Peedee

Go for Pico 4, but use Virtual Desktop if you can. I would suggest Virtual Desktop also with Quest 3, but I recommend the Pico4 for PCVR/DCS/MSFS2020 and Car sims. Reason - you get same visual quality as the Quest 3. I think actually a little bit better quality on the Pico4 because of the way the panels are angeled on the Quest 3 - the screen door effect is easier to see there. And the Pico4 is much lighter, way more comfortable to use for extended periods of time. Much better weight distribution. The Quest 3 is front heavy, the Pico 4 is not. I get noticebly better Field of View on the Pico 4. I also get a bit more glare in the Quest 3. And the price difference is big, at least in my country. The Pico 4 is way cheaper, half the price. I have the Quest 2, Quest 3 and Pico 4 - and a Reverb G2 (not in use anymore), Pimax 8KX (not in use any more) and Pimax Crystal. Yeah, I know, I probably should sell some of them... But anyway - for use with DCS I would rank them 1. Pimax Crystal, 2. Pico 4. 3. Quest 3. 4. Reverb G2, 5. Pimax 8KX, 6. Quest 2. The 8KX has great FOV, but I never reached the level of clarity in the center of view that I would like to read instrument panels and so on... could be my sample of 8KX that are not very good. Don't know. For DCS my daily driver is now of course the Pimax Crystal, but... the Pico 4 is pretty dang good if set up correctly - and it is more comfortable than the Pimax Crystal too.

I think that the smartest thing might be to wait and see the reviews first.. I'd like to (pre)order a Pimax Super... but buying from the first batch of Pimax headsets? Not sure if even I dare that, and I'm very postive to Pimax...:) I will for sure buy a RTX 5090 as soon as they come.

Yes, the resolution on those headsets are lower to start with. Ok, so, if you have a Reverb G2 now, you don't have dynamic foveated rendering. And the new Crystal Light will be in the same situation. What resolution are you running your G2 at now? The full resolution on the Crystal will be higher, yes. But - two solutions to consider... first off - me, I run my crystal at 72fps. (You get used to that quite fast! 60fps is too low. But 72fps i just fine for me in sims). That gives me quite a number of extra fps. Also, it is quite possible to run the Crystal at somewhat lower than the full 100% resolution (which honestly is quite high it is corrected for distortions and such) and still get a better picture than G2. First off, the panels are better, the optics are better, so you get better contrast, much increased number of pixels gives higher pinsel density, and therefore even less screen door effect. The lenses gives you a bigger sweetspot and edge to edge clarity. And you get at bigger FOV too! My G2 has some mura/dirty screen effect. On my Crystal I see none. When I first got my Crystal, the perfomance both in DCS and the headset itself, (no quadviews and no dynamic foveated rendering working) was way worse than now. But still it was a big improvement over my G2. Now of course, all those features are working, but I still run my headset at 72fps because I like improved eye candy over 90 fps now that I am used to it. Also Crystal is claiming improved fixed foveated rendering coming to the Crystal Light... but I guess we have to wait and see about that. Maybe they will sell a eyetracking module for the Crystal Light later? They did that with the 8KX, but not sure how well that one worked. EDIT: Not needing windows mixed reality stuff gives better performance with the crystal. Though I am not sure how much of an impact that has.

That's sad to hear. You might be loosing out on a very good headset. No eyetracking doesn't seem to bother Pico 4, Quest 2, Quest 3, Valve Index and HP Reverb G2 owners... Because it is a cost thing. To get premium features it seems we have to pay premium prices... for now at least. This is supposed to be a cheaper Crystal whereyou get the good Qled panels, good aspherical lenses, and a pure PC VR wired connection, no battery worries or compression artifacts A much improved Reverb G2 For 699 dollars. What you gain on from the the Quest and Pico headsets are much higher resolution/PPD, wired PCVR with displayport connection, No batteries. Also since I own Quest 2, Quest 3 and Reverb G2 too, I can say that the Crystal (and also the coming Crystal light) has better FOV than them. If you opt in for the local dimming version (though 200 dollars extra for that is a bummer), then you get deeper blacks and better colors too. So basicly, if I didn't own the Crystal, I'd happy to replace my G2 with a Crystal Light for that extra resolution and wider FOV - and keep the display port cable. And of course since I primarily use my headset for simming, I the Quest/Pico headsets I have doesn't compete since they lack display port I think for 699 dollars this sounds like a very good option for simmers. The local dimming - it's the same you see on modern Qled TV's where the backlight behind the pixels can be turned on or off in different zones, meaning you get better blacks and contrast ratio. The more zones the better. And they have increased to number of local dimming zone a lot from my Crystal But, of course, it's not OLED where individual pixels can be switched on and off Eye tracking is a very nice thing. But when I use my Pico4 or Quest 3 I don't think about it. What I do think about when doing PCVR with those headsets (which I still sometimes do), is the compression artifacts and lag. Though I have to admit, this has gotten much better since the start. But I still worry a bit about battery life on them- which I admittedly also do when using my Pimax Crystal - which is why I am considering the new Pimax Crystal Super too

Pimax Crystal Light was announced today! - a Crystal with no stand alone features, pure PCVR solution with DisplayPort cable. No batteries of course. - 250g less weight in the front. 60g less in the back. Great! - New kind of headstrap, looks nice actually. - no eyetracking module 699 US dollars with no local dimming, 899 US dollars for a version with local dimming.

Ok, just to add to my other post. I think what I know what is going on here... maybe. You have had the Reverb G2 used on this same computer? Then you probably have the G2 sticky resolution bug when using the Crystal! What that bug means is that the max resolution you get on your Crystal is the same as what is for the G2. And that is EVEN if you set your value for resolution higher in Pimax Play own app! And that value for max resolution is way too low if you want your edge to edge clarity on your Crystal. To adjust for distortion you have to run the Crystal at higher resolution than the native of its panel. But it won´t happen because of that bug. I had this bug when I first got my Crystal, and I remember now that some of my opinions the first day I had it (before I learned about this bug) was somewhat similar to yours - except for the colors that are way better on the Crystal. The Bug is hidden inside a line in a VR settings file for SteamVR. And you have to delete that line or make the resolution value in that line way higher what is written there to get the correct adjustments for distortions and get better overall clarity also towards the edges. Here is something I wrote in another forum: I think you also can just delete that line. Try it, and your distortions and visual beyond the center should improve.

I really hope that no one who is considering the Pimax Crystal and has the hardware to run it decently takes the above post too seriously. The problem with threads/postings like this is that the thread starter, we all, me included - I have to admit, can say "well- this is MY PERSONAL impression.." and then no one can really criticise what is written. Because it is ones personal opinion. So, what can I say to this? Nothing really. Inside me - my heads goes "kaboom" and tries desperatly to understand something as silly as this. The overall visuals on the Crystal is miles beyond the Quest 3. Crystal pretty blurrry towards the the edge of the field of view? Well, that has to be the very, very edge of the view that it blurs out a bit. But come on, my eye muscles hurt when trying to look that hard toward the eges - it becomes more natural to move your head just a tiny bit anyway, also in real life. The colors of the Crystal are way more vibrant than the Reverb G2. One of the impressing things about the Crystal are the colors! What are you.... ---- I don´t get it.. I... I don´t know where to start really. Fish-eye look to the visuals on the Crystal? Sure it is not Crystal Meth you got ? Quest 3 is good for the money, except it is the most uncomfortable headset to wear unless you buy the extra headstrap thingie. Then it is ok. I got the Reverb G2, Quest 2, Quest 3, Pico 4, Pimax 8KX and Pimax Crystal here. The Reverb G2 and the Pimax 8KX I don´t use reguraly anymore I have to admit. Also the Quest 2 - I should sell it probably now that I have the Quest 3 and Pico 4. For car games and simulators I use the Pimax Crystal. It´s truly fantastic. For games where I have to move around and stream wireless from PC with Virtual Desktop, I use the Pico 4. It has pan cake lenses like the Quest 3, Field of view is good too, but it is not as heavy, and certainly not as front heavy, as the Quest 3. For stand alone gaming, not connected to the PC in any way, I use the Quest 3. Each of these headsets have their strenghts and weakness. But one thing is for sure, the Quest 3 is certainly NOT the king of PCVR! And much of what you say about the Crystal is just... well, I am repeating myself I know... but I can not understand it... I can understand criticising the weight or comfort - though for me it sits perfectly on my head and don´t feel heavy for my use (car games and simulators). And the use of battery for PCVR with the Crystal - that is one thing I understand people don´t like. This here--- you got to have a faulty headset, faulty eyes or faulty something Does it fit so poorly pn your head that it impacts the visuals?? Not sure what is going on... The edge to edge clarity of the G2 is pretty bad - I think because of the fresnell lenses, on the Crystal it is actually pretty good because of its lenses. Not perfect. But good. But comparing the the Crystal with the G2 when it comes to this feature... nah brother... they are not close. Well, then, it is your personal initial reaction so--- maybe I shouldn´t post my opinion about your opinion because that is a bit silly too, I know. Sorry I am silly person so I am posting it.. Hope it works out for you, get it sorted somehow, get a replacement headset (sounds faulty) or... sell it, and keep your Quest 3, and be happy. That is the most important thing. I am in a lucky situation and find use of all my headsets (well, not the G2 and Pimax 8KX anymore) like explained above. Keep flying - what ever headset you prefer

This app/openXR layer thingie to increase the sharpness has been discussed before. I know. But, the increase in sharpness is very good. If installed correctly.But it expires on March 15, so check it out before it´s too late... Hopefully with enough interest they will continue supporting it or extend the time period. For me it is working perfectly. The increase in sharpness, especially in the distance is now something "I can not live without" - which makes me a bit worried because, like I said, the free license for the program/app expires on March 15. And I haven´t seen any information about how to extend it or purchase a license. The Pimax Crystal is very sharp already, but this... wow. Pressing the delete key switch back and forth between having it active or inactive and the difference is big. I booted up DCS for the first time today for some weeks and had forgotten about the difference this app makes. I have nothing to do with the company making this app. But I highly recommend testing it out. It´s free until March 15 at least. No idea what happens after that. See more info here: https://almalence.com/topic/digital-lens/ and https://almalence.com/almalence-digital-lens-openxr-layer-setup-for-pimax-crystal/ There are instructions there on how to use it with SteamVR/OpenXR. Don´t follow those, find the PimaxXR/OpenXR instructions on the same page instead.

Good that you got rid of SteamVR But nope, text is supposed to be sharp with Quadviews, just like everything else you are looking at - if everything is done correctly. And I mean everything! The instructions for Quadviews are very detailed and every step has to be done exactly as instructed to make it work correctly. And some guys miss one step, or add something or misunderstand something- and voila it’s not working like it should. I know because I was struggling a bit myself. And PawlaczGMD too over my post here too probably has missed or forgotten a step since he has some artifacts. He says: This is not normal. Not sure why he has this problem. But it sounds like he has forgotten to turn off a setting or two inside DCS own graphics settings. Don’t remember exactly which graphic settings that are not compatible with Quadviews, but it’s noted inside the Quadviews instructions somewhere. It’s a common error And easy to miss, and it causes artifacts. Ok, now you’re rid of SteamVr. Next step is to do Quadviews correctly. It can be a pain at first, but once it’s done it will be worthwhile. And when tweaked correctly- set and forget I am amazed what I can experience inside my Crystal headset - and how easy it is after I had it all done correctly. No reason for me here to repeat the Quadviews instructions- you find them over at the homepage for the app. But follow them exactly, do every step in the right sequence, and it will work. I thought I had done that, but I was wrong of course, got disappointed by the experience. Tried again- reading more carefully and it worked - without artifacts too. Tweaking Quadviews… that’s another thing. Different opinions. I suggest going for the default/recommended first, and experiment from there.

Sorry to hear your issues with it. Hope I dont makes things feeling worse for you when I say it is very easy for me to get it working - and without SteamVR. There must be something that you have missed in the instructions on how to do this. But hard to tell what it is from what you are writing. You are correct - there is now no need for Open composite amymore. It's been quite a while since that was needed. This is what I do to play in VR with the crystal. (0). Pimax Play starts during Windows 11 start up. And I have it configured as I like from before, so I don't have to do anything there. I have i set at 72hz btw, enabled eye tracking (but not foveated rendering as that is done by Quadview). Anyway don't let this confuse you, once you have it set up like you want, it is launched when windows starts and forget..unless I want to recalibrate eye tracking which sometimes I do. 1. I press the button on my VR headset to turn it on 2. I click my DCS shortcut on my Desktop. And DCS starts. In VR. With no SteamVR running. My shortcut is like this: "C:\Program Files\Eagle Dynamics\DCS World\bin-mt\DCS.exe" So you see, I am using the Beta version. And I don't need to write anything special in the shortcut. This is because inside DCS options menu I have the setting "Use VR" ticked. That is all there is to do for me after I have booted up my PC. You mention OpenXR and PimaxXR. And yes, before launching DCS you have to start the program PimaxXR and make sure that in the top where it says "Select active OpenXR runtime" - make sure PimaxXR is ticked and NOT SteamVR. IF you for some reason has this value changed to SteamVR (maybe some other game suggest it or reccomend it, or ... somehow it happens), then you have to open PimaxXR program and make sure that it is correctly ticked in use PimaxXR again before launching DCS the next time. You really don't need OpenXR Toolkit installed or other stuff installed at all to make it work. You get your OpenXR support either through PimaxXR - when the tickbox is set correctly in the PimaxXR program - or SteamVR - which is what is happening for you now for some reason. OpenXR toolkit is just to tweak stuff further. I use in addition to Pimax Play (needed) and PimaxXR (needed and set correctly) a program called QuadViews (not needed) which enhances the performance, great fps without seeing loss of quality. And that is a story by itself. But once dialed in, it is there and you can forget it. But try to get DCS with Pimax VR headset to work before doing any other steps. Like I said, once set, boot PC, turn on headset, double click DCS icon. But make sure PimaxXR program has set itself to use PimaxXR.

What?? Don´t like the way it looks? It´s so beautiful! Well so far I like everything about the Viper, not just the speed and acccleration. But then again, F16 sims is something I´ve been playing since the really first ones came out in the 80´s. Falcon (all of them), Digital Integrations F16 sim... I even tried the real one the Norwegian Airforce used in the beginning of the 2000´s (just once for one hour though - still an incredible experience back then). So, it´s some "welcome home" feeling and nostalgia in there I gotta admit.

That is certainly an interesting take, both from you and the real world F-18 pilot.

You´re absolutely right. Could be that the reason I like the A-10c so much is that it is limited to the ground attack role. And that kept me focused on just that. Carrier landings... yes, I guess I have to come back to the F-18 later

Is it just me that find the F-18 a little bit "boring"? I mean, this is just compared to the A-10C and F-16. It´s a matter of taste, I know. And they are very different airplanes. But, I tried to like it, I even bought the Winwing Take off panel, the UFC/hud control thingies, the 3 mfd panels, all nicely setup on my desk.. Thrustmaster F-18 stick mounted on a Virpil base with 20cm extender... (wow - the precision I get with that is just insane btw!). I have spend most time in the A-10C. But I wanted something faster, something for shooting down other planes too. So I got all the Winwing stuff and... nope.... I don´t mean to come out as a troll - this being the F-18 part of the forum and all. But... nah... argh... wanted to like it. Really did. I have jumped to the F-16 for now. Find it fun to fly, but my 1998 Falcon 4 patch 1.08 flying and fighting skills (which was the last time I really spend many hours in a F-16 sim) doesn´t really cut it Much to learn. Maybe I´ll come back to the F-18 later. Hate to sell all this nice stuff or just let it rest there on my desk. I probably didn´t spend enough time in it. "Patience, my young padawan" isn´t something that I live by. I´m 54 and hasn´t got time for that

That´s sad to hear. I was hoping you would figure it out. A few things to mention - probably nothing to do with your case. But...just in case... As we know the Crystal runs "natively" at a rather high resolution, I think 4300x5100 something - too correct for all distoritions and such. Going somewhat lower than that, you will still get a very good picture. In DCS I run mine at 3800x4497 - set by OpenXR Toolkit Override resolution function. Or is it 4000xsomething?? Don´t remember what I use right now. Anyway... Going way lower and it impacts the picture quality clearly, and I would say more so first towards the edges. It becomes more visible there first for me anyway. I also have a Reverb G2, that I had used on this same computer sometime before I installed my Pimax Software and starting using the Crystal. And - I was not very impressed by the Crystal. Seemed better, somewhat crispier picture...the colors were better anyway, but... not worth the money. This was in the beginning, and the software/games I used was run through SteamVR. And that was were my problems were - but I didn´t know. But - if you have had the G2 on the same system before, and SteamVR is running - the highest/maximum resolution rendered will be decided by a numer in a settings file from SteamVR. And that resolution is just above 3200x3200. Now, that low resoution clearly impacted the experience of the Crystal. Known as the G2 resolution bug... You can set your resolution as high as you want in either Pimax Play or SteamVR settings menu. But - you only get 3200x3200 ish no matter what. Solution - enter that settings file and delete that line or set the value as something way higher than you´ll ever use with the Crystal. You can check if you're being capped by looking at the value of "maxRecommendedResolution" in the C:\Program Files(x86)\Steam\config\steamvr.vrsettings file. Anway, this is probably not what happened to you, because most likely you didn´t use SteamVR at all when playing DCS. PimaxXR is the way to go, and that is not affected by that "bug". But I wanted to just mention this in this thread in case some others have that problem - or if they play some games using SteamVR. Project Cars 2 for example...I heard about this bug just by coincidence and was so happy I did. For a afternoon just after I got it I was really concerned there was something wrong with my Crystal. But it was just a number in a settings file. I´m afraid Varjos next headset is not meant for the consumer market, but maybe it will come a down graded consumer version some time later just like with Varjo Aero. Varjo XR4 - since they are hinting the nr 4 in the pictures I´ve seen. We´ll find out later today. But - I am hoping for something exciting from Varjo Enjoy flying in your Quest Pro! Hope Pimax don´t give you any trouble for returning it