Hi, I’m thinking of getting a pimax 8kx for use with MSFS. I’m currently googling for info on the headset, watching youtube vids, and doing searches on here. But it would be nice to have up to date info from 8kx owners on their MSFS experiences, especially post SU5 with the performance increases it brought.
I already have a G2 which I’m impressed by, but I have spare cash so I’m looking to max out my VR experience, i’m a bit of a VR nut, owned many headsets. I have a 3080ti to drive the 8kx and a mid range cpu (my cpu is quite old but it runs the game just fine, gpu is king when it comes to MSFS at high resolutions).
What I know so far is that the 8kx uses “parallel projection” to correct visual defects in the peripheral view and this uses 30% gpu power. So what i’m wondering are things like… are 8kx users still able to get enough fps for the experience to be acceptable? Does PP really solve the peripheral view graphical artifacts? etc… any info from pimax owners is appreciated
Hi I have a Pimax 8KX, and I am extremely happy. I haven’t tried anything else though to see how does it compare but I don’t think it could get any better. I guess the performance depends on hardware, and like you I also run a high end GPU so there are no problems here. The parallel projection is indeed needed, some people disable it, but the artifacts in the peripheric vision aren’t something I personally can ignore, so I prefer to pay the PP cost for the “perfect” image. If the software changes in the future to work without PP (like DCS) I still have 2 larger FOV settings that I currently don’t reach in this game (large and normal), flying only on the “small” (around 120 degrees as far as I remember). The resolution I settled is about 2800x4000, which I understand is already superior to most other headsets, but this also still could be raised further up.My visual settings in the sim are most on high/ultra and I fly FBW with many addons, it is working very very well, at around 30 FPS. Good luck with the purchase, you are not going to regret for sure. Let me know if help is needed tuning it to work well.
Thanks for the reply.
That sounds pretty positive. I think I will make the purchase later today, i’ll buy from amazon who offer a great returns policy if i dont gel with the 8kx within 30 days. If i keep it then my G2 and quest 2 will be on ebay.
It’s interesting you mention DCS, i have it too but haven’t played it much. Maybe an 8kx will change that. I may well ask you for help on setting/tuning it up, thanks for the offer of help
The 8kx is poorly and I mean poorly optimized for msfs.athe need for parallel projections kills performance,and you will not get close to the visuals you were getting with the g2.I had both at the same time and am very experienced with both pimax and vr in general and I couldn’t sell my 8kx fast enough.In theory 8kx is a great vr but practical use is just not good in msfs.
@ViableKiller99 thats interesting. if i cant get better visuals with the pimax than the G2 then it will be going back. i will give it a chance and try my best.
apart from DCS, whats it like with other flight sims like x plane or aerofly? do they need PP too?
does anyone know if the 8kx works well with racing sims like project cars 2 and assetto corsa?
i have the 8kx and really enjoy it. I haven’t ever used a G2 so cant compare.
The settings i found that work best for me are: pimax scale 100% & ‘normal’ fov, steamvr scale 100% and msfs renderscale 60%. This gets me about 30fps, and the initial high resolution makes the pop put panels like vfr map, fskneeboard, or littlenavmap very clear to read.
the latest update did seem to fix many of the issues su5 introduced, vr-wise anyway. no stutters, and very little pop-in of objects.
Oh yes, if you like the 8kx, get used to the idea of modding it anyway.
The facecover can be significantly improved.
In general, the fit is very important, and finding the optimum Lense to eye position requires a bit of fingertip sensitivity. But, 140/160degree are soooo nice.
If not known, a single base station is also sufficient for Flight / Car-Sims with 6dof
I have alot of experience with pimax,I have had the Artisian 5k+ 8k+ and 8kx.I run a i7 11700k with a 3080,The 8kx in xplane and msfs you will have to run on the smallest fov.I would say in both xplane and msfs you get about maybe 70 percent of the g2 clarity.The real problem is you have to use parallel projections in both xplane and msfs.I will reiterate the 8kx is very hard to run in msfs and xplane unless you lower your settings alot I would stay far away from 8kx if your main uses are xplane and msfs.The 8kx on the other hand really works well in dcs without the need for parallel projections,I found where it shines the most for me was iracing,I was able to run it at 90 hz on normal fov with great clarity and performance,Like I said though about msfs and xplane I would rank the best vr for them as Reverb g2- Reverbg1 vive pro 2-valve index-quest 2-pimax 8kx.
@ViableKiller99 that’s interesting as msfs is the one game i hope will gel with the 8kx. i fully respect what you’re saying and i dont doubt you, but different users seem to have different experiences. ive just been watching a youtube vid where he was using an 8kx, fov set to large, with msfs, in game settings about medium. with his steamvr/pitool experience settings he said it was smooth. thats all i ask for.
yes you mention iracing… maybe all is not lost for me if msfs doesn’t gel with it (there are other games). i dont play iracing but may try it with the 8kx. ive read and seen on youtube that aerofly fs 2, IL-2, assetto corsa and skyrimvr runs well with it too (i have these games). its not arrived yet so i will see how i get on later today as long as it arrives at a sensible time, will update this thread with my thoughts today or tomorrow
Except that the smallest FOV is still 20% larger than that of the reverb.
I couldn’t go back to that Gen1 vision.
As for performance, ok, I’ll dont use PP and live with the artifacts until Asobo hopefully fixes it.
Clarity, 70% I cannot confirm. The 8kx is right between the Reverb G1 and G2. 95% are more likely to do it if everything is set correctly. However, these 95% are on a sweetspot three times the size.
just spent a couple of hours in msfs with my new pimax 8kx and im impressed. the image is really nice with 170 fov. i haven’t had chance to mess with settings but out of the box the performance of the sim is in the same ball park as i had with the g2.
the sound is rubbish and i cant get my base station to work so only have 3dof not 6, have logged a support ticket. if i can get it to work, i think even at this early stage that i’ll be keeping the 8kx. its twice the price of the g2 and not twice as good but the image is a definite step up which is what i was looking for
edit: the sound isnt bad, its ok (i have the 8kx with the speaker upgrade), i wasnt wearing the hmd properly so the headphones were nowhere near my ears, now they are.
i’m seeing slight sparkling, like little spots of intermittment white specks, in very dark scenes. apparently this is a cable issue so will ask pimax for a new cable.
