Pimax Vision 8K Plus

In September 2017, Pimax launched a Kickstarter campaign to help fund the development of an ultra-wide, ultra-high resolution VR headset, the Pimax 8K. It eventually offered a field of view (FOV) of 200 degrees and dual 4K resolution screens for better image clarity and less screen-door effect. At that time, these specifications were unheard of and barely believable. But it's now 2020, and while ultra-wide headsets are hardly commonplace, dual 4K resolution is not such a shocking statistic.

That's the market in which the Pimax Vision 8K Plus ($899 suggested retail price) is vying for the title of best VR headset. Ultimately, the headset can provide a premium experience, but you need some VR experience yourself to manage the amount of calibration required to make the HMD operate optimally.

Like all modern Pimax HMDs, the Vision 8K Plus is ultra-wide with an extensive FOV. The headset's two 4K screens are outward-facing, giving you more peripheral vision than the average VR headset. Pimax advertises a diagonal field of view of 200 degrees, putting it at the top of all headsets, including enterprise-class devices. For comparison, the Valve Index's FOV goes up to 130 degrees.

Our first impressions of the Vision 8K Plus were positive. The new headset has the same sharp angle as the older model. The only difference, aside from the color, is that the π logo is no longer embossed in the left front corner.

We immediately noticed a significant improvement in the exterior quality of the HMD compared to the original Pimax headsets, the Pimax 8K and Pimax 5K Plus. The fragile casing of the 5K Plus left a lot to be desired, but the Vision 8K Plus features a soft-touch plastic material that feels much sturdier than the older headset. The old model flexed and creaked when we grabbed it; this one doesn't.

Pimax chose a dark blue dye for the plastic that's almost the same shade as the HTC Vive Pro. We found that the color gave the Vive Pro a premium look, and it has a similar effect on the Vision 8K Plus. The front plate of the first Vision 8K Plus we received had a bright green chevron that lights up when the HMD is turned on, creating a bold contrast with the blue shell. The replacement headset has a chrome finish over the chevron, which still lights up green. The chrome was formerly reserved for the Pimax Vision 8K X, but Pimax recently revised the 8K Plus to include these shiny accents.

The Vision 8K Plus headset doesn't have built-in headphones, but it does have a built-in microphone to capture your voice. The headset headphone for connecting a headphone or modular Pimax audio headband accessory.

We prefer to use a wireless headset for audio to avoid the hassle of the extra dangling cable, but it's nice to have options. The headset has two 3.5 mm headphone jacks, but only the left one works for third-party audio devices. The right connection is specifically for Pimax's audio head strap accessory.

A proprietary 3-in-1 tether cable delivers the signal from your computer to the headset. The cable includes USB 3.0 for data, DisplayPort 1.2 for the video signal, and 12v power supply for the HMD.

The headset also offers two USB Type-C ports to run accessories. The USB-C port at the bottom is reinforced with a thick metal edge and has a solid click when connecting an accessory. That port is intended for the Ultra Leap accessory for hand tracking (sold separately). Pimax also partnered with 7invision to develop an eye-tracking module that you can order through the Pimax website.

The Vision 8K Plus also has a second USB-C port at the top of the headset, but unfortunately, it may not be usable. There appear to be two major design flaws. The port is recessed into the top edge of the HMD, and the opening around it is too small for some USB cables.

We found a few wires that would fit in the opening, but then noticed another problem: the cables that do fit in the opening stick out too far and interfere with the comfort kit. Pimax would need to develop a custom cable for any accessories that use this port.

At first glance, the quality of the Vision 8K Plus's screens seemed very impressive. The image clarity appeared to rival the best HMDs we've tested. It soon became clear, however, that this is somewhat of an illusion.

Details, like our hands, the objects we were carrying, and nearby walls, were clear, and the screen-door effect was almost unnoticeable, but objects in the distance seemed somewhat blurry. After some tinkering with the many calibration settings, including render resolution, field of view, and refresh rate, we discovered that image clarity heavily depends on how you set up the screens and how powerful your computer is. However, the headset's screens have poor color reproduction, so no matter what we do, bright details look faded. Black levels could also improve, and that's not something we're usually picky about.

The ultra-wide lenses of the Vision 8K Plus introduce a kind of distortion that we've only experienced with Pimax headsets. The outer ends of our field of view looked distorted. This phenomenon dates back to the original prototype of the Pimax 8K that we tried years ago. No matter how much Pimax has improved the distortion with software, the problem persists, and we have no hope for a solution.

You have two options, and neither is a perfect solution. You can live with the distortion in your peripheral vision or use Pimax's PiTool software to limit the FOV to hide the imperfection, which defeats the purpose of buying an ultra-wide headset.

The problem is even worse when you let your screen run at the edge of its capability. With the HMD's refresh rate set to 110 Hz, the ends of the screen produced a chromatic blue twinkling blue effect.

The Pimax Vision 8K Plus features several upgrades over the original model, including higher refresh rate displays, a more robust outer shell, soft-touch plastics, and an improved head cushion. Those upgrades may not seem like much, but when you combine them all with Pimax's ultra-wide headset platform, they result in a major improvement.

Overall, we're quite impressed with the Vision 8K Plus headset. It offers the highest total resolution and the most extensive FOV of all the VR headsets we've tested. Its screen is not as bright and clear as that of the HP Reverb G2, but the Vision 8K Plus's wide view of the virtual world is unmatched by any other headset we've tested.

However, there was one major bump in our experience: this is the second Vision 8K Plus that Pimax sent me because the first one had a firmware issue that made it unstable and unusable. An isolated problem with one piece of hardware shouldn't deter you from considering a device, and we're not advising you to avoid the Pimax Vision 8K Plus or other Pimax headsets.

Of all the VR headsets we've tested, the image clarity of the Vision 8K Plus is only surpassed by the Reverb G2. If you're looking for the largest window into the virtual world, we have yet to try a headset that (except for Pimax's own 5K Plus lineup) can compare to the Vision 8K Plus. Perhaps the Vision 8K X will one day claim the crown, but we have yet to formally test Pimax's flagship HMD.

In the meantime, give this headset serious consideration if you're looking to upgrade from the original HTC Vive. If ultra-wide is a big deal for you, the Pimax 8K Plus would offer a serious improvement in visual clarity and field of view. If you're coming from something like a Valve Index, you won't be as impressed, unless FOV is, of course, your biggest concern.

The Pimax 8K Plus bundle with the base stations and Valve Index controllers would be a good choice for anyone without Lighthouse base stations. However, I would hesitate to recommend this headset to a VR newcomer because of the extra calibration efforts required. The Pimax 8K Plus is best suited for VR enthusiasts who aren't afraid to tinker.

This review originates from tom's Hardware.