Today Pimax announced it’s introducing a new business-focused ruggedized line of its “8K” series virtual reality headsets, set to release sometime this year.
According to an MRTV video interview with Pimax’s head of US operations Kevin Henderson, Pimax says it will produce ruggedized (RE) versions, dubbed Pimax “8K” RE, “5K” Plus RE and “5K” OLED RE, the latter of which is patterned after the Pimax “5K” XR (ex-“5K” BE).
The company says the new line will offer numerous hardware ruggedization features intended for high-traffic venues such as location-based entertainment (LBE) facilities, and education/training institutions.
Henderson told MRTV that ruggedization features include water resistance, a new foam insert, rigid headstrap, and thicker cabling.
Henderson additionally told Road to VR that the new RE line will feature greater shock tolerances, more robust components, metal buttons, higher lifespan switches, and accessories including a cover that can go over the front of the headset for greater protection in high-traffic environments.
There’s no word at this time on exactly when the headsets will be available to businesses, or at what price, although Henderson tells MRTV it will be due out “in the coming months” and that they’ll be priced “around $500-ish more on the per-unit basis.”
The business-focused headsets are said to include the same wide field of view and modular ability as the respective consumer versions thanks to the two USB Type-C accessory ports. The ‘RE’ headsets feature the same fundamental specs as the consumer counterparts (seen below).
Pimax is also currently in the production phase of the long-awaited SteamVR 2.0 base stations. Henderson tells MRTV that it’s “very likely the Lighthouses will beat the controllers to market,” although he admits its unclear how the company will proceed, be it through a staggered release or a controller/basestation hardware bundle. Henderson expects to release more info in the next few weeks, and that the company plans to fulfill backers first, then open up to general consumers at a later date, although the bundling issue is still undecided at this time.
A Pimax-built basestation would represent the first opportunity for consumers to purchase a 2.0 SteamVR basestation, as HTC doesn’t actively sell them individually.
Specs (Consumer Version)
Pimax “5K” Plus – $700
- Screen: CLPL(Customized low persistence liquid)
- Resolution: dual 2,560 × 1,440
- MTP: ＜15ms
- Refresh Rate: 90 Hz,Brainwarp Support
- FOV: 200° (diagonal)
- Audio: 3.5mm audio jack, integrated microphone
- Connection: USB 2.0/3.0, DP 1.4
- Sensor: SteamVR tracking, G-sensor, gyroscope, hand motion（Option）
- Fit: Adjustable headset strap/headband（Option）IPD adjustment, VR frame
- Content: SteamVR and Oculus Home
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 and AMD equivalent or above
Pimax “8K” – $900
- Screen: CLPL (Customized low persistence liquid)
- Resolution: dual 3,840 × 2,160
- MTP: <15ms
- Refresh Rate: 80 Hz, Brainwarp Support
- FOV: 200° (diagonal)
- Audio: 3.5mm audio jack, integrated microphone
- Connection: USB 2.0/3.0, DP 1.4
- Sensor: SteamVR tracking, G-sensor, gyroscope, hand motion（Option）
- Fit: Adjustable headset strap/headband（Option）IPD adjustment, VR frame
- Content: SteamVR and Oculus Home
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti and AMD equivalent or above
Pimax “5K” XR (previously BE) – $1,000
- Screen: OLED
- Resolution: dual 2,560 × 1,440
- MTP: <15ms
- Refresh Rate: 85±3 Hz
- FOV: 200° (diagonal)
- Audio: 3.5mm audio jack,integrated microphone
- Connection: USB 2.0/3.0, DP 1.4
- Sensor: SteamVR tracking, G-sensor, gyroscope, hand motion（Option）
- Fit: Adjustable headset strap/headband（Option）IPD adjustment, VR frame
- Content: SteamVR and Oculus Home
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 and AMD equivalent or above
