PC VR News & Reviews

Pimax recently announced it was being forced to change a key component in all Crystal Super PC VR headsets and display accessories moving forward, effectively making one of VR’s most modular headsets decidedly less so.

The News

Crystal Super is renowned for being highly modular thanks to its ability to swap optical engines, which includes a 50 PPD, 57 PPD, micro-OLED, and ultrawide (140° FOV) modules.

Launched just last year, Crystal Super initially shipped with a custom 70-pin connector, which married up to all of those accessories on offer. Simply swap out a module, and you suddenly have a PC VR headset with a higher pixel density, better clarity, or wider field-of-view.

Now, Pimax says in a blog post its supplier for those 70-pin connectors is discontinuing the part, which has left the company in the lurch, forcing it to change the key component that made its optical display ecosystem so modular in the first place.

In the blog post, Pimax says it’s now allocated “all remaining stock of this connector to the Crystal Super to ensure compatibility with all optical engine variants,” noting that there will now be two (incompatible) variants of the Crystal Super in production and circulation.

Pimax says it’s going to ameliorate this by matching headsets and optical engines at the time of purchase, which it’s doing both from the factory with full kits and by matching user-provided headset serial numbers when headset owners return to buy single modules.

While Pimax bought all of the last remaining stock of those original 70-pin connectors and maintains it has “ample inventory”, it’s admittedly a number that will only get smaller. Pimax’s Head of Communication Jaap Grolleman is optimistic though that supplies will last.

“Based on previous headset sales and survey data (and sales estimations), we think we have enough stock to supply current (70-pin) Crystal Super owners with matching optical engines throughout their product lifetime,” Jaap Grolleman tells Road to VR.

“This was also one of the reasons why we delayed the Crystal Super Lighthouse, as that model swapped the 70-pin for a USB-C connector—and it’s also one of the reasons that now new Crystal Super headsets are produced with the new pin; to keep enough stock of the 70-pin for optical engine production for those owners,” Grolleman says.

A very real wrinkle in all of this: there’s no visual indicator of which pin style you might have just by looking at it, which puts the onus entirely on the user. Although Pimax’s solution is to simply provide the headset’s serial number when ordering directly from the company, that makes buying on the secondhand market a bit more tricky.

“There is no visual difference (and no performance difference), although the pins have a different width. Telling them apart is very difficult for users unless the optical engines are directly compared side by side,” Grolleman says.

Notably, Pimax says you can contact them when encountering compatibility issues with secondhand modules, although that’s going to have to be after the fact since it’s so difficult to tell between the two. Pimax hasn’t said whether more modular optical engines are on the way besides the ones already released.

That said, the pin connector switch is not entirely out of the blue, as the company warned users late last year that sourcing the 70-pin connector could be an issue. Still, Grolleman says around 10 to 20 optical engines with the new connector pin were shipped prior to the company’s announcement, which was released on Monday.

“We knew this change would come in the future, but with multiple teams working in parallel, there was an information gap and the first batch had already been shipped out. We’ll do an internal review, and we’ll also contact these users as soon as possible,” Grolleman says.

My Take

The question isn’t whether this all leads to fragmentation, resale risk, or consumer confusion for Crystal Super, because it plainly does. It’s whether Pimax users are willing to continue to invest in a modular ecosystem that’s been so uncomfortably split mid-generation.

I can’t answer that question for you, although I can highlight this: we don’t know whether the company has plans for more optical engines, which could make issues worse for users with a 70-pin connector headset, as it will strain supplies even further. We also don’t know how long the company expects to produce Crystal Super before it goes onto its next big gamble. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned about Pimax over the past decade, there’s always something new on the horizon.

Which is weird. If any other company absolutely borked sourcing a key component like Pimax did with its linchpin connector—undoubtedly putting a big asterisk next to the word “modular” when talking about Crystal Super—it would be a serious sign that something is wrong. But for Pimax, these sort of perpetual teething issues just seems like the price of innovation. So, I just can’t say I’m surprised.

Shiftall, the Japan-based VR hardware startup, is no longer working with Panasonic on its MeganeX series of thin and light PC VR headsets.

Initially acquired by Panasonic in 2018, Shiftall developed a number of devices as the company’s ad hoc internal skunk works, including the first MeganeX PC VR headset, HaritoraX wireless body trackers, FlipVR motion controllers, and mutalk soundproof microphones.

While Panasonic sold off Shiftall in early 2024, the companies continued to collaborate on the MeganeX headset series.

Now, according to a Shiftall press statement (via Mogura), Panasonic is officially no longer involved with development of MeganeX as of December 2025.

“As a result, Panasonic will transfer the MeganeX series business assets to Shiftall,” the company says, machine translated from Japanese. “And from 2026 onwards, Shiftall will continue to develop, sell and provide customer support (for both businesses and individuals) for the MeganeX series.”

Shiftall’s latest PC VR headset is the MeganeX “8K” Mark II, a follow-up to its thin and light PC VR headset originally launched late last year, the MeganeX superlight “8K”.

MeganeX “8K” Mark II contains the same 3,552 × 3,840 per-eye micro-OLEDs as superlight, supporting up to 90 Hz refresh, and the same SteamVR tracking standard, which requires the user to buy SteamVR 1.0/2.0 base stations separately.

After multiple delays, Pimax has finally begun shipping its next PC VR headset, albeit in “small batches,” which arrive with a fabric headstrap—something of a temporary solution until the company can ship out its official headstrap.

The News

Dream Air is Pimax’s first thing and light PC VR headset, which is set to arrive with Sony’s high-end micro-OLED panels, packing in a 13.6MP (3,840 × 3,552) per-eye resolution.

Now, Pimax told Road to VR that it actually began shipping Dream Air in “small batches” before the end of the year for the purposes of external beta testing.

While official shipments are set to kick off sometime this month, a few users have already received Dream Air with what Jaap Grolleman, Pimax’s Head of Communications, describes as a stopgap measure to get the first units out the door.

“We’re still working on the final backstrap, but we don’t want to make that a showstopper to start shipping and start collecting feedback on the headset,” Grolleman said in a recent video.

Those early batches of Pimax Dream Air are shipping with what the company calls its “2D headstrap”, as it’s made out of fabric, with Grolleman noting that it’s “perfectly fine to use, even in long sessions as it hugs your head from behind and slightly above.”

A “3D headstrap”—more of an Apple Vision Pro-inspired knit affair—is said to arrive later to who initially received the 2D strap with their order.

Pimax hasn’t provided info on when the 3D strap will arrive, or when the company will cut off shipments including the 2D strap.

Notably, Pimax says it’s also developing a “hard backstrap,” which includes off-ear audio, which will be available sometime after Dream Air begins its wider rollout.

As for Dream Air SE—the cheaper variant which uses 6.5MP (2,560 × 2,560) per-eye displays—Pimax says small batches will begin shipping out in February 2026.

Pimax initially announced Dream Air last December, as it hoped to enter the emergent thin and light PC VR headset segment, which includes entries such as Bigscreen Beyond and Shiftall MaganeX Superlight 8K. The headset however suffered a number of delays following its planned May 2025 launch.

My Take

If you’ve been following Pimax, you already know this is how they operate: official announcements and initial shipping dates feel more like walking into a brainstorming session, as the company often changes designs, specs, and release windows multiple times before official release. Along the way, the company usually tends to announce other devices, making the reporting process more like taking apart a watch to see what time it is.

On the face of it, you might think that’s fairly amateurish behavior, but Pimax has proven to do what few companies can: publicly iterate with the expectation that it will eventually deliver.

It’s been that way ever since the company funded its original 2017 Pimax “4K” headset via Kickstarter—back when Pimax announced it was releasing the first consumer-oriented wide-FOV PC VR headset alongside a bevy of modular accessories. Some of those never came, and some arrived two years later.

Okay, maybe that was amateurish, but the company is still here, and still serving up competitive hardware, which says something.

Sharp announced it’s launching a crowdfunding campaign for a slim and light PC VR headset in Japan, called Xrostella VR1.

The News

Sharp first showed off a PC VR headset prototype at CES 2023, which was supposedly meant to ship sometime in 2024. It’s been nearly three years since we last heard about the headset, however during a recent Metaverse Expo in Japan, Sharp unveiled a newer version of the device, as demoed by Gizmodo Japan.

Now, Sharp says it’s slated to sell the device in Japan via crowdfunding platform Green Funding starting sometime in November, which it’s now dubbing ‘Xrostella VR1’.

Xrostella VR1 connects to either a Windows 11 PC or a limited number of smartphones via a wired connection. The company has confirmed compatibility with Sharp’s AQUOS sense10, with more models soon to be revealed.

Weighing in at just 198g and sporting what Sharp calls in a Japanese language press statement a “glasses-like design,” the headset includes dual 2,160 × 2,160 per eye LCD displays clocked up to 90Hz.

It also makes use of “thin, light-efficient pancake lens,” providing a 90 degree field of view (FOV), and cameras for both inside-out 6DOF tracking and color passthrough.

Included controllers appear to be a standard ‘Touch’-style affair that shipped with Quest 2 in 2020, replete with tracking rings, which comes in stark contrast to the company’s recent controller prototype, which combines standard button input with a unique haptic glove.

Additionally, Xrostella VR1 features a mechanism for adjusting the interpupillary distance (IPD) and diopter from 0D to -9.0D, which will allow nearsighted users to wear without needing glasses.

Pricing has yet to be confirmed, however Gizmodo Japan speculates it could be “more expensive than the Meta Quest 3,” which is priced at ¥81,400 (~$530 USD).

My Take

If you saw the specs and did a double take, you’re not alone. While having independent diopter adjustments is cool, it’s a shame Sharp is going so weak in the display department, as  it essentially delivers a resolution only slightly higher than Quest 3.

And while the form factor is interesting on paper, I have my doubts that ~198g will weigh lightly on the bridge of your nose without having some sort of strap you can crank down, or otherwise better distribute weight for longer sessions—making its ‘glasses’ form factor more akin to headset with rigid, non-configurable straps. It all smacks of an aging headset design, recalling devices like HTC Vive Flow (2021), which feels remarkably heavy on the face, even at 189g.

Granted, marketing images don’t show the buckled strap system seen below, so there’s no telling what it will ship with. But the fact the company was demoing with the strap tells me everything I need to know about just how front-heavy it will be.

Still, it may not be as ‘DOA’ as you might think despite the thin and light PC VR segment growing to include a bevy of devices: Bigscreen Beyond 2 ($1,020), Pimax’s Dream Air SE ($900 – $1,200) coming December, and fellow Japanese brand Shiftall, which is releasing its latest MeganeX PC VR headset in December too for $1,900. It could be significantly cheaper if it were closer to Quest 3 in price, which would be really interesting to watch.

That said, Sharp’s VR headset is likely going to be a Japan-only device, which means the company will probably be leaning hard on the fact that it’s being produced and serviced domestically—regardless of price.

While mostly known for televisions and home applainces in the West, Sharp actually holds a significant slice of the smartphone market share in Japan. Despite foreign brands like Samsung and Google making recent headway in the country, Sharp remains a trusted name that Japanese consumers may simply feel more comfortable dealing with.

Shiftall unveiled its next PC VR headset, the MeganeX “8K” Mark II, which is slated to ship in December for $1,900.

The News

Japan-based Shiftall announced MeganeX “8K” Mark II, the follow-up to its thin and light PC VR headset originally launched late last year, the MeganeX superlight “8K”.

The new version is essentially a hardware refresh with only a few notable changes, which mostly aim to improve comfort, durability, and system internals.

The headset contains the same 3,552 × 3,840 per-eye micro-OLEDs, supporting up to 90 Hz refresh, and the same SteamVR tracking standard, which requires the user to buy SteamVR 1.0/2.0 base stations separately.

Here’s a breakdown of all of the changes announced by Shiftall:

• New chip: The CPU and operating system (OS) have been upgraded, and the firmware has been newly developed, reducing the startup time to less than one-fifth of the previous model. Connection stability with PCs and SteamVR has been improved, and the firmware update process has been improved for greater reliability.
• New Pancake lenses: Shiftall says they’re newly designed by Panasonic Group.
• Redesigned USB-C cable connection: previously located on the top of the headset, the USB-C port has been moved to the front and structurally reinforced for improved durability. A specially developed intermediate USB cable enhances connection stability and prevents issues caused by wear or accidental disconnection.
• Refined nose gap: Sharp plastic edges no longer come into contact with ‘Western’ nose shapes. The material and shape around the nose area have been improved for greater comfort.
• New Strap material: A new strap material has been adopted, and includes better durability of the hook-and-loop fastener.

Estimated to start shipping in late December, MeganeX Mark II is now available for pre-order.

The headset (SteamVR base stations not included) is priced at $1,900 in the US (excluding import duty), €1,900 in Europe (VAT included), £1,600 in the UK (VAT included), and ₩2,499,000 in South Korea (VAT included).

Specs

Feature	MeganeX Superlight “8K”	MeganeX “8K” Mark II
Display	3,552 × 3,840 (micro-OLED, 10-bit HDR)	3,552 × 3,840 (micro-OLED, 10-bit HDR)
Refresh rates	90 Hz (support for 75 Hz / 72 Hz)	90 Hz (support for 75 Hz / 72 Hz)
Lens type	Pancake lenses (Panasonic group)	Pancake lenses (newly designed from Panasonic)
Weight (main body)	< 185 g	179 g
IPD & focus adjustment	Electric IPD 58–72 mm; diopter adjust 0D to –7D	Electric IPD 58–72 mm; diopter adjust 0D to –7D
Connectivity / tracking ecosystem	DisplayPort + USB 2.0, SteamVR tracking (base stations required)	DisplayPort + USB 2.0, SteamVR tracking (base stations required)

My Take

You may have noticed I’ve put “8K” in quotes throughout this announcement. That’s to indicate that headset doesn’t actually provide 8K per-eye displays.

While companies like Shiftall and Pimax typically err on the side of the biggest number, I see this as more of a marketing device than a true reflection of what the end user actually sees. Because it’s using dual 3,552 × 3,840 micro-OLEDs, the user doesn’t actually perceive an 8K image. By that maxim, Quest 3 could be labeled with “4K”, owing to its dual 2,064 × 2,208 displays, and Oculus Rift CV1 could be labeled “2K” according to its dual 1,080 × 1,200 displays. Impressive sounding, but a bit misleading.

That said, Shiftall thinks resolution is a better catch-all for VR headsets, which I disagree with since its target audience will probably understand the nuances of displays and optics anyway.

“We have decided against publishing official FOV and PPD numbers,” Shiftall says, referring to the original MeganeX superlight “8K”. “If an industry-standard measurement method were established, such as the method used to calculate fuel consumption for automobiles, we would disclose our figures, but this is not the case in the current VR industry.”

Still, I suspect potential enterprise and prosumers looking to shell out $1,900 for a single headset—no controllers or base stations included—are already familiar with pixels per degree (PPD) and binocular overlap, which are more useful, albeit less flashy metrics. On that front, MeganeX “8K” Mark II is impressive. Its pancake lenses provide a reported ~100-degree horizontal FOV, which seems to deliver a near 100 percent binocular overlap.

Using the formula to get PPD (Horizontal Pixel Count ÷ Horizontal Field of View), it also tops the competition, coming out to around 35.5 PPD: larger than Pimax Dream Air ($2,000) at 35 PPD, and Bigscreen Beyond 2 ($1,020) at 32 PPD.

Whatever the case, I think its time to retire these sorts of resolution claims championed outside of the spec sheet, if only to lend more credibility to the company in question. And the same goes for the questionable Photoshop jobs too.

Pimax issued an update detailing its upcoming fleet of micro-OLED PC VR headsets, which also included info on a delay affecting its thin and light headsets, Dream Air and Dream Air SE.

The update, seen at the bottom of the article, details three products Pimax is preparing to ship:

• Dream Air – Thin and light PC VR headset containing Sony Micro OLED panels (3,840 × 3,552 pixels per eye) and concave-view pancake optics, delivering 110° horizontal FOV, eye-tracking, auto-IPD adjustment, spatial audio, and DisplayLink. 
• Dream Air SE – Lower resolution version of Dream Air containing Sony Micro OLED panels (2,560 × 2,560 pixels per eye) and all of the above.
• Crystal Super (Micro OLED Engine) – A new swappable optical module for Pimax’s flagship Crystal Super, serving up to 116° horizontal FOV with the same panels and lenses as Dream Air.

Pimax announced Dream Air last December, which was set to serve up competition to thin and light PC VR headsets like Bigscreen Beyond and Shiftall MaganeX Superlight 8K. While launch was initially planned for May 2025, the headset was subsequently delayed to Q3 2025.

Now, Pimax says both the SteamVR tracking versions of Dream Air and Dream Air SE, the latter of which was announced in May, are scheduled to ship sometime in December.

While the SteamVR tracking version (aka ‘Lighthouse’) are shipping this year, Pimax is offering SLAM versions of both headsets, which don’t require external base stations. The SLAM variants are said to start an “external beta test” in December—so no word on when those ship just yet.

As for Crystal Super’s new swappable micro-OLED optical module, a version of the headset containing the module will start shipping in October. There’s no mention of whether that also means prior Crystal Super owners will be able to purchase the module by itself in that time frame.

Check out all the specs, price and release date info Pimax announced during its big update below:

Note: Pimax breaks up its pricing structure with an upfront cost of around 60% of the final price. The remainder is paid as a software fee that gives users unlimited access to Pimax Play, which is offered in a 14-day trial. Pimax Play is required for the headset to work.

Pimax Dream Air Specs

• Display: Sony Micro-OLED screen (3840 × 3552 pixels per eye)
• Optics: 110-degree horizontal FOV with Pimax’s ConcaveView optics
• Weight: <170 grams>
• Features:
  • DFR-ready eye-tracking
  • Hand tracking
  • SLAM tracking or Lighthouse tracking
  • 6DOF controllers
  • Integrated spatial audio
  • Dual fan for proper cooling
  • Powered by Pimax Play
  • Split DisplayPort Cable
• Price: $1,999 for SteamVR tracking version (shipping in December), $2,299 for SLAM tracking version (beta testing in December)

Pimax Dream Air SE Specs

• Display: Sony Micro-OLED screen (2,560 × 2,560 pixels per eye)
• Optics: 105-degree horizontal FOV with Pimax’s ConcaveView optics
• Weight: <140 grams>
• Features:
  • DFR-ready eye-tracking
  • Hand tracking
  • SLAM tracking or Lighthouse tracking
  • 6DOF controllers
  • Integrated spatial audio
  • Dual fan for proper cooling
  • Powered by Pimax Play
  • Split DisplayPort Cable
• Price: $899 for SteamVR tracking version (shipping in December), $ 1,199 for SLAM tracking version (beta testing in December)

Crystal Super Micro-OLED Specs

• Display: Sony Micro-OLED screen (3840 × 3552 pixels per eye)
• Optics: 116-degree horizontal FOV with Pimax’s ConcaveView optics
• Weight: ?
• Features:
  • DFR-ready eye-tracking
  • Hand tracking
  • SLAM tracking (Lighthouse optional)
  • 6DOF controllers
  • Integrated spatial audio
  • Dual fan for proper cooling
  • Powered by Pimax Play
  • Split DisplayPort Cable
• Price: $2,199 for full headset & module (shipping in October)