Pimax Delays VR Headset Shell for Its Nintendo Switch-style Handheld Portal

Pimax Portal, the Nintendo Switch-style handheld that can be used as a VR headset, is experiencing a bit of a road bump, as the company announced the VR portion of the device has been delayed due to a hardware redesign.

Update (July 19th, 2023): As first noted by MIXED, Pimax has delayed its View headset shell, which holds the previously launched handheld Portal device. In a blog post update, the company says the new VR shell takes inspiration from Pimax’s Crystal and ‘8K’ headsets, ostensibly offering better weight distribution and comfort. Those photos comparing the old design to the new redesign can been seen below this update.

“The Portal is an ambitious device and we want to make sure the headset is really great,” Portal’s product manager Snake Lin says. “The first prototype works, but we feel it’s not good enough to mass produce. Its weight isn’t distributed well and the comfort can be improved a bit. Also, we found some components are a bit weak if the user is rough with the device.”

View is coming in two editions: one with a battery pack on the back and one without, which are slated to ship to the 600+ Kickstarter backers sometime in Q3. At some point afterwards the company will open orders to the general public. The original article follows below:

Image courtesy Pimax

Original Article (April 18th, 2023): Over the years, the Shanghai-based company has been known for its wide field-of-view (FOV) PC VR headsets which include large, high-resolution displays and wide FOV optics, making Pimax one of the few to offer such devices directly to consumers. With the announcement of Portal and standalone headset Pimax Crystal, the company seems to be striking out in a new direction from its PC VR roots though.

As a hybrid device, Portal works as both a Nintendo Switch-style handheld (running Android), and a Samsung Gear VR-style headset which uses a dedicated VR shell housing and Switch-style controllers, which snap into their own bespoke housing.

While strapping an Android device into a headset shell is decidedly a throwback concept, Portal managed to attract over $350,000 from backers in the device’s 2022 Kickstarter campaign. Putting Gear VR comparisons aside, the device is being couched as a jack of all trades, as it’s set to offer both 6DOF head and controller tracking for VR gameplay on top of acting as both a handheld console and living room entertainment hub.

In a fresh status update, Pimax says it’s now finalized Portal’s hardware, with mass production set to start. Admittedly, Pimax says it’s currently optimizing the software for Portal, with heat dissipation, power consumption, and controller connection marked as areas in need of improvement. This also includes what it calls “rare” tracking issues and SDK-related game porting issues.

By the end of May, Pimax says it will have “more than 20 VR games” available for the Portal VR mode. Furthermore, Pimax says the QLED version of Portal will support native PC VR via HDMI, while other versions will support streaming PC VR content via WiFi e6 and USB-C.

This comes on the heels of the news last month that Pimax had secured a $30 million series C1 financing round, something the company says will aid in the rollout of both Portal and Crystal headsets.

Pimax Aims to Attract VR Devs with 100% Revenue Share & $100K Game Fund

Users of Pimax’s wide field-of-view (FOV) PC VR headsets have always relied upon third-party stores like Steam for VR content. Now the company is looking to incentivize VR developers to publish their games on the new Pimax Store.

Pimax quietly launched its PC VR content store in September 2022, ostensibly in preparation for the yet-to-release “Reality 12K QLED” headset, and standalones Pimax Cystal and Pimax Portal hybrid.

At the time, the company kicked off its store by advertising a program that would award its top 50 indie developers with cash incentives, along with a “choose your own” approach to revenue split for those top 50, which would let those developers “determine how much you would like to contribute to the store’s success and what proportion you need for your own success.”

Following a $30 million Series C1 funding round announced earlier this month, the Beijing-based VR headset company has upped the ante by announcing a 100% developer revenue split of Pimax Store content.

For contrast, Valve takes a 30% revenue cut from Steam, while Meta takes 30% from the Quest Store, and 47.5% from content published through its online Horizon Worlds platform.

The company also announced it’s earmarked a $100K fund for the stimulation of VR games, and is giving away 1,000 Pimax Portal dev kits, a standalone hybrid headset which can convert between a Nintendo Switch-style handheld and a 6DOF VR headset.

Image courtesy Pimax

“We’re a hardware manufacturer in the first place, which you could argue Steam and Meta aren’t, so this makes it easier for us to accept a lower margin, but we also want to promote the whole VR market, as technology is advancing fast,” said Pimax’s Carol Yuan. “There should also be more high-quality VR content available. Not only do we think that, but also many users online think this is holding back VR.”

Pimax says its app store caters exclusively to the company’s fleet of headsets, making sure that games support higher FOV and displays resolutions. The Pimax Store also bakes in customization settings for hardware, effectively replacing the company’s Pi Tool.

– – — – –

We’ve reached out to Pimax to find out the duration of the revenue split and, provided it has a definite end point, what its default percentage is. We’ll update this article when/if the company responds.

Pimax Secures $30M Series C1 Funding to Expand & Support Rollout of Crystal & Portal VR Headsets

Pimax, the China-based creator known for its wide field of view (FOV) VR headsets, announced it’s secured a $30 million series C1 financing round, something the company says will aid in the rollout of its new portfolio of VR devices.

The series C1 was led by Beijing-based investment firm Tuanmu Capital. This follows the company’s $20 million series B in 2020, bringing the company’s lifetime outside investment to over $69 million.

In a press statement, the company says the funds will be used to accelerate growth of its coming line of VR headsets, Pimax Crystal and Pimax Portal, enhance its position as both a consumer and enterprise-focused company, and increase investment in R&D.

Founded in 2015, Pimax is best known for its first Pimax “8K” headset Kickstarted in 2017, a consumer PC VR headset that included dual 4K panels providing an estimated 200-degree FOV, by far one of the largest in the industry at the time. Even today, many consumer headsets, such as Meta Quest 2 and HTC Vive XR Elite, feature FOVs around 110 degrees.

Pimax Crystal | Photo by Road to VR

The company has since gone on to offer multiple iterations of its wide FOV headset, but also is set to launch both its VR standalone Pimax Crystal and hybrid Portal device, the latter of which can convert between a Nintendo Switch-style gaming handheld and a VR headset.

Both Pimax Crystal and Pimax Portal are expected to release at some point in “early 2023”, with Crystal available for pre-order on the company’s website and Portal still in the fulfillment stage from its successful 2022 Kickstarter, which garnered just over $350,000 from backers.

“Of course, we’re delighted with this new round of funding, as it allows us to boost our production capacity to meet the rapidly growing demand for our new VR products, as well as to improve both our hardware and software further,” said Pimax Founder Robin Weng. “We’ve been innovating VR technology and we will keep on doing that in the future, always pushing the limits of what is possible through technology.”

The Shanghai-based company now boasts over 300 employees in offices spread across offices in San Jose, Stockholm, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Qingdao, and Chengdu.

Pimax Crystal QLED: $1899 Wireless Headset With 3K Per Eye Mini LED

Pimax announced Pimax Crystal QLED, a $1899 dual-mode VR headset the company claims will have the highest angular resolution on the consumer market.

Crystal will feature dual 2880×2720 LCD panels with Mini LED backlighting and a quantum dot layer. While traditional small LCD panels use a single backlight behind the entire display, Mini LED instead uses thousands of tiny LED elements, delivering contrast levels close to OLED – though with the tradeoff of some blooming. The quantum dot layer should deliver an extremely wide color range, which Pimax claims surpasses even OLED. The maximum refresh rate is 160 Hz.

Crystal’s lenses are made from glass rather than the plastic used in most other headsets, which Pimax says increases brightness and reduces both glare & aberration. The default lenses have a horizontal field of view of 110°, roughly the same as the Valve Index. This is a departure from Pimax’s core brand of ultra wide field of view VR. But Crystal’s unique feature is it will come with a different pair of 120° field of view lenses that can be swapped in, so you can choose between clarity and immersion.

Back in October Pimax announced another standalone headset, Reality 12K QLED, which it said will ship in Q4 2022 for $2399. Reality will also uses QLED panels but promises a much wider 200 degree field of view and onboard body tracking. This begs the question: what kind of buyer is willing to pay $1900 but not $2400 for a significantly wider field of view? Pimax’s response is that Crystal’s focus is on achieving maximum visual clarity, and that it doesn’t require a monster GPU like Reality.

Other than the lenses and displays Crystal and Reality are very similar headsets. Both have four cameras on the front edges for inside-out tracking of the headset and its Touch-like controllers – or your hands freely – as well as internal cameras to track your eyes and face. The eye tracking is said to power automatic lens separation adjustment and dynamic foveated rendering. Both headsets also use the same Snapdragon XR2 processor as Meta’s Quest 2. An extra cooling fan and dynamic foveated rendering mean they should outperform Quest 2, but this may be negated by the higher resolution and wider field of view it needs to render.

Also like Reality, Crystal supports two separate PC VR modes. The standard method sends frames over your home Wi-Fi network similar to Oculus Air Link or Virtual Desktop. The high fidelity mode uses a DisplayPort cable or dedicated WiGig transmitter for a much higher bandwidth connection. The cable is included but the WiGig transmitter will be sold separately.

Pimax sees Crystal as competing with Varjo Aero. As Pimax points out, the $1990 Aero has the same resolution but doesn’t come with tracking, controllers, or audio – and doesn’t have a wireless or standalone mode.

The company will likely struggle to obtain compelling content for its standalone mode store, however. Reality was announced with two standalone games: Ragnarok and Hyperstacks. Crystal is being announced with three more: BRINK Traveler, cyubeVR, and BoomBox. None of these are exactly system sellers and it’s likely these headsets will be primarily used in PC mode, but Pimax is still asking interested developers to reach out.

Pimax claims Crystal QLED will start shipping in Q3 2022, between July and September. We should, however, note Pimax has in the past missed its shipping targets, and the ongoing global supply chain uncertainties have led to delays across the tech industry.

Pimax’s New Headset is Priced & Positioned to Take on Varjo’s Ultra-enthusiast Aero

Pimax today announced the Pimax Crystal, a new headset that’s broadly similar to the company’s upcoming Pimax “12K” QLED headset, but with a few features pared back and a reduced price. Though the price is lower at $1,900, it still puts the headset well into the ‘ultra-enthusiast’ category, positioning it as a direct competitor to Varjo’s Aero headset.

Just a half a year before it’s set to launch its flagship Pimax “12K” QLED headset, Pimax today introduced another, similar headset, which it says will launch in Q3, 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 more. What sets it apart from its more expensive sibling is a somewhat lower resolution and a lower field-of-view.

While the $2,400 Pimax “12K” QLED aims for an ultra-high resolution and an ultra-wide 240° diagonal field-of-view, Pimax Crystal lowers both, but claims to maintain a very high 42PPD with a 120° diagonal field-of-view, or 35PPD with a 140° field-of-view—the choice is up to the user, thanks to interchangeable lenses, one of the headset’s unique features.

Image courtesy Pimax

Priced at $1,900, the Pimax Crystal appears to be looking to compete directly with Varjo’s ultra-enthusiast Aero headset, which is priced at $2,000 (but doesn’t include controllers or required tracking base stations). On the other hand, Pimax says the Crystal will include headset-tracked controllers and inside-out tracking out of the box at the $1,900 price point.

An optional $200 SteamVR Tracking faceplate will be offered at launch, and the company says it’s working on a stereo camera faceplate for color passthrough, though price and availability have not been announced.

Here’s a full breakdown of the Pimax Crystal specs:

Pimax Reality Crystal Specs
Display 2,880 × 2,880 (8.3MP) per-eye, QLED + mini-LED (1x), HDR
Refresh Rate 160Hz
Lenses Aspheric (glass)
Field-of-view (claimed) 120° or 140 diagonal (depending on lens configuration)
Processor Snapdragon XR2
RAM Unknown
Storage Unknown
Wireless Wi-Fi 6E, optional 60GHz add-on
Connectors Unknown
Battery Life Unknown (6,000mAh)
Optical Adjustments IPD (automatic motor driven), eye-relief (12–20mm), diopter (0–7)
IPD Adjustment Range 58–72mm
Connectors DisplayPort
Cable Length Unknown
Tracking Inside-out (no external beacons), optional SteamVR Tracking add-on
On-board cameras 4x head/hand/controller-tracking, 2x eye-tracking
Input Included headset-tracked controllers, optionally compatible with SteamVR Tracking controllers
Audio In-headstrap speakers, optional off-ear speakers
Microphone Unknown
Pass-through view Optional add-on
Weight Unknown

While Pimax says it wants to offer a ‘no compromise’ experience for its customers, the Crystal headset reaffirms the company’s affinity for introducing multiple, modular headset models that force customers to choose between an array of overlapping features and capabilities; it’s unclear why the company is planning to launch the Crystal in Q3, just a few months before the “12K” QLED in Q4.

In any case, we’ll certainly be impressed if Pimax manages to deliver everything it’s promising with these ambitious headsets.


Note: We put the “12K” part of the Pimax 12K QLED name in quotes because Pimax isn’t referring to the same 12K that is often used to describe TVs and monitors. The headset’s total horizontal resolution is near 12K, but this is split across each eye. Additionally, the resolution height is just half the height of what one would expect from a 12K TV. When referring to the headset’s name, we put “12K” in quotes to help our readers understand that it’s being used differently than they might expect.

The post Pimax’s New Headset is Priced & Positioned to Take on Varjo’s Ultra-enthusiast Aero appeared first on Road to VR.

New VR Headsets 2022: 4 Devices To Look Out For

Looking for a hardware upgrade? Then check out our list of new VR headsets 2022!

The VR industry finds itself at a critical point at the start of 2022. After years of perceived turmoil and sluggish sales, the Meta Quest 2 appears to have finally broken through the glass ceiling and is selling well. But, whilst it’s great to see VR developers thriving off of the sales of a headset, there are genuine concerns about the lack of true competition in the market right now.

2022 might provide the antidote to those issues. Sony’s lining up its new PS5 VR headset, Apple’s plans might finally be made public and there’s a whole host of smaller competitors vying for a slice of the pie too. Read on for the rundown of what’s on the way.

New VR Headsets 2022

Meta’s Project Cambria

We know less about Project Cambria than we thought we would at this point in time. Rumors building up to last year’s Connect conference suggested a full reveal of an ‘Oculus Quest Pro’ that could be arriving imminently. Instead, we got a quick glimpse of a new standalone headset that’s separate from the Quest line and will be arriving sometime later this year.

But some of what we heard about Quest Pro remains consistent in Cambria. We know it has color passthrough and face and eye-tracking, for example. It’s also expected to have a more compact form factor and controllers that ditch the tracking rings. But, while Cambria will have access to the Quest library of content, Meta assures it won’t be replacing the $299 headset. Think of this as a higher-end alternative for a lot of enterprise applications and enthusiast VR users, then.

While we wait, you can catch up with everything we know about Project Cambria right here.

PS5 VR/PSVR 2

Meta and Apple’s efforts might mean more for the long-term view of where VR and AR are going, but when it comes to the here and now, Sony’s PSVR follow-up promises to deliver incredible gaming experiences we can’t wait to dive into. Officially, we know PS5 VR (which isn’t yet named PSVR 2) exists. We also know it has all-new controllers. But that’s where all of the announced information ends.

Our own reporting has confirmed eye-tracking and 4K resolution among other features. It all sounds incredibly exciting but, truth be told, it’s the games we’re really interested in here. The increased power of the PS5 suggests we’ll see much more impressive titles than what we got on the original PSVR, and Meta and others are still leagues behind when it comes to securing a compelling gaming software line-up for a platform. We’ll be keeping a close eye on PSVR 2 in 2022.

Need more? Here’s everything we know about PSVR 2.

Apple’s Mixed Reality Headset

The Information Apple VR

We’ve been following the rumors surrounding Apple’s supposed mixed reality headset for the better part of a decade now, but 2022 might just be the year we finally get to see something tangible. Public comments have always seen Apple highlight the potential of AR over VR, but reports suggest this first device will be capable of both.

In fact, the latest rumors point to a $1,000 price tag for a kit with 4K OLED microdisplays, high-resolution color cameras and a new Apple chip similar to the power seen in the Mac’s M1 processor. Apple has also been on a hiring spree for AR/VR engineers for years now and has bought up relevant companies like NextVR. But, at the end of the day, all we have is speculation and hope. Will 2022 finally be the year of Apple VR?

Pimax Reality Series

As PC VR becomes an increasingly distant second priority for Meta, and Valve, Microsoft and more remain silent on the future of their own hardware efforts, the PC VR space has few new contenders to turn to in 2022. We do know that long-time headset maker Pimax is going all-in with its Reality series, which promises the highest-end experience going for VR.

So that’s 200Hz HDR LCD panels with near 6K per eye resolution and a 200 degree field of view. It’s also a standalone/PC hybrid that features an XR2 for the former (and will also scale back some of those specs when in standalone). Of course, it costs just as much as you’d think, starting at $2,499. We’ve also had issues with Pimax headsets in the past, but we’re hopeful this device improves across the board.

There’s quite a lot to keep up with on this one, though, so best read our full article here.

What Else To Look Out For

decagear-case-5

Though they technically launched last year, the HTC Vive Flow and Varjo Aero are still in their infancy and we’ll be looking forward to new developments for both in 2022. Meanwhile, there are some relatively unknown contenders to look out for, including the recently-announced modular standalone headset from Somnium Space. The DecaGear PC VR headsets is also still in development, though it recently had to hike up its price from $450 to $700 citing tough competition, so our expectations are more reserved there. And what about that rumored Valve standalone headset, supposedly codenamed Deckard? Whilst Valve comments suggest the device could be quite real, the company’s current focus on the already-delayed Steam Deck handheld console suggests it’ll be some time before that’s a priority. As for Xbox VR? We’ll keep our fingers crossed, but persistent executive comments don’t inspire much confidence.


And that’s our list of new VR headsets 2022. What are you looking forward to? Let us know in the comments below!

CES 2022 VR: What To Expect From The Show

CES finally returns to a physical, if somewhat muted show this week. Here’s what to expect on the VR side.

CES was once one of the key events in the VR calendar, but its impact on the industry has waned over time. Meta has its own events for Quest announcements, Sony saves gaming reveals for other showcases, HTC Vive hasn’t held a press conference in a number of years and, as VR has become less and less of a buzzword, we’ve seen fewer big players flaunt the tech on the show floor.

But the Vegas showcase does remain a fascinating display of VR oddities, underdogs and the occasional juggernaut. Here’s just a few things to expect from CES this year. We’re at the show so we’ll be offering full coverage.

CES 2022 VR: What To Expect

bHaptics’ Quest 2 Gloves

Last week the company behind one of Quest’s most popular haptic vests revealed its own haptic gloves, named TactGlove. They use the headset’s hand-tracking with motors at the tips of your fingers to provide a sense of feedback when touching objects in VR. But will they offer a compelling enough experience to justify a $299 price point? Hopefully we’ll get an answer during the show.

Panasonic’s Lightweight VR Returns

MeganeX

As announced earlier today, Panasonic subsidiary Shiftall seems to be working on the first consumer version of the company’s lightweight SteamVR headset, named MeganeX. It’s a bit of a puzzle, given the light form factor is somewhat negated by being attached to a PC via USB, but if it offers a comfortable, high-fidelity experience then it could be a strong new contender for the PC VR market. We’ll look to bring you more as the week goes on.

A First Look At Pimax Reality?

Pimax is one of the many companies to have pulled out of CES proper, with no presence on the show floor. But, as the company confirmed in an update last week, there will still be some media meetings available. Hopefully, then, we’ll be able to bring you a first look at the recently-announced Pimax Reality series, a hybrid, modular headset that promises to spare no expense.

Sony, LG And Beyond?

Everything We Know About PSVR 2 2021

Some of the highlights of every CES include the conferences from big tech companies announcing their range of products for the year to come. Usually it’s all about fridges that can tell your car what you need to buy and robots that can take your bags to the airport. But we do occasionally get a glimpse of surprising new VR announcements here and there. With that in mind, we’ll be watching a lot of shows today, January 4th, including LG’s show at 8am PT, Nvidia also at 8am PT, Intel at 10am PT, Qualcomm at 11am PT, Sony at 5pm PT and Samsung at 6:30pm PT. Again, we don’t expect anything to be revealed at these shows, but each of these companies has dabbled with the VR market to some degree in the past, so we’ll keep an eye out.

As for a potential PSVR 2 sighting? Well, Sony does like to announce some PlayStation news at these shows, like the 2013 introduction of PlayStation Now or, in 2020, the PS5 logo, but it’s not likely. We’d settle for confirmation the headset is definitely coming this year, though.


And that’s what’s happening with VR at CES 2022! What are you looking forward to? Let us know in the comments below!

Pimax Announces Wildly Ambitious New Standalone VR Headset with a Price to Match

In a livestreamed presentation this week, VR headset maker Pimax announced its Reality “12K” QLED headset which aims to pack in a kitchen sink’s worth of wishlist features, not least of which is a dual-mode capability which allows the headset to function as a standalone headset or a native PC VR headset. With the slew of capabilities and specs the company hopes to deliver with the headset, it comes as no surprise that it’s also their most expensive device yet; the Pimax Reality “12K” QLED starts at $2,400 and is expected to ship at the end of 2022.

During a prerecorded presentation Pimax introduced its vision of a next-generation VR headset, the Reality “12K” QLED, which the company says will come packed with features that would make any headset envious. Here’s a rundown of what we do and don’t know about the specs so far:

Pimax Reality “12K” Specs

Display
Unspecified “12K” resolution Mini-QLED [estimated 5,760 x 3,240 (18.6MP) per-eye]
Refresh Rate 75Hz, 90Hz, 120Hz, 144Hz, 160Hz, 200Hz
Lenses Compound (aspheric & Fresnel characteristics)
Field-of-view (claimed)
240° diagonal, 200° horizontal, 135° vertical, (118° stereo overlap)
Processor Snapdragon XR2
RAM Unknown
Storage Unknown
Wireless Wi-Fi 6E, optional 60GHz add-on
Connectors Unknown
Battery Life Unknown (6,000mAh)
Optical Adjustments IPD (automatic motor driven)
IPD Adjustment Range 57–72mm
Connectors DisplayPort
Cable Length Unknown
Tracking
Inside-out (no external beacons), optional SteamVR Tracking add-on
On-board cameras 4x head/hand/controller-tracking, 2x eye-tracking, 2x face-tracking, 3x mouth/body-tracking
Input Unknown
Audio In-headstrap speakers, optional off-ear speakers
Microphone Yex (3x)
Pass-through view Unknown
Weight Unknown

Pimax is positioning the Reality “12K” QLED as a VR headset which makes no compromises. Notably, that means the headset is capable of native, tethered PC VR, wireless PC VR, and pure standalone VR thanks to an integrated Snapdragon XR2 chip.

Image courtesy Pimax

Ostensibly the standalone nature of the headset means that the Reality “12K” QLED will be running its own Android-based OS and Pimax will be operating its own store to sell native standalone content.

The standalone mode understandably won’t be able to take full advantage of the headset’s displays and lenses; Pimax says that mode will be limited to “8K” resolution, 120Hz, and a 150° horizontal field-of-view (instead of 200° in native PC VR mode). Even still, that would be very impressive for any standalone VR headset; there’s no telling how long the headset will be able to run on its 6,000mAh battery, though at least the company says it will be easy to battery swap.

Image courtesy Pimax

Beyond that, the company says the headset will include tracking for head, controllers, hands, eyes, mouth, and even the full body, facilitated by a whopping 11 on-board cameras.

Pimax is also promising to deliver a slew of swappable face-plate modules to expand the headset’s capabilities with things like 60GHz WiGig for wireless streaming, SteamVR Tracking, mixed reality, 5G, and more. The company also says third-parties will be welcome to build their own modules to enable the headset to do even more.

Image courtesy Pimax

But wait, there’s more! The company also announced the Pimax VR Station, which it described as a “console dedicated to play VR.” Though the company didn’t go into much detail, it sounds like the device will be a small form-factor PC which can run PC VR content. The Pimax VR Station is said to include the WiGig module for wireless play.

Image courtesy Pimax

Pimax says the price of the Reality “12K” QLED “starts” at $2,400, though it isn’t clear which version of the headset and its many accessories and modules this will include. The release date for the headset is planned for Q4 2022.

– – — – –

Pimax found its footing in the VR industry after successful 2017 Kickstarter which promised to deliver an ultra-wide field-of-view VR headset with best-in-class resolution, along with its own controllers, and a slew of modules and accessories. While the company eventually delivered most of what it had promised, it came with growing pains in the form of significant delays, quality concerns, and a dizzying array of product offerings which at one point totaled six different headsets. Even three years after the expected shipping date, the company has also yet to deliver some key items from its Kickstarter, like its own custom controllers.

Pimax has never been short on ambition, but its execution hasn’t always kept up. After getting through rough waters leading out of its Kickstarter, and raising another $20 million in venture capital last year, the company does seem to have found a better footing, having consolidated its headset offerings and improved in hardware and software quality.

Still, the Pimax Reality “12K” QLED is certainly the most ambitious VR headset currently on the horizon, not to mention all of the accessories and additional promises like the Pimax VR Station, its own standalone VR OS, and its own content store. The new offering certainly has a similar vibe to the company’s Kickstarter in terms of the breadth of what’s being promised. This new headset, and all that’s planned to come with it, is a chance for the company to show it has left its growing pains behind.


Note: We put the “12K” part of the headset’s name in quotes because Pimax isn’t referring to the same 12K that is often used to describe TVs and monitors. The headset’s total horizontal resolution is near 12K, but this is split across each eye. Additionally, the resolution height is just half the height of what one would expect from a 12K TV. When referring to the headset’s name, we put “12K” in quotes to help our readers understand that it’s being used differently than they might expect.

The post Pimax Announces Wildly Ambitious New Standalone VR Headset with a Price to Match appeared first on Road to VR.

Pimax Reality: Autarke 12K QLED VR-Brille für 2.400 US-Dollar vorgestellt

Tower Tag auf Steam

Pimax ist bereits seit einigen Jahren als Hersteller von VR-Systemen bekannt, welche besonders beeindruckende Spezifikationen bieten, jedoch in anderen Bereichen oft der Konkurrenz nicht das Wasser reichen können. Jetzt hat das Unternehmen eine neue VR-Brille angekündigt, welche erneut mit extremen Spezifikationen punkten soll und zum ersten Mal ohne einen PC auskommt.

Pimax Reality: Autarke VR-Brille für 2.400 US-Dollar vorgestellt

Die neue VR-Brille von Pimax wird auf eine 5,7K Auflösung für jedes Auge setzen. Zum Einsatz kommt hierbei ein QLED-Panel, welches 200Hz und HDR unterstützen soll. Neben der hohen Auflösung verspricht Pimax auch einen beeindruckenden Sichtbereich von 200 Grad horizontal und 135 Grad vertikal.

Laut Pimax ermöglicht eine Reihe von Kameras an der Unterseite und den Seiten des Headsets auch die Verfolgung des Gesichtsausdrucks und die Verfolgung des gesamten Körpers. Für das Tracking der Augen soll ein Tracker von Tobii zum Einsatz kommen.

All diese Funktionen, 11 Kameras und das auch hochauflösende Display soll die autarke Brille mit dem Snapdragon XR2 Prozessor stemmen können. Diesen Chip verwendet auch Facebook für die Oculus Quest 2 und selbst diese Brille läuft häufig nicht in nativer Auflösung. Ähnlich wie bei der Quest 2 sollt ihr die Pimax Reality jedoch auch am PC nutzen können.

Bis die Brille auf den Markt kommt, wird noch etwas Zeit ins Land gehen. Die Vorbestellungen sollen im Sommer 2022 starten und die Auslieferungen zum Ende des Jahres 2022.

(Quelle: Upload VR)

Der Beitrag Pimax Reality: Autarke 12K QLED VR-Brille für 2.400 US-Dollar vorgestellt zuerst gesehen auf VR∙Nerds. VR·Nerds am Werk!

Pimax Reveals Feature-Packed 12K QLED Headset for $2,399, Available Q4 2022

Pimax 12K QLED

There have been a lot of hardware announcements in October for virtual reality (VR) headsets arriving this year but Pimax may have just stolen the show with its upcoming device. As part of the company’s very first Pimax Frontier event, it has just unveiled the Pimax Reality 12K QLED, an absolute monster of a headset that supports both PC VR and standalone gaming.

Pimax 12K QLED

Pimax is known for its wide field of view (FoV) PC VR headsets and the Reality 12K QLED continues that trend while taking the company product portfolio in a whole new direction, all-in-one. It’ll offer a dual feature set, able to into a PC to run at maximum fidelity or utilise its onboard processing in conjunction with a rear-mounted battery pack to provide a fully standalone experience.

Upfront the Reality 12K QLED will boast a supposed 12K resolution QLED with mini-LED display (1200 PPI) topping out at a whopping 200Hz refresh rate – that’s when plugged into a PC. Still maintaining Pimax’s 200° FoV (horizontal), Pimax has developed a “Bionic Lens System” that combines both Fresnel + Aspheric lens designs providing 35 PPD at the centre thanks to the aspheric element whilst the fresnel section handles the wider view.

As for the standalone element which Pimax calls Omni All-in-One (AIO), this is thanks to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR2 processor. Running in its standalone mode the headset will output at either 8K or 5K, a max refresh rate of 120Hz and a max FoV of 150-degrees. But that’s not even half of what the Reality 12K QLED headset has on board.

Pimax 12K QLED

To say it’s feature-packed is an understatement. It’ll have full inside-out tracking thanks to four front cameras. These will give the headset 6 degree’s of freedom (6DoF), track the controllers – which are very similar to Oculus Quest’s – as well as your hands. Not much was mentioned about the controllers in fact, although there were a few sensors to mention. The Pimax Reality 12K QLED also gets Tobii eye-tracking for foveated rendering and the motorised auto IPD adjustment, two cameras on the inside to track facial features and three more underneath for lip and body tracking. Yes, that’s right, this AIO headset will be able to track your legs.

The amount of tech packed into the Pimax Reality 12K QLED is astonishing, even with the option to add further modules. Below you’ll find the specifications VRFocus has managed to gather so far from the presentation.

Pimax Reality 12K QLED Specifications

  • Display
    • 2x 5.5 inch QLED (Mini-LED backlit) 12K Resolution display (1200 PPI)
    • Refresh rate: 200Hz
  • Optics
    • Bionic Lens System (Fresnel + Aspheric with 35 PPD peak fidelity)
  • Performance
    • Gemini Architecture – Qualcomm XR2 + Pimax Custom PC VR Engine
  • Field of View
    • Horizontal: 200°
    • Vertical: 135°
  • Interpupillary Distance
    • Automatic IPD adjustment with motor
    • Supported IPD range: 57–72 mm
  • Audio
    • Deluxe speaker module made by Tectonic
  • Weight
    • ???
  • Dimensions
    • 30% smaller than Pimax 8KX
  • Connectivity
    • PC connections: Fibre Optic cable
    • Wifi 6E – 6GHz
    • WiGig 60GHz module (optional)
  • Positional Tracking
    • 6DoF Inside-out tracking + hand tracking (4x cameras)
  • Additional Tracking
    • Tobii eye tracking module (2x cameras)
    • 2x cameras for face tracking
    • 3x cameras for lip & full body tracking
  • Comfort & Useability
    • Rear mounted, 6000 mAh swappable battery
    • Swappable rear cushion
    • 6DoF controllers
    • 3x noise cancelling microphones
    • Magnetic face cover
    • Passive & Active cooling (dual fans)
  • Additional Accessories
    • SteamVR 2.0/1.0 compatible via cover
    • Cellular 5G Cover for CloudXR connection
    • Mixed Reality cover

Unsurprisingly, the one stat that didn’t get mentioned was the weight. Whilst others have been trying to make their headsets as light as possible the Pimax Reality 12K QLED packs so much in it has to weigh a fair amount. Even so, if the Pimax Reality 12K QLED has piqued your interest it’ll go on sale in Q4 2022 priced at $2,399, almost making the Varjo Aero look cheap. As an added bonus for existing Pimax customers, they’ll be able to get the full purchase price of their existing Pimax headset off the price of the Reality 12K QLED. Quite the offer not seen anywhere else.

Certainly going for the ultra-high-end of the consumer market, Pimax has raised a few eyebrows with this announcement. For continued updates, keep reading VRFocus.