Pimax 8KX 2021 Review!
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- Опубліковано 25 лип 2024
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My 2021 review of the Pimax 8KX, a VR headset with a massive FOV! But is it for everybody?
At the time of publishing there is a bundle deal including DMAS headphones, eye tracking, hand tracking and sword controllers available should you want to get involved.
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At the time of publishing there is a bundle deal including DMAS headphones, eye tracking, hand tracking and sword controllers available should you want to get involved :)
Sword controllers?!
Link?
Karl! Are you still going to do videos on the GT Omega Prime accessories? Ordered mine after watching your video about 3 months ago. Loving it ever since. Cheers!
lmfao Karl... "i can get 3 fingers in and not touch the sides" that cracked me up!! I turned 33 today... still have the humour of when i was younger
🤣
Hahahhahahhahhaha
I guess that's what happens when your narrow minded ... lmao
It’s great seeing reviews on this beast. Keep it up.
great review lad, thanks for the straight talkin.
still running a cv1 till i get a good excuse to change. 3 fingers in without touching the sides ,,,, another gem lad keep em coming thanks for your time .
Great review Karl. Agreed, the field of view would be a bonus, but it looks like there are too many compromises with the Pimax HMD to get that field of view, I know for sim racing, I very much enjoy my Index due to it's slightly wider FOV, as compared to other headsets I have used (OG Vive, Rift-CV1, Rift-S, Lenovo Explorer, Samsung Odyssey Plus and now Quest-2). It's a very slight increase in FOV with the Index, but is noticeable and for sim racing, I prefer it over the higher resolution of the Quest-2. Kind of funny, after using the Quest-2, if I use my Index, all I see is SDE until my eyes get use to it again! LOL
Thanks for the great review! You had me at “3 fingers!!” Haha!
I’m really hoping the 12k version is going to be more comfortable and with some of those issues worked out like you mentioned, cheers! :)
I hope so too!
Can always trust your reviews, very honest and spot on the info I was looking for!
I appreciate that!
I think I’m going to try it myself from Amazon so I have the option to return it…Some people love it and say it’s clear with a huge sweet spot. Thanks for the review!
Thats a good shout! :)
Great review mine is on its way so hoping it is comfortable.
I purchased new lenses from pimax for the 8kx and installed them myself, it really helped the lens blur. its still not perfect, but its much much much better than the lenses that came with the unit originally which was early in their manufacture ramp up.
thats a massive looking headset you got there mate
Nice on Karl, you're my favourite sim gear reviewer.
Thanks mate!
Nice review. This at least awnsers my question on what headset not to buy. If only I can now find the one I do want.
Lots of important points there. Thanks for the review!
Glad it was helpful!
Love these videos
Nice Vid! The Thick face foam took away the distortions for me, unlike other headsets where you want your eye as close to the sweet spot as possible this you need a little bit of distance for the image to come together, just something to try if you haven't, cheers!
Did the same for me
This
You are one of the most effective communicators on the Internet.
Very kind mate thanks!
Thank you for a honest review!
My pleasure!
90Hz with that 8KX resolution is amazing in some games that need the extra res bump. I usually use the Small (120FOV, still better than anything else out there) or Normal (140FOV). I think Pimax should have aimed for ~130 max FOV which would have most likely kept away distortion concerns for some people, but maybe they were given sort of investment to go as wide as possible. Who knows?
When adjusted correctly the 8KX clarity for me is better than Quest 2 with no distracting distortion (edges blur but don't distort). Also, color adjustment makes the colors way better than Quest 2. The issue is, the next day sometimes I feel like I need to readjust everything again, including padding thickness (adding extra velcro strips or foam) and the hardware IPD. It becomes a chore. Recently, although I have a ~68IPD I was enjoying the IPD set to the low 60's, and if you actually measure the distance between the center of the lenses at their minimum setting, it's 68mm. Not sure if the canted-ness of it is why, but it's weird and could be the cause of your blurriness, since perhaps you simply can't get your eyes centered perfectly.
Currently using the Index @ 120hz for DiRT Rally 2.0 (3080TI here), but the extra peripheral vision of the 8KX definitely helps sense of speed. Quest 2 is reserved for standalone games, but I'm waiting for a new router + the Link Sharpening feature to give a test. Quest 2 FOV is rough.
Bring on the next gen of HMDs!
I had an 8KX and agree with you 100%! Sold it and kept the G2...I did just buy another 8KX to deduct the cost from the 12k when it comes out lol
I like your optimism with the 12k! lol
@@KarlGosling I know I would buy the 12k anyway when it eventually comes out so might as well buy another 8kX for sim racing and basically have 2 headsets for the price of one, albeit a very expensive $2400…already have a Varjo Aero on preorder so why not 😂
Grabbing shafts. Three fingers. Life must be good Karl :)
Good review and 3 fingers 😁
at 15:07 karl you mention white noise or sparkles in your view, i had the same, its a cable fault and pretty common. agree with your review, its fair, and thats coming from an 8kx owner.
Thanks Cris, they are what they are I guess, some people will like them others won't :)
I've had sparkles from day one with my Pimax 5K plus, they logged in remotely and flashed the bios ASAP and it seemed to fix it for a week. Still have them now, apparently, the number 1 fix is reseating the USB cable/dust but personally, I think it's a load of bollocks and QA issues with the panels. Either way, I've hand a shed load of fun out of my headset so swings and roundabouts. All out res is pointless when the hardware can't support it fully, I think clever workarounds like eye-tracking + dynamic foveated rendering are the way forwards with an FoV around the 140 mark.
Since I have a new PC 3090 System my old Pimax 5k plus is great, 120 Hertz, 140 Fov, Supersampling on Max, it's super fun, picture sharpness good with light SDE
I think so many of us want VR to be awesome viable and comfortable with a reasonable field of view. I keep imagining that one day someone will develop (albeit with optical challenges) a race helmet with integrated VR. I get a sense there’s every opportunity to overcome a lot of challenges with VR, Yea I’m sure it will be costly but what isn’t and if it works, then won’t it be worth it?
The 8kx set up properly and set to large FOV for me feels like a race helmets viewport its great for immersion
Great review, think i will save my cash especially since my g2 is already pushing my 3080 to its limits 😁
Both the G2 and Q2 push my 3080 to it's limit at "native" render resolution, this 8KX had no hope! lol
Hi Karl, that white sparkling effect on Dark Black / greyish areas you are talking about, I had the exact same thing on my regular Samsung 32:9 Monitor. In my case it was caused by some EMI Issues. I have recabled it and made sure it is as far away from any Power Cables and those little white dots / sparkling effects were gone too.
My cable just comes straight out the back of the PC and out towards my room, there's nothing else near it bar maybe a couple of USB cables... But, even if it was EMI the cable should be properly shielded.
@@KarlGosling yea i never actually had these emi issues with HDMI on my chg aswell. But as soon as that displayport cable comes in to play it became an issue. I also bought a different "higher end" cable as somebody suggested but it happened to make no difference at all. Ive just had to cable it up differently as mine was indeed surrounded by other cables, especially power cables and such due to cable mgmt reasons. Im not technical enough to know why exactly but mayve DP cables are prone or easier affected by EMI than HDMI
Karl , I couldn't agree more with you. You literally took the words right out of my mouth with the review of the Pimax 8KX. Seriously . I also Own a Quest 2 and Reverb G2 with the G2 being the absolute sharpest . My PC is a high end Intel / RTX 3090 and can run native resolution but even at that , the clarity is a deal breaker for me.
Yeah it's just the lenses I think mate, nothing you can do about that with software tweaks or more powerful GPU's.
@karl Gosling did you ever test the xtal 5K ? ... sweviver praised it a year two back. It has ok resolution but it would have oleds. I just can´t stand the lcd blacks and poor contrast.
4:42 - I can’t wait to rewatch this video in 20 years with my VR contact lens.
Thanks for the review, well done. I don't know if you follow VR flight sim guys channel, but he recently tested out the 8KX on his system, 3090 (a beast) in MSFS. Seems he ran it at 75hz in his video. He kept commenting on how clear it was and how massive the sweet spot was. It's obviously not a headset anyone with anything less than a 3090 should bother getting right now. I also have a 3080 and I'm just waiting for a gen or two for processors to catch up and by then hopefully we'll have the next gen of large FOV headsets as well. I can't wait, I need that large FOV in my life. Until then I'm happy with my G2
Unfortunately a more powerful GPU will not change the overall clarity or sweet spot, thats down to the lenses... I ran everything maxed out for testing and put up with a low frame.
@@KarlGosling clarity and sweetspot are clearly such a subjective thing. That`s why I`m waiting for the next gen or two of new headsets and GPUs, CPUs etc. So there`s no debate over whether things are better for one person and a bit crap for another, it will be SO much better for everyone, no confusion anymore
Great video! Totally agree with you on all points raised. I have the Pimax 8KX, the G2 and Q2, running with a 3090. The Pimax is just “meh”. I actually think the build quality looks and feels cheap, like a demo headset. FOV is decent, but as like you’ve mentioned it I’ve tweaked it so much but it’s still not close to the sharpness of the G2 or even the Q2!
Put on my G2 and instantly was back in the land of beautiful clarity. I’m huge on visuals, games like HL:A and LE 1&2…Pimax isnt great with those, colours don’t pop.
The closest I got to getting it look like the G2 was reducing the FOV down! Which defeats the purpose of that clunky headset!
Honestly got my wow with visuals in the Q2 and G2. It’s all personal, I cannot stand using base stations it feels archaic when you have the freedom of inside out tracking!
I’m a sucker for new tech, but I’m gonna have to wait for next wave of HMDs
Yeah this is my exact thought too mate, plus for me wireless is now a must!
I think the sparkling is from the cable because when I bought mine I also bought the 6m fiberoptic cable and I don't get that sparkling with that one but I do with the cable that's included.
Yeah could be mate.
Wow thanks for sharing! must be something wrong with the lenses alignment for the Quest 2 to be sharper 🤔
Pimax should be swapping this out for you and looking into what’s going on here ☝️
It's a very common problem if you watch other reviews both here on UA-cam and elsewhere online.
Great review Karl! I also end up feeling sick playing racing games in VR, and had been hoping that when PCs and headsets run games at a natively high frame rate (like 120fps, with NO artificial frame insertion tricks which end up looking like motion blur) that this would disappear. So when you say you feel sick, I'm really curious to know if that's happening under those conditions (native high refresh rates), as you probably have the equipment capable of outputting that? (Or are the headsets you normally use limited to say, 90 fps or lower?). I don't have a powerful PC to test this, and have just been hoping that next-gen PS5 VR will be able to sort this problem out. But if people still feel sick at those high refresh rates, then I'm guessing there may not be much hope for us lot? 😕 That's what I'm keen to get a bit more insight into, especially as next-gen VR is around the corner.
Read all comments so far. I find the comments interesting about all aspects of IPD (and clarity of image). From what I gather, I’d really have it rough with Pimax as my IPD is 59.5 (asked eye doctor last visit). I think my second VR headset will be the G2 based on what’s been said. Thanks Karl and everyone. Gotta love the sim racing community. God bless.
Yeah thats quite a narrow IPD for sure.
Actual measured minimum 8KX ipd is 68mm. Anyone under 65mm will never get a clear image. I'm 62mm and it's only just acceptable, but the focus is not as crisp as my G2. 59.5mm ipd will not be a nice experience unfortunately.
still think the g2 is awesome, especially how cheap it compared to other systems
Any way to get rid of the fishbowl effect on the large fov on the 8kx?, no fishbowl effect on the small fov setting though, the small fov setting on this headset is comparable to the fov on the Index
No mate, it's the lenses.
is there supposed to be a yellowish light in the display when you move your head with wearing this headset? there is a little yellowish light or spot to the right, but disappears as you turn your head, wondering if this is normal with the lenses for this headset? it's not terribly distracting but is it just a effect with the lenses?
No mate there should not be.
Sensational review, Karl. I have a PS5, but assuming this is PC kit.
Could you review console VR again at some stage, or update old ones?
I have PS5 VR headset, and it is ultra comfortable, but yeah, light leak problems - fixable w a bit of fiddling
I'd love to get a PC rig, but scared of constant upgrades required. Maybe u cld do a video about the pros and cons of PC vs Console. You are always VERY fair the best out there.
I don't have any modern consoles mate sorry.
@@KarlGosling No worries I like ur videos anyway. Bought a NLR GT Lite rig (I'm in Australia = no postage!) on the basis of your review. Two, actually :-)
Keep them coming
Any new VR headset that touts high POV or resolution will depend on a powerful GPU. Even the current ones running 2k per eye struggle unless you're running an app that is highly optimized for rendering or doesn't require high detail. I just wish more headsets would go with a comfortable halo strap design with the headset just hanging in front of your eyes like PSVR.
Agreed mate they sure do, upping the res is great but not if nobody can use it!
Appreciate the review.
Biggest takeaway is that you should try these headsets for yourself as VR headsets performance really come down individual experience.
My personal experience. 8kx I can run most games with 3080/3700x at native and 90hz . Nit Sim racing games though? Usually have to lowered the ss. That said because the native resolution being so high I'd that you can lower it pretty low and still get great clarity.
Quest 2 is not close to being as sharp as the g2 or the 8kx. The g2 imo is maybe 5% sharper than the g2. The colors are comparable on the 8kx when you use pitool to adjust.
8kx is the best headset on the market absolutely not blurry in the slightest. Again, personal experience...eyeshape,headset,etc.
that has been my experience. I have both G2 and 8k X and I find the 8k X just as sharp. I only run at Normal FOV so 150 degrees. I never use the G2
how do you run it at 90hz?
@@gramsci1094 You download the updated Pimax software and select what Hz you want to run the headset at between 60/72/90. Pretty straight forward.
@@sonsolar I have latest software updated and it's just 60/72 Hz I thought they took away the 90hz mode ?
@@gramsci1094 OK. Do you have an AMD graphics card or Nvidia?
I am planning on building my first sim racing rig and would like to avoid triple screen because of its price. I got a PC with a 3090, so would you recommend me the pimax 8kx or the Reverb G2? I can spend $2000 max for the headset or triple screen.
G2.
Massive field of view must be amazing, I'm sure. That said, once I'm immersed in a game I'm not sure the FOV of my G2 has ever taken me out of the moment. But subpar clarity will do it every time.
Same, I'd much prefer clarity but equally...I've never had a super wide fov so I don't know what I'm missing.
I got a high refresh rate ultrawide monitor this year. My old monitor never took me out of the game. But now I can't go back. Maybe it's the same with this.
The FOV is crazy, such a difficult trade off with clarity though.
The thing about the field of view , is that you don't realize what you were missing until you experience it. So it's hard for you to say how much immersion you are missing without having experienced it.
I legit don't have lens distortion. People either see it or they don't it really is down to heap and eye shape. Go to open Mr forums and see this is the case. Additionally the g2 is slightly sharper the quest 2 absolutely is not. Again it down to the personal eye shape? I'd etc etc. I'd essentially take all these reviews with a grain of salt and try for yourself.
@@sonsolar If they're having to distort the image more than other headsets to accommodate the higher fov, the same distortion that appears must be corrected by the lenses. If not corrected by the lenses, how would some eyes be able to remove the distortion caused by the reshaped image?
Is any chance use heatset on amd card?
Mate, I owned the 8KX for awhile now since I am one of the backers and I agreed with some of your points. The blurriness that you experience even at the center may have to do with the IPD adjustment. The problem is the hardware only allow something like minimum of 60mm or 65mm? So if you have a lower IPD such as 55mm, you're basically screwed and they try to resolve this through software but people are still not happy. Even to this date, they still have YET to release the IPD wizard feature on the software that they hope may help resolve that problem but we haven't heard any update for half a year now and people are not happy. Mate I think you have a small IPD judging by the closeness of your eyes to each other. I have a lower IPD as well, it's probably like 55mm but I used the fpsVR app through SteamVR and set the IPD to -8 or -8.5 and it helps. The problem with Pimax 8KX is that 60mm is actually 65mm. Also, you can change the value of the graphics settings by going to a certain folder. For example, I can make Automobilista 2 or Project Cars 2 look EXTREMELY sharp if I want to...just increase to a higher value. But if you mean the game graphics isn't sharp due to double vision or cross vision and it is IPD related, then it is hardware related and my suggestion above may help a bit. That's the thing that really bother me about the headset, the IPD can't go any lower than 60mm. However, I have adjust the hell out of it and it hasn't bother me as it used to...I feel good wearing it and play racing games.
I agreed that the headset is a bit heavy front but I managed to buy two things (sort of like a dumbbell with weight of 2lbs or so each and had them attach to the back of my headstrap so that the weight is now distributing evenly. Agreed that it moved flimsy from left and right if you move your head left and right but in racing game, it's perfectly fine since we don't move our head as much (at least not abruptly). The sound quality, we still waiting for the DMAS (they're still testing it). I have graphics card RTX 3090 Ultra and it was not a problem playing games in native 4K (yeah, I agreed that the headset is graphically demanded). Overall, this is the headset to go for sim until something better come along and it better have WIDE FIELD OF VIEW. It changes everything in sim racing VR for sure.
Thanks for your input mate, sadly my IPD is 65mm so not small at all.
For me the lenses just do not look sharp compared to say a G2 or Q2, it's not the game graphics (I tested everything maxed out) it's just the lenses.
Pimax sell counter weights but I wouldn't want to add weight to an already bulky headset, but that's just me of course.
It's the headset to go for if you don't mind the distortion and you have very powerful PC IMO.
been doing some research ,it seems there is a option in pitool for lower refresh rates like 64hz in upscale mode ? your saying there is not ?
No, 75hz or 114hz or if you use a beta firmware 90hz can be made available.
Sad part has been the very slow development on the vr front in basically all phases, from the quality and resolution of the image, the FOV, the amount and level of the hardware required to actually run the better options and the lack of games and or the optimization within the games to help lessen the strain on the hardware end.
I have wanted to jump in this for at least the last four or five years and do research when any new headsets emerge or PC hardware comes out with new CPU's and Gpu series along with any vr reviews of any new game I may be interested in playing.
I came really close to buying a G2 when I built my current system that is utilizing a 3080 video card but the game I want to play the most seems to be one of the hardest in that genre and even still stresses out up to 3090 cards.
So again I wait maybe the 40 series cards and the new Alder Lake chips will be the secret sauce but I am one of the old guys and if they do not hurry up I will age out of this sooner rather than later.
Cost to jump in also matters as not only are we talking about the headset but the hardware in the PC tower to run it is pretty much not going to be mid range for the best resolutions or FPS either!
Pimax sounds like a great headset. I just just wish they could be battery powered and wireless capable like the quest 2. The resolution and FOV are definitely the selling points of this device.
Well, this aged well, considering the 12K QLED has a standalone mode (even if it does cut the resolution down to 4K per eye instead of 6K).
Another great review Karl - agree completely - been there with a pimax and certainly wouldn't go back to it - Quest2 all the way in Flight. Thanks as ever.
Another good review. One question for anyone who might know.
Which do you think would be better a 3080 or a 6800xt for VR with the G2 head set?
Thanks for any replies.
Whichever you can get. Good luck trying to get either one though
3080. AMD and VR is wierd.
@@elProvos Thanks.
I am having a nightmare with PIMAX right now. I ordered the 8KX on June 6th. It was delivered broken (right display didn't work). I returned it on 28th July. I am still waiting for the replacement headset over 2 months later (4 months since I ordered it). To say I'm not happy is an understatement!!!
This sounds so typical of what I've heard all over the internet, not a good experience at all! :(
That's why I buy from Amazon, because the one thing they are the best in the business at, is customer service, no questions asked, if you are unhappy no problems getting a refund. Mind you I wouldn't like to work for them LOL.
Will you be trying the new and improved G2?
No mate, it's not new and improved enough for me.
When did you get your 3080 mate? It will certainly come in handy for the new toys that you got the other day.
About a month ago, manged to get one for £980 so still higher than RRP but a bit more "affordable" than what they have been! lol
@@KarlGosling nice, at current prices that was a bargain.
Interesting, agree mostly but I certainly do not really notice any distortion in use. I'm not saying it's not there, I just don't perceive it in sims. I've never even thought about it really. Audio is good I just wish the ear cups clipped out like the Vive to get on easier. Sweet spot I find bigger than all other headsets. I find it very comfy, but can see light bleed when not in darkness. This headset is really only for simming, it really is too heavy and all for any fast paced games.
I have had most headsets and this is the best I have used. The biggest issue I have is the sweet spot is not in the middle. I have an IPD of about 63, but even at its lowest of about 60, the true sharpest point is still just wide of looking ahead. This has led some people to even opening it up and filing plastic down to get the lenses closer. That said, I still find this has the best all round clarity edge to edge and no glare really.
Colours look good to me. Using Pimax Experience is a must, great bit of software, forget the Pitool software, just use Pimax Experience. I use brightness -1, contrast R+1 G+1 B-1 (the blue -1 made a big difference).
I love my 8kx, but like you say, it feels a bit like a prototype. I look forward to what Pimax do in the future. It needs to be more high end in feel (no loose cables etc), accurate IPD, and a less flimsy headband with its hinges and all.
Just to reiterate, despite what I say above, I personally do not have a blurry image as you say in your summary. Perhaps your headset was even worse with regard to lens position or you have a smaller IPD. I would guess my headset needs the user to have an IPD of about 67 while it's still set at its lowest of 60. It's stupid and a huge flaw, but even still, my image isn't "blurry".
I'm thinking there maybe an issue with QC and some are just better then others? 3 Of us tested this and all find it blurry regardless of face shape, IPD etc.
I think for sim use my choice would be G2, for anything else Q2 as it's wireless.
I've also had most other headsets bar the Valve Index.
So what you got is the over ears speakers or do you have to use the caps and its basically just headphones. Im unboxing mine now and noticed I have extra set of speaker drivers wich suggests maybe one is for kdmas and one for dmas?
i got mine 2 weeks ago, i noticed the xtra drivers. i think kdmas is installed by default and the extra speakers are dmas. even tho dmas is a supposed upgrade, i'm happy with the kdmas, gonna leave them on.
@@Tyke18 no it’s just the old ones that were there from before I think!
@@Tyke18 like before kdmas and dmas!
@@leonardcheri2118 ah ok, the "smas", i understand, ty
Not tried the Pimax8KX but I do own a Quest 2 and Reverb G2, and I did buy the Vive Pro 2, that sounds like it has some of the same issues to the Pimax related to distortion. In that headset's case it's not due to the FOV but the lack of stereo overlap that means the lenses are on the verge of separating into two. Looking left and right with my eyes in the Vive Pro 2 caused me to be able to see both lenses, which made the headset look broken.
I actually genuinely felt the Quest 2 was a much better visual experience than the Vive Pro 2. The lenses are fantastic, you can look around with your eyes as you say, and I could actually read text better in the Quest 2 at 5408 x 2736 than I could with the Vive Pro 2, probably because of the glare, godrays and slightly double image. Quest 2 is really impossible to beat for value versus performance. I love the G2 for Microsoft Flight Simulator but use the Quest 2 for pretty much everything that requires me to stand up.
I've not tried a Vive Pro 2 but heard the same thing all over the internet.
Also agree with you about the Q2 and G2 mate, spot on.
I recently bought this (upgraded from g2) and I am so disappointed, the god rays for me are so awful that they just distract me way too much, do you think my unit could be defective?
From what I read around the internet and my own experience most are defective in one way or another! lol
It's a downgrade from a G2 bar the FOV.
@@KarlGosling can't belive i dropped 900 quid on this plus 180 for importing, literally the worst purchase i've ever made.
I think you have blurryness and sparkling due to a bandwidth issue with the cable. Most people report an impressive and crystal clear image with this headset. Also if the image appear washed out then something is not right.
Yeah could be, QC from what I've read isn't great.
But it couldn't be crystal clear all over regardless, the nature of the lenses and FOV prevent this.
You have the most accurate review of this headset on here, the other UA-cam reviewers are rather dishonest about this headset, all they do is boast about how good this headset is, when this headset has nothing but problems, it's too blurry, the software is too unstable and doesn't work right with anything, the audio on the dmas is complete garbage, this headset doesn't work good with games at all, Steam vr games are always crashing with Pitool, the display on this headset is always failing and going out, the light bleed coming into this headset is bad, this headset is just full of problems that never ends, this is the most unstable headset that I have ever used, the other youtube reviewers still insist that it is a good headset nonetheless, I think Pimax has paid them to say good things about this headset, that just shows that they not honest at all, however your review and Matteo 311 are the only honest reviews on here, Paradise Decay is alright too, he didn't go to in depth with this headset, I don't think he cared for it too much either after watching his review, I thought this headset was a piece of junk all around, I'm glad I returned this headset back to Amazon, I'll never look at another Pimax product again after trying this headset, thanks for your review on this headset, you were definitely spot on with this headset
Feels like a beta test product to me is the best way to describe it I think, nice idea but full of problems.
@@KarlGosling yes, you are definitely right about that, a cheap unfinished demo headset that wasn't full tested, sold as a product to consumers for a expensive price, that's the impression that I got from trying it, the blurriness, the flickering and the flashing white static on the display of the headset, the bad audio from the dmas speakers and the unstable software was too much for me, the developers are a joke, obviously quality is not their top priority, scam artists is what this company is for sure, I advise anyone not to buy anything from Pimax, all they do is rip people off with their junk products, I'll probably get some heat from other people on here for these comments about Pimax, but whatever, I really don't care, this company sucks
Hardware acceleration on or off for VR? I cant find a good answer. Pimax 8kx.
If you mean GPU on or off, definitely on?! lol
@@KarlGosling In windows graphics settings, "Hardware accelerated GPU scheduling". I search for answers but find very few. I thought you might know.
Don't you get a lot of framedrops with your 3080? I bought this GPU and VR is still almost unplayable, especially DR2. When I move my head, and with my motion there is always some movement, it looks like
No mate, buttery smooth at a sensible render resolution and refresh rate... obviously with this headset at it's native res there's loads of frame drops but the RR is ridiculously high so it's expected! lol
@@KarlGosling My problems are not related to framerates and sometimes everything is smooth and after a restart it's stuttering af, even with 90 fps. People with the same issues even tried a fresh Windows-install and it wasn't fixing it, so I'm not optimistic in finding the bug.
@@Leynad778 i had similar issues with mine but only in steam vr games, i unistalled steam and did a fresh install of my Nvidia Drivers & steam and its a lot better i can run most games smooth at about 85/95 % in steam. I also brough a powed usd hub which made a difference to the washed out color i was having. Im running it with an i7 11700f which isnt meant to have any usb issues but mine only works in one port. I must admit though im not overwhelmed with my 3080. Occasionally get blue screen flahes still though,🤯
Far as I'm concerned this is the first VR headset that's even worth considering. I bought the Vive a few years ago and I wasn't impressed. I could tell VR still had a long way to go at that point, and I couldn't see what all the hype was about. Just little kids getting all excited I guess, like they always do. But this... this FOV... yeah that'll do. That'll do for sure. It will look so much more real, and so much more immersive that it'll actually be worth owning, unlike all the rest like the rift and the vive and whatnot. This one actually starts to approach what real vr should be.
Honestly mate it's not good or at all realistic, you feel like you're in a fish bowl!
@@KarlGosling I'm willing to accept that for the first iteration. Now the 12k version, which one could think of as version 2.0, isn't like that according to the reviews I've seen. The way pimax does things is the right way, because a huge FOV creates the immersion. And if you can't create immersion you probably shouldn't be in VR. That's the only reason it exists, to be more immersive than sitting in front of a screen. Far as I'm concerned all the rest have failed in that, with their little box that you look through in order to see the world. Pimax is the only one doing things right, even if they only recently made a good one with the 12k model. Unless there's some other company doing a full FOV that I'm not aware of...been awhile since I've followed that industry closely.
Completely shocked your getting a blurry image ??, I only play iRacing though and can run 1.25 render. Honestly no fish bowl affect in iRacing or Steam home either, but bizarrely it’s there in the PiMax VR UI. Seems to be huge unit variation.
Yeah looking around the internet some say it's blurry others (far less) don't, I'm thinking a QC issue, also the same with the sparkling white noise artifacts.
the best and most credible that has been reported about this headset. it's beta hardware, so please don't waste any more of your valuable time with this unlucky company. Thanks for this great review.
I’m not going to argue, it shouldn’t be a lottery if you get a good unit or not. I also had to retro fit some cushions to make it comfortable. Just coming from a Valve Index I thought the image was Super Crisp! Way better than quest 2. I uploaded some through the lense footage a couple of months ago. Would be interested to see how that compares to your experience.
Lots of qc issues with this headset. Some say great sharpness others opposite and hard to get focus with both eyes. sad really I would love more fov.
I would say you need to spend more time in pimax software or maybe your computer specs are not quite good enough. I have the Pimax 8kx and it looks like I'm getting an entirely different experience to you the Worpping you talk about is not as extreme not even close and the clarity is excellent. The colours were a bit off so had to put a bit of effort into Pi tools to get them right once that was sorted all was good. I have a 3080 oc to 2100 MHz and run native just fine.
I have a 3080 an and a 5800X so the PC is plenty powerful enough, it's the headset mate, I'm guessing a QC issue as the 5K Super I have here is so much sharper (albeit lower res), still plenty of warping though but thats a side effect of the lenses to achieve a high FOV and can't be helped.
Running native and using reprojections doesn't really count as a lot of us can't do that and get motion sick.
it seem like lenses are poorly made and i feel like im wearing someone's prescription lense wearing Pimax 5k Plus. No other youtubers mention this but you are the only youtuber telling the truth. i remember back in 2017, Pimax siad they are going to print another new lense but they cancelled and i knew why they were trying to do it because of poor made lense.
Yeah I've heard some interesting stories since this review went up.
Good review.. but unfortunately it seems that the Pimax headsets really are a try before you but kind of headset. Everyone is different I guess.
For me the experience and visual blurriness occured on the g2 I had to return it that sweet spot was way to small.
The 8KX is the largest and sharpest hmd i have used. Maybe the G2 was a little sharper in the tiny center area.
I run my 8KX on my 2080Ti and i7 4590(7yr old cpu) i play HL alyx at native and asgards wrath and everything else just fine at the largest FOV setting. (Occasionaly Project Cars 3 for example runs a bit poorly)
You certainly do not NEED a 3090 to run it.
Even if i put the Pimax or the normal or small fov setting even the smallest is larger than any headset on the market so not as pointless as some seem to think.
Definitely a try before you buy HMD, I think from reading around the QC isn't the best and some headsets are just not as they should be (mine could be one of those?), we'll see how the 5K Super is when I spend some time with that over the next few weeks too :)
Sorry I mean you need a 3090 if you want to run native res, 100% RR, full FOV at 75fps, some of us can't play using reprojections and a 50% frame rate or handle massive frame drops without getting horribly ill! lol
I have owned a quest 2 and now own a G2. The jump in price from the quest 2 to the G2 felt justified given the jump in clarity. But at more than double the cost of a G2, what does this bring other than field of view?
Edit: you answered the question at the end lol
Yeah it brings nothing, in fact it lacks controllers and tracking! lol
They should step away from these headset like straps and make it you wear it as something like a bicyle helmet so its more comfy with the weight and spread more even.
The two things I would take from this review is that the 8kx isn't a "consumer" Headset, it's an "Enthusiast" one, and the QC is still hit and miss which is inexcusable really, but that said, take the time to tinker it to suit you and it's a better VR experience IMO than ANYTHING on the market.
Definitely and enthusiast headset but the only thing this has over any other VR experience is FOV, everything else is equal or far worse.
imagine that with microsoft flight sim 2020
It's unplayable mate, frame rate is too low or you turn the RR down and it's looks like a PS1 game! :(
@@KarlGosling maybe in another 10 years then haha
sure would be amazing to have that running at smooth 144fps+
Quest 2 at native resolution is already really close to real life tbh, it's insanely sharp.
I agree Quest 2 has improved so much in the last two updates. The image is sharper and much better at 120hz.
600 max that should be
wow
Three fingers in is just too loose 😂
It is! lol
The interference shouldn't be there it sounds like your 8KX has either has a defective cable or needs reseating it would explain the clarity issue that isn't there for me, you could try reseating the cable at the hmd its hard to pull out but should click when you push it back in, as it stands you have reviewed a faulty product
-To improve the comfort a bit, lengthen the top strap so the back foam sits above the top of your neck. It lifts a lot of weight off your nose and apparently makes it much more comfortable.-
Edit: Holy shit, where do I start? Just got my pimax today and the comfort is absolutely atrocious. I see what karl means now... bloody hell. this is the most absurdly uncomfortable VR headset I've ever worn by a long shot.
Stock, pimax is ridiculously uncomfortable and virtually unusable. I think pimax did the typical thing of making it fit a chinese head and telling everyone else bad fit is not their problem.
However, if you have the time and ability it can be made to fit perfectly and be quite comfortable.
First get the perforated pleather padding on aliexpress.
Then get 100mm wide adhesive backed hook and loop tape, also on aliexpress.
Stick the adhesive side of the hook and loop tape together and cut it to shape to add layers under the face plate foam in areas that need to be spaced out. I had to add 5 double layers (about 20mm) extra padding on the cheek bone area to take weight off my nose and 4 double layers (about 15mm) on each side around the temples to stop light leek and lateral shake.
I also 3D printed my own custom designed head strap hinges that allow the back of the head strap padding to sit lower and properly cradle the back of my head, rather than be awkwardly perched high on the back of my head.
@@Sergeant898 Thanks for the advice, I'll give that a shot. Have you been able to correct the warping and blurriness though? The overlap is extremely warped and the edges aren't perfect no matter what I do. There is also a fishbowl effect across teh entire FOV
@@willwastaken On max FOV setting there will always be some distortion on the outside edges if you look for it. I almost only use normal FOV exclusively as I personally don't think the advantages of max FOV outweigh the disadvantages. I don't have any problems with fishbowl effect. My only advice there is spend a lot of time fine tuning the distance of your eyes from the lens. Too close and it will be blurry and might make you cross eyed, too far and edge distortion gets quite bad. It will take a while, but experiment with layers of hook and loop strip and you will eventually end up with a perfect custom fit.
Also, measure the distance from the inside of the head strap where the speakers attach, to the side of your head (assuming you have the same head strap as in this video). Replace the existing 3mm thick pad with whatever the gap is. I made 35mm pads per side and they essentially eliminate all wobble and shake.
Don't worry, mine was TERRIBLE at the beginning, but my mods and adjustments have made it fit like it was made for me.
@@Sergeant898 That gives me a lot more hope, thanks man. I don't feel quite as much buyer's remorse now. Fingers crossed 🤞🏻
@@Sergeant898 So I've decided to just get rid of it. I can't get it to feel right and the eye strain is abominable. I appreciate your advice, but none of it worked for me sadly.
It's disappointing that you didn't have a good experience with the headset
Bud I like most of your reviews but you definitely prob have a slight defect headset, I don't get any blurriness, I have a i7 9700 and 2080 super and games play very well, im in native 75hz Half life is great, Onward, project cars, I got like 60 games, the only issue at times is if parallel is needed or not and that steam likes to crash at times more than when using the quest2 with Vr desktop, it's a shame your getting what your getting because yes there is tweaking and getting the right drivers etc. Like for me Im using Pi tool 2020.3.24 the pimax experience is .80 , render quality 1.25 contrast +1 and brightness -2 also just getting the resolution set in steam takes some messing around with, you go to high and it does studder, but i'm sure you've read up on everything specially the steamVr max res etc. It's to bad man, because blurriness , that's not happening with my headset, the quest 2 which I have and I like to go back and forth as my son and I did playing Half life to see if wireless was a better feel and it's nice to be free of the wire but that FOV and sharpness is not comparable. For a slip on and play, Pimax is not for the average VR dude. Ltr man keep up the vlogs!!
And this is one of the problems with Pimax, quality control! lol The 5KS I then reviewed was much clearer in the center and not blurry at all! It was still like being in a fish bowl because of the lenses used to give that massive FOV but there's no way around it.
Actually they are saying the upcoming Reality 12k no longer has this fish bowl effect and it's been solved so we'll see! :)
the 8KX is just too expensive, and I heard Pimax wasn't that great of a brand with their previous vr headsets, and I heard it's a hassle to set up to work properly with vr games, not worth it to me for something that just cost too much and will require alot of work to setup, constantly changing settings in vr games is not for me, that's why I prefer the other brands for vr headsets that are more consumer friendly, much easier to setup and better compatible for vr games
I'm still trying to figure out how to get the G2 to work properly
3090 for potato FOV, dude your computer is a Lemon. I can Run the 8kX with 2080ti perfectly. I have runa on with my rtx 5000 mobile. RTX 3080TI all on max FOV or normal You must be doing something wrong, I do agree that the image is nat that sharp on center and the colors suck
I think you must be confused mate.
@@KarlGosling I am quite an expert on the VR market and happen to own pretty much every headset except the Varjo which I will in the coming months. But you are welcome to elaborate
LOL. This headset is designed by Chinese people, it's why people in western countries are experiencing the nose clearance problem. It's funny, but it's true XD
looks like crappy quality for an expensive vr headset, everyone online says Pimax vr headsets are poor quality, and you have to pay alot more for the headset to have the earphones, and alot of Steam vr games will not work with this headset, too many cons with this headset and way too expensive
Agreed.
Karl just dumped in Pimax cheerios. Honesty though.
lol 3 fingers
you need a 3090 to run at native res???? lol that's total BS or you just don't know how to set it up
Yes mate it's total BS and I have no clue :)
@@KarlGosling No seriously it takes some time to get it right, set pitool to 1.5, no PP, large FOV, and steam SS to 35-50% depending on the track and the image should be pin sharp I run iracing on a 1080ti @75hz large FOV 30% SS solid FPS with med settings I've read plenty of other 8kx owners getting simular results so yea your off hand response tells maybe you don't know, its faulty or theres some underlying bias?
spend the time get it right its worth it, get the cable replaced, pack the foam out to suit your face too lift it off your nose this can also remove most of warping for some and then forget the other HMDS I've have owned most of them starting with the DK2 in 2014 then OG Vive Pro Vive Rift CV1 Quest 2 PSVR samsung odyssey 1 and the valve index they all feel like putting blinkers on could never go back myself, Ive also owned the Pimax 5k+ Pimax 5k XR oled so not new to this, no offense was meant but I couldn't just let IMO misinformation just go out there m8. oh nearly forgot set the backlight to 91/100 and contrast +2 brightness -2 on all channels.
I do concede it gets harder with Parallel Projection on but I've even got ACC running okay with some tinkering with settings
@@KarlGosling Also one more thing I would recommend is the Vive deluxe audio strap or DAS as an upgrade to the comfort its night and day compared to the pimax one which is I agree pretty bad and allows the HMD to rock left and right.