Ab sofort ist die Pimax 5K SUPER für Konsumenten erhältlich. Das Besondere an der neuen VR-Brille soll eine Bildwiederholrate von 180Hz darstellen.
Pimax 5K SUPER jetzt erhältlich
Die neue VR-Brille von Pimax stellt eine Überarbeitung der Pimax 5K Plus dar und läuft standardmäßig mit einer Bildwiederholrate von 160Hz. Der Modus mit 180Hz ist zunächst experimentell und kann bei bedarf aktiviert werden. Das Field of View gibt Pimax selbst mit 170 Grad an (Info aus der Pressemitteilung. Auf der Webseite wird das Field of View mit 200 Grad angegeben).
Wie auch die Vorgänger wird die neue Pimax 5K SUPER auf das Lighthouse Tracking von Valve setzen.
In an interview with MRTV earlier this month, Pimax COO Kevin Henderson revealed that the company is moving customer support back to China.
Pimax is a company which sells wide field of view PC VR headsets to enthusiasts. It was founded in 2016, and became widely known in 2017 after launching a Kickstarter campaign.
During the end of the interview, MRTV host Sebastian Ang forwarded recent emails he’s received from viewers expressing frustration with the customer support of Pimax. The viewers reported waiting weeks for replies which didn’t help with the actual problem they reported.
Surprisingly, Henderson himself called out the decision to move support back to China. He described the problems with such a move:
Some of the people in tech support don’t speak the language that the requests are coming in. So they sometimes don’t understand what the request is. If the request comes in and it can be interpreted more than one way the response that you get may not even be related to your request, sometimes.
That’s why we created the US office and were working on the European offices, but those offices and those personnel aren’t really contributing anymore, it’s all coming out of Shanghai and that’s unfortunate.
At no time did we have less tickets than when the US office was contributing every day. We had actually got the tickets for US-based customers and Canada down to zero.
When asked why this decision was made, Henderson replied that he wished he could answer that, and expressed that it was not under his control. “They felt like it was more cost effective and better to do it from Shanghai“, he explained.
We spoke to Henderson at CES 2019 last year. At the time, the US support center seemed to be one of his main projects and he was excited about how it could improve customer service for the company. Henderson’s LinkedIn profile lists him as “Chief Operating Officer and Company Spokesperson”, but also as “Head of North American and European Operations”. With the loss of the US support center, it seems his role will now solely be as a spokesperson.
The interview is now unlisted on the MRTV channel. It’s unclear whether this was at the request of Pimax, or simply a content decision from Ang. The MRTV YouTube channel collaborated with Pimax in 2018, getting early access to the hardware before Kickstarter backers.
A Company Still Stuck In Kickstarter Mode
At CES 2020, Pimax announced even more headsets, adding to an already crowded lineup. A wider range of products makes customer support more challenging and costly, which could have led to the decision to relocate to China where labor costs are usually much lower.
Pimax is the only company delivering ultra wide field of view VR to the consumer market- an important feature for immersion. Because of this unique offering, Pimax has a loyal (if comparatively smaller) following which the company can continue to try and up-sell with accessories and new headsets.
But Pimax is no longer a Kickstarter project, and this strategy can only last so long. Given the price of its products, if it wants to appeal to and retain a wider customer base it will need to get serious about support.
Pimax announced some new additions to its line of wide field of view VR headsets recently. With the constantly growing number of headset variations and mind-boggling additional prefixes to account for, you’re certainly not alone if you can’t keep all of their headsets straight.
Thankfully the company provided a comprehensive spec sheet at CES that puts all of the company’s headset offerings in one place. Here’s the company’s six headsets, including all of the most important specs:
Note: Both the 5K Super and Artisan aren’t for sale just yet, however we’ve included links below for those that are. All of the headsets below are priced without SteamVR tracking base stations and controllers.
We had a chance to visit Pimax’s booth at CES, so we should have our hands-on impressions with their latest tech out soon. We’re here for the entirety of CES, so check back for all things AR/VR to come from one of the world’s biggest consumer electronics show.
Along with Pimax’s new additions to its “8K” headset line, “8K” X and Plus, the company offered up an avalanche of info on their upcoming accessories for consumers, as well as upgrade options for Kickstarter backers & pre-order customers looking to get the latest gear.
The company released the info on its newly christened ‘Pimax Day’ where they showcased a number of accessories and modules that were previously listed through its 2017 Kickstarter.
There’s plenty to cover: you’ll find pricing, release dates, and specs for the following modules/accessories below including the optical hand-tracking module, eye-tracking module, audio strap, comfort kit, 10-meter cable, and SteamVR 2.0 basestations.
Skip below the lists to find more info on the backer/pre-order upgrade programs Pimax has devised.
Hand-tracking
Price: $170
Shipping: in December, first to backers who opted for the module
Made with UltraLeap (previously UltaHaptics)
Image courtesy Pimax
Eye-tracking Module
Price: $300 ($200 for backers)
Shipping: to testing groups December 15th
Backers can use coupons to reduce to $100
Designed in partnership with 7Invensun
Special design for wide FOV headsets with canted displays
Enables DFR (dynamic foveated rendering)
Compatible with the all Pimax headsets
Image courtesy Pimax
Modular Audio Strap
Price: $120
Shipping: in December, to backers first
Includes high-end replaceable audio above the ear speakers
Includes an extra face-foam in the box
Compatible with all Pimax headsets
Image courtesy Pimax
Vision Comfort Kit
Price: $50
Shipping: November 1st
Includes a new design of the facial interface that is designed to reduce visual artifacts, Nose Guard to prevent light leakage, and larger soft forehead padding.
Supports all Pimax headsets
Image courtesy Pimax
10 Meter Extended Length Cable (normal Pimax cable is 5 meters)
Price: $99.95 + Shipping
Shipping: in November, available for order soon
Low impedance extra-long single cable
Allows for much wider room scale VR environments
DP 1.4 and USB 3
Lighthouse 2.0 Base Stations
Price: $300 deposit, final consumer price N/A
Shipping: in 3-4 weeks to those who have ordered them
Pimax is offering a few upgrade programs aimed at keeping their patient backers & pre-order customers happy, including paths to upgrading controllers, basestations, and headsets; this is mostly due to cover for some of the delays in manufacturing.
Controller Upgrade Program
Since Pimax’s in-house developed Sword Controllers are officially delayed until March 1st, 2020, and Sword Sense until May 1st, 2020, the company is offering one of two options to pre-order customers.
Option 1: Receive Valve Index controllers instead, pay the difference plus a small fee. Lead time is 6 weeks to ship. Controllers and Base Stations bundle also translates to a bundle.
Option 2: Apply the money backers paid for the Sword controllers (Up to $200 per set) and we will add an additional $50 (up to $250) applied to an 8K+ or 8KX headset.
Image courtesy Pimax
Headset Upgrade Program
Pimax says that customers who already own a “5K” Plus, “5K” XR, or “8K” are going to get a discount that they can then apply to the company’s upcoming “8K” Plus and “8K” X headsets, although they haven’t said how much the discount will be at this time.
The company will have a dedicated site sometime in October where backers and pre-order customers can do a number of things such as activate their headset credit, swap for Index Controllers, and get plans to 3D print the Prescription Lens Adapter.
Pimax community manager Martin Lammi (aka SweViver) held a livestream with company COO Kevin Henderson that dives deeper into each program. You can check out Part 1 and Part 2 for more detailed info on the headsets and upcoming accessories.
Pimax is continuously tweaking their lineup of wide field of view VR headsets in effort to hone in on a finished product. To that effect, the Beijing-based company has just issued a new statement detailing some material refinements coming to new “5K+” and “8K” headsets, and some news on the long promised accessories too.
Pimax says in a forum post today that its line of headsets are getting a minor overhaul in ergonomics, bringing with it a new fabric head strap, a more comfortable face cushion with “best viewing distance”, and a different nose pad that aims to improve comfort while reducing light leakage.
Image courtesy Pimax
The quality of life updates however aren’t the biggest changes coming to Pimax’s line of headsets. Serious hardware concerns such as fractured exterior shells, sub-par cabling, and weak headphone jacks are all getting a makeover.
The company is aiming to reduce the incidence of flickering pixels, or what they call the “snow effect”, by introducing a new cable with enhanced shielding. Pimax says they’ll be rigorously screening and testing the cables moving forward. The company has also automated their screening process for optical issues such as dead pixels.
Pimax mentions that they’re bringing improvements to the 3.5mm headphone jack by increasing the soldering strength, something the company says can now withstand “more than 3,000 insertions and removals.”
The headsets’ housing has also been cause for concern, although Pimax says it doesn’t have anything to do with its remarkably thin plastic exterior. Pimax says that microfractures in the housing mating points were “a low probability issue” caused by the cooling and deburring process, and they’ve reviewed these processes to ensure a more reliable output.
The headsets’ shipping material is getting an overhaul too, with the company stating that they’ve uncovered issues caused during transport and have developed a new packaging design in response, something they maintain is “much more resilient and passes a higher standard shock drop resistance test.”
Pimax Accessories
Pimax says the latest controller prototypes will arrive next month, the Valve Index-style controllers called ‘Sword’ and ‘Sword Sense’. The company says they plan on manufacturing both of these variants—one with a thumbstick and the other with a touchpad—for many years to come.
“Because of this it is important these devices are more than competitive with other marketplace offerings,” the company writes. “As always with Pimax we take into account feedback we see across the VR marketplace and we realize how important it is we get our Pimax controllers ‘right’.”
Image courtesy Pimax
While the floppy head strap is getting an update, the optional Rigid Audio Head strap is now undergoing ergonomics testing too. Still no ETA, but it’s nice that it’s gotten a mention.
Although we thought Pimax was going to beat Valve to the punch by finally selling SteamVR 2.0 base stations on their lonesome, the company says they’re currently in production, but that they’re bundling the base station with their controllers “due to shipping costs.” The set, which includes two controllers of any flavor and two SteamVR 2.0 base stations currently costs a $300 deposit. Again, no ETA on these ones either.
Kickstarter Accessories, Image courtesy Pimax
The headset’s Hand Tracking Module is on a bit of a bumpy road. Promised back in the Kickstarter days, Pimax says that it’s been delayed due to Leap Motion’s acquisition by ULtraHaptics. UltraHaptics is however reportedly restarting production of the module, although Pimax says “this transition has taken some time.”
There’s still no word on when the eye-tracking accessory will arrive, although the company did show it off this year at CES 2019 in January.
Pimax’s continued work on their line of headsets is commendable, but it’s hard not to feel like a beta tester when the company is constantly retooling their product every few months. Even we have a hard time keeping the myriad of hardware updates straight, although Pimax is decidedly still delivering their headsets to consumers and directly responding to criticism.
What’s missing in all of this is an identifiable timeline, but we’re keeping our eyes peeled for concrete info on when prospective users can expect to see these updates in future Pimax headset iterations.
Pimax präsentiert auf der GDC 2019 seine neue Brainwarp 1.0-Software, die mit Fixed Foveated Rendering,Smart Smoothing und Refresh Rate Switching das Äquivalent von FacebooksAsynchronous Spacewarp und Valves Motion Smoothing für die Pimax 5K- und 8K–Brillen darstellt und somit ein deutliches Performance-Upgrade darstellt.
Pimax Brainwarp 1.0 – Fixed Foveated Rendering, Smart Smoothing und Refresh Rate Switching für Pimax-Brillen
Das Fixed Foveated Rendering steht derzeit nur für Nvidia-RTX-Grafikkarten zur Verfügung. Die Funktion ermöglicht es, nur einen bestimmten Bildausschnitt im Sichtbereich in voller Auflösung zu rendern, um Rechenleistung zu sparen. Der vom menschlichen Auge kaum wahrnehmbare Rand wird zeitgleich in der Auflösung reduziert, um Rechenleistung zu sparen. Das Feature soll in naher Zukunft auch auf ältere Grafikkarten ausgeweitet werden. Oculus verwendet die praktische Funktion ebenso für seine Oculus Go und kommende Oculus Quest.
Ein Beispiel für Foveated Rendering von SMI
Das integrierte Feature Smart Smoothing aktiviert sich automatisch bei einem Framerate-Einbruch unter 90 FPS und sorgt für eine bessere Bildrate bzw. Darstellung der VR-Inhalte. Dabei wird die Framerate auf die Hälfte reduziert, während die restlichen Frames dank eines Algorithmus künstlich erzeugt werden. Sobald die GPU wieder die gewünschte Performance erbringen kann, wird auf die Standard-Rate zurückgeschaltet.
Durch das Refresh Rate Switching ist die Framerate sowohl für die 5K- wie auch für die 8K-Brille individuell festlegbar. So können die Nutzer zwischen einer Bildwiederholrate von 90 Hz, 72 Hz oder 64 Hz (bei der Pimax 5K und 5K+) bzw. 80 Hz (bei der Pimax 8K), 72 Hz oder 64 Hz auswählen.
At CES 2019 this week, Pimax is showing off the production versions of their “8K” and “5K” Plus headsets, their upcoming Knuckles-style controllers, as well as hand-tracking and eye-tracking modules.
Pimax has begun delivering its ultrawide crowd-funded “8K” and “5K” Plus headsets to Kickstarter backers, and has also begun taking open orders. And while headsets are slowing getting into backers hands, they’re still missing a handful of additional components that were promised as part of the crowdfunding campaign.
At CES 2019 this week, the company is showing off its latest progress with the headsets and additional components. On the show floor the company intends to demonstrate the production versions of the Pimax “8K” and “5K” Plus headsets, and functional ‘open-palm’ controllers for the first time. Additionally they’re showing two of the modules that will extend the functionality of the headsets: controller-less hand-tracking from Leap Motion, and eye-tracking from 7invensun.
The Leap Motion module, which attaches to the underside of the headset, can be seen here. | Image courtesy Pimax
Other modules (like the promised wireless transmitter) are still in the works, the company says, but won’t be shown off at CES this week.
Pimax’s controllers, which look like a mashup between Oculus Touch and Valve’s Knuckles controllers, are said to support an ‘open-palm’ design, meaning a strap will keep the controller attached to the hand even when the user is not ‘holding’ it. Though the controller purportedly includes capacitive sensing on the handle for finger tracking (like Knuckles), it also has a grip trigger (like Touch).
Image courtesy Pimax
Pimax plans to offer the controllers in two variations, one with thumbsticks (like Touch) and one with trackpads (like the Vive wands). The company will also offer mixed-and-matched options—one thumbstick controller and one trackpad controller—though we’re struggling to think of practical reasons to have one of each rather than a matching pair.
The controllers use SteamVR Tracking, and Pimax indicates that they will be headset agnostic (among headsets using SteamVR Tracking), meaning Vive users could use them as an upgrade to the Vive wands.
Pimax says that the controllers will work with both 1.0 and 2.0 base stations, and plans to ship two 2.0 base stations together with the pair of controllers for $300 (though Vive users eyeing up this package should be aware that 2.0 base stations do not support the original Vive).
Photo by Road to VR
Last year at CES we dove deep into Pimax’s latest headsets and came away impressed with the company’s progress but noted that there was still some real kinks to iron out before launch. This week we’ll be going hands-on with the company’s latest kit to see what kind of progress they’ve made in a year’s time. Stay tuned.
Pimax today announced the end of pre-orders and the beginning of general sales of the Pimax “8K”, “5K” Plus, and “5K” Business Edition (BE) headsets. With a current waiting period of 81 days until Pimax begins shipping the headsets though, the company seems to be blurring the line between pre-orders and official sales.
Pimax maintains that Kickstarter orders should be entirely shipped by “mid January to mid-late January.” A chart provided by the company shows that they’ve already opened two production lines to fulfill Kickstarter orders, with a third opening in late December to help with the final push.
According to the chart, pre-order delivery is expected to begin somewhere between January 13th and January 27th. Pimax isn’t allowing queue-jumping with general orders though, as it remains steadfast in fulfilling Kickstarter orders first, then pre-orders, then general sales orders.
Image courtesy Pimax
Currently, the company has quoted an 81-day waiting period for customers looking to order the headset today, requiring prepayment in full. It’s unclear what distinction the company is trying to make as it announces general sales with a lengthy waiting period; anyone could already pre-order all three headsets since late October at the same price.
If you were to hypothetically pre-order today, November 30th, the company estimates they’ll ship your headset on February 19th, 2019. The Pimax “8K” site notes that customers will receive their orders “within 90 days.” You can check out Pimax’s store page here.
Here’s some backstory in case you missed all the hubbub about Pimax’s wide FOV headsets:
The Pimax “8K” headset was the result of VR’s most successful Kickstarter campaign, beating out all others, including Oculus, with $4.23 million raised when the campaign concluded in November 2017. It’s primary claims to fame were its impressively wide FOV, high-resolution panels, and incorporation of SteamVR tracking.
Pimax “8K” V5 prototype | Photo by Road to VR
The company has weathered its fair share of delays over the course of the 2018, including lens redesigns that set back production of the final version well past the January 2018 estimated delivery date. The inclusion of a Knuckles-style, SteamVR-tracked motion controller was also devised, which the company is selling alongside SteamVR 2.0 base stations for a $300 deposit. No shipping date for the tracking/controller bundle is available at this time.
In a surprise move one month before pre-orders went live, the company shifted their plans to provide Kickstarters with the original “5K” headsets, instead tossing in an improved display in their newly christened “5K” Plus and “5K” Business Edition (BE) headsets, which offer native resolutions of 2,560 × 1,440 pixel count per lens (5,120 × 1,440 total).
Kickstarters then began seeing the first wave of headsets trickle in starting in late September. Now that you’re mostly caught up, here’s the specs:
Pimax “8K” Specs – $900
Display: CLPL (Customized low persistence liquid)
Resolution: 3,840 × 2,160 per display (7,680 × 2,160 total)
Minimum Recommended GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 and AMD equivalent or above
Pimax “5K” BE, costing $1,000, has the same specs as the “5K” Plus outside of an OLED display, clocked at 85Hz. The Pimax “5K” BE is said to be a limited time offer.
Chinese virtual reality (VR) company had a highly successful Kickstarter campaign in 2017, raising over $4 million for its 8K and 5K head-mounted displays (HMDs). There have been issues along the way but Pimax has begun shipping in the last few weeks. Today, the company has announced the start of pre-orders for regular consumers.
There are three versions of the headset available, the 8K, 5K Plus and 5K Business Edition with prices starting from $699 USD. For regular customers the 5K Plus and 8K series offers users a 200-degrees field of view (FOV) – the most of any consumer headset – with support for both Steam VR 1.0 and 2.0 and its larger scale tracking.
“There are two purposes for the pre-order. First, many VR enthusiasts missed the Kickstarter campaign but are very interested and have followed Pimax VR from last year,” Robin Weng, the founder of Pimax in a statement. “We want to make the headsets available for them via pre-order. The orders are from different countries and regions, and moreover, the lead time of the key components usually last for around 3 months. We would need to start to prepare from now, so the enthusiasts can get their hands on the second generation headsets earlier.”
All the Pimax headsets are available on their own or with extendable with modules and accessories. These include wireless transmission, hand motion, eye tracking, scent enabling, deluxe headstraps integrated with earphones, and more. Additionally, Pimax is offering bundles including NVIDIA RTX 2080Ti and RTX 2080 graphics cards.
“The enthusiasts are eagerly waiting for the second generation VR headsets,” continues Weng. “Pre-order will help us in speeding up production and deliver the headsets to the backers faster, and the pre-order consumers will benefit from the faster delivery as well. We are actively preparing the production line and workers as planned. With more predictable and accurate numbers of orders, Pimax can better forecast and plan the resources and production cycle, make the lead time shorter, and request the vendors to prepare resources in a more planned and efficient manner.”
You’ll need to head to the official website to place a pre-order, with orders only going out once the Kickstarter orders have been fulfilled. For further updates from Pimax, keep reading VRFocus.
Zwar warten großteils die Unterstützer der Kickstarter-Kampagne noch auf ihre VR-Brille von Pimax, doch dies hält das Unternehmen nicht davon ab, in wenigen Stunden den Vorverkauf für verschiedene Modelle zu starten.
Heute Nacht starten die Vorbestellungen der VR-Brillen von Pimax
Die Webseite ist bereits online verrät alle Details. Heute Nacht (gegen 01:00 Uhr) werdet ihr dann die Pimax 8K für 789 Euro , die 5K Plus für 619 Euro und die 5K BE für 879 Euro vorbestellen können. In diesem Preis ist jedoch keine Lösung für das Tracking der Brille oder Controller enthalten. Ihr erhaltet nur die VR-Brille und die nötigen Kabel. Wenn ihr also keine HTC Vive im Schrank habt, müsst ihr zusätzlich von HTC das Tracking-System bestellen oder gleich eine komplette VR-Brille bei HTC kaufen. Wer jedoch ein HTC Vive-System besitzt und auf die Vive Pro upgraden will, der sollte auch die Pimax 5K Plus im Auge behalten, denn diese schneidet bei den Testern bisher recht gut ab.
Wer nicht genug von der Virtual Reality bekommen kann, für den hat Pimax auch interessante Bundle im Angebot. Beispielsweise kann ein Modul für Hand-Tracking und/oder eine RTX 2080 oder 2080Ti direkt mitbestellt werden. Bei den Leistungsanforderungen der Pimax 8K wohl auch empfehlenswert. Kickstarter-Unterstützer können jedoch Ruhe bewahren, denn Pimax hat versprochen, zuerst diese Supporter mit Hardware zu beliefern. Bei der Pimax 5K BE handelt es sich um eine limitierte Edition, welche weitestgehend die selben Spezifikationen wie die 5K Plus besitzt, jedoch anstatt eines CLPL-Bildschirms (Customized low persistence liquid) mit 90Hz soll ein OLED mit 85Hz zum Einsatz kommen.
