It arrived!
Just to give you an idea of where I’m coming from— started with the Rift CV1, Rift S, HP Reverb G2, Pimax Crystal, and now Pimax Crystal Super. I preordered via a third party in Europe on April 1st, 2025, and received it yesterday.
I mainly play sims—both flying and driving—with a bit of Elite thrown in as well. My system is a 9800X3D with a 5090 and 64GB of RAM, running the latest Pimax Play software and headset firmware.
Here are my initial raw thoughts after a few hours with the headset, in no particular order:
Comfort
It’s quite front-heavy—to the point that it becomes uncomfortable fairly quickly. I had to add the Studio Form headband and some counterweights at the back to improve balance, making it feel more like wearing a cap. It came with a top strap, but I couldn’t install it since no screws were provided. A quick shake of the head and you definitely notice the weight.
Sound
Mine came with the DMAS speakers, which sound identical to those on the Crystal—meaning pretty good overall. Loudness wasn't an issue for me on the latest software.
Visuals
A step up from the Crystal, but nothing groundbreaking. If I rated the Crystal a 7/10 for overall visuals, this would get an 8—maybe an 8.5. The extra FOV is noticeable but not a dramatic improvement and over time would just seem normal. Still feels like wearing a scuba mask just not quite as much.
Colours felt a bit off—reds in
Elite looked wrong, and
Flight Simulator 2024 appeared slightly washed out. Tweaking software settings helped somewhat. Blacks are quite good, though in some dark situations, there’s an odd halo effect around objects, mainly visible in menus.
Mura is present, but I only noticed it when looking at the sky in
FS2024—once you see it, you can’t unsee it. Chromatic aberration (which I
really hate) is better than the Crystal but still visible in certain areas, mostly in menus.
Quick head movements cause some ghosting/blurring, making this headset less ideal for games where rapid motion is essential. However, the sweet spot is easy to find, and looking around with just your eyes feels quite natural—on par with Quest 3 lenses.
Software
Setup was easy, firmware updates went smoothly. However, room setup wasn’t retained between sessions, and at one point, the floor was apparently on Mars—nothing new for Pimax users.
Games.
Alyx looked the best it's ever been for me and ran at 90fps at full res. Elite wasn't as big as jump as I'd hoped. Colours seemed a bit overblown in some places. Some tweaking needed there perhaps. FS2024. Looks great but really pushes the system.
Other Observations
- The cable isn’t optical, making it thicker and heavier than the one that came with the Crystal—seems a bit shorter as well. At least it’s not that sticky plastic.
- The headset flipping mechanism is quite stiff. Initially, I thought it didn’t move at all, but it does, and hopefully, it loosens over time.
- It runs a bit warm at the front, and there’s some noticeable fan noise.
Overall
It’s early days, but right now, this is probably one of the best VR headsets for the price.
Is it worth upgrading from the Crystal OG or Light? For most users, probably not—unless you have money to burn or simply want the absolute best. It needs a 4090\ 5090 to get the best out of it. The ultrawide model might justify it, though. Plus no more stupid batteries
Coming from something older? Then yes, this should feel like quite the jump.
Still waiting for yours? Could be a blessing—it gives you the option to swap to the ultrawide.
I think I'm preferring the binocular overlap, I'm hoping for a July delivery delivery, ordered beginning of May.
