Pimax 8K Virtual Reality Headset: How does this change the experience of gaming?

If you're at all interested in anything VR, you've probably heard of the new and upcoming Pimax 8K, the very first 8K virtual reality headset.

Features

      This room scale VR package separates itself from the competition by offering a variety of features that the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift do not yet currently support.  These features aren't absolutely revolutionary compared to the current state of competing VR models, though they offer a vast upgrade in the current technology of the VR experience.

These upgrades are primarily focused around the visual experience of VR and ow the player will better be able to become immersed in the world they are put into.  This includes a 200 degree field of view, a huge upgrade over the 145 degree field of view that the Vive can offer, the current leader in FOV for VR.  Just for frame of reference, the average FOV of the naked human eye is about 220 degrees.

The largest feature for the Pimax 8K is indicated in the very text of its name: it has a resolution of 8K, the very first of its kind.  This is four times the amount of the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift.  It has been claimed that due to this 4K resolution in each eye, the "screen door effect" that is commonly complained about in other VR headsets is a thing of the past.

The refresh rate is unfortunately still set a locked 90hz in the Pimax, which is no better than the Vive or Rift, though it makes up for its lack in innovation in refresh rates through its far more superior visual quality and pixel count, one of 16.6 million, nearly 8 times more than the Vive and Rift.  It also claims to have lower latency, and in combination with its higher resolution, drastically reduces the effects of motion sickness that are a frequent issue with VR users, especially those new to the experience.

One of the more appealing factors to this technology is that it will remain compatibly with existing VR software, such as SteamVR and Oculus Home, alongside bringing in its own VR software hub, known as PIPlay.  Not only will it be compatible with prior software, but also hardware, as Vive lighthouse stations for motion tracking and controllers will work perfectly fine with the headset.  As a Vive owner myself, this is extremely desirable, as I don't have to reconfigure my entire VR setup or purchase a whole new set of accessories to have this higher resolution experience.

    Impact on Gaming

The impact that this emerging technology will have on gaming, assuming it is has high quality as it is advertised to be, will be tremendous for the VR market.  Higher resolution headsets mean higher detailed worlds, as well as larger ones.  Due to an increase in pixel density, more things can be fit into a smaller spot, thus allowing for longer ranges of detailed sight to be achieved in VR.  Combine this with the larger FOV and players will have completely new and entirely more immersive experiences than every before, being able to see threats and objectives at better angles, from better distances, and in even greater detail.

This greater detail will also be a huge advantage towards games that have any amount of text in them, as text is one of the most difficult things to make out in VR due to the screen door effect and lack of crispness needed to fully make out the words.  Tutorials that are reliant on text can now be more in detail, signs in VR games can actually have purpose, and different kinds of games that utilize lots of text in their menus or HUD can be pursued with more confidence.

   Use for Developers

First and foremost, Pimax 8K will be fully compatible with the Unity3D and Unreal development engines, allowing for easy integration of the technology into existing or newly developed games.  On top of this, no new hardware is needed for the headset to be used, making existing VR games easily able to be played on the headset using Rift or Vive controllers and base stations.  Developers will not have to learn how to implement the new technology, and instead can focus on making larger, more detailed worlds, as explained above.

The level of realism this headset will begin to provide will allow for developers to craft far more immersive and convincing worlds.  This is especially important when trying to cultivate feelings of beauty and wonder, such as in an exploration game, or feelings of fear and dread, such as in a horror game.  Whatever this new level of immersion is used for, it will bring VR experiences to a new level for developers and gamers alike, and I'm truly excited to see the creativity that is sprouted from this higher technology.

   Do I Want It?

It's basically 4K VR that only requires the purchase of a headset.  What the hell do you think?  Now, having the $500 or so to buy one is another story, but thankfully due to the recent drop in price of the HTC Vive, we can expect the cost of VR products to steadily decline over time and as the technology advances and is evermore perfected.