When Pimax announced the upcoming Dream Air headset, it sparked a wave of curiosity and speculation within the VR community. Eager to address these concerns, we reached out to the company. They gave us insights into their early prototypes, a comprehensive list of specifications, and updates on products still awaiting release.
Pimax has been in the VR headset arena for a while now, but not without its share of criticism. Issues like lack of polish, shifting focus, broken release promises, and premature product announcements have shadowed Pimax projects in the past. Naturally, the introduction of the sleek Dream Air brought these concerns to light again. To address this, we lined up some of the community’s most pressing questions and took them straight to the source. Here’s what Pimax had to share, including some photos of the early Dream Air models and updates on shelved announcements.
Q: How sure is Pimax about delivering the Dream Air in significant numbers by May 2025?
A: We’ve been internally working on the Crystal Super micro-OLED and Dream Air for over a year—they’re essentially the same headset internally. We have a working optical engine. The timeline looks similar to what we achieved with the Crystal Super, so we’re optimistic about meeting the May deadline. The Dream Air shares its optical engine with the Crystal Super but introduces a fresh design. You can find more details about their shared components in our technical documents. Our main hurdle lies in securing enough micro-OLED panels, as well as possibly making the controller ringless. Initially, the first batch might come with ringed controllers, much like those on Crystal, Light, and Super models, which we’ll exchange for ringless ones later. We’re aiming to ship between 200 to 300 units in May. That’s why announcing now felt necessary for several reasons I’ll outline below.
Q: Why announce Dream Air soon after Super? And why are you accepting pre-orders already?
A: There are multiple reasons. Announcing Dream Air now helps ensure that customers won’t feel left out had they preferred this model over the Super. We’ve noticed comments about this already on Discord, but luckily, customers can switch their pre-orders from the Super to Dream Air if they want. The scarcity of micro-OLED panels also factored into our decision. Demand outweighs supply, leading to lengthy delivery times. By opening pre-orders, we gauge interest and get ahead with ordering panels to be shipped in May. These orders must be placed by or at the start of January, considering suppliers’ closures during the Chinese New Year. The wait for micro-OLED panels isn’t unique to us; similar issues affect competitors, which is why some don’t offer refundable pre-orders. However, our pre-orders are refundable before shipping, with a $1 reservation option.
Q: What’s your response to the advice to focus on fewer products?
A: Our goal is to be a multi-SKU company, especially as VR headsets diversify. We’re committed to delivering the ultimate user experience, which may mean different headsets for varied applications, such as the Crystal and Dream lines. Despite the variety, our headsets use shared core technology, both in hardware and software, focusing primarily on PCVR. Lessons from the past, like with Portal, which wasn’t PCVR, have been noted. Pimax has been crafting VR headsets for nine years, supports its endeavors with two R&D offices, and is opening a second assembly line. By developing multi-SKUs using shared tech, we can concentrate resources on innovations benefiting all our products. This strategy also leads to more consistent yearly sales, easing supply chain management, as we operate our own factory. Avoiding seasonal peaks is better for efficiency.
Q: Can you hint at any more headsets in the works?
A: We will refresh older models, but nothing is planned to surpass the specs of Dream Air and Crystal Super, except potentially the 12K.
Q: How advanced is the Dream Air design? Are the renders from the announcement real or just concept art? Is there a working prototype yet?
A: The headset’s internals are entirely developed, and we have a fully functional optical engine. In terms of software, it shares everything with the Crystal Super, like SLAM tracking, eye and hand-tracking, via Pimax Play. We’re currently testing the headset in the housing of the Crystal Super’s micro-OLED optical engine, as we finalize the Dream Air’s exterior design. Below are images of two developmental prototypes.
Q: Is the Cobb standalone module for Dream Air set to launch in 2025?
A: We don’t have a solid release date for Cobb yet. It’s an add-on for Dream Air, and we’re still adding features that weren’t part of our initial announcement.
Q: What measures prevent the auto-tightening headstrap from being unsafe in case of malfunction?
A: The straps are robust enough to hold the headset’s weight but gentle enough not to cause harm. They’re made from elastic rubber—similar tech is used in self-lacing shoes like the Nike Auto Adapt.
Q: Can the head straps be replaced? How so?
A: Yes, they are removable at the stems.
Q: Might we eventually see this running on HorizonOS or AndroidXR?
A: There are no such plans. This headset is identical to the Crystal Super’s micro-OLED optical engine, functioning with Pimax Play for PC VR, also compatible with OpenXR, OpenVR, and SteamVR.
Pimax also released a detailed specification list for the Dream Air headset:
Pimax Dream Air Specs
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°H
- 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: What’s the current ETA for all unreleased Pimax products?
A: The Crystal Super will debut at CES 2025, with the QLED 57 PPD optical engine shipping at January’s end. The 50 PPD optical engine and micro-OLED engine are nearly ready, set to ship in March and April, respectively. The Crystal Light without local dimming launches in June 2025, reducing prices further. The 60G Airlink for the original Crystal is also showcased at CES 2025, with beta testing starting imminently and shipping in April 2025. We can’t provide a precise date for the 12K. While solutions were found for key technical challenges, some didn’t meet quality standards. Issues like a dual DP 1.4 solution and another panel solution, which we can’t disclose, remain unresolved.
If you have more questions for Pimax, feel free to share them in the comments below.
