The PIMAX 4K VR is a new virtual reality gaming and entertainment headset that promises clearer
and crisper video resolution.
Retailing at around $350, it’s significantly cheaper than the vr headset giants, the Oculus
Rift and HTC Vive.
Let’s start with the specifications.
It comes with a resolution of 3840 by 2160, at 8.29 megapixels.
This translates to a significantly high 806 pixel per inch.
All these numbers mean that images should be sharper and crisper.
It also boasts a latency of around 18 milliseconds, low enough to supposedly decrease motion sickness
and nausea.
Plus, it makes for a smoother gaming experience.
Finally, the headset comes with a 53mm lens with a field of view of 110 degrees, which
you can adjust to between 58 to 71mm distance from the lens.
Now, this spec is great on paper.
The question remains.
Does PIMAX 4K VR, a cheaper alternative the Oculus Rift and HTC, deliver on its promises?
Is it worth getting at the current price?
The whole package comes with... the headset
Some straps And… a pair of detachable headphones
The build quality feels a bit plastic-y.
This, however, isn’t really that surprising for the price range.
Don’t get me wrong, it doesn’t feel cheap.
It just has that familiar 15-dollar mouse feel to it.
Setting up the headset is pretty straightforward.
Attach the straps in place, slide the headphones in and plug them into the audio jacks.
Adjusting for comfort is easy with the velcro straps.
Although it may take a couple of tries to get the right fit.
And that’s it!
You just then connect the headset to the computer’s USB and HDMI ports.
This whole set weighs around 600 grams, which is slightly more than other VR headsets.
But it isn’t really that heavy.
We barely even noticed the weight after more than an hour of use.
And before I forget, the headphones are surprisingly comfortable with good sound quality isolating.
It does get a little uncomfy after a while especially in near the nose bridge.
But we noticed that it depends from one person to another.
There’s just one crucial part that seems missing -- a physical control to adjust the
lens.
At the top of the headset are power and arrow keys but we couldn’t figure out what they’re
for.
This brings us to…
The software.
While the setup of the hardware is simple, the software leaves a lot of to be desired.
It does get the job done but it lacks some of the things we’ve been accustomed to,
namely… good documentation and an easy-to-use user interface.
The PIMAX 4K VR comes with a content platform, the PiPlay, nope it’s not the the Raspberry
Pi gaming emulator.
This one is a special platform similar to the Oculus Store.
Other than some videos and games, there’s not really much that PiPlay offers when it
comes to content.
If you want games, your best bet is still Steam.
The good news is that the latest driver update now works, kind of seamlessly, with SteamVR.
This is one big step in the right direction -- towards access to more gaming content.
Going back to that missing physical control to adjust the lens.
That adjustment is done via the PiPlay.
Yes, it’s a software correction.
And yes..
It’s the biggest pain point of the whole experience!
It took us almost a dozen of… adjust-save, adjust-save cycles to find the best setting.
Hint.
It’s 60mm.
And, of course, the gaming experience.
We tested the PIMAX on a PC running on Windows 10 with i7-4790 processor, 32 GB of RAM and
the trusty GTX 980TI video card.
SteamVR automatically detects the PIMAX as a VR headset.
There’s a little trick, though, to making sure that it works as seamless as possible.
Run PiPlay first and set it in PIMAX Mode before you open SteamVR.
Like most VR headsets, it doesn’t come packaged with a controller.
We tried two -- the PS4 via DS4Windows -- and the good-ol’ keyboard and mouse.
It’s the keyboard and mouse that worked best for us.
As for the games, we tried Elite Dangerous, Project CARS and Windlands.
We also tried AliceVR, Quanero and Thick Air but couldn’t get them to work properly.
These video captures don’t do justice to the actual VR gaming experience.
Elite Dangerous plays good.
The mouse-keyboard controls took a couple of minutes to get used to, though.
But once we got the hang of it, it was one memorable space shooting experience.
The foreground is pretty but there are some inconsistent draws in the background.
Whether it’s the game, our settings or the headset, it’s hard to tell.
The Project CARS formula actually works.
While the actual gameplay is kind of vanilla, the vr aspect of being behind the steering
wheel, competing against other cars is exhilarating.
We’re not big on racing games but playing this game on VR was fun.
Windlands was surprising.
It was the first game we tried playing on the PIMAX and was the ‘default’ game during
our test.
It started out blurry and nauseating but after an hour of tweaking, this platformer finally
flourished.
VR gaming is still in its infancy.
The games, the controllers and, most importantly, the first generation headsets are littered
with compromises.
Compromises on the value, the build quality, the content, et cetera.
The PIMAX 4K VR, being a part of this generation, is not immune to these trade-offs.
What it lacks in build quality, it makes up for in resolution and pixel density; the headset
is comfortable to a point but the software is a pain to use.
There’s also the need to keep on re-running SteamVR’s setup to make sure head-tracking
is accurate.
The PiPlay has a lot of room for improvements -- better choices in games, a more usable
interface and more detailed documentation.
We did leave out one notable aspect of the PIMAX, it’s actually great for viewing videos,
a.k.a.
your own private entertainment system.
We tried a couple of videos and they’re crisp and clear.
All in all, cautious gamers may want to hold off in buying one until an official SteamVR
support is announced.
But if you’re itching to experience virtual reality gaming and entertainment NOW, on a
budget, then this is a recommended purchase.