Pimax Crystal no longer works in FS2020

User Support Hub Virtual Reality (VR)
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Are you using Developer Mode or made changes in it?

No

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YES

Brief description of the issue:

After a recent update to Pimax software/firmware AND to FS2020 circa Feb1 2024, When invoking VR in sim (ctrl-Tab), the Pimax client disconnects, then reconnects, but the Sim does not switch to VR mode. Contacted Pimax, and they suggested I try a new version of the client. (1.18), but after installing, rebooting etc, same thing. FS2020 no longer ā€˜seesā€™ the Crystal and they do not talk to each other.

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Detailed steps to reproduce the issue encountered:

PC specs and/or peripheral set up if relevant:

Build Version # when you first started experiencing this issue:

Current build as of Feb 4 2024

:loudspeaker: For anyone who wants to contribute on this issue, Click on the button below to use this template:

Do you have the same issue if you follow the OPā€™s steps to reproduce it?

Provide extra information to complete the original description of the issue:

If relevant, provide additional screenshots/video:

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Which Crystal F/W version are you using? Is this beta or public release? You may ask Crystal support (there is a button for calling them in PimaxPlay) for remote session to downgrade the F/W.
Iā€™m on F/W V1.3.0_au1103 (issued November 3rd as the version number implies) and it works perfectly, no problems after recent MSFS update (WU Caribbean).

You may also try the troubleshooting:

  • switching between PimaxXR and SteamVR OpenXR runtimes in PimaxXR Control center
  • disabling OpenXR Toolkit (if you use it)
  • temporarily empty your Community folder.

More on troubleshooting here:

You may also join Pimax Discord for more advice:

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Exactly the same issue for me. SteamVR Runtime works well though.

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Thanks so much for everyoneā€™s responses. Unfortunately my computer MB died the day I typed this. (unrelated to Pimax or FS2020). Still waiting for the replacement board to arrive, and I will likely scrub the HD completely, and re-install windows afreshā€¦so it will be a minute, before I am back on line and troubleshooting the Pimaxā€¦

Wish me luck. (PS logoFAIL UEFI attack is likely the culprit. Yā€™all should check/flash your motherboards BIOS/UEFI version.) I donā€™t KNOW that I am suffering a logoFAIL attack, but my board is only 4 years old, and shortly after I posted this thread, I rebooted the machine, and it stalls at BIOS logoscreen. Went round and round with ASROCK support, and it seems the board is completely nonresponsive.

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I had a similar problem with my pimax crystal.
At first I thought it was a PIMAX software malfunction, then FS2020. I had installed small programs like FSKNEEBOARD and FSDESKTOP for testing.

Reinstalling the programs didnā€™t change anything, so I launched the Windows 11 repair. Now everything works.

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Do you have the same issue if you follow the OPā€™s steps to reproduce it?

yes, pimax cystal work fine with other game. But not with MSFS20

Provide extra information to complete the original description of the issue:

I try delete everything, start clean with a factory reset pc. I am using 6900Xt Am. It was working before the update.

If relevant, provide additional screenshots/video:

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Hi I am backā€¦turns out my PC issues were the POS Gigabyte power supply fried my board(s). Got everything up and runningā€¦but the problem persistsā€¦Pimax client will not invoke after Ctrl-Tab in FS2020

Stumped here. I updated everything - windows 10, Pimax firmware etc. Sim works, and the Crystal appears to switch on, but they do not communicate. Very frustratingā€¦this whole rig feels like a homebuilt frankensteing. Gotta say, I really miss my Reverb G2 - it worked seamlessly with no frustrations. This Crystal is barely a beta release product. It sometimes works, but right now, it is a brick.

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I have the same type of issue with my crystal when using PimaxXR and MSFS. When I press ctrl-tab to switch to VR mode I will get an error popup in MSFS and it wonā€™t let me switch. Unfortunately this seems related to PimaxXR since I was using a Reverb G2 on the same computer previously and it was not having this problem while using OpenXR. Until Pimax decide to build their own OpenXR support in to Pimax Play weā€™re unfortunately stuck with PimaxXR, which is no longer being supported by itā€™s developer. Make sure you have the PimaxXR runtime selected in the PimaxXR config window. Note that I was having this issue even before the latest Pimax Play and MSFS updates.

One stupid workaround that Iā€™ve found that works for me for whatever reason is to start a flight in MSFS and during the loading screen keep pressing ctrl-tab and clicking to close the error popups repeatedly as fast as you can. For some strange reason I can get it to eventually switch in to VR mode with PimaxXR if I do that during a flight loading screen. I find that if I donā€™t get it to switch on the first try I have to close and reopen msfs before trying again. Once itā€™s switched in to VR mode the first time by doing that then itā€™ll switch in and out on demand without issue for the rest of that MSFS session.

I have no idea why this workaround works for me. My best guess is that thereā€™s some kind of conflict related to PimaxXR and for some reason at some point during a flight loading screen the conflict stops long enough for VR to be enabled. Itā€™s an incredibly annoying and stupid problem but at least with this crazy workaround I can use my Crystal in MSFS. If anyone has figured out an actual fix for this issue I would love to hear it.

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I am in the exact same position as you guys with my Chrystal and former Reverb G2 user. I worked intensively wirh Pimax support staff to make this s*** work. Doing so, I learned Pimax R&D team is aware of this problem, they know the cause of it and itā€™ll be address in an upcoming update. In the meantime I am stuck using SteamVR for MSFS.

Iā€™m still trying to work out solutions with their team as I also experience other issues like difficulty starting my headset (I have to click restart services) once or twice to get it to work. Also, eye tracking will stop working after a few minutes DCS. Iā€™d like to know if you also experience similar issues ?

Out of curiosity, do you use AMD GPU ?

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I simply stopped applying any Crystal F/W updates as thy require remote session with Pimax support for the potential rollback. May current F/W dated October or November 2023 works well so I will rather stick with it.
If WideFoV lenses will become available I may consider F/W upgrade to have support for these lenses.

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Yes I am running an RX 6900XT, a Ryzen 7 5600x3D CPU, and 32G RAM

Crystal was working fine (ish) since August. I had a power supply issue a month back that involved new MB and power supply, new SSD and a freash windows install. Have not been able to get Crystal to work with open xr since. Steam vr is unplayable in FS2020

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My Crystal is running well, but I do observe the same issue with starting the headset and eye tracking stops working sometimes.
IĀ“m hoping for an update.

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This is very interesting as I experimented PSU issues (Corsaire RM850x) that fried my motherboard a month ago. Actually, I fried 3x motherboard before figuring out the source of the problem. Also, I use a XFX 7900XTX

By the way, regarding eye tracking issues, I bypassed the Pimax cable extension cord on the headset. See image. I did not expriment eye tracking issues since. Moreover, the headset is now much more comfortable,

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I am in OpenXR toolkit hell.

I DID manage to get Crystal working with OpenXR again - I downgraded Pimax client, AND AMD graphics driver, and that did the trickā€¦sort of.

The night I did that, I was able to get the sim to respond and go into VR with OpenXR toolkit menu working normally. Yay. I didnā€™t change any settings either in menu, or simā€¦just quickly verified that it did work, and I could ā€˜flyā€™ around. It was very slow, and non optimizedā€¦which is where the hell part comes in.

I was following a youtuber that suggested I use Open XR for mixed reality to set the render scaling to 100.

Downloaded it from Windows storeā€¦and it complained that the ā€˜serviceā€™ wasnā€™t found. I have no idea what that means, but I ended up faffing around, uninstalling, reinsstalling ā€˜Open XR toolkitā€™, never could find something called ā€˜OpenXR for mixed realityā€™ anywhere downloadable.

Now, OpenXR toolkit IS running, when I go into the sim, but it absolutely will not respond to ctrl F2 and let me into the menu. I can tell its running, because the FPS tag is still floating there.

So, I would like to tweak the toolkit, adjust some thingsā€¦you know, to optimize stuffā€¦but I cannot get the software to let me access the menu. I am stuck with the FPS sitting there mid screen.

FFS,. I am just trying to get this stuff to work, but at this point I seem completely screwed.

So frustrated right now, I donā€™t know what to do. It seems like a toolkit problem, but there is no discord for the toolkit anymore, no forums (other than this one). It is completely unsupported software, that does not work.

This is the state of the VR industry in 2024, and it is a horrible cludge fest. How many ā€˜OPEN XRā€™ tagged pieces of software are out there? I know of 4 just off the top of my head (tools, developer, toolkit, Pimax XR, and open composite just for fun)

None of this stuff works. I have no idea how to get this machine to do what it used to do from August up till end of January 2024ā€¦thousands of dollars sunk into this rig, and it simply will not work.

Worst software experience of the decade.

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Does it work with SteamVR ? I mean when the vr runtime is set to SteamVR and not OpenXR ?

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The Pimax does not use Windows Mixed Reality. You need PimaxXR. Have you visited their Discord channel?

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Didnā€™t know pimax had a discord channel. I searched ā€˜Pimaxā€™ and found one for the crystal.

Lots of intermixed discussions (cacophony), but I didnā€™t spot anything usefull.

I have uninstalled and reinstalled OC, Pimax XR, OpenXR toolkit, Pimax Client, AMD Radeon Graphics Drivers, so many times over the past few days (previous month was spent frying board and board before I clued in it was my power supply. Have physically rebuilt this computer 3 separate times in Feb/March).

So far, FS2020 is still unflyable in VR. It USED to be great with this same CPU/GPU/RAM etc. Those have not changed. But everything else is a hard fail.

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Do you have the same issue if you follow the OPā€™s steps to reproduce it?

YES

Provide extra information to complete the original description of the issue:

I had the same issue 3/18/2024 and opened PIMAX ticket and was told this: Sorry for the inconvenience, after the AMD graphics card driver upgrade, it will cause this issue, our R&D team is working on fixing this issue, we expect to release this version at the end of March.
For a temporary solution, you can uninstall the new AMD driver and install the previous driver version.

I tried an earlier version AMD GPU driver and had same results. I tried STEAMVR and everything worked ā€œnormallyā€. I updated PIMAX of this and was informed that ā€”This problem only occurs when using OpenXR, because OpenXR has a problem calling the Pimax runtime. I run PIMAX XR bc that was thier suggestion along with thier guidance here: https://pimax.com/how-to-run-openxr-on-the-pimax-crystal/

If relevant, provide additional screenshots/video:

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You donā€™t need OpenComposite for OpenXR titles like MSFS. It is an OpenVR to OpenXR translator and has a huge potential to mess up your system.
For the OpenXR Toolkit:

  • itā€™s optional, if the FPS counter annoy you, you can just uninstall it,
  • even better you can read the excellent manual, especially the troubleshooting section (while no longer supported it is extremely well documented):

In general:

  • you can run Crystal with SteamVR OpenXR runtime, for that you only need: Steam, SteamVR, PimaxPlay
  • you can run it with PimaxXR OpenXR runtime, for that you only need: PimaxXR, PimaxPlay
  • for some additional tweaking (resolution change, Foveated Rendering on Nvidia GPU, FPS counter, color correction) you may optionally use OpenXR Toolkit
  • nothing else is required for MSFS.

Nvidia GPUs are more popular in MSFS than AMD, majority of the headsets are better supported on Nvidia. My Crystal works with zero issues on 4090 with PimaxXR and the optional OpenXR Toolkit.

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You must have been in the wrong place. The support team is very active there. Did you ask for help?