At CES 2023 Pimax was exhibiting off its newest high-resolution headset, the Pimax Crystal, which makes use of new lenses and new shows for what the corporate says is its clearest wanting picture but. And whereas it’s undoubtedly an enchancment in lots of areas over the corporate’s headsets, there’s a key flaw that I hope the Pimax will be capable to tackle.
Pimax Crystal employs new lenses and guarantees to be rid of glare and god rays that have been obvious in prior Pimax headsets (and lots of others) which used Fresnel lenses. That, together with high-resolution shows, purported HDR functionality, swappable lenses (to commerce field-of-view for pixel density), and as much as a 160Hz refresh price. For a full breakdown of the headset’s spec, see our announcement article.
At CES 2023 I obtained to see the headset myself for the primary time. Though the headset is technically able to operating in standalone mode, I noticed it operating as a PC VR headset with SteamVR Monitoring.
Naturally, the demo I used to be proven was operating Half-Life: Alyx—arguably VR’s finest wanting recreation—to indicate off the element the headset can reproduce with its 2,880 × 2,880 (8.3MP) per-eye shows. From the short hands-on I obtained with Pimax Crystal, I might see this was a giant step up in readability over the corporate’s prior headsets, particularly almost about edge-to-edge readability. The visible fundamentals have been stable too by way of pupil swim, geometric distortion, and chromatic aberration. There was just a little mura seen on this headset however nothing egregious so far as I might inform.
However there was one factor that instantly stood out to my eyes which in any other case foils a very good wanting picture: blur throughout head motion. Whereas the static picture seen by way of the headset appears fairly sharp, as quickly as you begin transferring your head to look world wide you’ll see a variety of blur—that’s an issue for VR contemplating that your head is very ceaselessly in movement.
My finest guess is that is being attributable to persistence blur; a show artifact that’s principally solved on different headsets and is thus not often seen anymore. Persistence blurring is is attributable to the show staying lit for too lengthy, such that as you flip your head the pixels stay lit even whereas their place turns into inaccurate (as a result of they’re ‘frozen’ in place every body, till the following body comes alongside and updates the place to account in your head motion). Most headsets make use of a type of ‘low-persistence’ which counteracts this situation by illuminating the show for less than a fraction of the time between frames, such that as you progress your head the pixels aren’t ‘frozen’ in place, however are literally unlit, leaving your mind to fill within the gaps with out seeing the pixels blur between frames.
The quantity of blur I noticed by way of Pimax Crystal I might say notably compromises what’s in any other case an impressively clear picture, although there’s an opportunity that Pimax might repair this situation, relying upon precisely what’s inflicting it.
For one, it’s doable that the headsets being proven at CES 2023 have been nonetheless not absolutely tuned and that low-persistence hasn’t been correctly tuned (or possibly isn’t even enabled but). In that case it could be a matter of ultimate tweaks earlier than they get the proper show habits which might scale back persistence blur.
One other issue may very well be the headset’s ‘HDR’ functionality. Whereas I don’t consider Pimax has shared any info on peak brightness, it’s doable that the show can’t do each low-persistence and HDR brightness on the identical time (certainly it is a problem as a result of HDR wants excessive brightness whereas low-persistence wants pixels to be illuminated just for a minimal period of time).
Curiously, I additionally seen what seemed to be persistence blurring on pre-release variations of PSVR 2… which additionally purports to have an HDR show. For each PSVR 2 and Pimax Crystal, I’m hoping we’ll see enhancements by the point the completed headsets are headed to prospects.
And nonetheless there’s different prospects—this won’t be persistence blur in any respect, however merely gradual pixel switching time inflicting some type of ghosting, which may very well be an inherent limitation of the show or possibly one thing that may very well be tweaked.
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Finally I’m fairly impressed with the readability and extensive field-of-view of the Pimax Crystal, however the blur I’ve seen throughout head motion compromises the picture in my e book. My intestine says that is in all probability a persistence blurring situation, although it may very well be one thing else. We’ll have to attend to see what Pimax says about this and in the event that they’re capable of make enhancements by the point Crystal ships.
Talking about Crystal delivery; the headset was initially deliberate for launch in Q3 of 2022, however that date has slipped. Though the corporate hosted a ‘Pimax Crystal Launch Occasion‘ again in November, at CES 2023 Pimax stated the primary headsets will begin being delivered on the finish of this month, although the corporate additionally signifies that it received’t attain full manufacturing capability till the center of the 12 months. Even when the primary items do begin delivery, key equipment and options, just like the headset’s standalone mode—which makes up about half of its worth proposition—aren’t anticipated to be obtainable till unspecified factors sooner or later.