Pimax Crystal Gentle
MSRP $899.00
“The Pimax Crystal Gentle matches one of the best options of the unique Crystal whereas chopping a number of options to decrease weight and scale back the price by lots of of {dollars}.”
Execs
Inexpensive high-resolution headset
Lossless DisplayPort connection
Native dimming for deep blacks
Inside-out monitoring eases setup
Contains two rechargeable controllers
Comfy head strap and facial interface
Cons
Show Port tether limits mobility
Passthrough is low-res, grayscale
2024 has been a giant 12 months for VR, with new headsets from Apple, Meta, HTC Vive, and Pimax. The most recent from Pimax is the Crystal Gentle, an affordable model of the spectacular Pimax Crystal I reviewed final 12 months.
The unique Crystal is our prime decide for a PC VR headset, and it’s probably the greatest VR headsets obtainable. 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 could know what’s totally different and whether or not the finances mannequin is sweet sufficient to be an awesome SteamVR or sim racing headset regardless of the inevitable trade-offs.
Specs
| Pimax Crystal Gentle | |
| Kind | PC VR |
| Show decision | 2880 × 2880 pixels per eye |
| Show sort | QLED with native dimming |
| Monitoring | Inside-out |
| Controls | Two controllers (rechargeable) |
| Dimensions (visor) | 10.4 x 4.2 x 4.0 inches |
| Weight | 1 pound, 15 ounces |
Pimax Crystal vs. Crystal Gentle
The Pimax Crystal Gentle’s most eye-catching characteristic is its $899 price ticket, which is $800 lower than the unique Crystal. Pimax strategically lower some options to scale 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 undergo from visible artifacts often known as “god rays.” Whereas the pancake lenses utilized in most standalone headsets are lighter, Pimax matches that readability with out sacrificing show brightness.
General, Pimax discovered the fitting steadiness of options and price, with just a few trade-offs. The Crystal Gentle doesn’t have a standalone mode, so a gaming PC with a discrete GPU is critical 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 automated IPD adjustment, it’s simple to regulate eye spacing by scrolling a thumbwheel on the left aspect 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 similar time.
Extra impactful is the Crystal Gentle’s mounted foveated rendering, which retains the middle of the show sharpest as a substitute of following my gaze. This characteristic reduces the burden on the GPU by dropping peripheral decision.
Nonetheless, Pimax selected settings that can work nicely for most individuals. I solely observed a loss in high quality once I looked for it. Pixelation begins close to the perimeters of the lenses the place my eyes hardly ever enterprise throughout gaming. I flip my head greater than I flick my eyes to the aspect.
These modifications assist the Crystal Gentle dwell as much as its title with considerably lowered weight. With out the necessity for the rear battery, eye-tracking {hardware}, and auto-IPD motors, the finances mannequin cuts over a half-pound from the heft of the unique.
Regardless of the 1-pound, 15-ounce weight, the Crystal Gentle is sort of comfy. Pimax contains 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 alternative for PC VR players who wish to improve their growing old Valve Index, HTC Vive Professional, or HP Reverb G2. There’s no wi-fi choice, 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 unimaginable on the Pimax Crystal Gentle.
For Meta Quest house owners looking forward to higher SteamVR high quality with out the trouble 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 solution to expertise crisper graphics. The {hardware} decision is 2880-by-2880 pixels with as much as two occasions oversampling in case your GPU can deal with it. Dynamic vary can be wonderful because of the QLED show with mini-LED native dimming.
Pimax gives loads of choices to customise the Crystal Gentle’s settings. Foveation is adjustable and could be switched off totally when you’ve got a quick GPU that doesn’t want the efficiency enhance.
I may modify render high quality, fine-tune for a specific decision, and choose 72Hz to 120Hz refresh charges or an experimental upscaled 90Hz. These each assist for less-powerful gaming methods.
The image high quality is excellent. I get deep blacks, loads of brightness, a large shade gamut, and sharp particulars. The largest limitation is my PC. I’d should spend hundreds 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 contains 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 pc 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 critical if it’s a GPU that’s a number of years previous.
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 barely enough for much less demanding video games like Beat Saber. You’ll have to decrease high quality settings and will undergo lowered body charges when taking part in one of the best PC VR video games.
Sturdy 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 when you’ve got a latest processor.
For the very best quality, Pimax suggests utilizing a high-performance PC with probably the greatest GPUs available on the market, akin to an Nvidia RTX 4070 Ti, AMD RX 7900XT, or a greater GPU backed by a robust CPU. The graphics card is most essential on this case.
Extra Pimax choices
For those who 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 choice 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 ought to 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 options, delays are frequent. If you need a greater VR headset, the Pimax Crystal or Crystal Gentle are good options which might be obtainable now.
Is the Pimax Crystal Gentle best for you?
The Pimax Crystal Gentle is a formidable headset for SteamVR gaming when you’ve got a pleasant gaming PC. The crisp 2880-by-2880 native graphics decision could be fine-tuned by way of the Pimax Play app to make sure a usable body price with quite a lot of GPUs.
It may not be your best option for VRChat since there’s no eye-tracking, and most physique trackers require base stations and a $200 Pimax Lighthouse Faceplate improve.
For those who play racing simulations that require frequent glances to the aspect, the Pimax Crystal is likely to be a greater answer because it makes use of dynamic foveated rendering that retains your view sharp regardless of once you look. The Crystal Gentle’s mounted foveation lowers decision on the edges of the perimeters.
Pimax headsets are made for PC VR so mixed-reality gaming isn’t a viable choice. The passthrough digital camera high quality appears to be like just like the Quest 2’s low-resolution grayscale sensors. I attempted utilizing the desktop mode for productiveness, however that wasn’t a superb answer. Nonetheless, it’s helpful for shortly adjusting settings on my PC with out taking off the headset.
For many PC VR players, the Pimax Crystal Gentle shall be a giant improve. It matches the costlier Pimax Crystal in some ways and simply outperforms older options.
I like to recommend Crystal Gentle for PC VR players 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 probably the greatest PC VR headsets you should purchase.
