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Tuesday, July 1, 2025

The Pimax Crystal – is it the very best VR headset for sim gaming?

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Many gained’t bear in mind the times earlier than the Meta Quest when the one possibility for VR was to connect a fistful of cables to our PCs straining US ports and hope we didn’t by accident punch by means of our screens throughout a nerve-racking sport of Beat Saber.

Again in these days once I was fortunately taking part in on my Oculus Rift DK2 after which later my Oculus Rift, the vast majority of my experiences had been seated ones. I didn’t have the room for room-scale. What I did have was a pleasant comfy gaming chair, a stand for my racing wheel and pedals, and DIY’d chair arms that had my HOTAS connected.

It was as shut as I used to be attending to my very own sim pit and it was superb. After a whole lot of hours in flight sims, area sims comparable to Elite Harmful, and race video games comparable to Assetto Corsa, iRacing, and Mission Automobiles I couldn’t see some other approach to play video games aside from in VR.

Then we moved home and I by no means acquired round to setting all of it up once more, I nearly did. I can nonetheless see my Oculus Rift within the nook and I nonetheless have the sensors connected to the roof, however life took over and all people began shopping for Quests to get away from behind tethered. And whereas the Quest 3 is a terrific headset that lastly lets me at the very least play some sim experiences through its Air Hyperlink streaming set-up it isn’t an out-and-out PCVR headset, it’s all a little bit of a bodge.

Pimax Crystal – A VR headset for sim fans

Step ahead the Crystal from Pimax – a headset that may not look misplaced on a Cylon overlord. The Crystal comes with a well-known rats nest of cabling and an extended DisplayPort cable that I must fiddle across the again of my PC to slot in, eradicating one among my three screens (Sure, I do want all of them thanks!). Ah, I bear in mind these shenanigans.

The Pimax Crystal is available in a field that’s a lot bigger than Meta’s providing and upon opening it you’ll be able to see why, the headset is large compared, nevertheless it needs to be to carry the enormous digital goodness it comes full of, extra of this later.

Fishing round in the remainder of the field you’ll discover cables, batteries, and a USB hub to allow straightforward connection. Gone are the times once I had to purchase an additional USB PCi card to plug my Rift in fortunately.

The Pimax Crystal VR HeadsetThe Pimax Crystal VR Headset
The Pimax Crystal VR Headset

On liberating it from its good packaging, firstly it’s noticeable that the Crystal, whereas most likely the heaviest headset I’ve felt just isn’t truly as heavy as I anticipated, secondly I massively approve of the correct strap the unit comes with. It feels well-built and safe in your face and tightening the dial on the again reveals that every little thing is properly balanced. I wouldn’t wish to soar round with it on greater than I might with some other plastic field strapped to my face, however as that is going for use for simming, it feels okay.

A fast obtain of Pimax’s beforehand much-maligned (on the web at the very least) working software program. It installs shortly sufficient and units about speaking me by means of the setup, what to plug in the place, what goes within the USB hub, and what wants to enter the again of my rig – a single DP cable and one USB connector. With that completed I sit again and anticipate the connection. Nothing. A fast test revealed some person error and I’ve the fallacious facet of the hub from the directions linked to my PC. I chuckle to myself remembering VR of outdated. Swap it throughout nonetheless nothing which was more unusual.

I then plugged it right into a port on the again of my machine fairly than the entrance (I used to be beforehand being lazy) and it fires into life. I assume there may be not sufficient energy if it isn’t instantly into my motherboard, on my setup at the very least.

Pimax SoftwarePimax Software
The Pimax Retailer within the app

I can now see the Crystal is linked so spending a bit time within the software program I quickly have it exhibiting my Oculus and Steam VR libraries which is a pleasant contact. Pimax does have its personal restricted app retailer so I downloaded the 2 free issues I discovered on there and acquired an error saying I didn’t have sufficient disk area – I did so I left it. Once I tried a few days later they downloaded high quality, so I don’t know what was happening there – both method, I’ll realistically be utilizing video games I’ve acquired saved through Steam VR anyway).

The software program has apparently undergone a number of adjustments earlier than I made acquaintance with it. The web is rife with feedback about how dangerous it’s, however in the primary, these are outdated, and whereas it isn’t as much as Apple’s normal I discovered it fairly usable, I additionally discovered a few options I like that may be turned on. Pimax brazenly admit that the software program nonetheless wants extra optimization, however to its credit score, they’re persevering with to launch new and higher variations on a regular basis.

Anyway, I’ll go over that in a second, on with the headset.

Pimax Crystal – the very best VR headset picture on the market?

And this was the wow second, from the second you cling the Crystal in entrance of your face you forgive it any little quirks of set up, wires you’ll be able to fall over, and the marginally odd state of affairs the place it’s important to have one of many two batteries in to make use of it even when linked to energy. Let’s get this out of the best way right here, I’ve by no means seen shopper VR this clear. Now I perceive why it’s referred to as the Crystal.

The twin 2880×2880 screens with a refresh charge of as much as 120Mhz want a critical PC to drive them to their max, however you probably have something from the previous couple of years, you’ll get pleasure from what you see earlier than your eyes, offered on the Crystal’s precise glass lenses. There isn’t a plastic right here on the optics.

The sphere of view is bigger than most likely something you have got had earlier than and Pimax is about to launch some new lenses that make it even greater. You’ll simply have the ability to simply swap them out inside minutes it appears.

The software program choices I toggled on earlier are nice. On first placing the headset on it is going to be sure you have aligned it to your eyes correctly. Maintain nonetheless and it’ll type all that out. Then you’ll hear it whir as the automated IPD sensors regulate the area between the lenses to the right amount on your eyes. No fiddling round with a dial right here, though there’s a guide possibility when you assume you’ll fairly use that. It’s a pleasant function and removes the doubt that you might have gotten one thing fallacious.

The Pimax Crystal VR ControllersThe Pimax Crystal VR Controllers
The Pimax Crystal VR Controllers are harking back to the unique Oculus design

The menu system earlier than it is best to now be exhibiting your video games and now you can choose one with one of many Pimax controllers – when you ever had a Rift consider the preliminary ones you go along with that with the large halo defending your knuckles. These are tracked properly sufficient, I’ve seen a number of complaints about them as properly however I didn’t actually ever lose monitoring, however I used to be in a well-lit room. Controllers have possibly moved on with what we get with the Quest 3, however once more, I’m utilizing this headset for swimming and I definitely gained’t be utilizing VR controllers to play.

It’s value mentioning right here that the Crystal tracks through cameras on the headset fairly than base stations or Lighthouses, though can buy (it’s not low cost) a brand new faceplate that may make use of your current Valve Index Lighthouse sensors.

So from there, it’s time to put the Crystal by means of its tempo in a couple of sims.

SIMply the very best

Apologies for the terrible pun there. I couldn’t resist it. Having already seen how crisp the show was I couldn’t wait as well up a sport so I headed to Mission Automobiles, a sport I grew to become very conversant in in my Rift days. As soon as booted into the menu I used to be in a position to make use of the Crystal’s glorious eye monitoring to maneuver the pointer which adopted my gaze to the choice I wished and I might then simply choose it. Inside lower than a minute I used to be in my automotive, and once more, simply wow. Heading out onto a sunny observe with no seen screendoor impact was nearer than I’ve ever felt to this sport. Pulling out of the pit lane and placing my foot down was, definitely at this stage of the know-how, as shut as I’ll ever be to the primary nook. Getting over-excited I pushed it too far and spun off into the gravel on the second nook. Because the wall approached my out-of-control automobile quicker than I might have appreciated I caught myself closing my eyes for a second as I braced for the affect. Gravel flew up, the solar glinted off my now stationary mirrors and it sort of made up my thoughts that I gained’t be taking part in driving video games in something lower than the Pimax Crystal once more.

A cinematic image from Project Cars 3A cinematic image from Project Cars 3

On-to-flight sims and taking a look at each DCS World and Microsoft Flight Simulator to see if they carry with them comparable outcomes. From the second you land within the cockpit, there’s something distinctive about simply how clear issues are and the elevated subject of view makes an enormous distinction to immersion. I struggled with body charge a bit extra in flight sims than automotive racers and located myself tweaking down among the settings. The default settings for the Crystal’s rendering in Steam VR are fairly sizzling and you’ll dial them again with out affecting an excessive amount of, however that additional legroom will give your GPU a bit extra room to breathe whereas rendering the world each above and under you.

Conclusion

The Pimax Crystal is a critical piece of VR package. It comes with a critical value and, it’s honest to say, a studying curve. A Meta Quest 3 it isn’t, however it isn’t making an attempt to be. I’m not positive how a lot enjoyable you’ll have when you had been setting this up as your first enterprise into VR however if you wish to take your sim racing or flying to the subsequent degree that may very well be you. Persevere and you may be rewarded with a VR expertise you most likely can’t get anyplace else at this stage. It’s that good.

The opposite factor that endears me to Pimax is how eager they appear to be to enhance issues. A latest software program replace launched passthrough, utilizing the monitoring cameras as passthrough so you’ll be able to see your environment through a Quest-esque double faucet in your temple. These cams are solely nearly as good because the Quest 2 ones, black and white and grainy, even in good gentle, however I’m positive they may enhance with later updates. Additionally, as a result of the Crystal isn’t actually designed to thrash round in you’ll usually be seated so a high-fidelity passthrough digicam turns into a lot much less vital.

We will probably be trying on the Crystal and its use circumstances for different issues within the close to future, the way it stacks up towards the competitors on the market such because the Quest 3 and the Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional, however for now we wished to to try it out for what we predict is it’s greatest features. We haven’t even touched right here about how the Crystal can be utilized standalone with out even a PC. We merely shouldn’t have the area to cowl it multi function article, so we’re stay focused on this explicit area of interest.

For all of the hoops you might have to leap by means of the Pimax Crystal is the very best VR headset I’ve used for sim racing and flying in. It’s definitely worth the effort, the occasional frustration, and the uncommon disconnect. I nonetheless don’t actually perceive the battery state of affairs which appears to empty even once I assume it’s turned off so I at all times hold the second charged and prepared.

The know-how inside this massive unit is superb and brings immersion nearer than I assumed was attainable in the intervening time. There isn’t a display door impact and whereas the candy spot for readability may very well be greater when you find yourself sim racing or flying, you don’t appear to note any slight blur on the periphery since you are concentrating on what’s forward of you more often than not, so all of it simply works.

Is it definitely worth the $1500 asking value when you could possibly simply get a wonderful ultrawide monitor for that value? I believe to ask that query is to sort of miss the purpose, I wish to really feel like I’m in an F1 automotive or a Cessna gentle plane. I wish to take a look at the dials like they’re in entrance of me, and with the Crystal for the primary time in VR I can see them and nearly consider they’re there. It’s that good.

So in case you are critical about VR or sim video games and have the money, then sure it’s value it. And hopefully, because the months go the software program will proceed to enhance and the person expertise will turn out to be as polished because the one Meta gives, simply with extra wires to journey over.

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