Pimax VR HMD review NDA embargo lifts: not great news for sim racers

Mascot · Sep 17, 2018

Testers are now allowed to release reviews of the final hardware, and while the Pimax units are undoubtedly a step forward for VR (higher resolution, wider FoV), the bad news seems to be that they're likely to struggle to provide adequate framerates in sim racing (even with powerful 8700k/1080ti combos). Doubts also remain about the effectiveness of Pimax's reprojection/ASW solution.

Assetto Corsa benchmarks at about 1hr 15 mins timestamp:

More reviews:

Foveated rendering can't come quickly enough, it seems.
The wider FoV for better peripheral vision in sim racing is was what got me excited about the Pimax in the first place, but it seems like PC hardware might need a couple more generations to adequately power the displays (or HMD tech needs to find efficiency solutions) before sim racing can truly benefit from this. Maybe one card per eye is required?

Anyone here backing the Pimax Kickstarter or getting ready to preorder?

Deleted member 197115 · Sep 20, 2018

Settings/Content Manager/Drive

Anton, I don't use Rift, but if you can do everything in Oculus why bother with SteamVR, native config app is always better, no?

I have to use it because there is no other way for WMR, so do Vive users. Wish there were one standard for all those HMDs.

Deleted member 197115 · Sep 20, 2018

BTW, this override works only for Rift at the moment. Check this post on how to enable it for other HMDs.

anton_Chez · Sep 20, 2018

Andrew, I actually realised that when I was looking at your settings. OpenVR triggered me to remember you weren't using an Oculus. Makes sense now.

I get a pretty good picture with my settings, but in a few months I'll have the 5K+ so I'll have to run all these tests all over again!

Deleted member 197115 · Sep 20, 2018

It looks really sharp on screenshots, Connect VR is next week, but I doubt we'll see any interesting announcements, perhaps just Santa Cruz.

o Tiger Feet o · Sep 20, 2018

Forget the reviews.. image wise. It's all changed

Furnace Inferno · Sep 20, 2018

o Tiger Feet o said:
Forget the reviews.. image wise. It's all changed

He claims that you can run Assetto Corsa on max settings at 90fps on a GTX1070, I’m sorry but no, not even on a lower resolution Rift/Vive can you do this!

Mascot · Sep 20, 2018

Steve D said:
Interesting stuff Andrew but where is this option "override default PP in Rift mode" in CM.

I can't see it for the life of me! (Using full version)

Thanks!

I've never knowingly ticked this box but can select any PP filter I want in VR, and (as @Andrew_WOT already said) Content Manager will cleverly rename it temporarily behind the scenes so that Assetto Corsa thinks it's the default one. Maybe the box is ticked by default?
TBH I've never really noticed much of a performance hit using different PP filters in VR, but I run ASW so my 45fps might be acting as a buffer. There is a 'Minimum' PP filter available for download here at RD that basically does nothing except make brake lights visible, so people should give that a go rather than running no PP filter at all, unless they like crashing into the back of their opponents.

Furnace Inferno · Sep 20, 2018

Mascot said:
I've never knowingly ticked this box but can select any PP filter I want in VR, and (as @Andrew_WOT already said) Content Manager will cleverly rename it temporarily behind the scenes so that Assetto Corsa thinks it's the default one. Maybe the box is ticked by default?
TBH I've never really noticed much of a performance hit using different PP filters in VR, but I run ASW so my 45fps might be acting as a buffer. There is a 'Minimum' PP filter available for download here at RD that basically does nothing except make brake lights visible, so people should give that a go rather than running no PP filter at all, unless they like crashing into the back of their opponents.

It doesn’t affect it too much in hotlap but with A.I it’s a pretty big hit.

anton_Chez · Sep 20, 2018

Bloody hell now I don't know what to choose again! I thought I was set on the 5K+ but now that image quality at the same SS 1.0 in PiTool has been largely equalised it's a tough choice. Also, what I thought might hurt the 8K is actually looking like being a big plus. The 80hz native refresh of the 8K makes it so that you don't need to hit the full 90hz to achieve virtual Vsync. With all testers saying that they can't tell the difference between the two refresh rates, it makes the 8K much more attractive now. I am not sure how the 5K+ will look and feel running 80hz given its native refresh is 90. It might feel a little off. This is actually a big game changer for me. If we are running both headsets at 1.0 SS, then the rendering cost is exactly the same. With less frame rate required to hit native refresh, less SDE and the potential to scale higher than the 5K+ given the appropriate hardware with a higher SS, this is almost a lock. The colour is also WAY better on the 8K from video's I've seen and I'm not sure if this is something that is going to be calibrated before they ship or something that cannot be changed.

I got an email from Pimax today too telling everyone that they need to choose. I am definitely towards the back end of the expected shipments, being backer 4000 out of nearly 6000. Still hopeful that by the end of the year we see them make it out to most if not all the backers. I'd be touch and go I reckon. If we get foveated rendering the 8K will really shine I reckon.

RobertR1 · Sep 20, 2018

@anton_Chez

The 8k will depend on how much confidence you have in Pimax improving their scaler. That's pretty much it. Having been an A/V enthusaist for decades, scaling is a major difference in low end vs high end TV's. Some guys even prefer to use an external scaler due to the IQ improvements it can provide. As evident in the video above, they are continuing to improve the scaler but it's not a guarantee.

With that said, you'll always be looking at scaled image vs native (on the 5k+) BUT the trade off is that the 8k will always have a higher pixel density meaning lower SDE than the 5k+

anton_Chez · Sep 20, 2018

Yeah I understand. The refresh is a massive one though. That alone accounts for over 10% LESS rendering performance required to run the 8K vs the 5K+ to achieve native. If the image quality is comparable now at a stock 1.0 SS, I think it's a no brainer for a sim racer. Frame rate is SUPER important. According to new GPU prices, 10% performance saved is, um, $600 AUD in my pocket. \

Thanks Pimax!

Edit: I should add if I haven't elsewhere already, that I have no interest in anything but sim racing for VR. That being said, I wouldn't be against trying out other things just to see what the new head unit can offer in terms of immersion and scale. Will be fun. But I wouldn't have it if I didn't do this stuff. Never been interested at all in VR for gaming.

Mascot · Sep 20, 2018

anton_Chez said:
Yeah I understand. The refresh is a massive one though. That alone accounts for over 10% LESS rendering performance required to run the 8K vs the 5K+ to achieve native. If the image quality is comparable now at a stock 1.0 SS, I think it's a no brainer for a sim racer. Frame rate is SUPER important. According to new GPU prices, 10% performance saved is, um, $600 AUD in my pocket. \

That overhead could also enable you to use the full FoV of the Pimax for even deeper immersion in sims. I know Pimax users have been saying that the image is distorted and blurred at the extremes of the full FoV (hence the 'medium' option, or whatever it's called), but guess what? The edges of our own peripheral vision are distorted and blurred in real life. It's just how our eyes work within their own limitations. Peripheral vision is more about awareness - if something enters it (like a car pulling alongside), we turn our heads until it's comfortable to view clearly.

I strongly believe that sim racers will want to use the maximum FoV of the Pimax for the usefulness it'll offer, and not just for the added immersion.

RobertR1 · Sep 20, 2018

Is eBay the best place to try and find people selling pre orders for Pimax?

Mascot · Sep 20, 2018

RobertR1 said:
Is eBay the best place to try and find people selling pre orders for Pimax?

Probably, but make sure to wear an anti-scalping helmet.

RobertR1 · Sep 20, 2018

Mascot said:
Probably, but make sure to wear an anti-scalping helmet.

I only let nvidia screw me.

Furnace Inferno · Sep 20, 2018

Mascot said:
That overhead could also enable you to use the full FoV of the Pimax for even deeper immersion in sims. I know Pimax users have been saying that the image is distorted and blurred at the extremes of the full FoV (hence the 'medium' option, or whatever it's called), but guess what? The edges of our own peripheral vision are distorted and blurred in real life. It's just how our eyes work within their own limitations. Peripheral vision is more about awareness - if something enters it (like a car pulling alongside), we turn our heads until it's comfortable to view clearly.

I strongly believe that sim racers will want to use the maximum FoV of the Pimax for the usefulness it'll offer, and not just for the added immersion.

The only issue with that is, with a helmet on which you’d have to wear on a track for safety the current FOV is closer to what you’d actually see. If you used helmet cam for example then you’d just see the in-game helmet rather than the headset.

anton_Chez · Sep 20, 2018

RobertR1 said:
Is eBay the best place to try and find people selling pre orders for Pimax?

Have a look on the Pimax forums. I've seen some previously listed for sale. People might be selling their pledges with the information about the current hardware requirements for their headsets. They may not want to upgrade to meet the demand.

RobertR1 said:
I only let nvidia screw me.

Haha an obvious attempt at triggering me. Kudos, good sir

Furnace Inferno said:
The only issue with that is, with a helmet on which you’d have to wear on a track for safety the current FOV is closer to what you’d actually see.

This is a pretty good way of looking at it. Even with the small FOV, it's a little bigger than what the Oculus currently offers. I think 10 or 20 degrees more. Choosing that option might still give you slightly less vision that what you could potentially have but it would simulate the restrictions of a helmet. You could then use that performance saving to either add SS in PiTool or, just crank up the in game settings until you either max out or they interfere with frame rate. There is a good chunk of options to choose from. Driving with the maximum FOV would be awesome though.

Mascot · Sep 20, 2018

Furnace Inferno said:
The only issue with that is, with a helmet on which you’d have to wear on a track for safety the current FOV is closer to what you’d actually see. If you used helmet cam for example then you’d just see the in-game helmet rather than the headset.

Oh, I know all of that - I've been using it as an excuse to not get too bothered about the scuba mask FoV of the Rift, by telling myself it's actually an immersive benefit for sim racing. In-built helmet blinkers for added realism!!11. It's a FEATURE!
The fact is I'd personally like as wide a FoV as possible for sim racing, for awareness AND immersive reasons. And anyway, if I'm cruising LA Canyons in a production car I wouldn't be wearing a helmet anyway.