Pimax Unveils Dream Air Prototypes and Addresses Crucial Inquiries

When Pimax dropped the curtain on their upcoming Dream Air headset, the VR community exploded with curiosity. Naturally, we wanted answers too, so we reached out to the company with a slew of questions. They generously shared insights, a peek at early prototypes, the full specs, and updates on some products that are still waiting in the wings.

By now, Pimax is no stranger to the VR headset game, though they’ve repeatedly stumbled over criticisms about product refinement, strategic clarity, missed deadlines, and the tendency to announce new tech before delivering on past promises.

The unveiling of the Dream Air headset stirred these waters again, prompting many to wonder how Pimax plans to hit the mark this time. We gathered the most pressing questions and took them directly to the source. Here’s the scoop we got back, including some prototype visuals, the detailed specs, and updates on their upcoming releases.

Q: Can Pimax confidently assure us that Dream Air will be ready and shipped in significant numbers by May 2025?

A: We’ve been tinkering behind the scenes on the Crystal Super micro-OLED and Dream Air for over a year now. Internally, these are kind of like two peas in a pod. Our optical engine is all set, and we’re convinced that the timeline we have leading up to May is enough to wrap things up, akin to how we developed the Crystal Super last year.

The Dream Air borrows heavily from the Crystal Super’s optical engine and base tech but with a fresh design twist. You can find more details on the shared technology between Dream Air and the Crystal Super micro-OLED.

Our biggest hurdle remains the procurement of micro-OLED panels and possibly the ringless controllers. We suspect that initial headset batches might roll out with ringed controllers, like those with the Crystal/Light/Super, which can be swapped for ringless ones later on.

Our confidence is strong that we’ll be able to ship out around 200 to 300 headsets by May. That’s precisely why we’ve chosen to announce the headset now. More on these reasons shortly.

Q: Why announce the Dream Air shortly after the Super? And why begin pre-orders so soon?

A: Several reasons played into this decision. Firstly, we wanted to avoid a scenario where we announce the Dream Air only after the Super starts shipping, leaving earlier customers wishing they had waited. We’ve even noticed some chatter about this on our Discord, but rest assured, customers can still switch their pre-order from the Super to the Dream Air if they choose.

Another significant factor is the high demand juxtaposed against the short supply of micro-OLED panels. The delivery times are extensive—it takes months to receive them post-order. Opening pre-orders helps us gauge user demand more accurately and allows us to place a timely order for Dream Air panels to meet the May deadline. This move needs to happen either before or right at the start of January, as suppliers take time off for Chinese New Year.

The delay problem with micro-OLED panels isn’t unique to Pimax; even our competitors face similar issues, which is why they typically don’t offer refundable pre-orders.

We’ve kept our pre-order process user-friendly with refundable options before shipment (and a trade-in period once the headset arrives), along with an affordable $1 reservation option.

Q: How do you respond to those saying Pimax should narrow its focus to fewer products?

A: We’re determined to be a company that embraces a variety of SKUs, especially with VR headsets diversifying rapidly. Our mission is to deliver the optimal VR experience across various use cases, which is why we have both the Crystal and Dream lines.

Our headsets share a significant amount of core technology, spanning both software and hardware, and remain chiefly focused on PCVR. We’ve learned from past experiences, like the Portal, which wasn’t PCVR-based.

Pimax boasts a 9-year history of crafting VR headsets, with two R&D wings and an expanding assembly line to bolster our multi-SKU strategy.

By deploying shared technology across multiple SKUs, we can channel more resources into tech development that benefits all headsets. It prevents us from experiencing a singular sales surge each year, instead distributing orders more evenly, aiding smoother management of supply and production resources since we own and operate our factory. Sales peaks can be severely detrimental to efficiency, you see.

Q: Any new headsets on Pimax’s horizon?

A: We’ll be updating some of our older models, but nothing new is in the pipeline that’s more advanced than the Dream Air and Crystal Super—except for, perhaps, the 12K.

Q: What’s the status of the Dream Air’s design? Are the renders shown just placeholders, or are they based on a finished concept? Is there a working prototype yet?

A: The internal elements of the headset are completely fleshed out. We’ve got a functioning optical engine and, on the software front, everything aligns with the Crystal Super. This includes SLAM tracking for both the headset and controllers, eye and hand tracking, and all the settings in Pimax Play.

As for the headset’s exterior, we’re currently testing using the Crystal Super’s casing (with the micro-OLED optical engine), while also developing the Dream Air’s own housing.

Here are images of two prototypes from our development phase.

Newer Prototype:

Older Prototype:

Update (December 31st, 2024): We’ve corrected a previous mix-up with the ‘older’ and ‘newer’ labels on the prototype images.

Q: Is Cobb, the standalone module for Dream Air, set to release in 2025?

A: We’re holding off on an exact ETA for Cobb. As an add-on for the Dream Air, we’re looking to incorporate a few features that weren’t communicated in our Frontier announcement.

Q: What safety measures are in place to ensure the auto-tightening headstrap is safe even if it malfunctions?

A: The strap is designed to securely hold the lightweight headset without any risk of injury. It’s made from elastic rubber. This isn’t new technology, as seen in innovations like Nike’s self-lacing shoes.

Q: Can the head straps be swapped out, and if so, how?

A: Absolutely, the head straps can be removed at the stems.

Q: Is there a chance we’ll see this running on HorizonOS or AndroidXR in the future?

A: Currently, there are no plans to diverge in that direction. Internally, it’s identical to the Crystal Super’s micro-OLED optical engine, and thus operates as a PC VR headset using Pimax Play, as well as OpenXR/OpenVR runtime and SteamVR.

Pimax also provided a rundown of the Dream Air’s technical specs:

Pimax Dream Air Specifications

Visuals

• Display: 2 × micro-OLED, 100% DCI-P3 colors
• Resolution per-eye: 13MP (3,840 × 3,552)
• Pixels per-degree: Unknown
• Max refresh rate: 90Hz
• Optics: Pancake
• Field-of-view: 102° Horizontal
• Pass-through view: Black & white
• Optical adjustments: Continuous IPD (automatic), Prescription lenses (optional)
• IPD adjustment range: 58–72mm

Input & Output

• Connectors: DP 1.4 (PC) to USB-C (headset), 1 × USB-C accessory port
• Input: Dream Air controllers (rechargeable battery), Hand-tracking
• Audio: In-headstrap speakers
• Microphone: Dual-microphone
• Weight: 200g

Sensing

• Headset-tracking: Inside-out (no external beacons), SteamVR Tracking (external beacons) [optional]
• Controller-tracking: Headset-tracked (headset line-of-sight needed)
• Eye-tracking: Yes
• Expression-tracking: No
• On-board cameras: 4 × tracking, 2 × passthrough
• Depth-sensor: No

Price

• MSRP: $1,900

Pimax Product Shipping Update

Q: Any updates on the shipping timelines for Pimax products yet to hit the market?

A: The Crystal Super will be on display at CES 2025, particularly showcasing the QLED 57 PPD optical engine, which ships at January’s end. Meanwhile, the 50 PPD and micro-OLED optical engines are nearly ready, expected to ship in March and April.

The Crystal Light without local dimming is scheduled for release around June 2025, with a significant price drop.

The 60G Airlink for the original Crystal will also be demoed at CES 2025, with external beta testing commencing soon thereafter. This is on track to ship in April 2025.

Unfortunately, precise timings for the 12K aren’t available yet. Despite initial solutions to key technical challenges when announced, some haven’t met our quality standards or just didn’t pan out, such as a dual DP 1.4 solution and an unreleased panel solution.

Have more burning questions for Pimax? Feel free to drop them in the comments below.