Upcoming VR Headsets (WIP Discussion).

VRXVR

This discussion is about upcoming VR headsets. The Confirmed, Rumored and Purely Speculated. Inspired by our friend @sogman

Everyone is welcome to contribute and most importantly correct and renew this info if I missed something as I wrote this post from my mind and from what I recall through the years of reading VR news.

1- Valve Deckard: Rumored to be released in late 2025. I strongly believe it will be the best one if you're into Gaming and Media consumption. It will be both Standalone (Running Steam OS 3.6+ Like in Steam Deck) and a PCVR Headset connected via DisplayPort. Specs still not known.

2- Pimax Crystal Super: Shipping in Q1 2025 with multiple screen types of multiple resolutions and multiple price points depending on the "Optical Engine" you choose. You better do your research first. It's Pimax and it's still a headache, and this comes from a Pimax Crystal Light owner (Review is coming soon).

3- Pimax Crystal Air: Very light PCVR Only headset with micro-OLED 3840×3552 resolution rumored to ship in May 2025.

4- Apple Vision Pro 2: Rumored to be released in mid 2025. This time with the more capable M5 chip and with a cheaper price. Specs still not known.

5- Samsung XR Headset: A Standalone headset running the new Android XR OS. Still vague when it comes to specs, as they can be different/ more advanced than what it leaked now. So we have to wait for actual shipping units to know.

6- Asus ROG/ Lenovo VR Headsets: All I know about them is they will run Meta Horizon OS (like in Quest 2/ 3) so they're standalone headsets that can connect to PC similar to Quests and "maybe" they will have a DP connection (just speculation).

7- Meta Quest Pro 2: Is a possibility to happen this year, but it will be focused on AR/ MR more than VR, and of course more business oriented.

8- Pico 5: With high resolution is also a possibility despite they released Pico 4 Ultra 6 months ago as of writing.

filgan

VRXVR have to agree with @doublevr to be honest.

not an expert. I'm still noob and still learning when it comes to vr world. but here what I experienced. the first vr crossroad for me was to choose between pcvr and standalone (I had a laptop back then) so to play it safe I bought a quest 3 512gb storage since it's standalone and can connect to pcvr as well.

standalone experience: flawless! everything just works instantly and without any hassle from games to stream videos from platforms like slr, deovr and youtube.

pcvr experience: omg, I don't know where to start with this. and english is not my first language, so please bear with me as I'm trying to describe my issues with pcvr the best I could.

pcvr is just have too many "layers" (if that's the correct word to try to describe my issues) from hardware layers to software layers to deal with!

hardware layers:
1- pc/ laptop is required.
2- native pcvr headset is required for best experience.
that's 2 hardware layers blocking you to enter vr.

software layers (with native pcvr headset):
1- windows (since it's not a native vr os).
2- steam (required to install steamvr and to update all your vr apps and games)
3- steamvr (required to enter vr and play vr games and videos).
that's 3 software layers blocking you to enter vr when using native pcvr headset.

software layers (with standalone headset):
1- windows.
2- meta quest pc app (required to connect your headset to pc for best experience). "I tried to connect directly from the steam link app on the quest 3 to steamvr directly to remove this required layer in order to have better performance and less hassle. the experience was not good, everything appears blurry and keeps disconnecting. it was awful for me. so usb cable was the best for me".
3- steam.
4- steamvr.
so, that's also 3 or "even worse" 4 software layers blocking you to enter vr when using standalone headset.

this is why I personally believe standalone vr is the future, because the hardware itself is vr and the os itself is vr. so there are no "layers" blocking you at all!

hope I described my experience the best I could and sorry again for my poor english. lol.

as for visuals. yes the pcvr is still way ahead of the game compared to standalone vr headsets. but just give it some time and they will be very good in terms of visuals.

anyway. it was a nice informative post and I learned a lot from the comments! thanks again man!

doublevr

It's less of a hardware question, more of all the tech heavy features and devs/apps eco-system only Meta and Apple can do. Especially given there's no economy nor there's an easy way everyone hoped for back in 2015s.

VRXVR

doublevr Valid points from a business standpoint. As for us, the consumers, we should not swallow whatever Meta or Apple trying to shove in our throats.

Apple in particular with their "Spatial video" and computing...etc....
It's just a way around to position themselves in the XR market after they missed the ride.

Just to be different and fool their cult and the unsavvy mainstream by claiming this is a new tech invented by them or something. This is pure marketing deceiving.

If they want a place in the XR market, they have to be both different and most importantly "better" not just only different.

Even Meta trying to hide the word "VR" now! They are using "Mixed Reality" to main both MR And VR. Basically going the Apple route.

Instead of these companies using the term Virtual Reality, they now use "spatial computing" and mixed reality which is ridiculous and not accurate at all of what VR really is, especially for guys like me who tried all of this AR/ MR games and videos and never impressed nor attracted by them at all.

They just want to leave us behind by not only the shift in terminology, but shift in direction.

I'm a VR ONLY guy and will remain that way regardless of the power and influence of these companies like Apple or Meta and I'm sure I'm not alone with this opinion.

Thankfully we have many other options and I don't care if I'm in the minority when it comes to market share. It's all about fun for me. And the only fun I had/ still have is with Pure VR. Nothing else is even close.

fenderwq

Yeah, apple is the best at doing something somebody else pioneerd and acting like they invented it by slapping on a new name haha. But yeah, that avp, cool and all but I hate the apple ecosystem so I'd never buy it.

Don't want to wait another 2 years or so before we get a new quest successor either. Also, I want something more high end that supports 8k+ video, has 4k per eye and a decent fov. Even the moohan headset will still be limited by the Qualcomm chip. Looks like I will be getting back to a pcvr headset. Hope vavle will come and safe the day with something amazing soon.

Lots of interesting pc vr headsets comming out lately with amazing screens though. Like the ones mentioned also there is the meganex superlicht 8k.

VRXVR

fenderwq Yes, It's called the MeganeX superlight 8K. It's manufactured by the Japanese Shiftall Inc. A subsidiary company of Panasonic if I recall correctly. It's not upcoming headset since it's actually shipped starting in February 2025.

In terms of visuals. Currently, nothing can beat a headset that sports Micro‑OLED screen with 7320x3200 Total resolution like AVP.

But, best visuals are just one part of the whole story when it comes to VR you know. At 3500 USD, it's supposed to be an enthusiasts VR headset. But there are many cons to AVP that don't appeal to the majority of VR enthusiasts like:

Closed and very restrictive ecosystem as you mentioned.
Overpriced for what you can really do with it compared to other way cheaper VR headsets like Quest 3 regardless of visual quality.
Can't decode and smoothly play AV1 Videos with high resolutions like 6K+ So, it's stuck with HEVC to do that.
With the wired battery pack required to power it, I don't see how it's different than any PCVR threaded headset IMHO.
Doesn't run at its full native resolution, it uses Foveated rendering all the time even for light tasks @90Hz instead of the maximum 100Hz.
And let's not bring VR gaming to the table, even with the support of PlayStation VR2 controllers in the future.

I'll just bring this upcoming VR headset for comparison, because if it's shipped soon. AVP will no longer be the king of the hill when it comes to Visuals, let alone anything else this VR headset can do.

Pimax Dream Air:
Micro‑OLED
7680x3552 Total resolution @90Hz
Opened ecosystem (since it's a PCVR headset).
No problems/ limitations with hardware decoders, since it's all done by the PC.
Can actually run at full native resolution @90Hz with powerful PC equipped with RTX 4090/ 5090 for light to mid tasks and very close to native resolution for heavy tasks like VR games.
Eye tracking for Dynamic Foveated Rendering and auto IPD adjustment.
All that with a headset weighs less than 200 grams.
Shipping in May 2025 with a total price of 1991 USD.

If this headsets really shipped in May this year. As a VR enthusiast, I can't see how anyone will choose AVP over it to be honest.

fenderwq

VRXVR Yeah but Pimax... take everything they say with a HUGE grain of salt. We're still waiting on the 12k that should have been release what is it? 2 years ago now. And yeah there are plenty of reviews out on the MeganeX like on MRTV. Looks nice. Not sure if it's my headset though.

Hairsational

The main things I'm looking for in a new headset are:

3-4K per eye micro OLED displays
AV1 decoding
A modest FoV increase over current gen headsets
Standalone capable
Good system software/ecosystem
Not Apple

Hopefully someone can finally show up with a decent headset that doesn't require compromises.

fenderwq

Hairsational yeah same, but I'd like passthrough and 8k+ decoding too. The FOV + OLED is pretty much out of the question short term though if you have been following what they released at display conventions. OLED screens are still too small for bigger then around AVP FOV.

VRXVR

fenderwq Damn, you still remember the 12K with 200° HFOV. I almost forgot about it! lol

I agree with you about Pimax. This is why I said "If this headset really shipped in May this year".

As for the MeganeX superlight 8K, it's a great PCVR headset, but unfortunately, what turned me away from it is Its use of Outside-in tracking which will require the use of base station/ lighthouse 1.0 or 2.0 tracking units like the Valve Index and the old generation PCVR Headsets from Vive.

Yes, It's still the most accurate tracking available till now, but it's inconvenient at least for me and I don't own them obviously. Add to that, I have to buy 2 Valve Knuckles or the older generation VIVE controllers, I don't like these controllers personally.

Other than that, it's really a great headset IMHO.

sogman

fenderwq I would love to try a pimax just for that huge fov they claim. Even if the image quality isnt all that without a mac daddy pc that I dont own.

Still, the pricetag is steep even with one of the lower tier ones, and honestly they look a bit cheaply made

fenderwq

VRXVR Yeah same, my old base stations also developed a whine which is super annoying. Not worth the hassle anymore imo

rerun119

fenderwq FYI you don't need to use base stations with the Pimax 8kx for porn. I did use them but turned them off. Because you are not moving much it still knows where you are.

fenderwq

sogman used the 8kx for the longest time and that had an amazing FOV. That truly massive fov was amazing for porn even though it was blurry on the edges. At some point though video quality became greater then those displays can handle. Now I don't think it's a good tradeoff anymore.

As for the newer pimax headsets like the crystal. They state a massive fov but they aren't nearly as massive as they say (Pimax hugely inflates their fov in their marketing). It's more similar to index level FOV which makes sense when you cosider that the crystal has the exact same amount of pixels as the 8kx. You can't have the same pixel while increasing quality and remaining the same FOV.

Still their FOV is bigger then quest and the headset has much better screens. That's nice of course. The upcomming super will increase that by a lot again. All though that will need truly next gen video quality to be an advantage for porn over the crystal I suspect. Then there are these announced headsets that don't seem real yet so I don't really consider them as such with their track record.

Anyways, I wouldn't buy an 8kx at this day and age. Hope a better next gen high fov headset will come along though. Technically the somnium vr 1 fits this bill somewhat but it's too expensive for what it is imo.

rerun119

sogman I went back to the Pimax 8kx. I love it. It's a trade off of slightly less image quality for way bigger FOV. It is no cheaper feeling than the Quest 3

rerun119

fenderwq I'm also still waiting on the Pimax 12k. I'm afraid they will go bully up before they ever make it.
I don't understand why they made the crystal with the same FOV as every other headset. FOV was what made people buy them in the first place.

sogman

rerun119 fenderwq Despite what you say, the pimax is still been on my wishlist for years now. Clarity and FOV are 2 different things. They are just 2 different experiences. Still gonna be a while until I can afford a pimax of any kind cause Im assuming Ill also need to get a new PC on top of it, I only run a 2060 atm and an i7. Its just a lot of money for me to do a new pc and a pimax.

So I guess the direct question would be though, not for gaming but just for vr porn, not talking about clarity but talking about that big FOV with the pimax is it really giving you a better experience? I mean in these kinda videos, does it really make that much difference in your opinions? Or are you not noticing it as much in a way? I wouldnt know

fenderwq

rerun119 yeah, hard to navigate withouth the controllers no? Or do you have others then knuckles

fenderwq

rerun119 I think the quality loss at the best resolution/qiality is now pretty huge. More and more studios are getting way above this threshold now too.

People percieve things differently though but it's a huge difference to me. But yeah that fov, it was amazing.

fenderwq

rerun119 yeah, it's kinda sad, a big fov is really hard to do right though. The lenses are very tricky. I mean the 8kx has a huge sweet spot buts it's still blurry on the edges. It also needs very particular screens and comes at a sacrifice of ppd. Think pimax just went the easy route.

rerun119

fenderwq I don't use Knuckles, I use an xbox controller to the PC.

fenderwq

sogman well I personally think how realistic the experience is more influenced by the quality of the image. Having said that, yes a big fov does really matter for porn imo and I really mis that.

Also, keep in mind that compared to say quest the pimax has a lot of other drawbacks. It's super finicky and hard to set up. It's really big. It has that back thing which makes it hard to lie down and lean against high chairs. You have to run pi tool and steam, and it needs a wire etc. It's quite a hassle for a wank so to speak. Even when you have everything set up.

Also, FYI. When I first bought the 8kx back in the day I had a 2070 which played most files well but I remember when the first 8192x4096 vids from vr allure came along my 2070 would start stutterring and struggling. Seeing the 2070 is quite a bit more powerful as the 2060 and 8000+ is basically the default now your card might not be good enough. Can't remember if the lower bitrate files did play fine though.

rerun119

sogman I have owned 2 Pimax 8kx. The first one I had for a long time and bought it in the early times of it coming out. There was a learning curve for the headset. Like @fenderwq said about it being big. I did end up buying these weighted sand bags that you velcro to the sides so that the weight is even. It worked like a charm. I can now wear it for hours without any side effects.
Also I use a pillow to lay my head down on so I don't notice anything from the back of it.
Also it took my a long time to realize that you don't need the base stations for it to work. Before if the base stations lost site or whatever then the headset would go wonky. I ended up moving the base stations a bunch of times to try to get it perfect. Then finally one day I turned off that feature and bingo it doesn't need then for porn. You don't move enough for it to lose where it is in the room. No problems since.
One of the biggest things was that the first one I bought finally crapped out. So I went and got a Quest 3. I used it for 6 months to a year and kelp thinking about the Pimax so I bought a furbished used one from Pimax. This one is way nicer. Like @fenderwq said about the edges being blurry was true for the first one I had. It is not true for the second one. I'm guessing because it was made later on and they figured something out.

Over all the picture in the Quest3 is crisper and with brighter colors. But I notice the sides being a black ring of nothingness that all other headsets have. The second I notice it it takes me out of the imagination of being there. The Pimax is so big that it is almost everywhere you look. If you are looking straight ahead then you will not notice any black anywhere. It's a complete view of VR world. Maybe my eyesight is not 20/20 anymore but the trade off of image is well worth it. Also I don't watch many so called 8K videos because they all have the same problem with scaling.
I always vote for give me life size image over beautiful gaints.

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