Pimax 8K X VR headset review: Virtual Insanity

(Pocket-lint) - While companies similar Oculus are going aft the masses with easy-access, low-entry headsets similar the Oculus Quest 2, others person realised that the champion acquisition comes from high-end devices.

HTC knows it and showed what was imaginable with the HTC Vive Pro 2. But portion that headset mightiness look similar the champion VR headset wealth tin buy, it perchance doesn't clasp a candle to this lesser-heard-about Pimax headset connected review. 

The Pimax Vision 8K X is the astir bonkers and power-hungry VR headset we've seen to day - and for bully crushed too, considering it boasts 2 4K displays. That's right, with this headset each oculus is getting a dedicated Ultra HD show to gawk at. That's not each either arsenic the lenses are gargantuan.

But presenting the champion imaginable virtual world acquisition inevitably comes astatine cost. So is the Pimax 8K X worthy?

Serious VR for superior gamers

• 60Hz, 75Hz (native), 90Hz (native), 114Hz (upscaled) refresh rate
• Interpupillary Distance (IPD) accommodation from 60 to 70mm 
• Customised debased persistence liquid (CLPL) screen
• Dual 4K screens (two tons of 3840 x 2160)
• Up to 200-degree tract of view
• 15ms (typical) MTP latency

As you tin spot from the specs above, the Pimax Vision 8K X is pulling nary punches. This is simply a VR headset that means superior concern and does truthful with bold claims that see the committedness of "clarity successful VR that rivals reality" and "unrivalled clarity and vision". With dual screens sporting 4K solution each it's casual to ideate what the acquisition is going to beryllium similar adjacent earlier you don the headset.

But the Pimax Vision 8K X offers overmuch much than conscionable pixels. It besides has 1 of the widest field-of-view displays you're apt to spot connected a VR headset - astatine a whopping 200-degrees. To enactment that into perspective, the FoV connected the Vive Pro 2 is conscionable 120-degrees - and that's nary slouch anyway. It's built this mode to springiness you masses of peripheral vision, truthful you tin simply get mislaid successful the VR experience. Sure, the solution is insane and the graphics are astonishing - but you tin conscionable spot truthful overmuch of the crippled world.

To alteration this the lenses are massive; gargantuan even. Take a look astatine the photos successful this reappraisal and comparison the Pimax's lenses to those connected the Vive Pro 2. Which goes immoderate mode to explicate wherefore the Pimax Vision 8K X is specified a whopper. It's ample and wide and 1 of the heaviest VR headsets around.

This headset besides offers aggregate refresh complaint options each the mode up to 114Hz. You tin besides tally games successful autochthonal mode oregon upscale the visuals to heighten what you're seeing and erstwhile you get those settings right, it's an acquisition similar nary other.  Of course, each this requires a almighty gaming PC successful bid to tally it - and if you privation to marque the astir of it, you'll request an Nvidia 3000 bid graphics card ideally.

Valve tracking and Vive compatibility

• SteamVR tracking system
• 9-axis accelerometer sensors
• Dual 3.5mm headphone jack, 1x USB Type-C, microphone, speakers
• Dimensions 280.1 x 108.2 x 135.9mm (11 x 4.3 x 5.4 inches) / Weight: 997.9g (2.2 pounds)

Externally, connected the look of it, the Pimax 8K X is remarkably akin to the Vive Pro 2. That's not conscionable due to the fact that of the bluish styling oregon accents, but owed to the mode the tracking works. This headset uses 9-axis accelerometer sensors and requires the SteamVR tracking strategy successful bid to run. 

That means you request immoderate SteamVR basal stations successful your setup. Like the HTC, the Pimax 8K X is disposable to acquisition successful a fig of formats. You tin conscionable bargain the headset if you already person a Vive strategy and usage your pre-existing setup, oregon you tin acquisition the afloat bundle including the basal stations and controllers. 

The Pimax Vision 8K X is besides upgradeable and compatible with a fig of Vive accessories. That database includes add-ons similar the Vive trackers, manus and oculus tracking modules, and more. It'll enactment with the classical Vive controllers oregon Valve's Knuckle VR controllers. So it's truly flexible and customisable, making it adjacent much appealing. 

There are besides antithetic models disposable with somewhat varied setups successful presumption of headband plan - DMAS, SMAS and KDMAS. The options present fundamentally alteration the audio setup connected the headset. For this review, we were investigating the afloat system, which includes built-in off-ear speakers that tin beryllium converted into on-ears with an included attachment.

The headband connected the Pimax Vision 8K X is different truly familiar. The plan is akin to the Vive Pro 2 with a coagulated headband that's adjustable via a sizing instrumentality astatine the rear and a Velcro strap connected top. This makes it truly casual to get connected and disconnected and to set to the close size to acceptable your caput too. 

The Pimax is 1 dense though. At astir a kilogramme (2.2 pounds), it's a just a spot heavier than the Vive Pro 2's 850g. And that's due to the fact that of the ample lens and surface setup housed wrong its wide frame. Despite this, the Pimax 8K X is amazingly good balanced. It has a bully facial interface and immoderate ample brushed padding connected the faceplate which makes it comfy to wear. 

We're blessed to study that we were capable to crippled for hours portion wearing this headset without problem. Yes, we got blistery and bothered arsenic we ever bash with these things, but we didn't find we had unbearable look ache aft a abbreviated play period. It's wide that Pimax has worked hard to get the equilibrium and the padding of the headset close to negate immoderate of that weight.

The headset connects to your PC utilizing a 4.5m DisplayPort cablegram on with a USB2.0 and USB 3.0 connection. We managed to get it moving nicely connected our main gaming desktop, but besides with a DisplayPort Mini adapter connected the MSI GE76 Raider. So it is beauteous flexible and volition enactment connected some gaming laptops and desktops, arsenic agelong arsenic you person capable powerfulness nether the hood. 

What spec PC bash I request to tally a Pimax Vision 8K X?

As anyone knows, moving games astatine 4K requires immoderate superior power. If you've ever tried to crank retired maximum frames-per-second connected a 4K gaming monitor portion moving connected the highest graphics settings, you'll cognize conscionable however taxing that tin be. 

So trying to tally the Pimax Vision 8K X with its dual 4K displays connected a lesser instrumentality volition conscionable effect successful misery. At a glance, the minimum recommended specs for your instrumentality aren't each that taxing. We'd suggest, however, that if you privation to person a genuinely large experience, you're going to privation to guarantee you're moving a higher-spec instrumentality than below:

• GPU: Nvidia RTX 2060 oregon supra (upscale mode) / Nvidia RTX 2080 oregon supra (native mode)
• CPU: lntel Core i5-9400 oregon supra / RAM: 8GB oregon more
• Output: USB2.0/3.0, DP1.2

When connected to your PC, you tin tally Pimax's Pitool software to commencement the setup process. This is besides utilized to update the firmware, setup your gameplay boundaries and, much importantly, tweak the settings for the champion results. 

This is 1 country the Pimax Vision 8K X falls down successful our mind. The bundle is elemental capable to use, but we recovered we had to bash a batch of fiddling to get things moving right. Playing Half-Life Alyx connected this headset, for example, we were struck however pixelated it looked initially. Odd considering conscionable however gorgeous that crippled had looked connected different headsets we'd tested. So we opened up the Pitool and started tweaking settings to set render quality, the tract of presumption and refresh rate. With those settings changed, we were presented with a breath-taking presumption of the Half-Life universe. 

Yes, the Pimax 8K X makes Half-Life Alyx adjacent much impressive, which we didn't deliberation was possible. Head crabs person ne'er looked arsenic intimidating. The wide tract of presumption means you tin spot overmuch much of what's going on, adjacent without turning your head. The precocious pixel density besides means that the presumption is crisp and wide and things similar surface doorway effect are firmly a occupation of the past. 

Then we swapped games and recovered we were having ocular problems again. The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners didn't look close astatine all. Again, tweaking the settings successful Pitool and we got it moving good and looking truly good. Some games were fine, others needed accommodation successful the settings earlier they were decently playable. 

This isn't an contented we've seen with other VR headsets we've tried. Usually, it's a overmuch much plug-and-play experience. But past precise fewer headsets connection this level of fidelity oregon customisation successful presumption of what you're seeing connected the display. This is either frustrating oregon satisfying, depending connected your disposition. If you're technically savvy and don't caput fiddling with bundle past you won't beryllium fazed - but if you'd alternatively conscionable beryllium capable to prime up the headset and play immoderate crippled you privation connected a whim, past it mightiness beryllium much annoying. 

That said though, the acquisition is undoubtedly fantastic erstwhile you get it setup correctly. The size of the lenses means you tin get an unadulterated presumption and beryllium afloat bathed successful your gameplay. The peripheral imaginativeness makes that much convincing and helps adhd to the wide immersion. The speakers are bully and large too, with a bully convincing dependable that draws you in. The padding connected the faceplate and the wide acceptable of the headset besides results successful precise small surrounding airy getting into the headset, meaning immersion that's beyond compare.

Writing by Adrian Willings. Originally published connected 15 September 2021.