Pimax IPD Tutorial - How To Set Pimax 8KX IPD Offset Correctly! No More Eyestrain!

[@mixedrealityTV]

US Link: Pimax 8KX on Amazon.com: amzn.to/3tR36LO (Affiliate) UK Link: Pimax 8KX on Amazon.co.uk: amzn.to/3uyHUcM (Affiliate) Did you follow the tutorial? And was it also such a gamechanger as it was for me?

[@montrose699]

unfortunately I have no use for controllers and therefor don't have any :( Great video!

[@christiannoack9967]

@@montrose699 same for me since i only use it for sim racing and flight sims

[@montrose699]

@@christiannoack9967 I actually used SteamVR and the lighthouse sensor to do the same thing :)

[@SSJ3Tim]

I'm so glad you found my little write-up valuable enough to turn into a full-fledged video tutorial! I can't take full credit for it, though, because it's mostly cobbled together from various things I saw on the OpenMR forums - e.g. using a controller as your target, going one eye at a time, etc. If there’s any original contribution in there, it’s to use your keyboard arrows, as I found that a much easier way to fine-tune the values! I would also note that, personally, I found it easier to do if my controllers were sitting some distance away, say 2 meters or so. I tried doing it with them in my hands, but couldn't get consistent results. Thanks for boosting the message, I hope that it helps a lot more people!

[@stranger.granger]

I HAVE BEEN NEEDING THIS TUTORIAL FOR MY 5K XR SINCE 2019!

[@SargonDragon]

This is a really useful video. There's been information out there about how to make IPD adjustments on Pimax properly, but it's scattered, not necessarily well written, and sometimes conflicting. Now this video is something I can link people to. A couple of comments: One is that moving the physical IPD knob does actually alter the software positioning of the image. Try watching through the lenses as you adjust that knob, and you'll see. But for whatever reason it doesn't do it accurately enough, and so you need to do the procedure you've shown in the video to correct it afterwards. Second, you can and should also use the same procedure to adjust the vertical offsets if the positioning of the hand controller is off vertically, too. Don't be afraid to change those and don't just assume that no vertical offset changes should be needed. None of these adjustments mean that your actual eyes are uneven on your face or anything. You're correcting for imprecisions with the headset and how it sits on your face.

[@tomc1380]

Very good points mate, thanks and cheers.

[@SSJ3Tim]

Exactly right, something as subtle as the shape of your nose could make you need vertical offsets. I didn't personally need any, but it's definitely something to look for just in case you do.

[@Sean_Coyne]

It's not only variations in headset manufacture that can cause this. As people age, the six muscles that control the position of each eye can, for various reasons, begin to have difficulty in aligning the eyes, resulting in horizontal and/or vertical misalignment. It also infamously happens if you have had too much to drink. Try looking at a fixed object a few feet away and hold your hand over one eye and then the other while keeping your head still. If the object seems to move horizontally and maybe vertically, you have mild diplopia. Your brain can accommodate these changes up to a point, but as you get tired late at night you may develop eye strain or even double vision. I have this problem now in old age. The horizontal and vertical IPD adjustments in the Pimax client is a godsend for correcting this very common problem for setting up the headset properly.

[@Gamer-sq8vc]

@@Sean_Coyne If you only look at something with 1 eye and then just the other, it should look like it's moved horizontally for most people in general since you're looking at the object from 2 different positions (left eye, right eye). That's a part of how 3D (ie. stereoscopic) vision is acquired.

[@p1st0ls44]

ohhh i'll give this a shot. you are doing gods work. Edit: confirmed this is a great toutorial. it worked!

[@pandamusart]

Omg thank you so much. I can't wait to try this. Edit: Just did this. Game changing right here. I legitimately was at a loss because my IPD is much smaller and extremely susceptible to motion sickness. This changed everything.

[@Quzga]

Just got this headset a few hours ago after having Index. This tutorial was such a clever way to find your right IPD and my god does it make a massive difference. The clarity on this headset is just out of this world, can't wait try to Alyx later! And can't wait to trade it in for the 12k

[@seanp5266]

Seb, great video to include for all Pimax users. It’s a shame between the software and the HMD not being accurate when using the IPD dial. Hopefully in their new HMD, whenever that releases they get it perfected the best that it can be. It’s mainly a software issue in this situation. Which something I have said in my past, is an issue for Pimax. You should not have to be doing such a manual tweak on something like this, to get it to match your actual IPD. Again hopefully with their future Auto IPD tech that they’re including in their future HMDs will rid themselves of all this nonsense! But still have an option if need be for consumers that would like to get it dialed to their liking. Thanks MRTV for always supporting the consumers out there!!

[@pamo5900]

You don't even need a controller. Steamvr>room setup and you can see your base station there.

[@michelalphonso6945]

I would like to give a big thank you to Pimax for including both the lens adjustments and the software adjustments ! This level of adjustability was necessary to accommodate the most people and make it so that we can individually achieve a perfect 3d image !

[@pamo5900]

This is a must to do if you feeling even a slight discomfort using vr. Thanks a lot.

[@TheNexusLord]

Great Video for Pimax Users! Seems to me, that "automatic" IPD adjustments from Eye Tracking in this next generation of HMD's all need to have a "Controller Positioning Check" added to them, for even more accurate calibration to the individuals ideal settings. 🤞👍

[@TonyDrecaps]

Agreed! Everyone is different so it'd be helpful

[@OdyBeRidin]

Im blown away!! I used this method for my XTAL 8K headset and I dont have the eye strain anymore. I'll be it would have worked for my old Pimax 8KX too... Thanks Sebastian

[@jamejamevr]

Interesting. I made a few tweaks to my offsets, I'll have to play more to see if effects eye strain -- although, I didn't find that to be a major issue for my, my aged body seems to get tired faster than my eyes do, haha. I did find that I had to hold my arm out to get a good reading on position, otherwise I ended up with double vision in games.

[@angrybeaver6667]

This is great content, keep it coming

[@djjrad5682]

Can't wait to try this. Thank you for this!

[@mixedrealityTV]

You are welcome! Did it work for you?

[@silverkcat]

Excellent video. I have an IPD of 76 and Pimax is the only headset with this type of adjustablity. Once you get it dialed in, its excellent.

[@SSJ3Tim]

Damn, and I thought my IPD of 73 mm was rough! I hope things get better for us as HMDs move away from Fresnel lenses. Bigger sweet spots should give even more flexibility, I was even able to use the PSVR due to the aspheric lenses.

[@silverkcat]

@@SSJ3Tim yes I know my friend whenever they introduce a new headset that's the first thing I look at.

[@SSJ3Tim]

@@silverkcat Ha, yeah, I remember when I was desperate to upgrade from my Vive. I was looking at the Reverb G2 and Quest 2, until I realized they max out at 68 mm! Then I jumped on the Vive Pro 2, *assuming* it would go as high as the Focus 3 (72 mm) since they use the same lenses. Then was disappointed to find out it only went to 70 mm. It actually *almost* went to 72 mm if you cranked it, but the sweet spot was so tiny that it wasn't quite enough. The 8kx is the first headset since my OG Vive that has been comfortable for me eyes.

[@Ddustz3]

My ipd is 74. I guess we are in a small club. Very hard for people to sneak up on us lmao

[@branchprediction9923]

@@Ddustz3 xD

[@johnrockland18]

Life saver. Pimax are the only headsets I have issues with the IPD..

[@hughmac7423]

I'll give that a try and see if there is any difference. I had done something similar with mine, as I have an IPD of 75mm, so had been adjusting it with the Pitool, I did notice that I didn't need to go to the full 75mm, and I had played around with ajusting each eye differently, until I got a good focus in each.

[@pyroscot]

Any option if we don't have the controllers? Is there software we can use to accommodate this?

[@facundomanso]

Same question

[@andyydna5330]

Thank you very much! I dont have Controllers. Any Chance to calibrate without Controllers? :)

[@MekStark1980]

very useful video, the software adjustment step in PiTool makes huge difference

[@azamat19]

I only use it for sim racing don't have controllers base station, i don't need them. But how can i set the ipd? The image is blurry for me.

[@bogdanrotaru6101]

but i don't have controlers to look at, how do i adjust it then?

[@sir_marlfox]

Thanks. I'm getting a new Pimax soon and will be ready to set it up.

[@shaunwright6348]

Is there a way to do this without controller?

[@Ludiks]

Would probably work for every Pimax headsets actually 👍

[@jamesgallagher2434]

Fantastic - I had no idea about this and will be trying it next chance I get!!!

[@smellsogood]

Super useful tutorial! My eyes felt a bit better after adjusting IPD and vertical setting. I wish we don't need to do that adjustment for future Pimax headset because I still get some eyestrains

[@mixedrealityTV]

Great to know this helped you!

[@SergeyKilimnik]

Sebastian, thank you very much for this video, you saved my eyes. 8-)

[@XD-ci6jl]

You’re the best!

[@scott501]

Is there a way to do this procedure without the controllers? I use my 8Kx for my sim racing rig so didn't waste the $$ buying the controllers I wouldn't use.

[@Wittig7100]

Have you found a way? I'm exactly the same 🙃

[@MusicByNumbersUK]

Very late reply but maybe get up close to the lighthouse box since they show in both vr and ar :)

[@mrbell845]

Will this work with just 1 controller or does it require both?

[@TheKornfeld]

This is great, thank you! Any suggestions on how to set the IPD if you have neither controllers nor lighthouses?

[@Nostrildumbass]

You'd have to just go into something like SteamVR Home and place an object at a short distance in your Home as well as one in your real home, as closely similar in distance as possible, and just use that as the visual reference.

[@andyydna5330]

Thank you very much! Is there a way to set it without controllers? 😊

[@HeliSimDriver]

I think you have just convinced me to forget about this headset. It should not be that complex to set the IPD, and since I have prisms in my glasses because of my double vision, I fear that I would be unable to get the right adjustment to fit my eyes. That was the reason I returned the Aero because the auto IPD was unable to make the correct adjustment. I have no issues with IPD in my Reverb G2, so I don’t get why the Aero and the Pimax are so complex. I am NOT blaming the Aero or the Pimax …this is strictly an issue because of my glasses. Unless Pimax offers a money back guarantee, I will unfortunately not take the chance to buy it at that price 😟

[@brianschwarm8267]

Thank you! I’m thinking of getting one soon

[@TonyDrecaps]

Great tip !

[@-Sunny--]

Awesome! Thank you man!

[@andrewcurtis4568]

I stand with NO MORE FUCKING WARS.

[@TEMOUGYN]

Hello, i have a question... But is it the same for pimax Crystal ?because I tried the first time and wow … very good. But the day after I repeat the operation and the optimum value was different. Now I am confused. Because I don’t understand if the Crystal change automatically the value

[@KeinNiemand]

Why does Pixmax need this crappy hard to properly set offset settings while other VR headsets work fine without it?

[@MrRobLindemann]

How can I do this if I do not have a controller?

[@LarryJordanize]

Will this work all all the games? Do I have to do it individually after I launch the game or something? Every game seems to have it's own IPD offset?

[@zeroxzero8348]

What if you don't have controllers? I have not found a good way yet to get it right.

[@tomc1380]

Sounds like some users without controllers have successfully used the base stations to adjust offsets.

[@AdamsSIMporium]

Unfortunately my 8kx has much to high IPD. I am 63.5, but even at its smallest, the IPD is too big. Of course the IPD offset doesn't help with this. This issue with some headsets has led to some owners taking them apart and modding them to allow the lenses to get closer.

[@mixedrealityTV]

ah that is so unfortunate! Damn!

[@Directx11cool]

I have 63,5 IPD and set it to 62,5, for me is the best setting. At 60 I definitely get eye strain. (8KX too)

[@FriendlyAsianGamers]

With the IPD adjustment, after adjusting the controller in one direction, I tried turning around and faced the opposite direction, doing it again and the controllers aren't aligned anymore. I find that 0 IPD offset keeps it close enough throughout all directions. Any info on this? Maybe my tracking is bad.

[@ohata0]

i just upgraded my computer, so i'm ready to look at upgrading my vr headset, coming from the original rift. i'm thinking about the 8kx, or maybe trying the mystery box. i'm a little concerned about my 60mm ipd. just gotta talk to them and find out what their return policy is. i think with the software offset, it should be fine though. even when adjusting the rift i've noticed that an offset would be nice to have. i would normally try to go through amazon, but i'd have to go through pimax if i want to get base stations and controllers. i know it wouldn't be as good as an 8kx, but what are your thoughts on the 5k super or 8k+ compared to a rift? for the price, is it a good upgrade from a rift? or should i just look at the 8kx? i figure if i go with the mystery box, it would be cheaper and less of a loss if it doesn't work out, with a chance to get an 8kx, and would give me incentive to upgrade to the 12k. love the videos! keep up the good work

[@starlette443]

I had to look at the one controller, not calibrate one eye on one controller and the other on the other controller.

[@sponge720]

Did this to the Artisan, and it's better now.

[@Bee-xz2wl]

Thank you

[@starlette443]

omg THANK YOU

[@goliat2606]

My IPD od about 60-61. I have Pimax 8k plus so minimum IPD of this goggles is 60mm.. but is obły theoretically. Real IPD od about 70mm and i cant focus image on pointy on center... Is any way to fix it?

[@3stooges_RF2_Fun_Racing]

Thanks for the video. What about if you haven't got a controller? I use mine for seated sim racing so have not VR controller. I think I have an xbox 360 controller which I used a while back just to get the seated position correct but you don't even need that anymore with the room setup. Does the xbox controller show up like that in the headset? What options do I have? cheers

[@formicarufa7943]

that is less precise, but you could try the same method looking at the base station(s) from afar

[@salmonskinlover2365]

I love you

[@9ALiTY]

Pimax Headsets Need Manual IPD adjustment & Pancakes Lenses badly.

[@RTSchramm]

Does the headset support a IPD of 58.9?

[@SSJ3Tim]

Anything below 64 mm seems likely to have issues getting in focus, I'd give an IPD of 58.9 mm less than 2% chance of working. Your face shape and the facial pad thickness have some impact as well. Although I've heard some users at the OpenMR forum have performed a (likely warranty voiding) "extreme IPD mod" to bring the lenses closer together to support lower IPDs, if you're willing to go that far!

[@RTSchramm]

@@SSJ3Tim thanks for the info. I wait and see what the minimum IPD of the new version that will be released in the 4th quarter is.

[@SargonDragon]

The physical adjustment range in 60-70mm. And with the software IPD offsets, you can get another +- 5mm beyond that range. I've seen a number of claims similar to SSJ3MarioBrothers that Pimax can't actually handle less than 64mm, and I find these claims dubious. I've seen people apply the extreme IPD mod as a result of hearing these claims under conditions where I believe it is unwarranted. These people make improper measurements and become very certain of conclusions they aren't qualified to make because they don't actually understand the engineering of how the optics are meant to work. That said, Pimax headsets are, for a number of reasons, more challenging to get to work well on small heads and the lower end of IPDs. So be aware that this can be an issue. What SSJ3MarioBrothers says about it is a little off in my opinion, but not completely without merit. I would recommend that if you want to try Pimax, you should purchase through Amazon even though it's a little more expensive so that you have a solid return policy. And then give it a try. You'll have Pimax support to help you and also a great community that can help, too. Expect to need to do significant fiddling to get it working well. That's the nature of Pimax headsets whatever your IPD is. If you think you will be unwilling or unable to do that kind of fiddling, then I would recommend a Valve Index instead.

[@SSJ3Tim]

@@SargonDragon you kinda kill your credibility in your first paragraph. I would absolutely not take the claims off the website over the experience of actual users. For example, there's a *very* consistent trend of people finding the clearest image is obtained by setting the hardware IPD ~2 mm lower than their actual measured IPD (sometimes as high as 4 mm lower), so right off the bat the real range is more like 62-72 mm. Sebastian's experience concurs with this, here near the beginning of the video. Secondly, software adjustments *cannot* give you additional IPD range. What they can do is correct the distortions which result from a mismatch between your eyes and the IPD setting that is tied to the hardware IPD setting. So if, say, your IPD is 65 mm but find it's most in-focus at 62 mm, the software IPD corrects for that difference. What it can't do is correct the blur from your eyes not being within the sweet spot of the lenses, it thus can't extend the IPD range beyond what the hardware has determined - if your IPD is too low or too high for the lenses it's going to be very blurry, even if you *can* correct the distortions. I didn't say it can't handle less than 64 mm, I said there's increasing likelihood of unfixable issues. I have heard from a few people with 60 mm IPDs who were able to get it to work for them, and zero people with IPDs lower than that (I still wouldn't say it's impossible). But I've heard from a significant number of each who were not able to get it to work. I definitely recommend trying it before committing to one, and Amazon returns would be a good way to do that, and come to the Pimax and/or MRTV Discord channels where people like me love to help troubleshoot things for new users! As an additional note, due to the canted screens, thicker facial pads seem to help people with smaller IPDs at the cost of decreasing the FOV and binocular overlap. Vice-versa for those with larger IPDs - mine is 73 mm, and a thinner pad helps me get the best result (and increases the FOV and binocular overlap a bit). The fact that the screens are canted means the effective IPD is dependent on how far your eyes are from the lenses, which is why you really shouldn't pay much attention to what the HMD reports. Unlike most HMDs, how deeply-set your eyes are makes a difference!

[@jamejamevr]

@@SargonDragon They are absolutely nonsense, my IPD is 59.5 and the headset is fine.

[@MiserableRacer]

Okay but what if you don't have controllers?

[@ImmersedRobot]

You can also use the basestation models as a reference point.

[@SargonDragon]

@@ImmersedRobot You can, and I've done it that way. However, be aware that SteamVR's estimate of the locations of the basestations is not very accurate. And so using them as the reference point will not work as well.

[@tomc1380]

@@SargonDragon Ya, base stations are not a good focal point. I find it better to temporarily show a fairly close-in guardian boundary gridded wall and use it to help fine tune overall ipd with knob, then per eye.

[@ujpestihirek8277]

@@tomc1380 How can I do this?

[@tomc1380]

@@ujpestihirek8277 you probably need to navigate through your SteamVR guardian settings. Maybe do a little google research.

[@jamiesalmonsculpture8599]

Never owned a Pimax product, and TBH nothing I’ve ever heard from anyone on KZbin makes me feel the leap is worth it. It seems to only be popular with such a SMALL niche of people. Way too much uncertainty and tinkering, and not the fun kind of tinkering either! Clearly just the frustrating and painful realization of why did I just spend this much money. That goes for past headsets, and certainly any new ones (when they ever materialize). Until the new ones are thoroughly tested by a lot of people, and we`re shown the inevitable catalogue of bugs that WILL be present are even possible to fix easily. Judging by the fact people are still trying to make the 8kx work well, it will be several more years to even find out if the next gen will work even remotely well FOR THE MAJORITY, and not again for just a small niche minority of tinkerers and specialists. So, I can wait, thanks........

[@toumber]

You are totally right, I bought this headset, its a really good headset, but nobody talk about how bad the colors are, the ipd and the overlapping, if this headset cost around 500 or 700 it will be a better deal, but unfortunately for 1200 is not good enough, but if you love width fov is the best on the market.

[@jamiesalmonsculpture8599]

@@toumber even the wide FOV comes with major caveats and only works well with some games

[@SargonDragon]

Your views on this are more pessimistic than reality. But it is true that the 8KX is not an easy headset to use which just works well out of the box. In fact, the out of the box experience and initial impression is probably its weakest point. It can be frustrating, and a lot of people give up before getting it dialed in and working well. The 8KX is not a headset for the majority. I would only recommend it to seasoned VR enthusiasts who are seeking the highest performance available on the market today. Otherwise, I will typically recommend a Valve Index. And, in any case, I will recommend getting experienced on an Index before upgrading to an 8KX. That also gets you the basestations and controllers you'll reuse with the 8KX anyway. There are a lot of people who hate on Pimax and make it sound like their products are garbage, and that the company is also garbage, etc. There are real problems, but these claims are exaggerated. Consider that Pimax has continued to exist and even grow amidst an industry dominated by hostile giants like Meta. Look at all the dead bodies piled around of other companies that have tried to compete in that space. And yet Pimax is still on the battlefield. That in itself should tell you something.

[@mixedrealityTV]

@@toumber I did talk about these issues before!

[@SSJ3Tim]

They do work right out of the box for a lot of people, but the best experience does require fiddling. I personally appreciate that I am actually able to do the fiddling required - I had just as many issues on my Vive Pro 2 as I did on my 8kx, but the 8kx was much easier to fix. And I disagree, it's *mostly* the fun kind of tinkering! Honestly it's the firmware and firmware delivery issues that they most need to sort out. Too many people thinking their headsets are bricked because they plugged it in and the auto-update installed a busted firmware on their brand new headset. There's really no excuse for that, and trying to troubleshoot what Pitool + firmware versions you need is definitely not the fun kind of tinkering. I sure hope that's not an issue on the new line.

[@GoMArkkrAM]

I have no controller, Im trapped

[@PCPAyLOAD]

Apparently the next room is, Ukraine.

[@mixedrealityTV]

Actually Ukraine is in the other direction.

[@solarisaint1]

Many People Return Headsets Because They Failed To Do This Critical Step ...Then They Go on Forums and Become A Negative Critic

[@toumber]

I bought this hedaset 12hs later i send it back, the image isnt really good, and the lcd panel is just bad, the vive pro with mod lenses is a lot better, yes have more sde, but dark places in the vive pro are 1000% better, waiting for oled.

[@mixedrealityTV]

Yeah, you need more than 12h to actually really set it up with colors and IPD...

[@toumber]

@@mixedrealityTV I try everything, the blacks are bad, the problem are the panels, not the settings, and obviously i didn't send it back 12hs later, to be precise 1 week, i used for play elite dangerous.

[@mixedrealityTV]

@@toumber yeah, I thought so too. But the correct color settings and this IPD adjustment made all the difference for me.

[@toumber]

@@mixedrealityTV Yes unfortunately for me is not enough, Pimax asked me why i bought it, I say because mrtv did a outstanding interview with the ceo, thanks man for all the content.

[@SargonDragon]

It's typical for the initial experience with a Pimax headset to be bad. It takes substantial tweaking to really get it dialed in, and that normally takes longer than a week. It can take a lot of fiddling and adjustment over time. I nearly gave up on Pimax myself. Actually, I did give up and return it. And then I encountered someone else on VRChat who also had a Pimax who convinced me to try again. I'm glad I did. It's probably the most difficult headset to wield on the consumer market for a variety of reasons. But it also offers the highest overall performance. It's like a race car, both in its capabilities and how difficult it is to use.

[@davesgamingzone4605]

I adjusted it by sending it back and getting a refund. Terrible headset.

[@GoMArkkrAM]

Bought second hand, I will sell it, Pimax is a headache, CONSTANTLY!