Final thoughts of the PIMAX 8KX...

[@BlackV4You]

Great review!

[@jonbarto9146]

Excellent review. I like your writing style and clear and concise delivery. Makes me a bit less skeptical of Pimax as a brand. I understand a lot more about what it is they’re offering. Thank you!

[@ImmersedRobot]

Thanks for the kind words! And thank you for watching.

[@VR-Emcee]

Sounds dope. Wish I had some base stations I would order one today. I will be in the market for a high fov hmd sometime within the next few years.

[@MrYourry_NESO]

A Pimax 8KX and a Sega MS1 on the same picture, it is just perfect 🤩🤩🤩

[@seattime4075]

Good review. I was a backer of the 8KX and have a IPD of 60mm. Never could get it to feel right vision wise, even after trying all sorts of mods/adjustments. Ended up getting a HP G2 V2 which worked perfectly out of the box.

[@iBerry420]

It looks massive. I get the "goggle" style for VR, but I imagine it may be more comfortable and easier to build if it were like a full face helmet (like a motorcycle helmet).

[@tezzla6358]

would you really wan't that tho, it would get super hot playing beat saber

[@Raidz-448]

Great review thank you, I appreciate the care and thought you put into this. I have a Reverb G2 and when the slider is all the way to the lowest IPD (60), it still feels just off and I continue to get eye strain so I can relate to your experience with the Pimax. Your review was exactly what I was looking for, I get the sense I would have had a similar experience as you with the lenses feeling just off and ultimately disappointed in the Pimax since I'm looking to have absolutely no eye strain at this time. You saved me a lot of time and money! Unfortunately the only headset that appears to meet my criteria is the Varjo Aero but I don't have lighthouses or controllers, nor are these easily accessible in my current location without significant shipping costs and inflated pricing. An affordable, comfortable headset still eludes me but I'll continue to be patient. Thanks again!

[@ImmersedRobot]

Yes, I can definitely appreciate that you want a 100% visually comfortable experience and with no eyestrain. It's something some people might be willing to sacrifice for the large FOV in hope they might get used to it, and it becomes less of a problem over time. But I'm not convinced it will be either. The Index, OG Vive and Rift CV1 are probably the most visually comfortable headsets I've personally used - although they suffer from resolution and glare issues in some cases.

[@Raidz-448]

@@ImmersedRobot I'd love to hear your thoughts on the Varjo Aero should you ever get one in your hands.

[@ImmersedRobot]

@@Raidz-448 I was lucky enough to try a Varjo Aero before the release, but it was classed as a prototype and I was paid for user feeback, so am not able to give my opinions publically on that version unfortunately. However, I do plan on trying the released version at some point, and I will of course speak about it on my channel when I do.

[@VRFlightSimGuy]

Excellent review Gary. I think I'm perhaps one of the lucky ones with an IPD of around 64.5. Do you mind if I share this on my Discord channel? Cheers!

[@ImmersedRobot]

Thanks, Steve! Yes, please feel free to share the video wherever you like. 🙂

[@Anonnymouse53]

Just got my 8KX after years in the 5K+ I'm only doing seated stuff, racing and flight. I don't think I can go back to a normal FOV, even having tried a friend's Crystal. But there's definitely loads of problems with them. IPD isn't an issue for me, but for some it'll be a brick wall. It needs comfort mods, etc. But if you are willing to work through the issues, that FOV is really great for the sense of speed in racing games.

[@jackr.749]

Great review. I have to admit, this is a HMD I would love to try but not willing to spend around $1600.00 (Canadian) to try one. How I wish there was a shop in town where I could pay to try whatever HMD I'm curious about. I'd want to try the 8kx and the Aero. Both are very expensive and I'm not willing to spend that kind of money just to find out the HMD doesn't suit my head shape or eyes well thus a lot of money for a miserable VR experience.

[@ImmersedRobot]

Excatly how I feel. I think it's almost vital to try a VR HMD before committing to spending money - but that's especially true of some of the most premium high-end units. There are so many subjective factors in these devices because they're actually wearables which rely on certain things being just so. Some VR headsets seem to be more accomodating of differences - and suit a wider range of people - while others less so unfortunately.

[@adwbkk]

The most advanced, and yet, still unfinished, HMD available. Have had my new PiMax 8KX for about a month now and during that time it has worked for about a week. The list of problems just gets longer and longer. Can not work with steam - Steam just crashes as soon as it sees the Pimax. Tech support says reload steam, reload Pitool, Reload SteamVR. Try this setting and try that setting. But it still does not work. It is even difficult to turn on! Sometime it conects straight away and other times not at all. Sometimes you get a green light (all good), sometime a purple light (reprojection is on) and sometime an orange light (no idea). There is no way to control this behaviour. The Pimax was not designed to be used with steam. In fact I would say that the product is not complete and still being tested. And you can be a beta tester for only $2000. A serious waste of time and money and I would be happy to get rid of mine for 75% of what it cost me. Sad to say that it is just not ready for the average VR ready computer competent consumer.

[@MackDreams]

Good review & The Pimax 8kx is a great device with great specs and all... but i don't understand why there is not much talk about the weight of the 8kx as if it’s not important, the burden it puts on your face plus the heavy load on forehead, temple and/or nose, almost a whopping +/- 1kg...even for a short time or especially if you use it for a longer time 1 or 2 hours, ...anyway It gives me an 'amazing' headache every time .. and yes I know, one can place a counterweight, but then you even can go to a 2 kg headset no matter how absurd it sounds & it’s not a solution for me and yes you can always secure the headset at your own discretion, but it is not the intention to put a tourniquet on your head. I have been using the 8KX for 6 months now, actually I had to return my First 8KX after 1 week, at the moment I am using a second ‘newer’ version. The first one I received in January this year and although it was so called new, I had a suspicion that it had already been used, because of a strangely worn cable and little burned-in led dots, but luckily I could return it to a regional trade-in location in EU. It took me two attempts to send it to their location, it took several weeks until it finally arrived and they were willing to pick it up at their postal pickup center. Speaking of their future 12K Qled trade-in program, I have my doubts how they will handle it at that time? Anyway after this hurdle they send me some time later a newer version of the 8KX, no problems here. First day all ok. The second day I was struggling to get the DMAS headphone working, no sound. Days later and after many attempts I finally detached the DMAS from the headset. Instead I now use my old headphones with mike again. I also never hear in any reviews any complaints about the wide size of the headset in particular on the sides of the face, so that it does not fit the face, as well as the headset foam starting to unravel after using it two or three times, mine does. In terms of raw material quality and tactile feel, I liked my previous RiftS and ReverbG2 much better. The big advantage of the 8KX is the FOV and that's about it for me, keep up the good work.

[@MrHoodsquirrel]

DId you have an issue in NMSVR where certain objects and shadows on the sides of your peripheral would disappear and reappear when using the 8kx?

[@ImmersedRobot]

I honestly didn’t notice that at all when in game, but I was surprised to see the culling on the footage I gathered. I believe MSFS had more noticeable culling issues in the 8KX al though I think this has now been rectified through either a mod or a patch.

[@MrHoodsquirrel]

@@ImmersedRobot Gotcha. I had the 8kx last year (old model) And I remember seeing a lot of culling when playing NMS VR. I still sometimes even see it on my Reverb G2 if I look for it. Maybe it has been patched since then

[@seanleastria4478]

There is no reason to miss the direct integration of Index. Both Facebook and Valve have their own first-party devices with software and content selection. The purpose of other devices is to be completely independent of current monopolies in VR market. Basically a duopoly of Facebook and Valve. OpenXR is bridging the gap so devs can offer content for both to be compatible with each other. However, the long term objective is for devs to offer content that is completely free of both of them.

[@ImmersedRobot]

That's fair, and taking a step back at the larger VR landscape, I agree. I suppose my comment was centred in the more narrow scope of pure personal convenience. It's not that I miss the integration on an ethical level, purely on a level of convenience. The big advantage Valve has is the software delivery platform built around specific hardware, further built around high level configuration within SteamVR. Facebook also have this, but they're focus is no longer in the PC space and of lower concern when focusing on the PC platform. In some ways this mimicks the market share Valve has on flat PC gaming, and all this come from having the defacto software delivery platform on PC. Sure, there is the Epic store, and there is also Viveport from HTC on the VR side. But not much else. I'd argue there isn't even a duopoly on PC VR at this point since Meta have left the race. Valve are THE store for flat and PC VR in general. Again, I'm not for this in any way, and would love the further integration of OpenXR to remove this barrier. My comment was more of a flippant one with narrower focus.

[@seanleastria4478]

@@ImmersedRobot This is totally incorrect about Valve being THE shop for PC. At least when it comes to any real reality. And also FTFY - "market share Valve had". Valve monopolization on VR in no way mimics their current lack of grip on PC no matter how much they try. Maybe prior to EGS, Valve was not just Defacto, but totally monopolized third-party PC game distribution. But this is by far no longer the case. Steam has been nowhere near defacto on PC market for a few years now. And getting further and further away. Yes it is true currently in VR Valve is monopolizing again. But while Valve still tries their best to monopolize PC gaming. Now trying to use illegal methods to restrict dev ability to release without Steam. Not only are they regretting it due to legal reprucissson. And failing miserably at it. They are nowhere close to what they used to be in PC gaming. So while you may be correct that Valve is THE shop for VR. This is far absolutely beyond not the case for current flat PC. Valve is by far not THE shop for flat PC. Considering PC now has a much more open market. And even much more games are becoming available on EGS. For example, with games from Riot integrated in. Hardly nobody I know even uses Steam anymore. A few don't even have it at all. So yes unfortunate VR is still pretty much in a hostage situation. But not likely to be for long.

[@ImmersedRobot]

@@seanleastria4478 Fair enough. I don’t really have any deep insights into this subject matter, so I’m willing to concede to your opinions on it. I will say that on an anecdotal level, my circle tends to still be primarily Steam based (non-VR). But either way, it’s clear that Epic are proving to be significant, and rising, competition.

[@Cazanu417]

i love mine,simply the fov is the most important thing after a 4k per eye resolution once there is no more SDE fov should be no 1 priority in my opinon for immersion,i ordered a discounted 64gb quest 2 for the lulz after 6 months of using only the 8kx and it was abysmal,i suddenly didnt feel like i was in the world anymore i was merely watching the world trough a tiny window it was such a downgrade i instantly returned the quest 2,my ipd needs to be lower by 2 and i got the biggest sweet spot i ever had with vr headset and also the colors are amazing tweaked compared to a quest 2,tough my returned vive pro 2 had better colors but overall the 8kx is the best headset.

[@ImmersedRobot]

Absolutely. I think a lot of this all comes down to personal opinions of what is the 'most' important factor in VR headsets. This, again, is something which varies a lot among users, and many are willing to sacrifice some aspects while putting a lot of stock in others. If FOV is the most important factor for you, then I agree the 8KX can't be beaten.

[@TonyDrecaps]

Thanks for the feedback!

[@SargonDragon]

This is a good review from the perspective of someone where the VR headset design just doesn't work quite right for them. In fact, all VR headsets have such limitations and can't work properly for the entire human population. The 8KX seems to have a narrower range than most, however. That's a downside of the ultra wide FOV. It's not possible without canted lenses. It's not simply a matter of having a narrower IPD. There are Pimax users who have lower IPDs than you, and it works perfectly for them. There are also those with higher IPDs for whom it doesn't work. What makes it work or not isn't that simple, and I think the only way to find out for any particular person is to actually try it. I also agree with your assessment that it's a great VR headset that's just not for everybody. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who isn't a hardcore VR enthusiast with the technical chops to deal with its complexities. It's a difficult headset to wield. But it also offers the highest performance of any consumer headset on the market today.

[@CringeSeekers]

We usually miss things when they are gone. I also think the FOV increase is great, but not amazing.. But you do miss it when wearing a Quest 1/2 Index, Vive pro and etc.. Also, it's quite a clear *clarity* headset but too heavy.. Mic, audio is great, FPS is good, I wish it was Micro OLED... But dam it was a well made headset. Enjoy the headset while you can.. *Also, make sure to hide the serial number of the headset.. I could clearly read it*

[@lancemccary371]

Great video! I chose not to purchase this headset because of the massive amount of optimization and the frequent reviews that mention comfort/distortion/constant optimization. It’s just an investment in time in a world where time is everything. I still am excited for the 12k. Now go finish Outer Wilds and post a review! I am going to finish it today 😎

[@dathyr1]

I am not sure about this headset. Reading war stories in the Amazon comment reviews, some had problems with Pimax headsets. Cost is a factor right now, being it would cost me over 1800.00 dollars to get the basic components - since I have nothing. That does not include some stands for placement of the base stations. I am holding out on the risk right now and to not take the Pimax plunge. Thanks for the video.

[@ujpestihirek8277]

Nice video, thanks. I also have a 8kx and absolutely agree with you. However I have bigger IPD distance so I do not have this problem with lens distances.

[@ImmersedRobot]

Yes, at larger IPDs I can't see it being a problem at all.

[@RiverdogAVFC]

I love the 8KX, but i love the reverb G2 slightly more. I kept noticing the concentric circles all the time in Elite with the 8KX. But i don't see them at all in the G2. Plus i find the G2 is sharper. I have the G2 V2 and with the new face gasket, the FOV is so much better than the Quest 2 and not so far from the FOV of the 8KX. Great vid sir!

[@Cazanu417]

not so far?thats a huge exageration no matter how much closer you move to the g2 lenses you aint ever getting to 160 or 140 fov ,if you get 100 youre lucky instead of the normal 90 in fact the headset renders only 98 so impossible to get more even if your eyeballs touch the lense,had the g2 and it was nothing in comparision to the 8kx same image clarity but like half the visual field and the tracking was utter bs when i had it.

[@RiverdogAVFC]

It's not an exaggeration, it's an opinion

[@Cazanu417]

@@RiverdogAVFC an opinion can be an exaggeration,from 98 to 160 is far very far.

[@TRX25EX]

@@RiverdogAVFC I have both and you don't sound you own 8KX or tweaked it correctly, so your opinion is invalid as what you said is just stupid

[@RiverdogAVFC]

@@TRX25EX Love you too brother!

[@kevinslatten9573]

Best review on youtube so far👍 you dont need the Y splitter cable, just put the speaker cables in the jack on each side of the headset🙂

[@ImmersedRobot]

Thanks for watching, and thanks for the tip!

[@SargonDragon]

That's not really true. It's not a supported configuration, and it will produce unpredictable results. In some units, it will appear to work okay, but it actually alters the sound and isn't right. On other units, it will cause obvious audio problems. So please don't do this.

[@kevinslatten9573]

@@SargonDragon i did not notice any difference.

[@CrazyAboutVinylRecords]

Those massively distorted images would drive me nuts.

[@DjBetoon]

does anyone know on pimax when you change FOV from biggest to normal or small, what does change? Do the resolution of displays just shorten and you get black line on the edges or how does it work? Do you see backlight on the black part if it is like that?

[@danceoffAsh]

It simply blankets out the FOV as you go lower so that your GPU only needs to render what is shown, which means more headroom for better performance or you can increase the steam res ever so slightly. Lowering the FOV does not increase PPD.

[@Drip7914]

Is there any way for someone to play quest 2 air link when my Wi-Fi 5 router is downstairs with no option for Ethernet and 5-10 mbps internet speed 😩

[@ImmersedRobot]

Without Ethernet, not really unfortunately. Internet speed doesn't make any difference for Air Link, it is all about your router's connection to your PC (Ethernet) and using the 5Ghz band on your router to connect the Quest 2.

[@Drip7914]

@@ImmersedRobot damn rip. It’s basically unplayable without Ethernet rn, I wish it was more accessible since Yk that’s the whole point of air link 🤷🏾‍♂️

[@skjonas]

Master System!