Osvr had lenses like these for a time for sale in their store at a ridiculous price, but the price was so high because they aren’t manufactured at volume.
The good thing about pimax producing their own Optics is that when they hit a good design, they can produce it in volume.
Pimax’s present lens design is very good. It might even be beneficial for them to sell those lenses to other firms for their designs, under a Pimax banner.
Just as valve has Sourced out to HTC, and Oculus has sourced out to Lenovo, pimax could license certain things, and create a revenue stream not dependent only on the sale of their HMDs.
FRC nothing has gotten more affordable. Quite the contrary, it only seems that things have gotten more affordable. Due to engineered obsolescence, you have to buy things ten times more often then you ever used to.
For example, my cell phone is only 5 years old, and Samsung won’t stop hounding me about an upgrade to a device where I can’t even take the battery out when it dies.
Devices that are $700 to $1,000 should not need us to invest again and again in a 2-year cycle. If HMDs are ever going to be taken seriously by people at large, and are going to remain separate from the AR space for a time, modularity is the smart way to go. Much like cameras, VR devices should be upgradable, at least in terms of their lenses.
Look at the benefit that XTAL derives from those aspherical lenses. Very little chromatic aberration, almost no geometric pre distortion of the image, (and by extension better panel usage.)
That XTAL headset is $5000 temporarily. If they can reach volume on a cheaper lens design, the cost will go down.
I can almost guarantee that it is so high because they are trying to transition into the consumer space I need the capital.
From 2000 to 2019 electronics devices have gone cheaper for the same features, it’s just recent that market saturation is given some idea to make ultra-high end product (ex cellphone) with monstrous price, engineered obsolescence can’t be consider a counter argument because if fact it’s an argument toward what I’m saying companies have no interest to build modular thing because their are disposable. ( up to a point)
I’m no against a new lens set, I’m only saying the probability of replaceable optic is very low for a lot of good reasons from a company stand point. If it’s so smart and money worth why almost nobody is do it? When face with this kind of axiom we must ask our self maybe where are not computing all the variables
In reality Pimax are the most modular headsets on the market, only it’s internal to pimax, they have now what 5 models with the same case and electronics?
My pledge to Pimax is to have an “Elite line” more oriented toward the XTAL specifications and performance. For me the 8K-X was always a dream where brute force replaced thoughtful engineering, the XTAL is given some of us food for tough.
in one phrase : just make a super headset with current technology with a super lens set where there’s no need to replace it…
Nobody does any of it because very few think of anything beyond their bottom line, which can be a stupid move, even from a corporate standpoint. Look at the Rift S for an example. It is a marked side/downgrade from the original CV1.
-80hz LCD vs 90hz OLED
-WMR style inside out tracking (cool, but nowhere near as good as lighthouse or even gen1 constellation properly configured.)
-Cheaper construction
-The need to buy new compatible touch controllers.
It cheapens the brand, and shrinks its mind share. Its like Apple after Steve Jobs and Wozniac.
Does it allow them to make a profit from those who don’t own HMDs yet? Sure. But, if competition drives HMDs forward at a rapid rate, they will be left in the dust. Corporate culture forgets about the very innovation which made them profit to start with. Forgetting the consumer, and being stagnate on innovation is what causes value to plummet.
Just look at how Intel spent more than a decade sitting on their laurels selling people Quad core chips. AMD took the risk in innovating, and now it doesn’t matter that Intel is the far bigger company with labs, fabs, and gobs of poached IP. Because they didn’t use any of that in the market, they were caught with their pants down.
Cheaper with the same features, yet must be replaced at twice the rate. As an example, Note 4 was like $600. I have replaced my battery 2 times in five years. Give or take $40.
My friend bought a Note 4 at $200, but replaced it with the S6 via an upgrade for $300, then the S7 $300, in less than 5 years. In the latest phones, the battery is not replaceable, so even with rebates, getting a discount with a plan, etc. it is the same or greater cost when figured all together, not to mention the waste generated.
I laugh my butt off when I hear a company like apple say “we are minimizing our carbon footprint.”
I still have a CRT that is 17 years old, works great, even with new devices. New TVS I have had to buy 3 just to keep up with new standards, and chasing features that were commonplace on a CRT.
Take many of the “HDR” displays that have a 500 nit peak brightness. That’s not HDR at all, but average peak output for a new tube display. I have a 144hz TN monitor, my consumer CRT has less input lag. lol
Everything you’re saying is right but nevertheless the context is what it is… no hurt to ask but don’t get your hopes to high, I prefer to ask Pimax something I think they are more likely to produce and removable optic in consumer product is not one of them
2 things I wish for PImax immediate future
1: A new Pimax XTAL style headset ( likely in one year)
2: Pimax HDK + SDK with limited distribution and no warranty ( less probable )
The largest problem is corperations are not out to save the planet. But it is a good pitch to tge consumer to create the illusion of care with write offs.
Brita is a perfect example claiming they prevent plastic going to landfills; when in reality conscious consumers recycle. And Brita is owned by Glad makers of Garbage Bags & other landfill donations.
Simple truth Frc fails to see technology more often falls back on old designs & doesn’t really change every 2 years in design (save maybe an EA sports title).
Computers are still in the same basic layout of an upgradable tower they were in over 10 years ago.
Only those afraid of technology need AiO throw aways. There is already concerns of this waste in Mobile devices causing material shortages.
