8K-X Impression [Review]

[SweViver]

Looking at your first screenshots, I see you are editing default.vrsettings, which you should NOT. Read my posts above @CMM

[cazman321]

Hmm, my gpuSpeed values are in the 800’s with a 1080Ti…does that seem right? I’ve never seen/heard of anyone touching those values. What do they mean?

Edit: I found your post on it, nevermind: https://community.openmr.ai/t/how-to-get-full-clarity-sharpness-in-steamvr-dashboard-overlay-on-low-end-gpus-with-pimax/21511

[SweViver]

@CMM

Image Quality:

Well, this is where Pimax has absolutely blew it, but wait… they blew it by continuing to rely on the terrible Pimax VR Home Planet Environment.
Sure, the FOV must be demonstrated but the image quality needs to be vastly improved.

The image still looked quite bad to me in Native Mode and let’s just say un-impression was setting in.
Before continuing further, the SDE may be there but it’s become a non-issue as it’s very faint to see.
Now, the colors and the brightness are still not great but they are also not bad.

You simply havent optimized SteamVR correctly, as recommended. Its not your 8KX fault, its SteamVR that doesnt want you to have full resolution, unless you force it.

Please configure your SteamVR correctly, and then tell us about your first impressions.

[SweViver]

@cazman321

Hmm, my gpuSpeed values are in the 800’s with a 1080Ti…does that seem right? I’ve never seen/heard of anyone touching those values. What do they mean?

Around 1000-1100 for 1080Ti, everything between 1200 and 1500 with 2080Ti.
Setting it to 2000 is best, because the average value will decrease for every SteamVR restart.
The average value is auto-generated by SteamVR, its called: gpuSpeedHorsePower, and no matter what you set it at, it will be an average value or your gpuSpeed0-9 values together.

[cazman321]

Gotcha. Does this improve the clarity of the Desktop view of SteamVR? I guess I can mess with it later, but that would be huge if it does make it look better, since I started watching Amazon video off a chrome tab in the SteamVR desktop. I remember trying to supersample the compositor to make it look good, but it never really changed it (I guess due to the gpuspeed benchmark)

[SweViver]

Regarding your impressions about colors and blacks, did you even try to adjust Brightness -2 and Contrast +1 or so? Its been the common knowledge with Pimax for years now. Do not use default settings, which are - for a reason - default…

[SweViver]

@cazman321

Gotcha. Does this improve the clarify of the Desktop view of SteamVR? I guess I can mess with it later, but that would be huge if it does make it look better, since I started watching Amazon video off a chrome tab in the SteamVR desktop. I remember trying to supersample the compositor to make it look good, but it never really changed it (I guess due to the gpuspeed benchmark)

Yes this MASSIVELY improves the desktop view.

[Fresco]

@SweViver

Remember that every time you restart SteamVR, one of the gpuSpeed values gets updated, because a new “benchmark” of your GPU is made upon SteamVR startup.

This would be great if your Pimax experience can do this, I get really annoyed with this every time i start steamVR and find my settings are changed. I use to make the settings read only must try that again and some of your suggestions again i had forgotten about after reinstalling SteamVR for the new Pimax Vision 8kX trying to get the most out it and SkyrimVR. Thanks again as always Sweviver for you help with settings and such very important.

[SweViver]

@Fresco

This would be great if your Pimax experience can do this

It already does all this.
Currently Im messing around with Basic/Advanced mode switch and volume slider which for some reason have taken me quite many hours to get right haha

[neal_white_iii]

@SweViver

Its not Pimax fault. Its Valve that doesn’t want you to enjoy your Pimax

While that is true, the default is terrible for Pimax, so it’s your responsibility to fix it for your users.

[SweViver]

[SweViver]

@neal_white_iii

While that is true, the default is terrible for Pimax, so it’s your responsibility to fix it for your users.

The default is what SteamVR have made. What we can do, is to manually tweak the SteamVR files, which we are doing. Therefore, its in our interest, not responsibility to do it. Its a shame we even need to do these things manually. In my opinion, its a shame that the biggest VR platform is not even trying to optimize its own platform for high-end or high-resolution VR headsets.

[Fresco]

This is sad but true i think and probably know why if i took a guess.

[evertec]

Well it is your responsibility to provide instructions if your headsets require this change. As far as I know, there are not instructions except by digging on these forums, which the average user wouldn’t know to look.

[Fresco]

Thats the whole point of the Pimax Experience he is so hard working on.

[evertec]

I know, which is great, but it’s not out yet

[SweViver]

@evertec

Well it is your responsibility to provide instructions if your headsets require this change. As far as I know, there are not instructions except by digging on these forums, which the average user wouldn’t know to look.

Thats why Im doing the VR Experience
All Im saying is that is a shame that we need to manually config things to even bring the potential out of a high-resolution headset. Putting ridiculous limitations on scaling and resolution inside SteamVR is just, in my opinion, a shady way to cripple high-end headsets. Oh and meanwhile optimize for their own hardware… what does it really tell you?

[Fresco]

It’s always a waiting game, I’ve been waiting for this or that to happen it seems forever. People where to landscape my yard months ago still the same dirt clodded weed infested lot.

[DocsOutatimeTV]

Thank you for the review and comparison to other headsets.
I had the 5k+ and now own a Odyssey+ so it’s very helpful that you have compared it.

I have ordered the 8kX two days ago and after reading several first impressions I think I have made a good decision.

[industria]

Have you tried doing this with 1080ti? Should i consider it as very low and being not able go above 4k?

I have tried step by step.

1. edited both configs

• D:\Games\Steam\config\steamvr.vrsettings (this one changes values with each restart)
• C:\Users\nothi\AppData\Local\openvr\steamvr.vrsettings

2. disabled advanced settings
3. edited gpu speed values to 2000

No changes

No matter what i do, the game launches in same resolution. Changing supersamling in pitool has no affect too. The only changes im being able to do - changing FoV or decreasing resolution below 4k. Going above has no impact on my frame rates or picture quality.