyrilgpilotShould be the Apache comfort strap from Studioform, there is also a bundle including a 100g counter weight available
@@markus8940thank you, it seems to be what I am look for! 🙏
Bigscreen Beyond put a spotlight on the subject of comfortability, which was never really talked about because everyone was just thinking about functionality, making even bigger headsets with more features... but, I've definitely noticed the discomfort from wearing a toaster on your forehead, it prevents longer use and immersion
I think the dynamic foveated rendering is huge, for me the biggest driver is going to be image quality and FOV.
I just snagged an Aero having previously used a G2 which was my first VR headset. I was tempted by the Pimax, but the silly battery requirement even when plugged in (seriously?) as well as software that didn't seem as mature as Varjo made me go to Varjo. I like the adjustability, crystal-clear DFR-enabled clarity, great build quality, and software maturity. I may try a Crystal one day too, who knows?
Dynamic foviated rendering is a huge reason I went for the Aero despite the reduced vertical FOV. DFR significantly improves performance in the games I play and is an essential feature of a proper VR set.
Hi Steve, I finally pulled the trigger on the Pimax Crystal, used your link and discount code as well so saved $20!
Thanks for the videos. I am impressed that you do this while working a full-time job!
I definitely agree with you that we need a headset that finally combines all the things we know to make a truly great VR headset without obvious compromises in one or more areas.
I'm also very hopeful to see Valve release their next headset, asap. I was ready to upgrade from the Index a while ago, and I'm impatient.
I'm eyeing the Somnium VR1, but I have my doubts about what the price could be, given the wide range Artur has mentioned to date ($1000-$3500). It's still unknown if they'll offer off-ear audio as good as Index, but he's hinted that it will be an option.
I've had my Crystal now for a week and absolutely love it. It seems now with the latest firmware and software upgrades that Pimax is much more on top of it's game. The battery life seems quite good (I can use it for 2 hours and the battery still has 75% power left). And with the supplied hub it will automatically start charging the battery when I turn it off, so I haven't had to use the separate battery charger at all.
It took me a few tries to get the headset mounted in just the right place but now I can do it quickly and find it is very comfortable.
Isn't it very heavy
Good reviews! My Crystal is incredibly sharp and clear, like real life. It is heavy like a helmet. I’ve added a small velcro balance weight at the back.
Thankyou for your comment, I couldn't agree more.
I think you did a great job summing up the options 🎉 the winners in all this is the consumer because we now have options with more to come from Valve and Somnium
Thanks buddy, this one was a tricky video and I almost scrapped it. So your feedback is much appreciated 😊
Beware of Crystal. It has a LOT of problems and Pimax’s support is utterly horrible. I made the mistake of buying one and wouldn’t recommend anyone to make the same mistake.
With that said, when it works, it’s amazing.
What issues have you had?
Maybe I’m lucky . I see a lot of people complain about the Pimax. I only had (so far fingers crossed) one was when I set it up I had not pushed the DP cable in to the headset enough. That was just me being parinoid.I did not want to break it 😂 After checking orientation I pushed harder and I was up and working 🤣 The other issue my right controller was not working once but just checking the manual just had to hold the reset button for 20secs. So far it’s amazing! I’m just hoping I don’t run into any major issue. All be it when I emailed Pimax about the controller they responded quickly and professionally. Yes I was worried and still am a bit due to bad press. I’m so glad I brought it ! For my eyes I could not use the Quest2 for long periods of time. Pimax I can play for hours. So my recommendation is go for it, hopefully if they have it on Amazon UK people could buy it and send it back if not happy.
@@Lakedistrictrider Failed firmware updates, firmware updates that broke functionality that worked before the update. Sub par power hub quality , causing random disconnects. But most importantly, my headset was shipped with a faulty cable. Not completely faulty but with incorrect resistance, causing much too high current draw that couldn’t ge supplied by computer/hub. To this date my problem still hasn’t been solved by Pimax. The support is just horrible. They keep asking questions and between every question/reply it takes between 4-10 days. They speak very litte, if any, English. I still haven’t seen any replacement cable and doubt that I ever will. Luckily I chose to buy it from a local store rather than from Pimax and the store supplied a replacement cable until Pimax get their hand out of their ass. Oh….the controllers are so bad I don’t even want to speak about them. And the audio….there is a latency that is unbearable.
But again - when it works it is amazing. I think it’s more Pimax that is the problem than Crystal. They release a half finished product to the market and then make it even worse by providing mediocre support.
@@PaulBriggs-kb9by Yes, buying from Amazon or a local retailer is also something I would highly recommend, so that local laws will protect the investment. When buying from Pimax the "warranty" is also Virtual…. :)
Just look at the weight, they also charge premium price for a mediocre QC and horrible design. They really need to up their game. They are great at making good displays but everything else is shite
Finally, the well-awaited review, and as always totally honest, short, and to the point.. It did, however, muddy the waters to some extent 🥲. I was leaning towards the Aero but the Crystal does seem to be very tempting (if you ignore the battery issue, oh.. and Pimax's reputation). It seems that waiting is the best strategy, especially with Pico back in the game now, and both Somnium V1 and Valve Deckard on the horizon. This likely means that this Black Friday will be crazy.
Thanks again Steve for devoting the time to help the simmers out there ;)
and the pitool barely working that an update will break it (i havent updated my Pitool in almost 2 years)
Brilliant video, a big thanks for putting all this work into it !!! ❤
My pleasure ☺️☺️
Curious to see the flood of sims tests in the Q3 next week 🙂
I have it, and it seems really good, most impressive headset I have seen so far. I haven't tested the Crystal, but the weight , price and quality control is a big no no
@@sephiroth4543 Yep .. and we still have to see wireless PCVR on it...
thanks and I appreciate its difficult as every ones priorities are different. I love my Crystal but its not for everyone
Thanks Steve
Fantastic overview. I wonder what the first “checks all the boxes” high end set will be
5 years away ?
@@markkovalcson7243 What a sad thought! Better not be. Valve really needs to announce and release very soon already, and Somnium VR1 needs to have a good price. If not, then we'll be stuck in this "still nothing perfect" limbo forever.
@@DMan-ud6bt Our idea of perfect is a sliding bar that we keep moving. The Bigscreen Beyond is unlike anything else out there and my guess it that it may be at least another 3 years before we see anything approaching it's size and weight.
The Somnium VR1 is definitely not my idea of a perfect headset and I doubt Valve will approach perfection either.
We are at the upper limit of was DP 1.4 is capable of so we will need to wait until 2025 for the 5090 series to have DP 2.1 that should keep our VR headsets fed for a little while longer.
meanwhile the ultra wide 4 panel microOLED pancake displays that have been shown in prototype form are certainly beyond what a 4090 could push and I would put them at least 1-2 years away from being seen in a headset. FWIW even they don't have enough vertical FOV compared to what I would like.
Something small, and light, with high resolution, large FOV, and high refresh rate is a lot to ask for. Then varifocal will likely start to become something we want.
Also our idea of what high enough resolution will probably keep rising until we get to 60-70 ppd.
So maybe 5 years, maybe.
Realistically nothing that exists today is even remotely close to what I would like to eventually have. There are many technological advances that will be necessary before it will be possible.
I think 5 years is actually HIGHLY optimistic.
Subscribed. The Bigscreen Beyond is less expensive than the others.
Thank you, i just watched your video and these are exactly my thoughts. None is good enough to replace my old Reverb G2. Still waiting for a hmd that is cheaper than 1000€, does not need lighthouse tracking, has at least as good fov as Crystal, good colors like Bigscreen and good overall quality as Aero.
A Crystal without batteries and less weight, or a Bigscreen without glare and lighthouse, or Aero with better fov & without lighthouse. Maybe next time.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and for watching. The Reverb G2 still rocks.
Take a look at the upcoming Somnium......Inside out tracking, Micro OLED panels, 125+ FOV, 144hz, Eye and hand tracking will be available.
@@chrish4483 thanks, haven't heard yet, sounds interesting
@@VRFlightSimGuy I agree with @airsheep, I think the delta is not that big and my Reverb (G1 for that matter) will hold one year or so and by then an almost perfect headset (as you mention) will be available. I ordered a Q3 for standalone playing in the meantime. I can afford any of those headsets, or all of them even, but I find they are still half baked solutions.
@@chrish4483 Yeah, too much to bite for a company with no experience whatsoever don’t you think?
I bought the Bigscreen beyond because comfort is very important and it has the Oled screens, but I had to purchase an iPhone so I could get a face scan. I will take the phone back because you have 14 days to return it they suggested that at the Apple store and it was okay to do that.
Just what the Doctor ordered this video. cheers
Cheers buddy. Have a grand weekend.
Functional reliable software will always be my top priority.
Spot on Review Steve. Love ❤️ my Crystal.
Thanks buddy, me too :)
@@VRFlightSimGuyYou really need to move out of TAA to DLSS Quality as Shark said. Ultra clouds are fantastic as you know.
@@SkyKing-OpaDon't you swear at me 😂 I'm TAA all the way mate sorry
@@VRFlightSimGuyLove you man! Cheers 😂
Hi, how do You know that valve is going to announce something? Based on the 1030 certification? cuz 1030 is likely a revised steam deck. Or perhaps You have insider info?
Correct just sold the Varjo for the Crystal.. Both ace but..Crystal pips it to the post!!!
Answer: 4!
Get a Quest 3 - save the rest - and get a 12K next year.
I've had them all and now I only have Beyond. For me was super easy choice.
I tried the Pimax Crystal light (inside out tracking, HUGE mistake) currently using the Aero, but have a Beyond on Order... I'm looking forward to the popping colors, deep blacks and of course the form factor of the Beyond! :)
Very happy with my Aero purchase after the price drop. Thanks Steve. Perfection would be micro OLED panels with aspheric lenses, individual eye dioptre adjustment (so easy I don't know why it isn't always standard) and wide FOV. I genuinely don't know why this doesn't exist already as the Arpara design had it except it used pancake lenses and was killed off (outside of China) by TH-camrs. The other critical thing that swung me to buying the Aero was availability from stock. That isn't the case for the other headsets.
Because of astigmatisms. Most people with eye problems have some sort of other problem too which diopter adjustments don't fix.
@@Dougie085 I don't know if it's 'most' but certainly 'some'. My astigmatism is only 0.25 dioptre in one eye and doesn't even need correction in glasses. Samsung's VR headset adapter for their phones showed that a simple variable distance adjustment from lens to panel provided a big advantage even if the eyes did not have quite the same prescription (certainly better than wearing glasses). Just place each lens on a very fine screw mechanism. It's trivial.
I imagine a future with a vr glasses with the video quality of pimax Crystal, black oled and cooling from big screen beyond, construction from varjo aero and price of Quest 3, a dream 😎😅🙏
Funnily Quest 3 seems to have almost everything and AR on top of being jack of all trades. A Quest Pro that weighs around 500g and with Oled would be sublime.
I am very impressed with the Q3 for now. The worst headset I have ever owned was the Vive Focus 3, it felt like I was under water. Everything was blury.
What a GREAT video, I really loved listinening your conclusions
Thank you!
Great review as always! Although I must say it’s kind of paradoxical that you mention the Aero comes from a fighter pilot DNA and at the same time, suffers from a smaller vertical FOV which is important for dogfights…
Keep them coming! For me, the Crystal is perfect right now!
MajorDad
It does make me chuckle, since real world pilots don't complain about it, yet us fickle flight simmers are all over it 😅 Thanks for watching 😊
@@VRFlightSimGuy Currently using G2 and I am thinking about upgrading to the Aero....are the vertical FOVs similar between these headsets? Many thanks for your videos I rely on your expert advice as I contemplate which headset to upgrade to !
@@John-ly1zt Do you use/enjoy the built-in off-ear audio solution? You'll lose it going to Aero. Even with the price decrease, that's the killer for me. That strange FOV design too.
@@DMan-ud6bt agreed....think I'm leaning towards the Crystal after considering all pros and cons
@@John-ly1zt Hey John, that's kind of you, but I'm really no expert. Th Crystal will give you more of a wow factor, if you get a good one, you'll love it, providing you don't mind the extra weight. The Aero however, is a safer sound purchase, because it's as reliable as a wood burning stove. You do lose some FOV though. I have a comparison video on the channel, I'd recommend you give it a watch when you have time. Cheers.
Surely the aero is due a replacement with oled veeery soon
This really helped me. Out of the three, this video sorta DQ’s the Pimax for me; I want the best visuals but I think the weight and battery will make me desire replacing it as soon as something better comes along. The best headset is one you can just put on and are comfortable using daily; so that leaves the Aero and Bigscreen Beyond. I will wait to hear your comparison of the Quest 3 to these two and then go from there. (I have a Quest 3 on pre order regardless). Now I’m just torn as my second main use case is Elite Dangerous - so true blacks (BSB) vs. no glare of any kind (Aero) and both should still be significantly better than Quest 2/3. Thanks!!
The cost of the Pimax is horrible, too, and they have poor quality control. I am looking at the Quest 3, Jack of all trades for now.
Look at how light the Beyond is and in 2023 Pimax release a very heavy headset 🤣
The battery is a non-issue. I haven't swapped or changed the battery in weeks. I play about 6 hours per session 5 days a week. I never need to remove or charge the battery at all.
I just can't wait to get back into VR with the Beyond flying my Camel against Dr1s.(my daily driver died a few months ago) Nothing will beat that based on your videos. The small size will make moving your head around so much easier. WW1 dogfights are incredibly dynamic and require you to move your head around sooooo much.
Oh man.. You will LOVE it for that type of flying. 😊
Great comparisson.Thanks again!!! Keep content high :)
Perfect headset still yet to come...
I’ll be going with the Beyond. What it offers is amazing for the price and it is definitely the future.
Ready Player One here we come
Don't forget to use my affiliate link. Thanks for watching 👍
Which is it? Well as you stated frequently it fully depends on your personal preference/needs, budget, the hardware you use, and what you're using VR for mainly (MSFS2020, DCS, Racing for me with an RTX4090). I do believe all the mentioned sets have their pros and cons. I decided to buy the Crystal because it delivers clarity and high resolution, FOV and that is very important to me. Yes, I wish the Crystal was lighter and they should have offered such a config, but now I use it together with a velcro head strap from Studioform which makes wearing the Crystal much more comfortable. I don't like glare and also want to share my experience with friends so the BB isn't a good choice for me I guess. Now after the price drop of the Varjo Aero I maybewould have selected that one because of the fact their product support seems to be better than Pimax offers but the lack of FOV hmmm. Hopefully, Pimax will catch up soon. For now, I'm very satisfied with the Crystal. Btw... I like your reviews!
Thankyou for sharing your thoughts and opinions here, I personally feel you made the right choice. The Crystal's visuals are second to none. Thanks for your kind words.
Any software issues?
@@Lakedistrictrider Since my Pimax Crystal was delivered (early August) I didn't have any software issues. By now the set has received two firmware updates that improved the usability (Eyetracking, Dynamic FOV rendering). Also, the Standalone mode now is operational, but I don't use that option. Be aware that some Pimax Crystal users reported software issues. At least two users I saw bricked their Crystal after a firmware update. I'm not sure if they followed the correct procedure though. So for some users it seems to be a hit or miss, but I don't regret buying the Crystal. I'm sure there will be better VR sets produced in the future, but that isn't worth waiting for. If that happens I'll sell my Crystal and move on. Btw... running the Machloop with the Crystal gave me a realistic Deja Vu 😉
@@axev133 cheers mate. Tempted but feels a bit of a gamble
@@Lakedistrictrider Thanks and I agree, but life isn't without taking risks. Maybe 1000 users don't have an issue and only 2 do right? I'm sure that also can happen with a Varjo. Worst case scenario: return the Pimax Crystal.
Thanks for the comparisons, it's helpful for newbies, like me. I'm narrowing down the VR features which are important to me. I also wonder about the VR-to-user interface. I use X-Plane and there aren't many videos about how to turn dials, push buttons etc. Have you done one or could you do one. Thanks
Thank you
You're welcome
I think I've been one of the lucky ones - I have owned a Pimax Crystal for a month or so and could not be happier with it. I should say I have a very high end PC which is able to handle it, and also I did need to get the Apache strap and counterweight before it felt good to wear.
From a pick-up-and-play perspective it is much simpler than I expected, and I haven't really had any technical issues outside of some minor things that can be easily worked around (touch wood). Battery life is a non-issue for me - I've actually not had to change it once since I started using the USB hub. I don't tend to do super-long (>2 hour) VR sessions often though due to eye strain so that may be why.
The actual VR experience it gives is as incredible as you describe, both with flight simming and also driving games. Mind-blowing is not too strong an adjective!
I can't speak for the other two headsets (though they both look great from what I've seen), but it's so good to have different viable choices. More competitiveness for high end consumer VR products is a really positive thing as it hopefully keeps prices low(ish), incentivises people to buy them and developers to keep them in mind when developing their software.
The weight seems scary, does it feel heavy
@@sephiroth4543 It took some getting used to especially coming from a Quest 2 which is so much lighter, but now it’s fine really. The Apache strap (and counterweight) helps a lot, it’s a bit of a kicker to have to spend more money just to make it feel comfortable having shelled out so much already but it turns it into something I’m happy to wear for a couple of hours at a time with no issues
@@stmichael404 fair enough, enjoy it 👍
Even though I love the Crystal's visuals, I find that it wants all my attention when I'm wearing it. Instead of concentrating on the sim, I'm distracted by the Crystal saying 'Hi! I'm on your head!!'.
If you can please do a video on future headsets!!!
How do you know that Valve will have an announcement soon? Is that just the well-known fact that Deckard is in the works or have you heard something that the rest of us don't know?
He can tell you but then he has to kill you ;-)
I love my crystal but it started showing horizontal lines all across the display and I'm having a NIGHTMARE with Pimax's customer service. Nearly a month now and I'm STILL waiting for them to ship out a replacement! A far cry from HP's customer service unfortunately.
Yes, customers service is not the best you can find. I am still waiting a new controller. Sooooo long!
I sympathize.
Thanks, excellent comments. One over-riding question: which headset gives you the most immersive experience when you are flying (and concentrating on flying) in DCS/MSFS?
Great informative video again, thank you. Can you elaborate on your statement regarding super sampling the BSB. You say it can match the visuals of the Crystal? How much SS is required and does it have an acceptable impact on fps, can you still achieve 45fps in FSS2020? Loving my Crystal but I'm tempted by the form factor of the BSB.
And lastly how does the FOV fall in with the other two headsets, are you happy with the BSB FOV...
Thankyou and glad you liked the video. A lot to answer here, I will have a dedicated video about this coming soon.
@@VRFlightSimGuy Great! Looking forward to your next videos 👍
What about 3d depth presence ? The stereoscopy overlap is goot in this headset?
Hey, VRSFG. Any chance you could do a comparison of the Quest 3 and Reverb G2 in MSFS? I'm trying to decide whether or not to sell my G2 and get a Q3.
Could you detail for each headset: hardware requirements in terms of graphics card, lighthouses, etc… ?
Thanks for the suggestion, I'll keep that in mind for a future video.
There is a website called vr-compare that does a decent job of this. However there are errors ... also the weight and FOV numbers are inaccurate for the Crystal (but the numbers are what is claimed on their official spec sheet).
Hiw are these compared to the quest 3
Although I was all set to get the Aero when the price dropped, I have held off, mainly because of the lack of good audio. Still can’t make my mind up.
@pwhitey i would get it if i had the funds, i already have headphones but no controllers because my only vr is quest 2
Bad Vertical fov and not a good color contrast stop me buying Aero. Im still going for Beyond. I did try Pimax and everything is perfect but discomfort made me return it
@@ji3200 The Vert isnt bad at ALL in the Aero. Solid HMD. I ordered a Beyond for the form factor, and popping colors and deep blacks.. .I am keeping the Aero for people to try, its a quality piece of gear! Pimax, I ordered a Crystal light (w/ inside out tracking) GARBAGE! support took forever.. never again with that company...
Great vid. Question? How does the FOV on the aero compare to the Reverb G2?
Thankyou. Horizontal FOV is better, but the vertical FOV is squashed down a bit. But after an hour, you'll get used to it, if anything, it will be a non issue since you can see so much more, due to the large sweet spot.
@@VRFlightSimGuy thanks mate. Thinking about an aero as the price has dropped so much.
Could you maybe do a Best MSF2020 settings guide for the Varjo aero? (your in game settings and openxr toolkit settings with your 4090)
What do you think if you use wifi 6 ( or 6E ) with this quest pro this pictures enough there is no articact on the screen? ( AV1 codec is much better than the old one ) So the Quest 3 would be sharper and it means there won'T be so much picture quality differenc with Crystal or Varjo which use display port or the wireless VR won't be the same picture quality than the dedicated display ports PC VR ? it is impossible? Thanks this answer in advance,
Great video can you post a full video on the setup of Nvidia , Varjo Aero and MSFS 2020 setup lately everything is 6 month old and I am not feeling all what everyone is saying about the Varjo so I believe some setups are wrong at my end . I have the Asus Nvidia RTX 4070 so I should be seeing a little of what everyone is mentioning but I am not. A setup lesson will be great as I am sure lots of subscribers where able to but the Varjo headset VR. Thanks a lot
Unless I missed it, you didn't mention the Beyond's vertical FOV. You said the Areo was like a letterbox and the Crystal was better in the vertical. But how about the Beyond in that regard ? Cheers
90 degree vertical, varjo aero is like 85 degrees vertical
I bought the Aero following the price drop, plus a 4090; I was an early adopter G2 person, bought largely on Steve's observations . After a week: the Aero is in many ways the souped-up G2 we all dreamed of. The highlight is the virtual whole screen sweet spot, like central section G2 resolution all over, but sharper. The field of view feels essentially like the G2, but less like a round hole. The possibly larger vertical FOV in the G2 gave it that hole feeling for me, so if the horizontal is a bit wider and the vertical a bit less, that's fine. Personally, I don't find it a problem re dog fighting in DCS. The binocular overlap some folks have mentioned is fine in terms of getting a 3D effect, but it is slightly odd, perhaps because of the lense shapes; but like a ticking clock or tinnitus, your brain switches it out pretty soon. The cooling is a dream, especially with my VR Optician correctors that bring the lens surface closer to your warm, wet, steamy eyeballs. Jabra bluetooth headphones are perfect for it. Fires up first time, every time. Glad to have the excuse to buy a set of knuckles and get some Half Life action among the manic simming. Btw, I tried the Aero with my 3080 10G but, while okay, it wasn't really hacking it; so you will probably want a 4090 for any of these. The G2 really was a brilliant, ahead of its time, headset.
Literally what I'd say word for word..except I've only got a 4080 lol
@@melvyns19754080 is still great for VR. I'm on a 3070 and G2 😂. Luckily it's just used for iRacing
I have the G2, but I just got Quest 3. I am waiting for the beyond, but I was told the FOV was bad on the Aero
@@sephiroth4543hello, did you receive beyond?
Wait, what - the big screen is the same quality as Pimax if supersampled 😀
Hey I didn't have to wait until sunday! :)
I decided to hell with it since its Friday :) Thanks for watching
Steve, can we use OXR Toolkit in Beyond? does it work with this headset?
Does BSB work with MS Store version of MSFS given it is steam VR?
alright, I am still gonna wait for another headset
Which one would you recommend for iRacing, or sim racing in general. My complaint with my G2 is fov and having to move your head to see the apex, because off off center blur
Dude i am still waiting to your quest3 review especially compared to the reverb g2 for pcvr games…😢
It will be live in the next couple of hours 👍
What graphic card you're using if you don't mind.
Asus RTX 4090
@VRFlightSimGuy I have a 3080ti sometimes I feel like it struggles with frame rate
Question… sometimes my VR position is locked in MSFS… sometimes it isn’t and I can lean in to see the instruments.
Do you know how to set this?
I have owned several headsets. Valve Index, Pico 4, Bigscreen Beyond, and just recently Varjo Aero. Ill be honest. I returned every single one of them besides the Valve Index. Its the most comfortable and actually was the easiest to get up and running. Not as clear as the others at all but the others either took a lot of time to get up and running or are just plain uncomfortable. I will wait to see what Valve does next. I even returned the Varjo Aero and was seriously disappointed in it.
Whitch one is best for WWII dogfight i DCS if you sitts on a top computer?
I use a quest 2 and the fidelity is way too low to me.
Is the fidelity in the Reviewed Headsets a lot better? Like lets say, double as good? I hate the low Resolution feel at far away things. Vr works good in close but in sims... if you can not say if u see a tree or a house... that is a problem.
I have a quest 3 on pre order but really debating if I should cancel and get the aero. I have a 3080ti and not sure which headset will be harder ro run in msfs?
I won't know that for sure until next week sorry. However, I think you'd prefer the Aero.
Always thankful for your insightful and helpful videos, Steve! :)
Based largely on your passion for the headset, I gleefully sprang for the Varjo Aero when the price dropped so precipitously! 😄 I'm eagerly looking forward to setting it up this weekend, and discovering the difference between it and my long-trusty G2.
That said, I've been combing TH-cam for CURRENT videos about settings for the Aero, and not finding anything meaningful so far. Most of what I'm seeing seems out of date... Do you have an plans for doing an updated 'settings' video for the Aero, in the wake of numerous changes and updates to both MSFS and Varjo's firmware, etc...?
I'd love to have a 'great' experience with the Aero on my first effort -- and not be frustrated by poor performance because of my own ignorance.
Thankyou Dennis :) I'd recommend checking out my Discord for the latest Varjo Aero settings. Congratulations btw.!
@@VRFlightSimGuy
Thanks! I guess I now have a reason to engage with yet another forum. 😉
If the Aero has a lesser FOV than a Crystal but similar resolution then shouldn't the Aero look much sharper?
I am a GA pilot and want to get into SIM's for practice etc. Is a VR headset the right idea or should I stick with a standard 3/4 monitor or 3 projector setup?
When you are flying on a VR headset are you 100% using keyboard and mouse or is there a yoke and rudder pedals etc on your setup?
I Have been told that you need 2 base stations to get the Varjo Aero and the pimax to work for about £ 200 pounds each is that right ,and thx for the vids nice one mate.
The Pimax doesn't need any basestations at all.
@@Whatsup_Abroad unless you plan to use lighthouse equipment.
Aero: Active cooling, build quality, 200Hz eye tracking, edge to edge clarity, best software, and best customer service. Crystal: Bigger vertical FOV, OLED screen, and built in audio. Crystal owners I've talk to said that the visuals are not all the way to the edge, are very blurry and kills about 10 degrees of the FOV. It has 120 Hz eye tracking, and the worst customer service they have ever experienced. They even said it was so bad they would never buy another Pimax product again. Think if Bigscreen had eye tracking and active cooling it would be the best one out of all of them. I've heard that BigScreen's problem is the god rays though. I am wanting to see the reviews of the Somnium VR1.
I have some extremely happy Crystal owners on my Discord, so I guess it all depends where the information comes from. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Crystal doesn't have oled... has led local dimming. BSB has oled
@@kendil22 I typed the wrong thing I meant QLED.
@@VRFlightSimGuy As long as they don't have to deal with customer service, I guess they will be good.
I have a crystal. Had one of the first units. At first the customer service was great and responsive. As they started shipping more, they started taking longer to respond. The software has been slowly improving but although I liked it for the most part, the comfort just wasn't all there and found myself always having to readjust every couple of minutes. As time went on, I didn't necessarily regret the purchase, but found myself struggling to justify the price I paid. The death blow to me was the Aero price drop. Ordered an aero and will probably getting rid of the Crystal at a massive loss. Well played Varjo, well played.
still having rough time with the Varjo it now shut's down the sim half way during the flight ( short flights) I was told by the support to go back on my Nvidia to 532 version which I did but this time the moment I opened MSFS and started the plan go around procedures it crashes and shuts down the sim . Very frustrating.
These are the 3 Options I'm Debating in my head, but I don't have an iphone so I think the Beyond is not something I can get bc of the Face Scanning only for Iphone users.
Great video! Just a quick note, Aero is not the first headset to use Aspheric lenses. PSVR 1, Gear VR and Rift DK1/2 used aspheric, I believe there are others.
I would say it's the first modern headset to go back to that lens technology, that's pretty fair.
Good point! Thanks for watching and commenting
@@VRFlightSimGuy love your videos! Hope my comment didn't come across as a nitpick, just thought you might find it interesting as aspheric lenses disappeared for a while!
@@HeadsetHistorianAll VR lenses are aspheric. There isn't a single headset, not even one, that has ever used non-aspheric lenses.
Hi!
I'm really confused, in one video you say that the Beyond big screen, in the following one it seems to not be so fantastic anymore... I own a Varjo Aero, it's excellent but I didn't find it so comfortable, that's why I was tempted to buy a Bigscreen but in this 'last video you don't seem so convinced anymore... I understand that the comfort factor is important to me but I'm not willing to lose too much image quality, and the Varjo has some defects on this too, the image is so faded that the black doesn't exist and the colors don't look great either, even after having adjusted every setting, client and software several times... Can you give me some advice that will help me?
Try lowering the brightness in the base software.. it helps with the blacks a great deal..
Well, can we still consider a PC with i9 1090k and 3090 a high end PC?
I've no idea. I enjoyed mine a lot, but the 4090 is a big upgrade, but I do appreciate, it's also hideously expensive.
Pimax needs to do something about their batteries along the lines of ASUS motherboards and their GPU eject button. It shouldn't be so difficult to change out a battery.
Regarding the Varjo Aero, I found it to be the most uncomfortable HMD I've tried. The front does not flip up to enable a glasses wearer to put it on or off.
You do know that all the commentors on Pimax's reddit are over 50 right? It's literally decrepit old men complaining about changing the batteries being too hard for their geriatric fingers. Pimax themselves have even reported than all of their customers are over 50
most vr headsets dont flip up?
i can't choose from bigscreen and pimax crystal :\
Hey! Thanks a lot for the video, it was really great.👍
Could you please give me advice? I think you're the only one who has enough knowledge in this area to answer my question.
I'm mostly looking for a headset to watch movies and shows. I have a good 65" hdr oled tv but want to get really cinema and 3d effects with good picture(I don't have an appropriate wall for a video projector).
My priority is not comfort but to get the most enjoyable and realistic picture from watching movies.
I'm ready to buy Pimax Crystal but is it the best choice in comparison with Bigscreen Beyond or maybe there is a better choice? I mean which one can give the best cinematic experience? I've read that Pimax Crystal has HDR and Bigscreen has a "glare" issue during scenes with high contrast, is it true?
Or maybe it's impossible for now to get better cinematic experience from a VR headset than from a good 65" hdr oled tv set? What do you think?
What are you PC Specs?
Thank you for all your info,I've been waiting for this compering .we have the quest 3 over the corner and it will be interesting. I'm about to upgrade my hp g2 and still don't know what will be best for me 😅
I already returned the Varjo Aereo due to the small FOV and extreme chromatic aberration. My Pimax Crystal arrived 2 days ago and the FOV is larger and the chromatic aberration is acceptable. However, the image warping is unacceptable because it breaks immersion when objects change shape. Will likely return that as well.
@@gregkirk1842probably one or both of these 😂
Get the apache headset and tighten the headset so it doesn't move as much. Your problems are now fixed. Yaaaay.
Advice needed!
I fly airliners in msfs. I have a 4090 and an i9. Pretty well specd pc. I fly at night more than I do during the day. Am I right in assuming the Beyond is the one for me? Should I wait for this new valve headset? Plz help.
If you have a Index already I would get the Beyond or Aero you cant go wrong with either with your computer specifications.
For me it's a toss up between the Aero and BSB. Reliability or OLED... Pimax has too many iffy stories around the crystal right now. The good news is my Quest Pro works fine so I can wait. Just wish it was a bit sharper with distant objects when I'm trying to see the silhouette of a distant ww2 fighter. The extra pixel density of any of these headsets would help out there.
You never know, the Quest 3 with its improved steaming capabilities and resolution might be enough for you. I'll guess we'll find out next week. Thanks for your comments.
@@VRFlightSimGuyhello, can I ask, how is quest 3 compared to these high end vrs? You recommend quest 3 or immediately not? Thank you
Recently learnt that Varjo has stopped production and sales of the Aero, which is very unfortunate.
Hi very nice... The only thing im a little concerned about is the Wiggle of your view... Is it only because you are talking?
Hello from germany❤💙💛
Not seen in the headset, thankyou for watching 😊
So the unanswered question, without qualifiers, is this: if YOU could only keep one of the three, for your sim hardware and use case, which would it be?
Had a Crystal and moved to a Beyond. So worth for me but not for everybody.
Nice. What do you prefer?
This was an unexpected surprise, like Uber Eats when you are hungover, the order says 45 mins away and then your delivery arrives in 15 minutes - just what I was after! Thank you Sir! 😝 I do enjoy reading the comments and opinions of others on your vids as well I must say…..For me, good build, customer support and active cooling are important (Australia gets warm!). I’m not used to a motorcycle helmet weight on my head, so I’m still swaying towards the Aero, only current issue is, the AU distributors haven’t reduced the price as yet, generally speaking😤
Hahaha thanks buddy. I actually forgot I had this video cued up for today, so it was a surprise to me too 😅
For being unscripted it was a good video. I think maybe just mention how many people are having problems with their crystal. Mine has Chromatic aberration and barrel distortion. Huge audio delay and broken power hub. Another British TH-camr had problems with both his and one of them had perfect visuals but the other he got had visual issues like mine. Seems like they have quality issues. That is important for such an expensive investment in a hobby. Should not be a lottery if you get what you pay for.
I hated my Crystal, slapping a hot CRT monitor on your head and using counter weights to offset face fatigue was not worth it and to be honest I hated the lenses and colors.
Why did you hate the lenses? The comfort is horrible in the crystal. The face gasket is almost flat so it does not make contact all around the face. It is also too heavy in the front and buying a aftermarket strap to hold it in place better should not be necessary to be able to use it. It is unusable without it unless you have a wide face.
@@Henningdale i hate dealing with sweet spots and coupled with the weight of the headset made it a chore. Also the backlighting is so low and the local dimming just seemed to make a muddy grey. I gave it a good effort, but it just wasn’t worth the pain for the price.
Thanks for your comment. I never script my videos, I like to just let my thoughts flow. It does seem to be a lottery whether you get a good headset sadly.
I do enjoy your content. It is really valuable for planning and deciding on what VR headset is best and why for simulation in particular. Coming from Norway it’s impossible to try them before buying them, so this is the next best thing. Keep up the good work👌🏾
You should try and get a hold of the Yaw2 for a review since you already have some experience with motion platforms😄
Sold my Aero, have the Crystal and waiting on my Bigscreen Beyond. I could feel comfortable in the Aero for maybe 30min and it starts to hurt the back of my head with that small pad, feels like I needed to have longer hair in the back for it not to hit pressure points. Find the Crystal more comfortable but yeah much more clunky when moving your head. Look forward to using the Beyond, hopefully the glare is something I can live with.
Yeah I ditched that back pad myself, its much better without.
I really disagree with the varjo aero segment, I had mine for 7 months and went through 3 replacements and finally for the fourth one I simply returned it for my money back.
Far too many issues, including bad build quality with the headstrap breaking for no apparent reason [this was a brand new headset]
I've had mine for around 7 months without issues. I guess I'm lucky.
Ive had mine since release and its perfect... You must be doing cartwheels and shit..