Pimax Crystal Light review: a new standard for affordable PC VR

Pimax Crystal Gentle

MSRP $899.00

“The Pimax Crystal Gentle matches one of the best options of the unique Crystal whereas chopping just a few options to decrease weight and scale back the fee by lots of of {dollars}.”

Execs

• Reasonably priced high-resolution headset

• Lossless DisplayPort connection

• Native dimming for deep blacks

• Inside-out monitoring eases setup

• Contains two rechargeable controllers

• Snug head strap and facial interface

Cons

• Show Port tether limits mobility

• Passthrough is low-res, grayscale

2024 has been a giant yr for VR, with new headsets from Apple, Meta, HTC Vive, and Pimax. The newest from Pimax is the Crystal Gentle, a cheap model of the spectacular Pimax Crystal I reviewed final yr.

The unique Crystal is our high choose for a PC VR headset, and it’s among the best VR headsets out there. Nonetheless, the Crystal Gentle is way more inexpensive, doubtlessly saving you lots of of {dollars}.

Pimax needed to lower some options to decrease prices, so you’ll want to know what’s totally different and whether or not the price range mannequin is sweet sufficient to be an amazing SteamVR or sim racing headset regardless of the inevitable trade-offs.

Specs

Pimax Crystal vs. Crystal Gentle

The Pimax Crystal Gentle’s most eye-catching function is its $899 price ticket, which is $800 lower than the unique Crystal. Pimax strategically lower some options to cut back prices whereas retaining the identical high-density shows and aspheric glass lenses for optimum readability.

Many PC VR headsets just like the HTC Vive Focus Imaginative and prescient use Fresnel lenses that endure from visible artifacts referred to as “god rays.” Whereas the pancake lenses utilized in most standalone headsets are lighter, Pimax matches that readability with out sacrificing show brightness.

Total, Pimax discovered the best stability of options and value, with just a few trade-offs. The Crystal Gentle doesn’t have a standalone mode, so a gaming PC with a discrete GPU is important to play video games or run apps. Pimax has a comparatively small library of video games for the Crystal, in order that’s not a giant loss.

Whereas the unique Crystal had computerized IPD adjustment, it’s straightforward to regulate eye spacing by scrolling a thumbwheel on the left facet of the Crystal Gentle.

The Pimax Crystal Gentle additionally lacks eye-tracking {hardware}, so my VRChat avatar doesn’t look the place I do or blink on the identical time.

Extra impactful is the Crystal Gentle’s mounted foveated rendering, which retains the middle of the show sharpest as an alternative of following my gaze. This function reduces the burden on the GPU by dropping peripheral decision.

Nonetheless, Pimax selected settings that may work nicely for most individuals. I solely seen a loss in high quality once I looked for it. Pixelation begins close to the sides of the lenses the place my eyes not often enterprise throughout gaming. I flip my head greater than I flick my eyes to the facet.

These adjustments assist the Crystal Gentle stay as much as its identify with considerably lowered weight. With out the necessity for the rear battery, eye-tracking {hardware}, and auto-IPD motors, the price range mannequin cuts over a half-pound from the heft of the unique.

Regardless of the 1-pound, 15-ounce weight, the Crystal Gentle is kind of comfy. Pimax consists of the identical thick foam facial interface and well-designed head strap on all Crystal headsets with a number of adjustment factors to optimize match.

Pimax Crystal Gentle for PC VR

The Pimax Crystal Gentle is a superb selection for PC VR avid gamers who wish to improve their ageing Valve Index, HTC Vive Professional, or HP Reverb G2. There’s no wi-fi possibility, however Wi-Fi typically comes with trade-offs.

I can play any sport in SteamVR, and my Oculus Rift video games additionally seem in Pimax Play. I needed to open the Meta Hyperlink app for authentication earlier than operating Asgard’s Wrath. It appears to be like unbelievable on the Pimax Crystal Gentle.

For Meta Quest house owners longing for higher SteamVR high quality with out the effort of optimizing Wi-Fi and high quality settings, the Crystal Gentle’s DisplayPort connection affords visually lossless gaming with out compression artifacts or dropped frames attributable to community congestion.

At $899, it’s probably the most inexpensive technique to expertise crisper graphics. The {hardware} decision is 2880-by-2880 pixels with as much as two instances oversampling in case your GPU can deal with it. Dynamic vary can be glorious because of the QLED show with mini-LED native dimming.

Pimax offers loads of choices to customise the Crystal Gentle’s settings. Foveation is adjustable and may be switched off fully in case you have a quick GPU that doesn’t want the efficiency enhance.

I may also alter render high quality, fine-tune for a selected decision, and choose 72Hz to 120Hz refresh charges or an experimental upscaled 90Hz. These each assist for less-powerful gaming programs.

The image high quality is excellent. I get deep blacks, loads of brightness, a large shade gamut, and sharp particulars. The most important limitation is my PC. I’d should spend 1000’s extra for an ultra-premium Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional or a Varjo XR4 and costly GPU to get a higher-resolution system.

The Pimax Crystal Gentle has inside-out monitoring with out base stations, and Pimax consists of two rechargeable controllers with robust haptics.

For my assessments, I used a desktop PC with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Tremendous and an Intel Core i7-14700F. That’s a pleasant midrange gaming laptop that works nicely with the Pimax Crystal Gentle.

PC necessities

The minimal necessities Pimax lists for the Crystal Gentle aren’t very demanding, however an Nvidia GPU is important if it’s a GPU that’s a number of years outdated.

Apparently, you will get by with an RTX 2070 or higher paired with a minimum of a twelfth Gen Intel Core i5 or an AMD Ryzen 2000. Nonetheless, Pimax notes an older gaming system is simply adequate for much less demanding video games like Beat Saber. You’ll must decrease high quality settings and will endure lowered body charges when enjoying one of the best PC VR video games.

Robust graphics playing cards as quick or quicker than Nvidia’s RTX 3080, RTX 4070, and AMD’s RX 6800 XT can deal with flight simulators and difficult video games at medium high quality in case you have a latest processor.

For the highest quality, Pimax suggests utilizing a high-performance PC with among the best GPUs in the marketplace, comparable to an Nvidia RTX 4070 Ti, AMD RX 7900XT, or a greater GPU backed by a robust CPU. The graphics card is most necessary on this case.

Extra Pimax choices

When you just like the look of the Crystal Gentle however demand the sharpest attainable graphics, Pimax introduced a high-end PC VR headset with a show which may beat the ultra-sharp micro-OLEDs of the Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional.

The Pimax Crystal Tremendous boasts 3840 by 3840 pixels per eye with an possibility for micro-OLED shows for vibrant colours and deep blacks. With 50 pixels per diploma and a 130-degree horizontal discipline of view, the show must be fairly spectacular.

Pimax says the Crystal Tremendous will ship in 2024, however I don’t really feel assured about that. Like another Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional alternate options, delays are frequent. If you would like a greater VR headset, the Pimax Crystal or Crystal Gentle are good options which are out there now.

Is the Pimax Crystal Gentle best for you?

The Pimax Crystal Gentle is a formidable headset for SteamVR gaming in case you have a pleasant gaming PC. The crisp 2880-by-2880 native graphics decision may be fine-tuned through the Pimax Play app to make sure a usable body fee with a wide range of GPUs.

It may not be the only option for VRChat since there’s no eye-tracking, and most physique trackers require base stations and a $200 Pimax Lighthouse Faceplate improve.

When you play racing simulations that require frequent glances to the facet, the Pimax Crystal is perhaps a greater answer because it makes use of dynamic foveated rendering that retains your view sharp regardless of whenever you look. The Crystal Gentle’s mounted foveation lowers decision on the edges of the sides.

Pimax headsets are made for PC VR so mixed-reality gaming isn’t a viable possibility. The passthrough digicam high quality appears to be like much like the Quest 2’s low-resolution grayscale sensors. I attempted utilizing the desktop mode for productiveness, however that wasn’t an excellent answer. Nonetheless, it’s useful for shortly adjusting settings on my PC with out taking off the headset.

For many PC VR avid gamers, the Pimax Crystal Gentle will probably be a giant improve. It matches the dearer Pimax Crystal in some ways and simply outperforms older options.

I like to recommend Crystal Gentle for PC VR avid gamers and sim racers with high-performance PCs that demand extra high quality than a standalone mixed-reality headset just like the Meta Quest 3 can ship. It’s among the best PC VR headsets you should buy.