When Pimax unveiled their upcoming Dream Air headset, it sent ripples through the virtual reality (VR) community, leaving enthusiasts with numerous questions. We took these queries straight to Pimax, gaining insights into early prototypes, comprehensive specs, and updates on some yet-to-be-released products.
As an established player in the VR headset market, Pimax is no stranger to crafting immersive experiences. However, they’ve often been critiqued for issues related to product refinement, strategic focus, missed deadlines, and announcing new innovations before delivering on previous promises.
The recent announcement of the Dream Air, a compact headset, brought these concerns back to the forefront. People are once again questioning how Pimax intends to improve this time. To get some answers, we reached out to the company with the most frequently asked queries. Here’s the scoop, including prototype imagery, detailed specifications, and updates on products that have yet to see the light of day.
Q: How confident is Pimax in delivering the Dream Air in significant numbers by May 2025?
A: Over the past year, we’ve been developing both the Crystal Super and Dream Air headsets, largely as a unified project internally. We have a fully operational optical engine and believe the remaining months are ample time to finalize everything, akin to Crystal Super’s development timeline.
The Dream Air shares its optical solutions with Crystal Super, yet in a fresh design. More details about their shared technical ground are available here. The real challenge lies in securing a steady supply of micro-OLED panels, plus the ringless controllers. The first batch of headsets might actually ship with the traditional ringed controllers, similar to those used in Crystal/Light/Super models, and we plan to replace these with ringless controllers later on. We’re optimistic about delivering 200 to 300 units in May, which is why announcing the headset at this juncture was necessary. (More on the reasons later.)
Q: Why announce the headset so soon after the Super, and why accept pre-orders already?
A: There are several reasons. We wanted to announce Dream Air prior to the Super’s shipping to avoid any regrets from the users wishing they had known about it sooner. Current comments in our Discord reflect this, but customers can still switch their pre-orders from the Super to Dream Air if they choose.
Additionally, micro-OLED panel scarcity is significant. In this market, demand far exceeds supply, meaning delivery times stretch over several months after ordering. By opening pre-orders, we can better gauge how many Dream Air units our customers want and secure the necessary panels, ideally placing the order by early January before suppliers break for the Chinese New Year.
The long waiting period for micro-OLED panels is not unique to us, and competitors face similar challenges, often unable to offer refundable pre-orders. That said, our pre-orders are refundable until we ship, and there’s a trade-in window once the headset arrives. Plus, we’ve included a $1 reservation option.
Q: What do you say to critics suggesting Pimax should focus on fewer products?
A: We aim to be a multi-SKU company as VR headsets diversify rapidly. Our focus remains on delivering the ultimate experience with both the Crystal and Dream lines catering to different needs.
All our headsets employ similar core technologies, both software, and hardware-wise, with a primary focus on PCVR. We’ve learned much from past endeavors like Portal, which wasn’t PCVR-focused.
With nine years in VR headset manufacturing, two R&D offices, and a second assembly line coming online, our multi-SKU approach involves shared tech, enabling resource pooling for technology development across all models. This strategy prevents a singular annual sales spike, distributing orders evenly, thus smoothing supply chain and production management—beneficial since we own our own factory and staff. Peak periods typically hamper efficiency.
Q: Any other headsets on the horizon from Pimax?
A: We plan to update some older models, but aside from the 12K, there are no upcoming headsets surpassing Dream Air and Crystal Super in technology specs.
Q: How developed is Dream Air’s design? Are the renders from the announcement just mockups, or tangible designs? Is there a working prototype?
A: The headset’s internals are completely designed, and we’re actively testing a functional optical engine. On the software front, it mirrors Crystal Super, featuring SLAM tracking, eye-tracking, hand-tracking, and Pimax Play settings.
For the exterior, we’re testing within Crystal Super’s casing while finalizing the design for Dream Air’s housing. Here are glimpses of two prototype stages made throughout its development.
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Newer Prototype
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Older Prototype
Update (December 31st, 2024): We previously mislabeled the prototype images as ‘older’ and ‘newer’, which has been corrected.
Q: Will Cobb [the standalone module for Dream Air] be ready to ship in 2025?
A: An exact ETA for Cobb isn’t available yet. It’s a Dream Air add-on, and we’re working to include features not yet announced.
Q: What safety measures are there to ensure the auto-tightening headstrap isn’t dangerous if it malfunctions?
A: It’s designed to securely hold the lightweight headset without posing a risk. The internal straps are elastic rubber, similar to those in Nike’s self-lacing shoes.
Q: Can the head straps be replaced, and how so?
A: Yes, they’re removable at the stem points.
Q: Will it run HorizonOS or AndroidXR someday?
A: There are no such plans; it’s fundamentally the same as the Crystal Super’s micro-OLED engine, operating as a PC VR headset via Pimax Play alongside OpenXR/OpenVR and SteamVR compatibility.
Pimax also provided a detailed specification sheet for the Dream Air headset:
Pimax Dream Air Specs
Visuals
- Display: 2× micro-OLED with 100% DCI-P3 colors
- Resolution per eye: 13MP (3,840×3,552)
- Pixels per degree: Unknown
- Max refresh rate: 90Hz
- Optics: Pancake
- Field-of-view: 102° horizontal
- Pass-through view: Black & white
- Optical adjustments: Continuous IPD (automatic), optional prescription lenses
- IPD adjustment range: 58–72 mm
Input & Output
- Connectors: DP 1.4 (PC) to USB-C (headset), 1 × USB-C accessory port
- Input: Dream Air controllers (rechargeable), Hand-tracking
- Audio: In-headstrap speakers
- Microphone: Dual-microphone
- Weight: 200g
Sensing
- Headset-tracking: Inside-out (no external beacons), SteamVR Tracking (optional)
- Controller-tracking: Headset-tracked (headset sight-line needed)
- Eye-tracking: Yes
- Expression-tracking: No
- On-board cameras: 4 for tracking, 2 for passthrough
- Depth-sensor: No
Price
- MSRP: $1,900
Pimax Product Shipping Update
Q: What’s the latest estimated shipping timeline for all unreleased Pimax products?
A: Crystal Super is show-ready for CES 2025, notably the QLED 57 PPD optical engine, due for end-of-January shipping. The 50 PPD engine and micro-OLED unit are nearly complete, set for March and April respectively.
Around June 2025, Crystal Light without local dimming will be launched, further reducing costs.
Also at CES 2025, we’ll showcase the 60G Airlink for the original Crystal, with external beta testing starting imminently, targeting April 2025 shipping.
For the 12K, we can’t pinpoint an ETA. Solutions for key technical challenges have been established, but some didn’t meet our quality standards. Solutions like a dual DP 1.4 and an undisclosed panel didn’t pan out as hoped.
Have more questions for Pimax? Let us know in the comments below.
