Pimax Alters Payment System: Flagships Become More Affordable, Refundability Decreases

With updates rolling out for their PC VR headsets, Pimax has unveiled a new financing plan aimed at making the Crystal Super and Crystal Light more budget-friendly. However, the new approach to pricing and returns might spark some debate among potential buyers.

First announced in April, the Crystal Super is poised to be Pimax’s next high-end PC VR headset. It boasts a base model with an impressive 57 pixels per degree (PPD) using QLED panels, delivering an eye-watering resolution of 3,840 x 3,840 pixels per eye. Add to that a 120-degree field of view (FOV) and glass aspheric lenses with a 99% light transmission rate, and you’ve got a serious contender in the VR realm.

More features enhance the Crystal Super’s appeal: think eye-tracking, dynamic foveated rendering, and inside-out tracking. The headset also allows for swappable optical engines and a more compact, ergonomic design. It’s chiefly aimed at VR enthusiasts who already have cutting-edge GPUs and sets a high bar with the 57 PPD model scheduled for release in the first quarter of 2025.

What adds even more allure is the planned introduction of additional optical engines, including a micro-OLED option for $699 and a 50 PPD QLED engine providing a 135-degree FOV for $399. Expect pre-orders for these upgrades in the early months of next year.

Coinciding with these specs and the start of pre-orders for Crystal Super, Pimax has altered the pricing strategy for it and the previously launched Crystal Light. While base prices are dropping, the revised payment system and returns policy might cause a stir.

Sure, you could wade through another one of Pimax’s complex video announcements, but we’ve dug deeper to understand these changes’ effects on customers.

The base price of the Crystal Super will decrease from $1,800 to $1,695, and the Crystal Light is dropping from $899 to $858. These prices include controllers, but it’s not all as simple as it seems.

Pimax is rolling out a new mandatory financing and membership program called ‘Pimax Prime’. This plan lets customers snag the Crystal Super for $999 or the Crystal Light for $599 upfront.

Mirroring a payment trial setup introduced in May for Crystal Light, the new plan involves a trial period for buyers. When that ends, you must either select from two payment options to access essential software for the headset or return the headset for a full refund.

Crystal Super’s post-trial payment options include a one-time $696 payment or a $33 monthly plan over two years (totaling $792) for ongoing access to Pimax Play software. For the Crystal Light, the single payment is $259, or you can pay $12 monthly over two years ($288 in total). Skipping payments results in suspended software access.

Once these Prime payments are completed, the Pimax Play access becomes complimentary for the respective headset, which is positive news if you’re content with the product. However, if the headset doesn’t suit you and you miss the trial’s end, you might be locked into a payment plan.

The Prime membership hopes to allure customers with perks like early access to software features, exclusive event invitations, and priority technical support. Yet, the payment plan changes also signal significant shifts in how refunds operate, reducing flexibility for some users despite a lower price tag.

Previously, the Trial Payment scheme allowed a 15-day window for risk-free returns of undamaged products, and 30 days if damaged in transit. Now, Pimax grants only a 10-day return window in both cases. After this, you’re committed to a payment plan.

References to varying return policies in different regions emphasize the implications. While some places in the U.S might not offer such protections, the EU and UK ensure a 14-day period for returns and a two-year cover against faulty goods—under specific conditions.

A discerning Reddit user, ‘TotalWarspammer’, highlights a potential issue with Prime being non-refundable after 10 days. If you choose a one-time payment on the tenth day, then change your mind, you may recover only the headset’s initial cost depending on consumer laws, excluding the software subscription.

Whether this strategy will be a misstep remains to be seen. It might overshadow Pimax’s otherwise solid hardware offering or help potential buyers gauge if a Pimax headset aligns with their needs within the trial period. That said, paying for middleware that ideally should be free might irk some buyers, regardless of the reasoning.

Pimax mentions that Prime membership won’t just apply to the Crystal Light and Crystal Super. Future Pimax VR headsets will also be part of this program. We’ll have to see how the industry and community respond to Pimax’s bold new move and if it’s a permanent fixture or a passing phase.