Virtual reality is coming faster to us than we have anticipated. Games, videos, and other forms of entertainment available in VR headsets like the Pimax 8KX and Valve Index are rising.
This is a fast-growing industry and it has been surging to the top especially now that most of us have nothing to do while we are stuck inside our houses during these difficult times.
Entertaining ourselves with random videos on YouTube and games that we have grown up with is not enough. So we seek other forms of entertainment that possibly offer movements.
Virtual reality is one of the best options here because you have the display on your head while you move around physically to perform functions and tasks to progress into the game.
It is also great if you just want to relax and you do not want anyone disturbing you while you are watching your favorite movies or videos. It offers privacy while it also entertains you.
Pimax is one of the new brands that produce VR headsets. Their modernistic designs and features are well-received and they have climbed up in the rankings in just a couple of years.
Perhaps one of the most advanced VR headsets yet, the Pimax 8KX is a very impressive VR system that we did not expect to arrive so soon and it has been receiving great reviews.
Valve also recently joined the VR community. So aside from supporting other companies that produce headsets like the Oculus, Valve has now made their own in the form of the Index.
Get your tech-geek side ready as we dive into the details of how the Pimax 8KX and the Valve Index function and how well they are performing against each other.
Table of Contents
Display
These two VR headsets have different types of displays. This, however, does not mean that they perform too far from each other as they are basically operating the same.
The Valve Index uses LCD on both lenses. This is a common screen for VR headsets and Valve made use of it perfectly by combining colors to make a more realistic view of the virtual world.
Since it is one of the earliest models that use LCD, the Valve Index has a slight screen door effect. So you will see small spaces between the pixels but not enough to make you dizzy.
The Pimax 8KX uses LED on its lenses which is a better option. This kind of display allows you to see colors like no other as it involves the layering of the display.
See, the Pimax 8KX has a set of LEDs on the background of the main display. This enables maximum immersion by combining the colors efficiently to create realistic images.
The system is also able to tweak the colors to make a smoother display. The most realistic images are also developed with great precision so that they can be displayed at full brightness.
Resolution
The Valve Index VR headset is not the most impressive headset when it comes to the resolution. It has 1440 by 1600 resolution on each high which is pretty standard.
This resolution is just enough to remove the nauseous effect of most VR headsets. Though there is no denying that it can certainly be improved.
The Pimax 8KX has the best resolution of any VR headset on the market right now. It has a native 4K display on each eye for resolution hence the name 8K(X).
While this is impressive, the company did not stop there as they made other developments where you can reduce the resolution if you have a less powerful PC to connect the headset on.
The Dual Engine Mode of the Pimax 8KX enables the headset to lower the resolution to 2560 by 1440 on each lens to create a faster response within the display.
Upscaling the resolution to 4K will reduce the speed of the display if you do not have a powerful PC setup. So with this headset, you have the choice to adjust it according to your gaming card.
Valve Index’s Refresh Rates
The Valve Index has one of the most impressive refresh rates in the industry. It enables you to play any game at full speed and there would be no lags or glitches on the display.
The refresh rate is measured by Hertz and literally, it determines the number of refreshes that the display can do in one second. So the higher the number, the better the refresh rate is.
The Valve Index headset has a standard 120Hz which is one of the highest refresh rates in any VR headset. This refresh rate sets up a smooth transition on any kind of display you want.
While 120HZ is enough, I was astounded by how much effort Valve put into this headset’s refresh rate. They made an experimental upgrade on the refresh rate to 144Hz.
This refresh rate is only available to the Valve Index if you connect it and play it with SteamVR.
This is one of the smoothest headsets on the market simply because of this advanced refresh rate.
Dual Engine Mode Refresh Rate
The Valve Index has two optional refresh rates and the Pimax 8KX did not back down to this as the headset also allows you to choose from two refresh rates in relation to the resolution.
The Pimax 8KX has a 75Hz refresh rate when you use the full 4K resolution on each lens. This is pretty low but it makes sense since it needs a lot of power to display such resolution.
As we have mentioned before, you can switch the resolution to a lower 2560 by 1440. When you opt for this resolution, the system of the 8KX will adjust the refresh rate to a higher 90Hz.
So as you can see, the power distribution of the 8KX is split into two. If the resolution is high, you get a lower refresh rate and vice versa, so it’s your choice which one you prefer.
Field of View (FoV)
Field of View is the measurement of how wide the display can get. The wider the field of view is, the more immersive the display can get as it covers your peripherals.
The Valve Index has a slightly above average FoV with 130 degrees. This is perfect for games that require you to look on the side of the display or shooting games and such.
A 130-degree Field of View will be like something is blocking your peripherals right at the edge of your view. This is wide enough for most VR headsets so there is nothing to be worried about.
While that is an impressive FoV, Pimax did not hold back in making the 8KX’s Field of View. It has a 200-degree Field of View which pretty much covers all your peripheral vision.
To give you a better understanding of how impressive that Field of View is, the limit of the human peripheral vision is dialed at 210 degrees which is pretty close to the 8KX’s.
This is the best feature of the Pimax 8KX as it allows you to take a peek of what is happening on the side of the display.
The head-mount display wraps around your head to attain this feature.
Comfort
As you may have already expected, these VR headsets will get you to wear them for long periods of time especially if you are playing an adventure-style game.
This means that you are going to need a lot of comforts to keep playing. The Valve Index has this covered with its adjustable strap that keeps the headset aligned to your vision.
The halo strap of the Valve Index has extra support at the back, it goes down near to your neck so when you move your head around, the head-mount display is always in place.
This really added to the comfort when playing games. You also get the strap above your head to prevent the display from sliding off your head when you move up and down.
The Pimax 8KX also has the same orientation when it comes to the straps. You have a halo with extra pads on the back and an overhead strap to keep the head-mount display in place.
Playing in these headsets were pretty easy. The Pimax 8KX certainly capitalizes on the wide FoV as you get all the display wrapped around your face up to your ear area.
The Valve Index headset also makes gaming pretty easy. The display is perfect and fast for most games and it has so many options as it is connected to SteamVR.
Controllers
Both of these headsets use mounted trackers so you will need to set it up before you can play. Their controllers are pretty easy to use and are accurate so there is a lot of fun when playing.
The controllers of the Valve Index are pretty common. They are great because you have both the touchpad and analog stick to perform different functions on the display.
The trackers are also common as the Valve Index is compatible with the HTC Vive’s Lighthouse tracking system which is one of the most accurate tracking systems in the industry.
One lacking functionality of the Index’s controllers is the haptic feedback. This means that you will not know whether you got hit or if some functions did not respond correctly.
The Pimax 8KX is not the most amazing headset when it comes to the controllers. However, there are no doubts that it can perform at a high level like most VR headsets.
This VR headset also requires mounting trackers for its controllers. The trackers of the Pimax 8KX offer a 6-degree of freedom which is pretty much average.
The Pimax Knuckle Controllers offer a five-finger tracking system which means that you can control anything in the game or the display with your fingers with precision.
Another thing that makes the Pimax 8KX when it comes to controls is the Eye-tracking system. This feature follows the gaze of the user to make accurate displays on the headset.
Gaming In The Headsets
The Pimax 8KX is one of the most recently released headsets. So there is no guarantee that it will be capable of adapting in all of the games that you are playing right now.
However, it uses a PC setup so sideloading and downloading games is possible. This means that you can play your favorite games on your PC and load the display on the Pimax 8KX.
As for the Valve Index, it is one of the headsets that has most games available. It is generated by Valve so you can play all the games available in VR on SteamVR.
You can also connect it with other stores such as the Oculus and HTC if you want more options. This is a great gaming VR headset and it can perform well even with high-fidelity games.
Conclusion
The virtual reality world is a fast-growing industry so maybe it is time for you to invest in a decent VR headset to get your head in the game.
The Valve Index VR headset is one of the pioneers of the VR world. However, it still functions properly and is sometimes better than the more advanced and recently released headsets.
It has one of the most impressive refresh rates in the VR industry and it offers a decent display for you to watch videos and play games like no other.
The Pimax 8KX is the most advanced VR headset when it comes to resolution. It uses an LED that is perfect for emitting combinations of colors to create a more realistic image.
It is a great VR headset if you already own a powerful PC setup. It requires the best gaming card for it to function properly in the 4K resolution option.
So if you want to invest in a starter gadget for VR, I suggest that you go for the Valve Index. If, however, you have our own powerful PC setup, then go for the amazing Pimax 8KX.
If you like it do not forget to share it on social media!
Leave a Reply