Pimax Crystal is Brilliant with iL2.

[453=IntrepidSix]

I've had the Pimax Crystal a week now and its just fantastic.

There are a few small things that could be better, in General is very good headset, quite a step up from a HP Reveb G2.

 

I can see aircraft at distance, I can see aircraft attitude, vastly improved aircraft identification.

Gameplay has improved immensely and my aim has gone from patchy to dead on, as I can see the tracer stream and adjust accordingly.  

Have had some awesome battles in Berloga dogfighting server, winning more than my fair share, I can see aircraft against the ground easily allowing me to pick the enemy on the far side.

Pimax Crystal comes highly recommended, its iL2 as it should be.

 

453=IntrepidSix

[[CPT]Crunch]

How does the overall field of views seem to you compared to the G-2? 

[BBAS_Tiki_Joe]

Mine gets here the day after tomorrow. Cannot wait, its great to hear its working well with IL2!

[453=IntrepidSix]

The FOV is a little bigger than the G2, its not a massive gain in FOV but it is bigger and you can see more.

I find it far easier to look behind as the larger FOV allows to see without having to really crank my head around trying to track an aircraft.

Plus with the excellent visuals I don't have an issue spotting or seeing other aircraft.

[Picchio]

It's hardly a comparison when its cost isn't comparable at all ?

[Broadway]

Had for 6 weeks now  , would say FOV similar to G2 horizontal , higher vertically 

[Drum]

What's the colours look like in IL-2 guys?  Does it look washed-out at all, or comparable to a monitor?

[spreckair]

When it comes to identifying aircraft at long distance, how does it compare to a, let's say, 2k screen?  Is it as clear?

[Broadway]

Colours

I think at least in VR il2 is fairly washed out , had issues  with G2, Crystal is a lot better but not perfect, and with local dimming and bright screens coupled with openxr controls i can get a good  picture 

 

Spotting

I cannot compare to a 2D screen as have been 2 years in VR, compared to G2 a lot better spotting, and exceptionally better at ID ing aircraft. 

[dgiatr]

13 hours ago, =DW=_Broadway said:

 

 

Spotting

I cannot compare to a 2D screen as have been 2 years in VR, compared to G2 a lot better spotting, and exceptionally better at ID ing aircraft. 

Spoiler

 

...keeping the same resolution comparing to G2 or did you change it?

 

Edited July 22, 2023 by dgiatr

[Broadway]

Been playing with it local dimming settings and had contrast and brightness settings, also trying to get 90 fps for on line servers, ended up about 3700x4000

[453=IntrepidSix]

On 7/21/2023 at 1:36 AM, spreckair said:

When it comes to identifying aircraft at long distance, how does it compare to a, let's say, 2k screen?  Is it as clear?

My Wingman is using a high contrast 2K Screen and use to out see me all the time with the Reverb G2, Now I'm easily out spotting him with the Crystal.

As you get closer it far easier to ID the aircraft, high nose fat wings, its a spitfire, etc...

[dgiatr]

10 hours ago, =DW=_Broadway said:

, also trying to get 90 fps for on line servers, ended up about 3700x4000

Thats a very high resolution number for sure but doesnt kill your far away spotting ability with that high number since enemy aircraft dot size is quite small and it has to come quite close for you to see it?

[Dagwoodyt]

On 7/18/2023 at 8:20 AM, BBAS_Tiki_Joe said:

Mine gets here the day after tomorrow. Cannot wait, its great to hear its working well with IL2!

There yet?

[BBAS_Tiki_Joe]

On 7/22/2023 at 1:08 PM, Dagwoodyt said:

There yet?

 

I got it, it was indeed amazing in IL2. Clarity is amazing, Performance took a bit of tweaking but I got running great. 90fps with my 4090. Unfortunately, I'm having to do an RMA for a display problem. It had about 100 little red stuck pixels when I got it. I'm hoping my replacement comes in sometime next week.

[Dagwoodyt]

5 hours ago, BBAS_Tiki_Joe said:

 

I got it, it was indeed amazing in IL2. Clarity is amazing, Performance took a bit of tweaking but I got running great. 90fps with my 4090. Unfortunately, I'm having to do an RMA for a display problem. It had about 100 little red stuck pixels when I got it. I'm hoping my replacement comes in sometime next week.

Please let us know how the RMA works out. Pimax Reddit suggests QC issues and some instances of "radio silence" from Pimax after full payment for the Crystal creating an unpleasant purchase experience.

[Black-Bart]

Is DFR working in the Crystal now and does DFR work with IL2?

[=1stROF=sweepy]

Could you share your OpenXR/PimaxXR settings here?
I am genuinely interested how you have configured it.
(Especially the impactful settings on each tab) Thanks in advance!

[Charlo-VRde]

@=1stROF=sweepy if you didn’t notice it already, check out the below thread for what a couple of us figured out for the Crystal (we found that SteamVR surprisingly was easier with better performance)

 

[Talisman]

Quick question if I may.  Can standard earphones be worn over the Crystal?

 

I ask because I still like to use my own earphones with my Pimax 5k+ as the sound is great and they provide haptic feedback.

 

I don't intend to get the Crystal at the moment as it looks like earphones may not fit over the top and I don't want to use sound provided by the Crystal.

 

Thank you for considering my question.

 

Happy landings,

 

Talisman

[TAIPAN_]

13 hours ago, 56RAF_Talisman said:

Quick question if I may.  Can standard earphones be worn over the Crystal?

 

I ask because I still like to use my own earphones with my Pimax 5k+ as the sound is great and they provide haptic feedback.

 

I don't intend to get the Crystal at the moment as it looks like earphones may not fit over the top and I don't want to use sound provided by the Crystal.

 

Thank you for considering my question.

 

Happy landings,

 

Talisman

 

I'm not sure if over-ear headphones would fit, but you can see the process of removing the speakers in this video.

 

I'd recommend you ask in the Pimax discord or Pimax reddit for any user that's done it if anything gets in the way, might depend on which headphones.

 

 

 

 

[DBCOOPER011]

13 hours ago, 56RAF_Talisman said:

Quick question if I may.  Can standard earphones be worn over the Crystal?

 

I ask because I still like to use my own earphones with my Pimax 5k+ as the sound is great and they provide haptic feedback.

 

I don't intend to get the Crystal at the moment as it looks like earphones may not fit over the top and I don't want to use sound provided by the Crystal.

 

Thank you for considering my question.

 

Happy landings,

 

Talisman

 

I'm waiting for my crystal to get shipped and was thinking the same thing. A google search revealed the reddit post below, so it appears possible..

 

https://www.reddit.com/r/Pimax/comments/14s301a/astro_a50_pimax_crystal/

 

[mbucchia]

On 8/3/2023 at 9:37 AM, Black-Bart said:

Is DFR working in the Crystal now and does DFR work with IL2?

I've heard mixed reports about this. Some said it worked with IL2, some said it did not.

Note: Pimax FR injection only works with OpenVR. So you need to ditch OpenComposite before you try it.

 

Assuming that Pimax FFR/DFR is working with IL-2, then it's possible (and very easy) to make it work with other headsets (with eye tracking or not) that way.

Edited September 13, 2023 by mbucchia

[mbucchia]

Nevermind, looks like the outcome is the same as with OpenXR Toolkit:

 

 

It "works" but causes crashes after a while, just like we observed with OpenXR Toolkit (and the reason I blocked it).

[Charlo-VRde]

4 hours ago, mbucchia said:

Nevermind, looks like the outcome is the same as with OpenXR Toolkit:

 

 

It "works" but causes crashes after a while, just like we observed with OpenXR Toolkit (and the reason I blocked it).

 

I'm not convinced DFR works at all with IL-2, as I can't replicate any FPS gain like I did yesterday, and I don't see any visual improvement or evidence there is any foveated rendering going on in IL-2.

 

Also, @TAIPAN_ and I suspect running fpsVR may be the cause of crashes using DFR.

Edited September 13, 2023 by Charlo-VR

[mbucchia]

49 minutes ago, Charlo-VR said:

 

I'm not convinced DFR works at all with IL-2, as I can't replicate any FPS gain like I did yesterday, and I don't see any visual improvement or evidence there is any foveated rendering going on in IL-2.

 

Also, @TAIPAN_ and I suspect running fpsVR may be the cause of crashes using DFR.

They have a secret option that's like OpenXR Toolkit "Cull" resolution which makes it really obvious whether it's working, however I don't have a user-friendly way to tell you how to enable it.

I might have to try myself with my modded version.

[Talisman]

13 hours ago, DBCOOPER011 said:

 

I'm waiting for my crystal to get shipped and was thinking the same thing. A google search revealed the reddit post below, so it appears possible..

 

https://www.reddit.com/r/Pimax/comments/14s301a/astro_a50_pimax_crystal/

 

 

Thank you so much for this!   Brilliant!

 

Happy landings,

 

Talisman

[DBCOOPER011]

On 9/13/2023 at 8:07 AM, 56RAF_Talisman said:

 

Thank you so much for this!   Brilliant!

 

Happy landings,

 

Talisman

 

No problem. I can confirm my V-Moda headphones fit perfectly over the crystal and apache strap. My Steelseries headphones are a little too big and dont fit well enough. 

[chiliwili69]

A long review of the Crystal (in Spanish but you can activate subtitles):

 

 

PROs:

- Good vision 35ppd , comparable to Aero.

- Better Vertical FOV and overlap than Aero.

- Eye Tracking

- Local dimming

 

CONs:

- Same full bulky design (it would not be needed for normal lenses and FOV)

- Too much weight (with battery about 1.2 Kg) and moment of inertia in quick turns

- Battery required for PCVR

- Worse comfort than Aero

 

 

[TAIPAN_]

7 hours ago, chiliwili69 said:

A long review of the Crystal (in Spanish but you can activate subtitles):

 

PROs:

- Good vision 35ppd , comparable to Aero.

- Better Vertical FOV and overlap than Aero.

- Eye Tracking

- Local dimming

 

CONs:

- Same full bulky design (it would not be needed for normal lenses and FOV)

- Too much weight (with battery about 1.2 Kg) and moment of inertia in quick turns

- Battery required for PCVR

- Worse comfort than Aero

 

 

 

I think they missed a good opportunity to make a killer PC VR version.

If they made without the battery the bulk and weight would be mostly gone, as would the hassle of charging etc. 

 

I've put up with the battery simply because there is no other option to get this image quality and good eye tracking results (in DCS only).

 

In terms of comfort I've solved that by aftermarket mods, but due to the weight I do need it tighter on my face if I'm moving my head alot (dogfighting).

 

In DCS I can do very long sessions (6 hours) due to the charging ability of the USB hub that charges whenever I put the headset down for more than 30 seconds in between flights, but personally I still think having the battery is the biggest downside to the headset.  IL2 unfortunately I need to set it to leave the screen on or IL2 can freeze VR and controls when you take a break. That means shorter sessions in IL2 unless you swap the battery.

 

I may possibly use the AIO mode in future, but I doubt it would be more than 5% of my gaming time because I suspect AIO games will be more of those simpler type VR games that I'm not really into. 

Edited September 26, 2023 by TAIPAN_

[Gunfreak]

14 hours ago, TAIPAN_ said:

 

I think they missed a good opportunity to make a killer PC VR version.

If they made without the battery the bulk and weight would be mostly gone, as would the hassle of charging etc. 

 

I've put up with the battery simply because there is no other option to get this image quality and good eye tracking results (in DCS only).

 

In terms of comfort I've solved that by aftermarket mods, but due to the weight I do need it tighter on my face if I'm moving my head alot (dogfighting).

 

In DCS I can do very long sessions (6 hours) due to the charging ability of the USB hub that charges whenever I put the headset down for more than 30 seconds in between flights, but personally I still think having the battery is the biggest downside to the headset.  IL2 unfortunately I need to set it to leave the screen on or IL2 can freeze VR and controls when you take a break. That means shorter sessions in IL2 unless you swap the battery.

 

I may possibly use the AIO mode in future, but I doubt it would be more than 5% of my gaming time because I suspect AIO games will be more of those simpler type VR games that I'm not really into. 

Yeah whomever decided this should also be stand alone should be spanked.

I can't think of anyone who would use this without cables. 

I haven't actually used the USB hub yet, as some say there are connection issues. So I've had it directly connected to computer. But now that I have my Pimax up and running and done some 2+ hour sessions. I think it's time to use the hub.

[TAIPAN_]

8 hours ago, Gunfreak said:

Yeah whomever decided this should also be stand alone should be spanked.

I can't think of anyone who would use this without cables. 

I haven't actually used the USB hub yet, as some say there are connection issues. So I've had it directly connected to computer. But now that I have my Pimax up and running and done some 2+ hour sessions. I think it's time to use the hub.

Yeah connection issues to me where related to the cable being loose in the back of the hub. Can tape it in. Secondary cause was picking a good USB port on the motherboard to plug the hub into, and rebooting after any installs/updates. 

[ACG_Lancaster]

Is anyone experiencing game crashes with the Crystal and IL2?

[Varibraun]

2 hours ago, ACG_Lancaster said:

Is anyone experiencing game crashes with the Crystal and IL2?

 

FWIW - I haven't had any issues with the Crystal and game crashes - played a couple of hours last night.  But, I haven't yet updated my 4090 driver to the latest Nvidia release either.

[1Sascha]

On 9/6/2023 at 4:27 PM, =1stROF=sweepy said:

Could you share your OpenXR/PimaxXR settings here?
I am genuinely interested how you have configured it.
(Especially the impactful settings on each tab) Thanks in advance!

I sure hope you'll be bringing that new set of yours to the meet this weekend, Sweep. ?

 

S.

[ACG_Lancaster]

5 hours ago, Varibraun said:

 

FWIW - I haven't had any issues with the Crystal and game crashes - played a couple of hours last night.  But, I haven't yet updated my 4090 driver to the latest Nvidia release either.

I never got them with the Quest 2 but experiencing them frequently with the Crystal. Twice last night. What could potentially cause those?

[TAIPAN_]

9 hours ago, ACG_Lancaster said:

I never got them with the Quest 2 but experiencing them frequently with the Crystal. Twice last night. What could potentially cause those?

You have to turn off Foveated Rendering in Pimax Play. IL2 will crash if it's on when you have either sharpness, FXAA, or a heavy mission. 

 

[slikslik]

I want to buy the Crystal, but I have concerns re the FOV.  For example,..when in the cockpit,do you get black bars on the side like looking down a hallway?   Do you get the FULL cockpit similar to what you would get with tthe 8kx?   My first VR HMD was the Rift S, but it was like looking through binoculars.  Is the Crystal similar to the Rift S with respect to that FOV?   Meantime, I'm happy with my 8kx.  It's the ONLY affordable HMD with a FOV as wide as that headset.  Is it possible to get a screen shot sitting in the cockpit showing the same view that you have through your Crystal?  Thanks for any info on this.   Take care...Eddie.

[TimSell75]

16 minutes ago, slikslik said:

I want to buy the Crystal, but I have concerns re the FOV.  For example,..when in the cockpit,do you get black bars on the side like looking down a hallway?   Do you get the FULL cockpit similar to what you would get with tthe 8kx?   My first VR HMD was the Rift S, but it was like looking through binoculars.  Is the Crystal similar to the Rift S with respect to that FOV?   Meantime, I'm happy with my 8kx.  It's the ONLY affordable HMD with a FOV as wide as that headset.  Is it possible to get a screen shot sitting in the cockpit showing the same view that you have through your Crystal?  Thanks for any info on this.   Take care...Eddie.

I come from the 8kx. The Crystal has a HFOV of 104° for me. I got 160° in the 8kx, so it is a clear downgrade in this regard.

 

The sharpness, cleariness, colors etc. is much better though. I can spot planes like it was never possible in the 8kx, also it is more comfortable for me.

The upcoming big FOV lenses will give something like 115°. Still way less then the 8kx, but excaptable for me regarding the other advances to the 8kx.

 

[TAIPAN_]

5 hours ago, slikslik said:

I want to buy the Crystal, but I have concerns re the FOV.  For example,..when in the cockpit,do you get black bars on the side like looking down a hallway?   Do you get the FULL cockpit similar to what you would get with tthe 8kx?   My first VR HMD was the Rift S, but it was like looking through binoculars.  Is the Crystal similar to the Rift S with respect to that FOV?   Meantime, I'm happy with my 8kx.  It's the ONLY affordable HMD with a FOV as wide as that headset.  Is it possible to get a screen shot sitting in the cockpit showing the same view that you have through your Crystal?  Thanks for any info on this.   Take care...Eddie.

 

I don't feel like it's black bars like what you'd see in a 2D movie, but I definitely do have something like the "binocular" effect you described. It's more like wearing a motorcycle helmet not a binocular.. because the vertical FOV is fantastic. When I merge with an enemy plane and he flies past me (above me when I'm sideways) I tilt my head back and I can follow him most of the way until I get the plane turned around. I wouldn't be able to do that sideways. In terms of dogfighting the vertical is very useful.

 

For the cockpit you can see all of the cockpit front panel for sure, the amount of sides that you see depends on seat position.

 

Not sure how to take a screenshot because whenever I've done it in the past it takes it of the desktop 2D mirror.

 

Even when I record a video in OpenXR OBS Mirror it doesn't seem to show the full horizontal FOV because it's using the mirror of only one eye. 

If it's useful this is a video of me flying the DCS Tomcat in the Cystal (I haven't setup IL2 for recording yet sorry). At several points where the chatlog on the left is cutoff a bit I know while actually flying it's not cutoff so imagine the FOV being slightly wider. The view is taken from the right eye.

 

Note that the full vertical FOV is not shown either, I actually have to cut off quite a bit of the vertical FOV just to get it down to 4:3 ratio otherwise the vertical pixels are actually more than the horizontal.

 

ps don't look at any of my other videos, they are all from TrackIR days.

 

 

Edited November 9, 2023 by TAIPAN_