Pimax is Back, and so am I

The Nugget

  • Pimax announced several new VR products, including the Crystal Super with swappable optical engines for QLED and Micro OLED displays, reflecting a significant technological leap but raising skepticism about the company's ability to execute.

Make it stick

  • πŸ’‘ Pimax Crystal Super: A new flagship headset with swappable QLED and Micro OLED optical engines.
  • πŸ‘“ Glass Lenses: Pimax uses aspheric glass lenses, providing high Clarity and less optical distortion.
  • πŸšΆβ€β™‚οΈ Wireless Freedom: The announcement of the 60GHz wireless module for the Pimax Crystal promises high-quality, low-latency wireless VR experiences.
  • πŸ’» Compute Puck Concept: A vision for spatial computing that involves external compute units to lighten the headset.

Key Insights

Pimax Crystal Super

  • The new Pimax Crystal Super features a total of 29.5 million pixels, surpassing the Apple Vision Pro.
  • Employs two types of displays: QLED for vibrant colors and Micro OLED for high contrast and sharpness.
  • Utilizes aspheric glass lenses to maximize Clarity and minimize distortion, but the heavier and larger design might impact comfort.

Product Line-Up and Flexibility

  • Pimax introduced multiple products: Crystal Super, Crystal Light, and the MR cover.
  • The Pimax Crystal Super includes interchangeable optical engines, allowing users to switch between QLED and Micro OLED modules.
  • The Pimax Crystal Light offers a more affordable, pared-down version focusing solely on PCVR, removing eye tracking and standalone features to reduce cost and weight.

Wireless Module and Performance Updates

  • The 60GHz wireless module aims to provide a seamless, high-quality wireless VR experience.
  • Promises high resolution, 90Hz refresh rate, ultra-low latency, targeting Q3 2024 for release.
  • The current setup faces challenges like high battery consumption and potential signal interference.

Market and Execution Concerns

  • Despite the intriguing hardware announcements, there's skepticism regarding Pimax's ability to deliver consistent, well-supported products.
  • Comparisons made to other VR companies highlight the difficulty smaller companies face in scalable production and support.
  • Pimax's approach can divide its already niche market, making it harder to ensure product reliability and software ecosystem support.

Key Quotes

  • "The Pimax Crystal Super uses the latest QLED panel technology with a total amount of 29.5 million pixels."
  • "Our unique lens design has multiple benefits mainly bigger field of view than conventional pancake lenses."
  • "Having a wire is not a problem for many VR content such as movies or seated Sims... Freedom means the ability to choose."
  • "The point is that hardware is so hard I would never want to make a headset of my own because of the inherent risks that come with it."
  • "Meta or Apple might be better positioned for multi-use cases compared to meta's gaming-focused ecosystem."
This summary contains AI-generated information and may have important inaccuracies or omissions.