My Setup is SO Obsolete - Pimax Crystal Super (And other VR)

[LMGcommunity]

Linus checks out the Pimax Crystal Super and the Shiftall MeganeX superlight 8K at CES 2025 and decides whether either of these products will be his next VR purchase.

 

 

[decidedlydead]

Hi!

[smcoakley]

I'm still using the Valve Index and don't really feel the need to upgrade. Other than not so dark blacks, it looks great, the high refresh is great. I'm personally more sensitive to lower refresh rates taking me out of the experience, so I don't think I'd ever buy a headset lower than 120Hz going forward. I can take some pixellation.

[DarkSwordsman]

There seems to be these camps of "as light as possible" when it comes to VR gear. I mean, I agree, but I don't understand why we can't often have more middle-ground headset that are simply better?

The Quest 2 is 500g and the Index is 800g. Yet, I'm sure people would agree that the Index is more comfortable than the Quest 2, even with the elite strap. We *can* absolutely have headsets in the range of 200-400g, as long as they aren't super deep and bulky and the mass is distributed on the head properly. Center of Gravity.

I wish there was a legitimate middle ground, and it seems like the Quest 3S is the closest we have come to that, where it is an affordable or *not ludicrous price*.

The other thing I struggle to understand is how Meta is able to pump out $300-500 headsets that are entirely standalone, but all of the Desktop VR headsets are enthusiast-level products that are 3-5x the price.

How is it possible that no one has made an inside out desktop headset that is relatively light and probably comes in at or under $500? Wouldn't it be cheaper and easier to manufacture an HMD where you don't need to have high end mobile hardware inside? Shouldn't it be cheaper to just slap on one or two USB-C ports capable of displayport + USB connectivity and send lower bitrate camera data for inside out tracking, or even have lighthouse compatibility?

I don't understand why there is such a crazy divide, and why there isn't a more budget-oriented and simply *better* desktop VR headset.