Pimax Crystal Announcement

The Pimax Crystal is similar to the company's upcoming Pimax 12K QLED headset, but with a few features scaled back and a lower price. Although the price of about €1,900.00 is lower, the headset still falls into the 'ultra-enthusiast' category, making it a direct competitor of Varjo's Aero headset.

Just half a year before Pimax launches its flagship (Pimax 12K QLED) headset, Pimax introduced another, similar headset, which it says will launch in the third quarter, just a few months before the 12K QLED.

Pimax Crystal has many of the same ambitious features: standalone processing with PC compatibility, eye-tracking, ultra-high resolution, support for a WiGig wireless module, high refresh rate, inside-out tracking, and much more. What sets it apart from its more expensive sibling is a slightly lower resolution and a smaller field of view.

While the €2,400.00 priced Pimax 12K QLED aims for an ultra-high resolution and an ultra-wide 240-degree diagonal field of view, the Pimax Crystal reduces both, but claims to maintain a very high 42PPD with a 120-degree diagonal field of view, or 35PPD with a 140-degree field of view - the choice is up to the user, thanks to interchangeable lenses, one of the headset's unique features.

With a price of €1,900.00, the Pimax Crystal appears to want to compete directly with Varjo's ultra-enthusiast Aero headset, which is priced at €2,000.00 (but does not include controllers or required tracking base stations). On the other hand, Pimax says the Crystal will come with controllers that track the headset and inside-out tracking out of the box for a price of €1,900.00.

An optional SteamVR Tracking faceplate of €200 will be offered at launch, and the company says it is working on a stereo camera faceplate for color passthrough, although price and availability have not been officially announced.

Here is an overview of the Pimax Crystal specifications:

• Resolution: 2880 x 2880 pixels per eye
• Screen type: QLED + mini-LED (aspherical lenses)
• Refresh rate: 160 Hz
• Field of View (FOV): 120 or 140 degrees (depending on lens configuration)
• Processor: Snapdragon XR2
• Internet connection: WiFi 6E, 60 GHz add-on
• Battery: 6000 mAh
• IPD adjustments: Automatic, 58 - 72 mm
• Connection: 1 x DisplayPort
• Tracking method: Inside-out tracking (optional SteamVR tracking)
• Eye tracking: Yes
• Audio: Built-in headphones, optionally available off-ear speakers

Although Pimax says it wants to offer a 'no compromise' experience for its customers, the Crystal headset once again confirms the company's affinity for introducing multiple, modular headset models that force customers to choose between a range of overlapping features and capabilities; it is unclear why the company plans to launch the Crystal in Q3 2022, just a few months before the 12K QLED in Q4.

Either way, we will certainly be impressed if Pimax manages to deliver on everything it promises with these ambitious headsets!