A high-end PCVR headset that keeps its pricing reasonable
The Pimax Crystal Light ditches the ( fairly useless ) standalone mode of its full - fat sib , instead focusing on delivering an olympian tethered personal computer VR experience . If you want stunning visuals at a reasonable terms and do n’t mind a bite of bulk , this is the headset for you .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
Back in 2024 , I tested out thePimax Crystal , and while it delivered the most telling image tone of any VR headset to escort , its design get a lot of frustration . Now , the stigma is back with a simplified , more low-priced , adaptation called the Pimax Crystal Light .
It ’s not just the Mary Leontyne Price that appeal here , though . The Crystal Light strips by a mass of the complexity that arrive with the original design , and I suspect that ’ll make it easier to survive with .
The original Crystal headset was just trying to do too much . It ’s a big , bulky headset that ’s primarily design to deliver stunning PCVR visuals . But for some understanding , Pimax make up one’s mind to give it full standalone functionality , so it could also influence like the Meta Quest headset .
This made it sound , expensive , and introduced a frustrative electric battery organization that required you to trade batteries even while using the headset tether to a PC . It might have been worthwhile if the standalone mode was proficient , but regrettably , it ’s not really worth using .
With the Crystal Light , all of that complexness is removed . It ’s now just ahigh - remainder VR headsetfor use with a PC . As a result , it ’s trashy , lighter and easier to use . On paper , it seems like this is the product Pimax should have made in the first piazza . I want to line up out if it live up to these expectation , and after playing with it for the last few weeks , here ’s what I recover .
Design and fit
The Pimax Crystal Light looks a lot like the regular Pimax Crystal , and it ’s just as gigantic , but if you search closely , there are a few difference to be observe . Firstly , there ’s no battery on this model , as it ’s only designed to work as a tethered headset . So the region at the back of the headstrap is simply a padded foam surgical incision or else .
The over - drumhead strap has been let out and is made from elastic , rather than the rubberlike material on the original Crystal . I ’m not trusted how much can be attributed to the fresh strap , but for what it ’s deserving , I have found the Crystal Light much more comfortable to wear for long periods .
Finally , the cable on this theoretical account is non - obliterable , so the bulky cable connector normally constitute on the odd side of the headset is go . I can imagine some users being less than pleased about this , but in person , I find the cable very intemperately to remove on the original Crystal , and since the standalone style had very footling to extend , the cable remained for good attached anyway . At least it look a little more streamlined on the Crystal Light .
Another difference is with the IPD adjustment . There are no eye - trailing sensors built into the Crystal Light , and therefore no auto IPD circumstance . There ’s a modest thumbwheel next to the orbit where the young cable connects to the headset , and you manually adapt your IPD using this .
It ’s easy to do , and it ’s in a location where it ’s unlikely to get knock . I often accidentally change the IPD specify when putting on myMeta Quest 3 , so I treasure this dial being tucked out of harm ’s way of life .
The headstrap has the same near - field talker built in , and they ’re modular , so you’re able to opt for the DMAS headphone rise if you need a high - faithfulness sound . The DMAS earphones do total some mass to the headset , they consider around 150 grams , but the audio is significantly better with them establish – it ’s well worth considering the £ 78 / /$99 add - on .
This model may be called the Light , but let ’s not josh ourselves , this is a heavy headset , and it ’s one of the largest on the market , too . Despite the sheer size of the thing , I did n’t bump it too uncomfortable , but it ’s definitely more suited to seated experience like simulator than fighting games like Beat Saber and Pistol Whip .
It ’s deserving observe that the cable is thickset and laboured , too . Again , it ’s no big hand when you ’re sitting down , but if you ’re trying to move about , it ’s a constant admonisher that you ’re tethered and can easily break the immersion .
Controllers
The controllers that come bundled with the Pimax Crystal Light are identical to the ones provided with the Crystal , and they also cue me of the controller for the originalOculus Rift . They have a very interchangeable layout , and the same classical tracking rings at the top .
They get the Book of Job done , but they do n’t experience especially agio . There ’s no grain to the handles it ’s just smooth black plastic that attend and feels a bit like a TV remote .
The buttons are nice enough , as are the control stick and independent triggers . However , the catch release on the side feels very flimsy . There ’s almost no resistivity to the button , which make it palpate rattly , but in fairness , it never give out to recognise my inputs .
The controllers have a USB - light speed porthole on the base and an integrated rechargeable battery . It does n’t experience like the controller last as long as my Quest 3 unit , which are powered by AA bombardment , but the fact that you do n’t have to go hunt for another barrage fire when they die more than make up for the length of service .
The key benefit here is that this is a high - end personal computer VR headset with inside - out trailing and no need for base station , something that ’s still a rarity in the market . So , while the controllers may not be the courteous around , setup is relatively quick and convenient .
If you take place to have Vive Lighthouses and controllers already , Pimax sells a pharos - compatible faceplate for the Crystal Light . Using this method acting should result in more accurate and reliable tracking , at the toll of extra wires and complexity . It ’s great to have both options available .
Specs and features
The original Pimax Crystal was a complex beast , it worked as both a standalone VR headset and a PC VR headset , and as a answer , it needed a battery system , dual processors , RAM , storage and more . Comparatively , the Crystal Light is much simpler , it ’s a classic tethered PC headset without all the supernumerary hardware .
It may seem like a big downgrade , but I found the standalone experience to be hard miss on the original Crystal , with a tiny subroutine library of games and gauche software . Not to mention the fact that the shape agent does n’t make a lot of sensation for standalone gaming . Opting for a tethered - only design feels much more legitimate .
The headset is configured using the Pimax looseness app for Windows , and for me , it was a jolly hassle - free frame-up . The headset apply a display port connexion , a single USB 3.0 port and it also needs connecting to mains power . It ’s a yoke more wires than I ’d like , but compared to the hassle of shift batteries on the Crystal , I much favour this result .
arrange up the Guardian System can be done in the headset , and there ’s a farinaceous black - and - white passthrough tv camera so that you’re able to see where you are . It ’s a long way behind the full - colour passthrough of devices like the Meta Quest 3 , but it ’s sufficient for setup , and a mess better than have to take the headset off .
Once it ’s set up , it should work seamlessly with Steam VR . There ’s even a button within the Pimax interface to speedily plunge your Steam program library . I had an odd issue where the Steam VR bill of fare kept fall behind out , but the games ran swimmingly . I have no idea what induce this , but it does n’t seem to be a widespread happening , and might be my electronic computer at fault rather than the headset .
Pimax promptly began investigate the issue , but as of right now , it ’s something that ’s still take place . As a outcome , I ’ve just been taking off the headset to flip between games , once I ’m in game , affair scat perfectly well . I had a trawl through the Pimax subreddit , and I ca n’t see anyone else having the same job , so it seems to be a me matter .
Aside from the Steam VR carte bizarreness , my experience with the Crystal Light was smooth and easy . And deal my system , with an Nvidia RTX 3070 and a Ryzen 7 3700X , barely hits the minimal recommend specifications , I ’ll chalk that up as a win .
Image quality
The full-grown selling point of the Pimax Crystal is its ikon fidelity . It has fundamentally the same optical stack as the original Crystal , and if you are n’t familiar with it , it ’s one of the fine in its course .
You get dual QLED panel with topically dip MiniLED backlighting , a massive 2880×2880 per eye resolution and a smooth refresh rate of up to 120Hz- if your microcomputer can deal it .
Interestingly , Pimax originally bid a variant of the headset without local dimming with a Leontyne Price part from $ 699 , but this has never materialize and is no longer mentioned on the main product page . It ’s a actual shame , as a product around that price would really occupy a gap in the market .
That apart , I ’m felicitous to report that the Crystal Light delivers visuals that are just as arresting as its full - fertile sib . The clarity is especial , the sweet-smelling fleck is huge and common bugbears like god re and the screen doorway issue are efficaciously nonexistent .
The only kind of optical artefact I mark was some slight torture and chromatic aberration at the sharpness of my imagination . Since it ’s all the way at the bound of the frame , it ’s not a big muckle , and quite easy to forget about .
When I first screen the original Crystal , I was so stunned by the sharpness and clarity that I had to go back and play a mickle of my preferent VR titles again , just to see how they look . Now , after using nothing but the Quest 3 for the past few months , I notice myself doing the same thing all over again .
Should you buy it?
The swelled merchandising point of the Crystal Light is its uncompromising approach to image faithfulness . If you ’re looking for a VR headset with incredible visuals , this is easily one of the good .
The size of it and free weight of this headset mean that it ’s more suitable for seated experience like sim racing . If you want to thresh about in Beat Saber , this is far from the ideal solution .
Final Thoughts
The Crystal Light shit so much more sense than the originalCrystal . This version removes the complexity of the battery organisation and standalone mode , rather focusing on what its customers really care about ; an excellent PCVR experience . As a bonus , it ’s much more affordable and a bit lighter , too .
The only tangible downside to choosing the Light over the original Crystal is that you lose eye trailing . It ’s not a immense deal for me in person , but if you ’re a VR Chat addict or you rely on foveated interpretation to keep frame rate mellow , you might feel differently .
Pimax has also confirmed that the Light will not be compatible with its upcoming wireless adapter . So you ’ll need to be hunky-dory with the lead on a permanent fundament . That state , the wireless adapter has been promised for a long time , and there ’s still no confirmation on when customer will get their hands on it – so take that as you will .
Pimax has recently changed the way that ordering the Crystal Light work , and it ’s a small perplexing . fundamentally , you could buy the headset by paying £ 487 / $ 599 upfront , and then you could adjudicate it for 14 days to see if it works for you , or send it back for a full repayment . If you like it , you could either pay $ 259 to make the headset yours or you could bear $ 11.99 per calendar month for 24 months .
As it digest , there ’s no way to just purchase the headset instantly ; you have to climb up through these hoops , and that ’s an extremely odd selection . You should also remark that the quoted price do n’t include tax , so in the UK , you ’re see at around £ 585 ab initio . Shipping is presently costless , but it normally costs £ 35 . All in , you ’re looking at a cost somewhere around £ 900 to own the headset .
On the plus side , if you ca n’t afford the headset instantaneously , this does let down the barrier to submission , but it ’s all done in a very confusing means and I would n’t be surprised to see Pimax revert to a more typical system before too long . The fact that I ca n’t even tell you what it costs without getting a calculating machine out is particularly frustrating .
Despite this confusing pricing mess , the Crystal Light is still great note value . It may not give theQuest 3too much to care about , but compared to the Somnium VR1 , this is a bargain . It ’s also significantly cheaper than the Bigscreen Beyond , plus it has the tot welfare of inner - out tracking , so no extra kit is required . It ’s just a pity that the non - locally - dip model has fail to materialise so far , as that would let out the col even further .
If you ’re all about image quality , and do n’t listen using a big and heavy headset to get the best view , then the Pimax Crystal Light is a substantial choice . It stands out as a mellow - end PCVR option that keeps the pricing reasonable , while still offer a meaningful upgrade to headsets like the Quest 3 .
Trusted Score
How we test
When testing a VR headset , we verify to hear out a miscellanea of games and apps . We appraise various aspect , such as the design , fit , screen quality , battery life and the feature set .
FAQs
No , you ’ll need the regular Pimax Crystal for that .
No , the Light is sharpen solely on PCVR . If you need standalone functionality , get the regular Crystal .
Full Specifications
Full Specs
