In the world of VR, there are two types of headsets: those for everyday users looking to enjoy standalone games and PCVR action, and those for enthusiasts looking for a VR experience that takes immersion to a whole new level.
In that sense, there are two outstanding options to go head-to-head and see which one wins: The first is the Meta Quest 3, an affordable, all-around headset that’s suitable for all purposes and has a great VR heritage.
The second is the Pimax Crystal, a VR headset that boasts such clarity that the headset’s lenses are a porthole into another “what if…” dimension, where you’re the main character.
Enthusiast headsets often have a lot to boast about in terms of performance and visuals, but do they hold up against Meta’s third-generation headset and all its features? Let’s find out.
Meta Quest 3 vs Pimax Crystal: Specs
Swipe to scroll horizontally. HeaderCell – Column 0 Meta Quest 3Pimax CrystalPrice$499, $1,599PlatformHorizon OS, SteamVRPimax Store, SteamVRProcessorQualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2RAM8GB8GBStorage126GB/512GB256GBOpticsPancake lens (plastic)Aspheric glass lensDisplayLCD (2064×2208 per eye), 120HzQLED (2880×2880 per eye), 120HzFoVH:110°/V:96°, 18 PPDH:115°/V:105°, 35 PPDIPD58-71mm58-72mmTracking6 DoF, Inside-Out6 DoF, Inside-OutController2 x Touch Plus Controllers (6 DoF, AA)Batteries)2 x Pimax Reality Controllers (6DoF, rechargeable) Weight 1.13 lbs 1.86 lbs
Meta Quest 3 vs Pimax Crystal: Price and Availability
The Meta Quest 3, which will be available in October 2023, will be available in two configurations: a 128GB model for $499 and a 512GB model for $649. Both models feature the same headset and battery-powered Touch Plus controller combination. The Quest 3 will come with a charger and USB Type-C cable.
The Quest 3 is ready to use straight out of the box and requires roughly the same setup process as putting it on your head.
Meta also offers a “play now, pay later” plan that lets you split the cost of the Quest 3 headset into installments (over 24 months), and a 24-month subscription to the Meta Quest+ digital game library, Meta Warranty Plus, starts at $24.99 per month for the 128GB model and $34.99 per month for the 512GB model.
The Pimax Crystal, available in May 2023, will retail for $1,599 in a single 256GB configuration. The headset comes with two rechargeable controllers, a battery charging dock with two rechargeable headset batteries, two USB Type-A to Type-C cables, and a 16-foot DisplayPort to USB Type-A/DisplayPort cable.
The Quest 3 doesn’t offer as many features out of the box, but the fact that it offers a comparable experience for a third of the price makes it undeniably worth it. Pimax’s boxed offering is a welcome change, but what you get is a more complicated device. The Quest 3 works out of the box and requires just as much setup as it does on your head.
Winner: Metaquest 3
Meta Quest 3 vs. Pimax Crystal: Graphics and Visuals
For those looking for detailed, immersive results, visuals are often the deciding factor, and not surprisingly, expensive headsets with premium lenses and enhanced resolutions win out, but it’s worth looking at why and how.
The Pimax Crystal uses glass lenses and a wide FoV (130 degrees diagonal, 115 degrees horizontal, 105 degrees vertical) to great effect. The Quest 3 is no slouch in terms of clarity, but the Pimax’s 35 PPD (pixels per degree) is effectively double the Meta’s 18 PPD lens.
Combined with a sizable resolution of 2880p per eye, the increased pixel density gives the image a richness of detail with a clarity and focus that few other headsets can match. While wearing the Pimax Crystal, you might be fooled into thinking the image isn’t all that different from the Quest 3, but it’s only once you switch back to the Meta headset that you realise just how striking the difference is.
In this image taken from a gaming laptop running I Expect You To Die 2 via SteamVR, the difference in image quality between the Crystal and Quest 3 is clear.
This may be a bit unfair to both headsets due to image compression issues. For the record, both headsets look a bit sharper than these images indicate, but the difference between the two is still clear. It’s also worth noting that the images used for the Quest 3 screenshots have been scaled up to fit the size of the Pimax Crystal, which is why the images in the Quest 3 headset look much better.
That being said, looking at the Pimax Crystal capture, distant objects in this screenshot are more discernible, the text is sharper, and the image is clearer. From the Quest 3’s perspective, the image is stretched across the field of view, distant text is hard to read, and the image is overall blurry.
This time around, with screenshots captured on each headset within Star Wars: Squadrons, both images appear to have plenty of detail, with Crystal’s higher resolution resulting in sharper rendering of hard-edged surfaces.
Another comparison image (scaled to fit the resolution and cropped to 1920×1080 for better viewing) shows the difference in FoV and the sharper image quality of Crystal – distant figures appear much sharper and the Crystal output shows a wider image.
It’s worth considering that the Crystal’s aspheric glass lenses help maintain this clarity as much as possible while wearing the headset, whereas the Quest 3’s plastic pancake lenses go a long way to maintaining as much clarity as possible, but are limited in their potential by the headset’s low-resolution LCD panel.
Winner: Pimax Crystal
Meta Quest 3 vs Pimax Crystal: Audio
(Image source: Laptop Mag / Rael Hornby)
The Quest 3 features open-ear speakers that Meta claims are up to 40% louder than its predecessor, the Quest 2, delivering a comprehensive, immersive 3D audio soundscape.
Sound quality is impressive, with no skimpy bass like with Meta’s headsets.
The speakers are nicely positioned to deliver crisp audio to maximum effect, and the spatial audio is great at pinpointing sounds from different directions, but the open-ear design means the bass drops off easily, and cupping your hands over your ears is a quick reminder of the audio richness you’re wasting.
In contrast, the Pimax Crystal features adjustable off-ear headphones that deliver rich DMAS audio directly to the wearer’s ears. The sound quality is excellent, with no skimpy bass like the Meta headset. The level of immersion is unmatched, thanks in large part to DTS:X support for the soundscape.
Winner: Pimax Crystal
Meta Quest 3 vs Pimax Crystal: Controller
(Image source: Laptop Mag / Rael Hornby)
The Quest 3’s Touch Plus controllers improve on the Quest 2’s Touch peripherals in almost every way: They’re more streamlined, eliminate the halo design, and feature TruTouch haptics that provide greater sensation and feedback to the action and elements occurring on the virtual stage.
The Quest 3’s Touch Plus controllers are incredibly precise, with sturdier triggers and switches.
Another way to control the Quest 3 is through hand tracking, which lets you navigate by pinching the air in front of you rather than using a controller entirely.
The Meta does a great job of accurately translating hand movements and gestures to provide a pleasant enough experience when navigating menus or using the headset for more entertainment-focused purposes, but it’s not precise enough to be a practical method of control beyond that.
The Pimax Crystal controllers are eerily similar to the Quest 2’s Touch controllers, almost exactly replicating their look, style and button layout – even retaining the iconic Oculus halo design. Compared to the Quest 3’s Touch Plus controllers, Pimax’s offering certainly feels a bit dated.
However, the controller is rechargeable via USB-C and despite only having a 700mAh battery, it still manages to get a decent amount of game time out of it, given the lack of advanced haptics.
Still, while both are perfectly usable options, the Quest 3’s Touch Plus controllers are incredibly accurate and have much sturdier triggers and switches, in addition to vibration that adds immersion.
Winner: Metaquest 3
Meta Quest 3 vs Pimax Crystal: Experience
While we can break down the experience into its individual elements and appreciate the incredible feat Pimax has achieved in visual and audio immersion, its highly specialised approach leaves it flawed in some key areas.
While both headsets offer standalone modes, only the Meta headset is worth your time, attention, or money. Horizon OS is the gold standard of VR/AR operating systems (at least as far as what’s available goes). It’s easy to navigate, simple to pick up and use, and has an overall great responsiveness and overall performance.
The Meta Horizon Store (formerly the Oculus Store) is a vast library of content catering to gamers of all stripes, offering apps for everything from health and fitness to productivity to smart home interaction. While the price could have been a bit more affordable, this is the only standalone VR mode worth promoting, and the amount of content, from games to entertainment, is unmatched.
Pimax’s headset may offer better immersion with its high-res display and bass-heavy soundscape, but it’s the Quest 3 that offers the best overall experience.
In comparison, Pimax’s standalone mode is an imitation of the early Temu on the Quest 2. It mimics the style of Meta’s interface but lacks the flair and accessibility that comes with it. There’s not much more to say about the Pimax Store, but that’s because there really isn’t much more to it.
Pimax’s standalone mode feels like a faux Wild West building, made to look grander than it actually is, an impression that’s only reinforced once you’re inside the storefront. In contrast to the Quest’s robust library of big-name titles, like Assassin’s Creed Nexus VR, The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners, Arizona Sunshine 2, Beat Saber, and Resident Evil 4, Pimax offers all the best of indie gaming bastards and not much else.
Given the Quest 3’s improved comfort, full-color pass-through, and better AR capabilities, it’s almost unfair to contrast the two. The Pimax headset might have the edge in immersion with a higher-resolution display and a bass-heavy soundscape, but the Quest 3 offers the best overall experience. It offers more features, gives you access to more things, and is just more fun to use overall.
Winner: Metaquest 3
Conclusion
I can’t speak for everyone, but for many people looking to buy a VR headset, the visuals are what the experience is all about, so as an overall product, the Quest 3 is the clear winner.
If you’re a dedicated PCVR gamer who wants nothing less than a top-of-the-line headset, you’d probably disagree, but when you consider its ease of use, smaller frame, wider options for gaming, and impressive AR capabilities, you’re limiting yourself to only a small slice of the broad VR/AR pie.
Some would argue that you should opt for the more expensive option, especially if you’re a simulation aficionado who believes HUDs are for young children and that reading information directly from an in-game panel is the only way to go.
But for most people, including me, the Quest 3 raises the bar as an all-around device and it’s hard to find a better product on this market.
