VRHow / Headsets / Older Pimax headsets
Older Pimax headsets: 4K, 8K and Vision 8K X
This page intentionally does not repeat the dedicated Pimax 5K series page. It also does not treat every old Pimax name as a verified model: the table below is limited to identities and facts supported by an opened archival report or a maintained specialist record. “8K” and “8K X” are not interchangeable labels.
What the names mean
| Model | What the opened source verifies | Historical price and status |
|---|---|---|
| Pimax 4K | PC-powered SteamVR/Oculus Home headset; 1,920 × 2,160 per eye; 60 Hz; estimated 110° horizontal field of view; non-positional 3DoF tracking; HDMI 1.4 and USB 3.0 listed. | VRcompare records a $375 headset-only retail price, January 2017 release and discontinued status. Controllers were not included. |
| Pimax “8K” Original 2018 model | Road to VR reports dual 3,840 × 2,160 displays (7,680 × 2,160 total), but input upscaled from 2,560 × 1,440; 80 Hz with Brainwarp; about 200° diagonal FOV; DP 1.4 and USB 2.0/3.0; SteamVR 1.0/2.0 tracking; SteamVR and Oculus Home. | $900 headset-only preorder/general-sale price in October–November 2018 reporting. The November report recorded an 81-day wait, not guaranteed present-day stock. |
| Pimax Vision 8K X | VRcompare records native 3,840 × 2,160 per eye, 90 Hz (115 Hz with upscaling), 159° horizontal visible FOV, DP 1.4 and USB 3.0, and 6DoF marker-based tracking with two SteamVR 2.0 base stations in the full kit. | VRcompare records February 19, 2019 release and $1,299 headset-only, $1,599 with controllers, or $1,849 with controllers and base stations. It is a historical record, not a current availability claim. |
The resolution distinction matters. Road to VR’s original “8K” report says 3,840 × 2,160 per display but also says the headset accepted upscaled 2,560 × 1,440 input. VRcompare’s Vision 8K X record separately describes native 3,840 × 2,160 per eye. The shared “8K” branding does not make these the same display path.
Launch context and model boundaries
The original “8K” emerged from Pimax’s 2017 Kickstarter and was reported in October 2018 as entering preorder alongside the 5K Plus and 5K BE. Road to VR’s November 30, 2018 follow-up described general sales for the “8K,” 5K Plus and 5K BE, while recording an 81-day waiting period and a projected February 19, 2019 shipment for a hypothetical order. That is useful historical context, not evidence that the product can still be ordered today.
The Vision 8K X is a later, distinct model in the specialist record: its listed announcement is November 1, 2018 and its release February 19, 2019. Its name refers to the Vision-branded revision and should not be silently substituted for the original “8K.” Likewise, the Pimax 4K predates both and is not a 5K-series variant: the specialist record describes a single-LCD, 3DoF PC headset rather than a Lighthouse-tracked wide-FOV model.
PC, tracking and accessories
None of these should be approached like a standalone headset. The Pimax 4K record identifies SteamVR and Oculus Home as platforms and lists non-positional 3DoF tracking. For the original “8K,” Road to VR lists SteamVR 1.0 and 2.0 tracking, but its preorder report says headset prices excluded motion controllers and SteamVR base stations; it also notes that the accessories’ availability and timing were unclear. A headset-only price therefore was not a complete room-scale kit.
For Vision 8K X, VRcompare records marker-based 6DoF tracking and two SteamVR 2.0 base stations for the full kit, alongside Index Controllers in its controller entry. This does not mean every historical bundle contained the same accessories, and it does not establish compatibility with a buyer’s particular computer. The cited records list platform and connection details, but they are not game-specific requirements and do not justify performance or comfort claims.
Availability and evidence limits
- VRcompare marks the Pimax 4K discontinued. Its figures are specialist-record data and the site warns that its tables may not be 100% correct; estimates, such as the 4K’s FOV, are labeled as such here.
- The Road to VR prices and waiting period are dated 2018 reports. They are historical prices and fulfillment context, not current retail offers.
- VRcompare’s Vision 8K X price rows are also historical recorded prices. Used listings, missing accessories and regional condition differences are too variable to summarize as a verified current price.
- No hands-on image-quality, comfort, reliability, performance or software-support claim is made. Details for other obscure Pimax names are omitted rather than inferred from the “4K” or “8K” branding.
Sources
- VRcompare: Pimax 4K specifications, release, price and discontinued status
- Road to VR: October 2018 Pimax “8K” preorder price, panel/input, tracking and accessory context
- Road to VR: November 2018 “8K” general-sale timing and published specification table
- VRcompare: Pimax Vision 8K X specifications, release, recorded prices and tracking kit