Pimax announced back in Fall that it was not only bringing more styles of its “8K” model headsets to market this year with the entrance of the $1,300 “8K” X and the $1,000 “8K” Plus, but that backers would finally get the headsets they’ve been waiting for, with shipments of “8K” Plus slated for shipment in late October. The company however today announced in a Kickstarter update that its original 2019 shipping window for all its headsets and accessories has been pushed back into late 2019 and early 2020.
Update (December 3rd, 2019): Pimax today announced the following delays and estimated shipping dates:
- “8K” Plus – estimated to start shipping no later than the end of Dec. 2019 due to “last-minute changes to help ensure a quality launch.” Originally slated for October release.
- “8K” X – estimated to start shipping late Mar. 2020, early Apr. 2020 due to being “still in development,” with the engineering team set to finish “assembly [of] some samples for testing this week.” Originally slated for Dec. release.
- Pimax Comfort Kit – estimated to start shipping no later than the end of Dec 2019; shipping alongside “8K” Plus
- Index Controllers & SteamVR Base Stations– estimated to start shipping early Jan. 2020 due to having just received Valve Index Controllers & base stations in an OEM bulk shipment. The company says they has to design consumer packaging for items by SKU, test controllers & base stations, and assemble components for shipping to different regions (Power supplies & instructions)
- Modular Audio Strap (Standard) – estimated to start shipping late Jan. 2020, with first 20 pieces for a backers trial. Mass production is slated to arrive in late Jan.
- Modular Audio Strap (Deluxe) – estimated to start shipping Mar 2020 due to the design “still being in development to ensure quality & comfort.”
- Silicone Protective Sleeve – estimated to start shipping early Jan 2020
The original article announcing the “8K” Plus and “8K” X follows below:
Original Article (September 26th, 2019): Pimax’s base “8K” headset, priced at $900 without controllers or the requisite SteamVR basestations, already offers up dual 3,840×2,160 resolution CLPL panels, however design limitations only allow the headset to upscale from 2,560×1,440 resolution per display.
The “8K” X big claim to fame is it offers up native 3,840×2,160 rendering for each display at 75 Hz refresh, and at 90 Hz refresh when the integrated upscaler is enabled. Pimax says its using new panel tech for both “8K” X and “8K” Plus, which should provide higher contrast and deeper colors using an RBG stripe matrix LCD.
“8K” X, which was originally promised to arrive in May 2018 to Kickstarter backers, is said to start shipping to backers starting December 18th, 2019.
There’s still no word on when enthusiasts will be able to plonk down the cash for their own headset, although considering Pimax will be attending to backers first, the wait may bleed over into early 2020.
The “8K” Plus headset, which is slated to launch on October 30th, has the same panels as the “8K” X, however delivers content upscaled from 2,560×1,440 to the display’s native 3,840×2,160 resolution, just like the original “8K”.
The company says though that they’ve included a new algorithm for the upscaler, and that “8K” Plus comes with optional 65/72/90 Hz refresh rate.
Both headsets are said to include between 10-15% better panel utilization over its predecessor and the same 170-degree horizontal field of view. Both however will arrive with a new modular audio strap and a wider facial interface called a ‘comfort kit’.
Neither headset comes with controllers or SteamVR basestations, which must be purchased separately through Pimax, Valve, or HTC.
Ruggedization is coming to all models too, which consumers can op-in for by contacting the company. This includes a special rubberized coating and metallic buttons to the headset, which is said to increase durability and water resistance.
There aren’t any pre-order links yet, although we’ll update this piece when the time comes. In any case, you’ll be sure to find more info soon on Pimax’s website.
– – — – –
If you’re wondering why we’ve put 8K in quotations, its because each panel is only 4K in resolution. This means you only see the max benefit of a single display’s resolution since both are combined to form a single stereoscopic picture.