Pimax

Released in 2016, the Pimax 4K was Pimax's first foray into the VR scene. It boasts a resolution of 1920×2160 per eye, for a total of 3840×2160 (thus the 4K denomination).[1]

The Pimax 8K is a virtual reality head-mounted display. It features two 4K displays, one for each eye, with an advertised field of view of 200 degrees. However, the Pimax 8K does not use the most common 8K resolution standard 8K UHD which contains four times as many pixels as 4K UHD. Since the Pimax 8K contains two 4K UHD displays it only has half the number of pixels as that of 8K UHD. In addition, due to bandwidth limitations in the connection cable, the headset's input is limited to 2560×1440 for each of the displays. This is then upscaled in the device to the displays' actual resolution.[6]

The company has announced that they are partnering with third parties to develop expansion modules for the headset. The expansion modules announced include features like inside-out tracking, eye tracking, wireless transmission, and scent.[6] As of February 2019, none of the accessories has been released, despite stating release date of Q2/Q3/Q4 2018 with low risk.

AT CES2019 in January 2019, Pimax disclosed strategic partnerships respectively with LeapMotion and 7INVENSUN on the development of hand motion tracking module and eye tracking module. LeapMotion was acquired by UltraHaptics in May 2019 and a new company called UltraLeap was established.[7] On the 26th of February, Pimax signed an agreement to offer UltraLeap hand tracking for its whole VR headset range with specifications including a stereoscopic IR camera that creates an interaction zone of up to 100cm (40”) range, extending from the device in a 160×160° field of view (approximately 74 cubic feet or 2.1 cubic meters of interactive space).[8]

The headset uses the SteamVR positional tracking system (previously called "Lighthouse") initially developed for the HTC Vive by Valve. This means that existing Vive base stations and controllers are compatible with the Pimax headset, removing the need for existing Vive users to set up an additional tracking system or buy new controllers.

The headset is compatible with SteamVR and Oculus software making it compatible with a wide range of already existing VR content. It is not a native SteamVR headset, and it requires "PiTool" software to be installed along with it.

The headset was initially planned to start shipping in January 2018, but was repeatedly delayed due to design tweaks and manufacturing refinements. As of July 2019 all backers with verified addresses had received their Pimax 8K and 5K+ headsets.

The Pimax 5K PLUS [9] is based on similar hardware to the Pimax 8K, but features a lower resolution, at 2560×1440 displays per eye instead of 4K.[10] Since this resolution is accepted as input, the headset eliminates the need for upscaling. Early previews of the devices noted that the 5K PLUS featured a sharper image, while the 8K had a significantly reduced screen-door effect.[11] Launched alongside the 8K, the 5K PLUS units began shipping in large numbers sooner; as of February 2019, a majority of backers had received their headsets,[12] while leaving hundreds of Kickstarter backers waiting for their 8K unit. [13]

5K XR [14] is a virtual reality headset that is compatible with most VR software titles for Windows-based PC's. The headset has a resolution of 2560×1440 per eye or a total resolution of 5120x1440.[15] The differentiating factor between the Pimax XR headset and the Pimax 5K PLUS is the XR utilizes OLED screens rather than LCD screens. The term "XR" stands for eXtended Range for the added dynamic color range and the near absolute blacks that are possible for OLED type screens.

The Pimax Vision 8K X [16] is a variant of the Pimax 8K that solves the cable bandwidth limitation by using the highest data transmission mode with HBC with Displayport 1.4a, thus allowing native 4K resolution per eye, without the visual compromise from upscaling a 5K signal. The total native resolution of a Pimax Vision 8K X is 7680×2160, which should help reduce screen door effect.[17] VISION 8KX offers a Dual Engine Mode, which can lower the render resolution to 2,560* 1,440 per display and then upscale that to 4K. [18]

Pimax showcased its VISION 8K X at CES2020 as their flagship model and it was selected as the Top Tech of CES2020: AR/VR [19] by Digital Trends after hands-on review at CES2020 “The Pimax has something most headsets lack; a real sense of peripheral vision.” [20] With Pimax’s newly introduced comfort solutions through implementing comfort kit and modular audio strap to the headset, extra comfort in racer-sharp VR experience is more immersive. citation: [21]

Right after CES2020, Pimax team goes on to meetups in Orlando, Florida [22] and New York City [23]. VR enthusiasts across the US were drawn to the venues to have their first glance of VISION 8KX though its giant lenses before its releasing to the market. Updated to 14th May 2020, VISION 8KX is still a preorder item and is available for preorder on www.pimax.com.

The Pimax Vision 8K PLUS[24] is a headset similar to the Vision 8K X, but it takes an 1440p input which it upscales to the 4K panels.[25]

On December 16, 2019, Pimax published a teaser image of a yet unannounced headset called Artisan[26], touting 120 Hz refresh, 140º FOV, and 3200×1440 resolution, with its price only specified as "X49.00".[27] During CES 2020, Pimax announced that the price of the Artisan will start at $449 for the base model.[28]