The Hardest VR Review I've Ever Done... Pimax Crystal

I finally got to do a DEEP DIVE review of PIMAX CRYSTAL (pre-retail unit, the headset is still being improved as we speak)! A lot of work went into this video, so I hope you will enjoy it!
If you've found this video useful and are thinking of ordering the next generation Pimax Crystal, you can order it for $20 off (affiliate) HERE: pimax.com/?ref=KRDI8M
Watch my previous Pimax Crystal Reviews!
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[@DiscoVRTetiana]

MORE reviews will be coming up to this channel as Pimax Crystal is CONTINUOUSLY improving! They will be linked in this video as I make them. If you've found this video useful and are thinking of ordering the next generation Pimax Crystal, you can order it for $20 off (affiliate) HERE: pimax.com/?ref=KRDI8M

[@CorporateZombi]

When you get to the very high end then you have performance issues to tweek this is not *really* pimax's fault. It's like getting an 8k monitor and wondering why you have to change settings when you obviously will. And it's a bit unrealistic to expect an 'all possible problems for all possible PC configs and all possible games guides' to be produced by pimax either. PC gaming has always needed troubleshooting! Try adding a motion sim rig or full body tracking or haptic vests and VR injection game mods to the mix and the troubleshooting just becomes compounded more and more and more! This is why psvr2 and indeed quest 2 are refreshingly much easier to get into. I think these kinds of issues are a bigger problem for reviewers swapping between headsets but probably not so bad for regular users who only have one headset and one computer and maybe aren't even changing between games rapidly. Admittedly you have to know about steam VR overestimating what supersampling is possible! But I thought you could set this to default to 1.0 or whatever for all games by setting a checkmark? That issue in no man's sky is possibly caused by another X input device taking precedence. Like maybe a HOTAS controller where the stick position is not quite zero centred. There are a few games that I have to unplug my usb HOTAS or steering wheel for, or that device is treated as controller one and I'm just spinning! Or the in game menu just cycles down and down and down!

[@mbucchia]

Great video, super clear! I'm the author of the 3rd party OpenXR tools you mentioned near the end of the video. Thanks for bringing those up for awareness! I'm open to hear your suggestions on ease of use if you have any!

[@DiscoVRTetiana]

Thanks so much for commenting and for making this awesome tool! I gave you a big shoutout in my recent video posted today 💪 keep up the great work!

[@mich5528]

Thank you for maintaining OpenXR !! Great tool, Must use for DCS MSFS ACC!

[@radioaustralnz]

Thank you for taking the time to share your honest review with us. We truly appreciate your feedback and hope that Pimax support will take note of your valuable suggestions to enhance the consumer experience. Once again, thank you for your contribution.

[@Fiztex553]

Default render resolution is not a bug, it's a feature. To utilize available PPD and at the same time cover whole field of view means rendering at least 150% to accommodate barrel distortion. It's entirely incorrect to state that since your displays are 2880 then steamvr rendering should be 2880, it's simply not true, actually shocking to hear that from a VR reviewer with that size of a channel. If Pimax acknowledges this as a bug then the only reason is available hardware. We've actually seen this before with Reverb G1 vs G2 using the same displays and the same FOV but different render resolution because of the available hardware to the date.

[@mikebravo3527]

Sounds like they should have sent you one instead hah!

[@Fiztex553]

@@mikebravo3527 right, only if they let me sell it afterwards and are OK with my crappy video editing 😁Crystal is too expensive for what it is and I don't need it.

[@mikebravo3527]

@Fiztex553 In Soviet Russia Vee R's yoouuu haha Hope you get that joke bubs, no beef 🤘 And yeah, seems you can get 90% as good product for 1/3rd ze price

[@Boslandschap1]

Thanks for your review, especially because you give all the solutions you found for the problems you encountered, it is incredibly useful information for those considering buying a Pimax Crystal 👍

[@vampolascott36]

Thanks for your review! I just ordered a Crystal and I really appreciate seeing what I need to be aware of. This should be very useful to me.

[@spidermonkeynr1]

Again. Such a great review that leaves me with no questions left to ask. Well done. It's always a little present when you upload a video

[@Jeremy-xe9vs]

simp...

[@paulct91]

I'd love a brief look at VRAM usage and requirements for some common games while trying to run them using Pimax Crystal. If possible also: -Skyrim VR, or Skyrim (SE) -Forza 4 or 5 Horizon -Mothergunship (not Forge) -Horizon series -Final Fantasy 7 Remake -Kingdom Hearts series (PC) -Hogwarts Legacy -Batman Arkham series, mainly Arkham Knight & Gotham Knights -Saints Row 3rd Remaster -GTAV -Half-Life Alyx, apparently OmniWhatever got really close to 21Gb of Vram usage in their Pimax Crystal review video. Vorpx or Luke Ross, or with whatever if something else is more readily available for adding VR to games. Since obviously SBS through Dolphin Emulator wouldn't even need comparable amounts. Honestly not sure if all have VR or SBS mods yet.

[@D_o_n_k_e]

Very very high quality reviews on your channel. We appreciate that a lot

[@nassifsamuel55]

Awsome honest review, good job keeping the enthusiasts well informed👍

[@Gonzax]

What an excellent review, one of the best I've probably ever seen for any headset. Thanks a lot for the honesty, it is much appreciated.

[@DiscoVRTetiana]

You're very kind for saying that, thank you so much! Made my day ☺

[@greatxerox]

@@DiscoVRTetiana yep SUPER review, congratulations, really ! You rocks !

[@relivoaddad]

This was a really good review, often people get hung up on the specs and forget about user experience

[@dtz1000]

This is not a good review as it didn't mention the sweet spot which is quite small on this headset.

[@idnintel]

@@dtz1000 well with awesome edge to edge clarity the sweet spot is huge

[@idr00ster]

I love your honest reviews and the excitement you show doing reviews of VR headsets and games. I recently purchased the Oculus Pro (came from CV1, Rift S, and Quest 2 did try the Reverb G2 but the sweet spot was soooo small it wasn't for me). Anyway I did pre-order the Crystal well before I got the Pro. Question; how do the visuals compare between the Crystal and Pro in real life use and not just the differences in specs? I love a clear image and bright screen but am I really going to see a night and day difference between the two. Thanks for your awesome channel and enjoyment you bring to the VR community!

[@andyvanderbeken3729]

Splendid review summing up what it REALLY feels like. This totally reminds me of my 8Kx experience.

[@lifetrip3608]

Very informative review regarding the crystal 👍🏽 also surprised in a good way by the quality, you shouldn't limit yourself in VR content, but also in more generalist gaming hardware pc content because you're really on point, all the best, subscribed

[@H.Despres]

Wonderful review Tatiana. I was waiting for this after watching the Banter video and thank you for your persistence in doing this presentation. Keep smiling… you’re stunning.😊

[@Jeremy-xe9vs]

simp...

[@tasmania9576]

That's exactly why I sold my 8KX. I don't have the desire or time to spend hours setting up a game to make it work. But some didn't work properly and I had to switch to the Pico 4 / Quest 2. Your video shows really great what to expect and hopefully shakes Pimax up to finally improve the software experience

[@FreeOpenTruth]

Sure.....sure you did.....

[@tasmania9576]

@@FreeOpenTruth 💯

[@DiscoVRTetiana]

Crystal's promise was that individual game setup would be much easier than on 8KX. At least that is their goal. I am glad that the initial setup has been improved since i made this video, but individual game performance is still a bit of a hit or miss. We'll see how much has changed in my round 2 review!

[@mandasity]

@@FreeOpenTruth what's so unbelievable about that story?

[@FreeOpenTruth]

@@mandasity - Had 8KX but sold it....🤣🤣🤣

[@imaginationstation321]

thanks for ur great and honest review! much more detailed and informative from mrtv's recent review which is mostly hype. customers need to know the stuff you pointed out

[@heikogehrig]

Great review all around. Thank you!

[@partskeleton]

All of these issues are exactly why I want VR on consoles, like PSVR2, instead of PC. I'm not trying to mess with drivers like I had to in the 90s!

[@RoySATX]

OMG, you made me cringe thinking back the the days of manually configuring dial up modems! I can't confirm this yet since I am still alive, but I suspect I'll die several years early due to all the stress and late nights working as PC tech back in the early days.

[@williamgeorge5049]

Great honest review. Thank You. I am going to sit back and wait and wait and wait for the Valve Index 2

[@pertsonvelts1699]

Just amazing how useful this review is. Thank you! Subscribed.

[@hockeytard1]

I am so glad I watched this review. Very informative and honest. I hate the fact that you have to use a battery when connected to a PC and switch it out when you could be in the middle of a game ( I like to do endurance racing in VR, and I am not gonna stop to switch out a battery) . Also, I am really happy you talked about all the steps you have to go through just to get it running as well as it should. Too much hassle for the average user who just wants to jump into a game and go. Having to reset the resolution every time you go into a game is a pain in the ass. Think I'll stick with my G2 for now. Thanks so much for this review.

[@zetelofabread]

I mean it's either that or melt the PC if it isn't beast enough to handle it

[@jamiesalmonsculpture8599]

I know this was such a tough video for you to make and decide to release. You did good! Thank you

[@Astr0pulsar]

Excellent review, thanks!

[@brettgrieves]

Honest and very detailed review!! Appreciated.

[@kroysteamvr]

Insightful review. Thanks. Seems that many of the criticisms leveled at Pimax in the past are still present. But at least when it works, it sounds amazing. I don't have the patience to make it work. I want pickup and play.

[@greatxerox]

hello miss ! Amazing and complete detailed review which probably needed a lot of work ! i didn't know your channel even if i'm a VR enthousiast for years.1 i pre-ordered pimax Crystal and cancelled it some days ago because i've a 4090 and more interested by pimax 12K which seems to be a Crystal with large FOV. Your review is very useful to me, i was expecting a quality review like yours. Congratulations to have the honesty to say ALL bugs and problems on this headset. i keep stunned for future tests of this headset. Of course, i subscribe to your channel^^

[@G4RYWithaFour]

Pimax 12k doesn't use the crystal panels, the crystal is a separate line

[@ytdlder]

VERY good and detailed and specific review, thanks a bunch!! Especially talking about the many small issues and bugs and whatnot. I've ordered it for the best possible picture for simming and Wireless VR hopefully in the future and I am willing to deal with those issues. Those are the issues you had back in the day when VR was still only beginning, thinking back to my Vive 1, so it's not gonna be a big change for me^^ For other things to test: quite honestly, the most interesting would be "how it all plays together", meaning Pimax tool OpenXr + PimaxOpenXr tool SteamVR Ingame plus the use with Lightroom. I for one still have my Vive 1 Roomscale Base Stations and would REALLY like to know how it all works together, as the tracking will be better then native inside-out. Thanks!

[@Steadymobbin711]

You've got a new sub! Great content, thank you!

[@fly360]

Thank you for your excellent and honest review! You made my day!

[@gregblank247]

Thank you so much for all the hard work and reporting on this significant headset! I would love to see more through the lens video, like for half life alyx and other titles :)

[@DiscoVRTetiana]

Will do more through the lens! Thanks for watching 😊

[@EmeraldPenguin-sk8kp]

I love things that make put in work for them to function great. This headset seems perfect for me!

[@Mortalware]

It's unfortunate these high end GPU are having issues with display ports since VR is one of the main reasons to own them. Great review. Hopefully Primax can continue to improve the experience.

[@DiscoVRTetiana]

hopefully it's only 3090Ti (annoying that I chose that particular GPU when choosing one), other SHOULD work fine but that DP repeater is a good insurance, it does help solve issues related to GPU performance.

[@FalconLX911]

I had the same problem with Reverb g2 HP said it was a common problem with all TI cards, something to do with the power/DP set up with all TI cards, they sent me a repeater and it worked. So if u have a TI card, well… be prepared

[@mikek1187]

The problem is pushing more and more watts through the video port to ensure a reliable 4k DisplayPort signal is achieved through a length not typically recommended (> 2 meters). In this situation, VR headset makers should start looking into fiber optics for point-to-point so as to not overburden the graphics card power capabilities. OTOH, fiber optics would add to the overall cost of headsets, so there's always that con to consider.

[@b.s.7693]

I hope that they can DP2.1 get to work for longer cords. Unfortunately, this only works for short distance connections right now.

[@francoisgagnon4467]

Thanks a lot for an honnest review. Very enlighting. I'm not sure if I will get one, but at least if I do I'll know what I'm getting into.

[@sephiroth4543]

Awesome review, honest and detailed ❤

[@holdinella22]

Wow, one of the best reviews I've ever seen for a VR headset 👏great work... but I'm happy with my Quest Pro... 😊

[@eracer1111]

I had the same DP connection issues when I tried to get my G2 working with my 3090 Ti. HP tech support knew about the issue, and also recommended a DP v2.1 repeater. I bought one for around $40, and it solved the problem. Despite the other issues you spoke about, I will keep the Crystal on my radar. One of my purchasing decisions is based on inside-out tracking. I'd look at the 8K, but it doesn't have that feature. Thanks for the great review. Subscribed.

[@HarryVoyager]

Very informative review. Looking to replace my VP2, and I'd largely pre-dismissed the Crystal, but this has given me some food for thought. Still leaning towards getting a Aero, but will need to seriously think it through now. And will also keep an eye on your channel. Always cool to find a new VR reviewer.

[@DiscoVRTetiana]

After trying Crystal's FOV and local dimming, it is very hard to go back to Varjo Aero and their ski-mask view - I wouldn't be able to unsee it. Colors pop a lot more on Crystal and the image in general is even sharper (plus eye tracking will allow foveated rendering - now fixed but in the future also dynamic. It's definitely a better value for money than Aero. Imma keep a close eye on future update sand bug fixes, more review are coming up

[@HarryVoyager]

@@DiscoVRTetiana I can understand that. Went from a full color gamut IPS monitor to an HDR VPA panel and definitely missed the color representation. The thing that worries me about the Crystal though are the compatibility issues, losing the lighthouse tracking and not having a good timeline of dynamic foveated rendering. I remember having a lot more fun with the Rift CV1 than I did with the Reverb G1 because the start up friction was so much higher. Not an easy trade at all.

[@victormaniaci2104]

@@HarryVoyager The Somnium VR1 is supposed to launch this year. It is basically a Pimax Crystal without the battery, massive housing, and lighthouse tracking.

[@edrosenbloom69]

thank you for so much important information...your awesome girl!

[@SanderLammers35]

Very informative and honest review. Thank you!

[@Verociity]

This brought back my Reverb G2 trauma. I was hoping these issues would've been fixed years ago, the Crystal was my last hope for Pimax, I think I'm done expecting them to change. Thanks for the review.

[@gurugamer8632]

What is the best vr headset for pc ?

[@Verociity]

@@gurugamer8632 It depends on what you want, there isn't a 'best' headset, but there are many great ones.

[@donc9751]

Hello, this is the 1st video of yours that Ive seen! I liked and subscribed. I thought you did a great job reviewing this and very fair review! I'll be back for more! I'm glad you tell everyone this is no plug and play VR headet because it definitely is not! But everything sure does look great in it once you take the time to set it up the way it works best for yourself and depending on what your uses are i think theyll be happy! Ive only had mine 3 weeks approximately. This is my 3rd VR headset. The most recent was my Reverb G2. If youve owned other vr headsets, then you will be much better equiped to work with the settings to tune it to your own tastrs and it will be rewarding! If not then get a plug and play (and save money in the process by doing so!) headset. They've been improving alot too.

[@123thedman1]

Thanks for the honesty, I know it can be hard with such much pressure to join the it’s “brilliant and easy” gang. I bet Pimax thought u had a 4090 lol

[@dirkfeder5195]

Brilliant review, and straight to the point. Pimax needs to do their homework better, as the average user doesn't want to fiddle around forever, to get it working, as it should out of the box !!

[@DiscoVRTetiana]

It's almost like an average user is not a target to begin with? Which is a shame, soooo much awesomeness this headset can bring to the VR community, if only it was a little bit easier to unlock!

[@brettgrieves]

Agreed, sounds like typical pimax product. I wont be upgrading my Aero for that.

[@ji3200]

Too much fiddling, i usually end up not using it. I might just cancell the preorder since i hate getting frustrate

[@kangjames2492]

​@Disco-VR Hey, thanks for the review! It's seems that it was so frustrating to get set up that it was gonna make you have a baby! Wait you are😊!! Congrats🎉... Im glad to see you found solutions to your issues. Hopefully we won't have those problems when we get ours.

[@kangjames2492]

​@@ji3200 Don't do it.

[@LinuxGecko]

thank you for the brutally honest review. my takeaway is that as usual, pimax is delivering a supercar headset, with a 5-speed manual transmission; Which is great, if you know how, and don't mind the jumping the skill gap of a manual. I'm reminded of my experience with Gentoo linux; finely tuned for max perfomance, with quite a bit of work most of the time. the problem is, Gentoo has something Pimax sorely needs. Pimax needs a handbook; a detailed guide to walk through all the settings that are known needs in getting Pimax headsets up and functional to a "i can forget about the hassle it used to be" level. additionally, the option to save a config, load a config would do wonders, even if the headset/app resets on each reconnection; a one-button solution to return to a selected config. that will do wonders that for user adoption.

[@DiscoVRTetiana]

That’s such a cool analogy about supercars! I might use it in one of my next videos! 😜

[@deej5279]

So insightful, thank you

[@briank3754]

Thank you for the review. I just purchased the Varjo Aero and took advantage of the $300 off offer. I had a Pimax a couple years ago and it was a nightmare. I wish they would clean up the software and experience. I just don’t have time to spend a week setting up a headset and constantly troubleshooting problems. I have done enough of that with the Quest 2. I will be using the Varjo for professional flight training and I think the build quality and reliability of the Varjo will make it worth the price premium.

[@alphastratus6623]

Thanks for pointing out the software challenges. If the people that left VR because of stuff like that still would be there I guess it would be a way bigger market with all the benefits this bring to consumers.

[@dsjf]

Great review! Thanks

[@Der_Chefschweisser]

Nice and honest Video.I think i am not patient enough to do such stuff.I like the easiness of my Quest Pro which performs super in Wireless and cable without much knowledge.But i wish the Pimax users a fast Setting recovery🙂 and mindblown visuals.

[@DiscoVRTetiana]

I completely understand, this level of complexity is definitely not for everyone. You gotta work to get those jaw-dropping visuals!

[@FalconLX911]

Thank you! I appreciate and look forward to your reviews! Tracking is everything to me… My go to game is population one. If future videos can cover tracking and inclusion I would truly appreciate it

[@scht-sg]

Your video amoung all the other review is the best. your breakdown and explanation of some detail around the overbeefed resolution helps to make my headset experience a lot better. 1 Question on your build quality, is the DP port receptical on the HMD a easy fit or do you had to fight with it like in my case. the (HMD side) shell and the port are misalgin by 0.5 mm or so making it near impossible to fit the port in properly.

[@BlackSSCat]

For people with RTX3090ti I’ve had problems with my card as well trying to set up mi pimax 8kx. The thing that worked and I have few friends that report the same. If you buy the newer longer cable (6m one I believe, the one with only 1 usb cable) it will work

[@cheeeeezewizzz]

It affects a bunch of headsets, not just pimax stuff

[@driflysh4597]

Great review! I still look forward to get my pre-ordered Crystal 😆. I'm using the Reverb G2 right now and I want to get rid of that sweet-spot...

[@DiscoVRTetiana]

I think you will be VERY PLEASED with the visual quality of this headset! ;)

[@seattime4075]

Great review... Have owned a few Pimaxs and frustratingly they have always been a pain to use. Hopefully Pimax can sort out their shortcoming as they always hold so much promise. From the reviews that I have seen you really need a 4090 to run it at its best.

[@lewolfley]

Thank you for your review !!

[@kevinbrook7033]

As an MSFS enthusiast, the technical challenges of setting that sim up are inherent to the sim itself. Since its launch on VR in December 2020 I've had three PC's, five headsets and have spent thousands of hours tweaking it for better performance. That's the life of a VR flight simmer!

[@peyossus]

Thats the life of a microsoft user! Thats extensible for other software of them starting with windows :P

[@mostwanted2000]

Thanks for showing various apps helping to setup. Few reviewers do this.

[@gurthang667]

Excellent review. I’d like to hear your thoughts on the wireless PCVR streaming experience on the Crystal once that’s available

[@cyphre]

"Better clarity... at what cost?" is what I'm hearing. This review definitely outlines WAY more of the user experience, rather than a boilerplate 'it isn't plug and play, setup is painful' that I've heard before. God to know! Makes me wonder if the Varjo Aero at least has an easier setup, even if there is no mic or audio built in.

[@barnold62]

What a great review! It makes me think they are still months away from shipping to the public.

[@kevinmachniak6954]

Good review. Thank you. I would like to see you test the Pimax Crystal running DCS World open beta multi thread .

[@DiscoVRTetiana]

Will give it a go!

[@idr00ster]

VR Flight Sim Guy did that recently.

[@antjones2281]

The difficulty optimizing settings is why the Pimax Community is so tight knit. I met my wife on a Pimax Support forum ! 😅

[@RoySATX]

I am not a gamer, not into VR, and don't watch your videos usually, this one I watched simply out of curiosity. First thing I want to say is that you seem to be a very thorough, dedicated, and honest reviewer, the VR/gaming community is lucky to have you. Second, the VR manufacturers are lucky to have you, yes you were critical of the Pimax Crystal, but not without cause and Pimax will benefit greatly from your recommendations if they listen and learn. That's it. Keep up the good work you are doing.

[@DiscoVRTetiana]

Thank you so much! ☺️ yeah it was a tough one… Pimax has made some good progress since then

[@mrbigjonstud]

appreciate your effort on the video. 1600 is pretty steep for vr headset!!! your frustrations remind me of alot of issues I had with reverb g2. both having to change out my steam controller profiles and adjusting the max resolution, etc. eventually once I got the hang of it, I love my reverb g2. I'm curious about the deckard later this year.

[@DiscoVRTetiana]

Those seem to be known issues that both annoy and frustrate users. Paying so much money for a headset for many people means getting a flawless device ready to go out of the box, but it's not. Could be a bit of a shock for new VR users who do not expect so much set up effort from an already expensive device

[@ControllerAkimbo]

Such a Good review!!!!! Pimax headsets always seem to have some sort of problem, that's a shame I was really looking forward to this

[@DiscoVRTetiana]

It’s not a final review yet, like I said it’s an early unit and many bugs are being fixed as we speak. I’ll be updating this review soon!

[@carroux4050]

This is exactly the reason why VR struggles in the mainstream. I bet, that the Apple product (for consumers) won't have any of those problems. Especially PiMAX... its by far not their first product to lunch. I wonder why they still don't get things straight...

[@Alien_isolationist]

The crazy part is they never learn from reviewers who keep telling them its not user friendly. You'd think they'd learn. Sony is the current leader in the VR Industry, soon to hit 2 million sales of a modern headset.

[@JacobTJ1]

great honest review thanks, i will postpone my purchase to 2 years to get the bugs ironed out

[@Skecys]

Great review! How does the Crystal stack up to the Quest Pro? I'm especially interested in readability of gauges and text. I understand the Pimax has way better resolution but considering the "lower" price point and ease of use of the Pro? I was looking to pick up a Quest Pro for flight simming but now I'm wondering if I should wait.

[@basilbyers5066]

My friend just recently bought as Quest Pro after using my Quest 2 for a few hours It seems like a MASSIVE upgrade compared to the Q2 (much better automatic IDP adjusted pancake lenses, better foviated rendering, more powerful CPU, eye and face tracking that is either easy to set up or automatically set up in games, better weight balance, MUCH better slam controllers, comes with automatic charging dock, etc) It seems to work JUST like the Q2 and is as easy to set up but it has mostly pros and only a few cons by comparison (only cons compared to Q2 is the Pro has a much shorter battery life, less immersion by default with large eye gaps underneath and to the sides of the lenses, is technically heavier) It's rather consumer friendly and, if you get everything you need to use it properly with PCVR (like a PCIE adapter card for USB C 3.2 to USB C 3.2 so it can charge while plugged into your PC when you link it to your PC) then it is a very capable PCVR device The benefits of having some pretty decent AR ability and one of the largest standalone libraries also really helps

[@nilsrossi4217]

Nice review! just one question. Is it warmer as reverb g2 is?

[@weirdgiven]

It seems like the normal "Pimax", as always

[@nikeninja]

This is the same kind of experience I have with my 8kx. Except I'm just not willing to sacrifice so much time to appeasing it each time I want to play DCS. One time it wont find the base stations, the next it doesn't show up at all, another it wants my second monitor disconnected. I always forget the sound until I'm in the game and then remember I have to do another whole ritual to get the sound to work. And then 80% of the time when I exit pitool the whole thing blue screens. So I just use my HP Reverb G2.

[@Chad_White]

great review 👏

[@DiscoVRTetiana]

Thanks for watching! 🤗

[@Loopan68]

Thank you so much for this very honest review! It seems that the Crystal is just not ready for a release! I think you have experiences with the Varjo Aero too, would you say the grafik in the Crystal is so much better, that it justifies all the downsides? I mean the Aero is pretty stable what I was reading and viewing in the last couple of months. I preordered the Crystal but last week I had this feeling that I'd be happier with the Aero and I ordered one......

[@DiscoVRTetiana]

It is very hard to go back to Varjo's FOV after you try Crystal. Also, the local dimming make colors really POP! And it's a big difference compared to Varjo. But Varjo is much lighter and, yes, the stability is important. Hmm... tough question. I'm a sucker for a wide FOV and if you plan on playing stationary games, like a flight sim, then a larger size won't matter that much. Pimax is actively working on improving the performance and fix lots of bugs daily. It is possible that if I make a new review a week from now it will be a completely different one. So I would say stick with your preorder, Pimax work very hard on addressing many of the bugs I communicated with them as well as dozens of beta testers. I did not review a final unit just yet.

[@SURG3NT]

Aero currently has 20% off 👀

[@Steadymobbin711]

​@@SURG3NT15%

[@DrR1pper]

@@DiscoVRTetianare you sure it’s the local dimming that’s making the colours pop and not the quantum dots used for much larger colour space? Local dimming should be making image better by increasing the contrast ratio by allowing for deeper localised blacks like OLED (except not as accurately as OLED that has per subpixel level light control).

[@TheGuWie]

use and loading times of the batteries would be interesting. Also of the controllers. Also the build qualitiy of the buttons and the usb-c connectors. I find that on some of my devices usb-c tends to wear out over time. How long is the warrenty and can they get repaired locally/outside china? When preordering I noticed that warrenty is limited to the first buyer. Is that so? Would make it hard to sell them if you don't like them.

[@BL00MYB0Y]

I would love to try Microsoft Flight Sim in VR, I love the game on a flat screen and can only imagine how good it is in VR. Ace combat on PS4 looks incredible flying and looking down at the ground and that’s only short and basic

[@SargonDragon]

I think your review hits it on the head. These kinds of issues are why, even though I main a Pimax 8KX myself, I virtually never recommend Pimax to anyone I know. I think the fundamental problem is that everyone at the Pimax company appears to be a _HARDCORE VR TECH NERD_. And consequentially, they are completely disconnected from the average user. That shows up in all these silly technical issues that you faced. Issues like the resolution defaulting to a stupidly high value are so quickly and easily remedied by a tech nerd that _they don't even notice it as an issue_. Seriously! The mentality is that users will want to adjust all the myriad of settings to taste anyway, and so it's seen as unimportant or even pointless to have these set to reasonable values out of the box. If Pimax really considered these kinds of issues important, they would have been among the first issues they straightened out rather than being among the last or never being addressed at all. Most of these issues are low hanging fruit. But Pimax doesn't think these issues are important. And _that_ is fundamentally the problem. As you say, it is this more than anything else which keeps them confined to a very niche market share.

[@DKStanford]

I listened to your comments about your experience with the Crystal on the Next Dimension podcast before watching this video. FWIW, I felt your negative experience wasn't treated seriously (at first). Although I like Sebastian and Steve, they were borderline rude, dismissive, and a bit sexist (e.g. Steve insinuating you weren't as tech-savvy). I don't even sub to your channel, but I think you handled yourself well on the podcast. And your honesty and candor regarding your experience with the Crystal is a true service to the podcast audience. Anyway, I found this video after listening to the podcast and just wanted to say that it's the most insightful Pimax Crystal video review I've seen to date (and that includes both Sebastian's & Steve's videos). :)

[@jessemiller3108]

Great review! Man, that hardware looks heavy... And the way you were holding it even on your head makes that another thing that's not positive, correct? For me, comfort is the biggest feature these days. I love VR, but if you're not enjoying it because you're uncomfortable, that's a problem. Anyway, thanks for the good work!

[@WiNNiep00h]

Exactly what I expected... too many issues for such expensive headset. Happy I just bought a pico 4 and I sell my vive pro 2. The pico is so much lighter and cooler than my pro 2. The crystal would be too heavy for me. Thanks for the review ❤

[@Valkron11]

Same here. The pico 4 is really good at its price. I use it with my 3080ti laptop and 3090 desktop. Seems li,e diminished returns to spend $1,600 on a headset ($1,200 more than Pico 4) and still need to turn down visuals to low-medium for a halfway decent framerate. The Pimax crystal is nice, but it's for high end users with $ to burn

[@DrR1pper]

@@Valkron11 “but it’s for high end users with $ to burn” says you with a 3090 in your PC and 3080 Ti in your laptop. 😂

[@Valkron11]

@@DrR1pper Don't forget my 3tb RoG Ally. Can't play everything on my Steamdeck 🤓

[@DrR1pper]

@@Valkron11 hahaha. How do you rate the Ally vs. the Steamdeck?

[@andychicago8295]

Perfect for iRacing. Thx!

[@luigibrambilla44]

GREAT VIDEO!!! in italy i don't find that DP 1.4 repeater ..could you suggets another ?? really tanks!!

[@Riptide0]

Just Pimax being Pimax

[@Gunfreak19]

I have the G2, and I play simulator like 99% of the time(mostly DCS) and I really love it, and all I want is a G2 with a bigger FOV, sadly no one makes that, only Pimax do big FOV and they cost a lot of money and they come with the "pimax jank" Thanks for the well made and informative review.

[@grzegorztomasiak]

Funny you talk about fov and you can accept the super tiny sweet spot in g2 that make it completely unusable. Pico 4 kills g2

[@Gunfreak19]

@grzegorztomasiak I don't have a tiny sweet spot at all in my G2.

[@pippuzzu1981]

After watching this review, this feels like climbing the everest in underwear while my Quest 2 is like laying on a white tropical beach with mojito in my hand. Damn…that set up process🥵

[@Sparky_007]

Thanks for this review. Your frankness and covering the facts very much appreciated. You provided great examples to back up what you're saying. One of the BEST reviews of this headset so far! Great job!

[@DiscoVRTetiana]

Thanks for watching! 🤗

[@cshader2488]

sounds like all software issues which I imagine will be fixed. nice review!

[@brzijoe6700]

Pimax (especially before Crystal) is sure not for plug´n´players. But you can get all the necessary info in their forum, and tune your unit to the best possible. I sure love my Pimax 8kx more because I can tune and mod it in a many ways :)

[@JonForshort]

You mentioned a DP 1.4 repeater they provided, would you be able to share that? Just in case it helps with my current one.

[@Tom--Ace]

Thankyou for this honest review. It really shows a lot of drawbacks that not even enthusiast headsets like the varjo Aero have. How do the visuals compare to the Aero?

[@DiscoVRTetiana]

It’s hard to go back to Aero after seeing Crystal’s FOV and popping colors due to the local dimming. The image looks more colorful, contrasting, bigger, and overall stunning, imo better than Aero, better than any other commercial headset for that matter. I hope future updates will fix all the setup issues and consumers will have an easier time enjoying Crystal’s visuals. I’ll be making more updated reviews soon!

[@Tom--Ace]

But less sharp at the same settings... pimax forced stupidly high supersampling on the crystal, in actuality, that higher fov means lower sharpness compared to the Aero when both are running the same supersampling resolution. It's a tradeoff. Local dimming and colours are nice, but from using the Quest Pro, local dimming is no OLED.

[@James-fv1cm]

I’m just looking at this to use as a standalone VR headset for downloading videos I don’t even really game using VR. Does the pimax crystal sport it’s own internet browser??

[@VRiRacer216]

L❤VE THIS REVIEW THANK YOU 🎉

[@darkesco]

You should consider doing a review on the Neurosity Crown. Plus, I think you will like it.

[@waseemchand3527]

I do not own a VR Head Set but this review was awesome. 👍

[@Darkshine585]

Hello disco thanks for this video. when we run open XR as steam vr environnment does the it means that all games will run as open XR? In this mode it's also possible to run some other app on overlay, wich is not the possible when we use only use pimaXR. One last question, seen that you got both openxr toolkit and pimaxR but on pimax openXR doesn't works or i missed something? (only pimaxxR works)

[@ap1986]

Ladies and gentlemen, it is always important to remember that when you buy any piece of tech when it's brand new you are essentially signing up to be a beta tester.

[@ericpiper9002]

If Pimax can overhaul their software and make the user side easier to use out of the box, they will have huge success.

[@ToureTaylor]

A lot of the issues you had easily related to my Pimax 5K Super. I have a RTX 2070 Super Moble. Games run way better on Meta Quest 2 and 3's third party link cable.

[@cashmoney840]

Great review! Yes, plug and play to me is very important. I got so turned off with the HP Reverb G2 that I sold it early on. Now I'm loving my PSVR2. Crystal clear image is nice and all but if you got to tweek this, tweek that to get to work, then it's a no go for me. Plus, where are the new AAA games to play on this? Seriously, it's funny and sad how we always go back to Alyx to showcase these new headsets.