I am considering Pimax Crystal Light but...

[Johnny Dioxin]

Well I am still a bit concerned. I got the email confirming my purchase, and the fact that it's referring to me as "Guest" despite the fact that I have a Pimax account and ordered from being logged in to that account, and that it wouldn't accept the code (the support email quoted the code and I copy/pasted it) makes me think I may be classed as a later buyer and put to the back of the queue, rather than wherever my pre-order was.

Suppose it doesn't matter so much really, but I have to be honest and say that I think the whole thing was bit farcical. I don't know how many times I read that statement on the status update before I thought that perhaps things weren't as we had been initially told (i.e. that we would get an email inviting us to pay the full amount if we had pre-ordered the headset). Even the confirmation isn't that clear about whether the headset will be sent in 8 weeks, or whether I should actually receive it in 8 weeks.

I know most of the Chinese companies have the best intentions and are very polite, but often in my experience their English causes more problems than it solves!

I'm waiting to hear from support about the pre-order refund.

 

* the £8 was how much more it costs now compared to when I checked about 3 weeks ago. It was £908 then. The pre-order charge was £28.80

Edited June 26, 2024 by Johnny Dioxin

[Calvin.Pimax]

No worries, you won't be classified as a late buyer and lose your pre-order queue position. In fact, we can trace back your purchase history to secure your slot.

[Johnny Dioxin]

Yes indeed, thank you - I just got confirmation of that from Pimax Support. I was surprised to see people complaining on Reddit about slow support replies to their queries as mine have been very fast - 24 hours maximum.

 

*also just ordered the Studioform kit for face and top strap pads. I don't know how much customs will hit me for, but what the hell - it's for a good cause!

Edited June 27, 2024 by Johnny Dioxin

[boedha68]

7 May orderd at reseller. Reseller unboundxr tells me 10 July expected. A week later then the First expected date. I update later again. It's Something to take with me when I'll order the 'super'. 

[Calvin.Pimax]

Our support team is doing their best to reduce response times to within 24 hours. However, time zone differences can sometimes be a challenge.

[Oesau]

JFYI - in Australia and got my Crystal Light delivered yesterday

[Hartsblade]

3 hours ago, Johnny Dioxin said:

I'm really concerned that my pre-order has "slipped under the radar". It's actually shown as a separate transaction in my account and as I didn't pay for the headset until June 28th (cos I was waiting for an email to invite me to do so which never came) I may not actually get it sent for some time, yet. So far my requests for help or info have gone unanswered.

On top of that, every time I try to log in to my Pimax account on their website it requires me to enter a 6 digit code, sent to my email address! Gets a bit frustrating.

Have you joined the crystal light discord?  If so reach out to Emily@Pimax for help.

[Hartsblade]

My pleasure.

[Hartsblade]

Emily@ Pimax (emily532) can be found in the #purchasing-questions channel on the Pimax Official discord.

And in the #techsupport channel on the Pimax Crystal Light VR Hub discord.

 

@Calvin.Pimax can you get @Johnny Dioxin an invite to the Pimax Crystal Light VR Hub discord?

Edited July 15, 2024 by Hartsblade

[Calvin.Pimax]

8 hours ago, Johnny Dioxin said:

I was also waiting for a Pimax support guy to get back to me after he offered to look into it, but so far nada. Getting a bad feeling...

Please share the order or ticket number with me via DM. I will urge the support team to provide you with the latest order status. @Johnny Dioxin

[Flameout777]

On 6/27/2024 at 11:19 AM, Johnny Dioxin said:

Yes indeed, thank you - I just got confirmation of that from Pimax Support. I was surprised to see people complaining on Reddit about slow support replies to their queries as mine have been very fast - 24 hours maximum.

 

*also just ordered the Studioform kit for face and top strap pads. I don't know how much customs will hit me for, but what the hell - it's for a good cause!

 

Im In the UK and there was no customs charge when it was delivered by DHL

[Calvin.Pimax]

Sounds good.

Yes, we will allocate batches of headsets to the local warehouse first, and then schedule the delivery to our users.

If you encounter any other issues, please let me know. Just a ping will do

[Squiggs]

I was really considering a Pimax, but after reading some of the horror stories with post sale support I decided on a Quest 3. The Pimax seems to be a good product if it works, but if you get a dodgy one they will screw you seven ways to Sunday.

[jaapgrolleman]

1 hour ago, Squiggs said:

I was really considering a Pimax, but after reading some of the horror stories with post sale support I decided on a Quest 3. The Pimax seems to be a good product if it works, but if you get a dodgy one they will screw you seven ways to Sunday.

Not sure where those stories are coming from. Sometimes customers are stuck with customer care, then just give Calvin or me a nudge and we'll fix it. There isn't any problem we can't solve.

Laubox's review of the Pimax Crystal Light

 

[Dangerzone]

On 7/24/2024 at 7:27 PM, Squiggs said:

I was really considering a Pimax, but after reading some of the horror stories with post sale support I decided on a Quest 3. The Pimax seems to be a good product if it works, but if you get a dodgy one they will screw you seven ways to Sunday.

Like you, I consider after-sales support to be on par with the features of the headset itself. That's one of the things that actually attracted me to Pimax. Unlike my HP Reverb, it seems that Pimax are aware of post-sale issues in their products and have designed the headset with user-replacable parts in mind. The fact that the lenses can be replaced means that if the unfortunate scenario of a lens scratch does occur - it's not the end-of-the-world for the user. I also asked about whether they provide replacable parts, such as the cable (was a big deal with my HP reverb) - and yes - they are. So, another tick there. 

But I'm now putting the 'full experience' to the test, as I'm undergoing a support issue at the moment. They were a bit late to reply to my first support ticket enquiry but they have gotten back to me. The issue I'm facing is warping in the lenses (after them not being assembled properly to start with). They have told me they're going to ship replacement lenses to me to see if that resolves the issue. I'm making notes on this and am thinking of putting up a youtube video of a review. (We have lots of reviews now that are all stepping over each others toes on the specs of the headset and what it's like "in game", but very little about the actual end users full experience including general support & warranty claims - so I think there's opportunity to place one up there. 

It will be a good test, as I was really wanting DFR and eyeing off the Super, but couldn't wait due to my HP Reverb giving up[ the ghost so went with the Crystal Light.

I'm hoping at the moment that what's being experienced is simply a matter of higher-than-expected demand for the headset and that the company simply hasn't got the resources behind it to keep up with everything in the way they would like. That's not making excuses, but I am trying to give them a little bit of understanding - and as long as things are sorted out well in the end, I'm willing to overlook some short delays in warranty process, etc. 

I think they put too much pressure on themselves with the release date, and got caught out (hence their initial delays). I'm hoping once that initial marketing nonsense is out of the way and the pressure dies down. 

This has left me with a current impressions to advise people not to pre-purchase a headset from them, nor to get one immediately after release, but to wait until the initial rush dies down, and any crinkles in the process are ironed out. This would also avoid disappointment relying on a release and shipping date that could very well be extended in future.

I'm suspicious (reading various forums) that my issue with my lenses isn't isolated, and that there is still a QC issue that needs to be sorted out that I hope will settle once the initial rush is off - so again, waiting is probably key - if you can afford to do it. 

I really have high hopes for Pimax, and want them to succeed. There's not any significant other players in the PCVR community (except meta - which I think would be disasterous for us all if they became the only ones). 

The only other big gripe I have about the Pimax at the moment is the 'phone home' calls that appear to be coming from their software. That was my primary reason for avoiding meta in the first place. The requirement to have it linked to an account, and T&C's that I have no interest in agreeing to. I have interactive firewall turned on for my network communications, and I can see calls going back. I don't like the idea of this unless there's an opt-in or opt-out function. I like to keep my network traffic as minimal as possible so I know exactly what my computer is doing, but that's really a whole new conversation. I'm yet to find out more about what is going on in this area, but initial research appears as though this can be blocked without it stopping the headset from working, which is promising. 

Edited July 26, 2024 by Dangerzone

[Panzerlang]

On 6/17/2024 at 9:12 AM, Dangerzone said:

As hard as it is, the best method I believe is to "under promise and over deliver".  I practice this with my own business. While it has some minor disappointments when people realise they have to wait a little longer - it creates great appreciation when I actually beat the deadlines, and come in under budget. 

If they're expected to be released in 3 weeks, say 2 months. Then 'surprise' everyone when it's 3 weeks, (or more likely pushed back and it's 6 weeks). People still get a pleasant surprise of it being 2 weeks earlier than they thought - even though it's late from what was internally anticipated. 

It ruins the credibility of companies who do the opposite and over promise and under deliver - when really  there's zero difference in the quality of the product, the actual time customers receive it, etc between both actions - but a huge difference in perception by the customers. 

The Kiowa's release really stood out to me compared to almost all others. Silence. And then a "2 week" announcement - and they delivered. That's not to take anything away from other modules and dev's - I understand that last minute issues pop up. But the 'eagerness' to make announcements and have hype over the product creates unnecessary disappointment when the (more often than not) delays occur. 

I haven't had any experience with Pimax before. This release was my first. While I'll still keep my order in (at least for now) - it has given me a first impression that they can't be trusted when it comes to announcements.  This doesn't speak to their quality, etc. But it does speak to their promises. They've lost "advertising" cred- and this will be hard for them to win back. But it can be won back - they have to get the next lot of announcements right, or if anything, beat what they claim with their next announcements. 

I really hope they take this sort of consideration on board and learn from what's happened. They seem like a great newer company that is really passionate about the PCVR space, and it will be a real shame if they continued having delays after announcement if their marketing side continues to overpromise and under-deliver. I feel they have an opportunity to be far more connected with, and have a far better relationship with their customers than the faceless HP, Meta, etc brands and I really want to see Pimax succeed in leaps and bounds. 

It does speak to the quality though, because it all flows from the same mindset. Eg, the quality of the software:

Pass-through turns itself off randomly. Turning it back on forces a headset reboot which sometimes fails and necessitates a PC reboot. Still in "Beta".
Restart Headset (main panel button) does the square root of SFA.
Getting the headset started from being turned off takes upwards of five minutes. I have to leave mine on permanently (green light on) to avoid the grief.
Render Quality setting randomly goes south.

FOV on standard lenses (35PPD), massively over-promised/stated, we all know what we actually got.

Wide-FOV lenses, never got mine, got sent the worthless plastic 45PPD ones instead.

Etc.

I wouldn't trust this company as far as I could throw it now.

[Dangerzone]

On 7/31/2024 at 4:02 PM, Panzerlang said:

It does speak to the quality though, because it all flows from the same mindset. Eg, the quality of the software:

Pass-through turns itself off randomly. Turning it back on forces a headset reboot which sometimes fails and necessitates a PC reboot. Still in "Beta".
Restart Headset (main panel button) does the square root of SFA.
Getting the headset started from being turned off takes upwards of five minutes. I have to leave mine on permanently (green light on) to avoid the grief.
Render Quality setting randomly goes south.

FOV on standard lenses (35PPD), massively over-promised/stated, we all know what we actually got.

Wide-FOV lenses, never got mine, got sent the worthless plastic 45PPD ones instead.

Etc.

I wouldn't trust this company as far as I could throw it now.

Hmm... that's a very different experience to what I've had. I admit, I haven't had many hours in the new headset yet (the warped left lens is a big issue for me - I'm waiting for them to ship a replacement - which hasn't shipped yet - but I am told that there is a delay due to the high demand of the headset at the moment. From the time I have had within the headset, the headset has been able to turn off and back on without crashing games. Headset starts extremely quickly. I've been able to use passthrough (double-tap the side of the headset - fantastic feature BTW) without it crashing as you have mentioned, and if I recall correctly the restart headset button has worked for me as well. For clarification, this is with the Crystal Light - so if you're using the Crystal, maybe it's a bit different? If so, that would be disappointing given the extra cost of the premium unit. 

As mentioned in my last post - I agree that a headset is only as good as it's after-sales support. I'm hoping I have a different experience to you and that Pimax are improving on their support side of things. I've got friends considering upgrading from the WMR headset (given Microsoft are dropping it), and are watching how things turn out for me. They weren't impressed by how my headset arrived to start with (neither was I) and are hesitant to buy right now, so a lot of credibility is relying on their after sales support at the moment.  FWIW - I want Pimax to shine through this, and for them to get and love their units as much as the youtube reviews. We really need a decent PCVR headset in the market, and Pimax appear to really be focused on PCVR - just need the QC and after sales support to give the market confidence in them.

Edited August 1, 2024 by Dangerzone

[Squiggs]

On 7/24/2024 at 8:50 PM, jaapgrolleman said:

Not sure where those stories are coming from. Sometimes customers are stuck with customer care, then just give Calvin or me a nudge and we'll fix it. There isn't any problem we can't solve.

Laubox's review of the Pimax Crystal Light

 

Mate, let's be serious here, the video starts with "Pimax sent me this headset" - or in other words "I will shill for this company so that they and others will keep sending me free stuff".

 

As for not knowing where the stories are coming from - take a quick look on Reddit and that is just for starters. There are always going to be unhappy customers for any business (that is just a fact of life). But when all the unhappy customers complain about the same thing that raises massive red flags. As the saying goes, if one person calls you a horse, punch them in the face. If a second person calls you a horse, punch them in the face. If a third person calls you a horse, take a look in the mirror. THIS is what got me to bail out of Pimax - everyone is having the same problem and that problem is post sale support. The solution for getting customer support should not be submitting a ticket and then having to message some guy on some random gaming forum to actually get the ticket actioned in a prompt manner. This reeks of "we don't care unless it generates bad publicity".

 

Take this how you will, but this is real world feedback of why you lost a sale from someone that was really impressed with the specs of your product and was this close to pulling the trigger on buying one.

[Abarth595]

Hi thinking of a light, but are people in the uk  ordering straight from pimax or somewhere else ?

cheers 

Edited August 20, 2024 by Abarth595

[Hartsblade]

5 hours ago, Abarth595 said:

Hi thinking of a light, but those people in the uk are you ordering straight from pimax or somewhere else ?

cheers 

I believe I saw a post that Amazon UK now has stock.

[Abarth595]

Thanks I'll take a look 

[maxTRX]

Well, since I'm the OP of this thread I might as well chime in briefly on my initial impression of Crystal Light.  My last VR set was G2 so yeah... when I saw this headset I smirked a little but after playing with straps and the knob It feels OK.  Now, the setup...   The initial basic setup was quick and easy but to get a fairly clear image I had to look toward the tip of my nose and even clearer when I angled the right side of the set upward just a smidgen so I knew more had to be done... clicked on advanced options in PimaxPlay and instead of poking in the dark decided to check YT.  Sure as heck, Sebastian Ang to the rescue, lol.  He already had a vid showing a simple way to set the offset (left/right) with the help of controllers. It worked!  I also had to bring the picture in both lenses up a bit. This part was trial and error but I finally got it!  Looks great.  So far I ran it at 90hz only.  No problems noticed yet.

I haven't tried any flight sims yet. (DCS uninstalled currently  )  but I did burn a few tires in racing a sim (ACC) and I was quite happy with image and performance. I also monitored the temps, volts, loads etc. - cool as a cucumber.  Well, the CPU (13900k) max volts were 'under control' now (lol) and never shot above 1.4v.

I don't like having PimaxPlay, Steam, SteavVR windows all open during play but I'll see if I can tinker with this some more.

[Dangerzone]

On 9/2/2024 at 2:49 AM, oldcrusty said:

I also had to bring the picture in both lenses up a bit. This part was trial and error but I finally got it!  Looks great. 

I'm curious about this bit. I thought the l/r eye offsets were to offset one or the other so that the two lined up if one or the other was off.

What's the benefit of moving both left and right side up in the same direction?  What did it improve for you?

[maxTRX]

10 hours ago, Dangerzone said:

I'm curious about this bit. I thought the l/r eye offsets were to offset one or the other so that the two lined up if one or the other was off.

What's the benefit of moving both left and right side up in the same direction?  What did it improve for you?

Correct.  On the left/right sliders I had to bring the right image toward the center a few notches.  On the up/down sliders I decided to bring both images equally up a bit.  I 'seems' like the sweet spot got sweeter?   The fish eye  effect is noticeable at the very bottom of the total image.  When in game though I'm completely oblivious to it. I notice it more in the SteamVR home view.

After setting the offsets I went back to the IPD knob again and had to move the lenses closer 3 or 4 clicks to make the green reference lines perfectly clear and uniform on the right edge of the horizontal lines.   A bit of a pain to set it all up. Now... I need to put couple of spot welds to keep it in place

[nephilimborn]

From what i have observed, albeit anecdotally from these forums and tech-tubers that have a history of trustworthiness, IMHO the Crystal Light is exactly what i have been looking for.

I am currently sim'ing with Quest 3 and do not care for nor will ever use MR or any of the other stand-alone features.

For my use case, the CLight looks to be a good value proposition, as such just ordered the headset (Australia via Player1 Sim Gear)