🕶️ My First Impressions: Pimax Crystal Super showcased at Sun ‘n Fun 2025 air show in Lakeland, FL.
The Pimax Crystal Super showcased at Sun ‘n Fun in Lakeland, FL.
🛩️ Sun ‘n Fun 2025: A Mini “FlightSim Expo” Vibe.
Lakeland, Florida hosted Sun ‘n Fun, and wow—this year it felt like a mini FlightSim Expo. The vibe was electric. Hardware, simulators, and aviation enthusiasts all in one place. While Flight Sim Association was there in a separate area, the Flight Simulation Pilot Proficiency Center exhibit was setup by FlyInside Simulation, led by owner Rick Miller. He was able to put together an impressive show where Microsoft paired up with Moza, DOF Reality, Thrustmaster, MSI, Fly Inside, Next level Racing and other partners and crushed it showing off Force Feedback, Motion Rigs and Virtual Reality. Flight Sim Association even had a hangar, promoting their upcoming FSExpo in Providence, RI on June 27–29, 2025, and other vendors, companies and hardware/software on display.
📍 Want to attend? Learn more about FSExpo here
✈️ I’ll be there—come say hi if you see me!
👓 Trying the Pimax Crystal Super: First Impressions
Was I excited? Absolutely! Did it blow me away instantly? Sort of? I think MSFS was acting up and had LOW FPS which distracted me from my initial wow and the quality of the B206 from Fly inside didnt shout anything crazy at me…. BUT… after switching to Kayak VR on SteamVR, I had the wow moment I was looking for. This headset shines when paired with optimized software. This is tricky because I think the issue was MSFS and its optimization and to be clear I was able to get a great experience afterwards in MSFS with the Flyinside helicopter and the night flying was exceptional and better than my Pimax Crystal Light. This shouldn’t reflect on the headset itself as it clearly is monster and has insane resolution of 3840×3840 per eye! Wow!
With all that being said, it was short time and I have heard many great reviews from folks in the industry I trust and like and am trying to get one to do a deeper dive on it.
🧠 Key Specs & Highlights
- 50 PPD (Pixels Per Degree) crystal-clear visuals
- Proper stereo overlap
- 6DOF inside-out tracking (no base stations needed)
- Dual microphones + auto IPD
- QLED panels w/ aspheric single glass lenses
- 72Hz–100Hz refresh rate
- Not wireless — DisplayPort 1.4a connection
- No batteries or Wi-Fi
- Optional top strap (highly recommended!)
🎙️ Note: The mic on the Pimax Crystal Light was… rough. But the Crystal Super’s mic setup has dual mike like the OG Crystal and should solve that.
🚁 Real-World Testing
Testing with Microsoft Flight Simulator and Kayak VR was night and day.
Again MSFS performance left me wanting more (no beta/Foveated Rendering) and distracted me from the visuals a bit, but Kayak VR? Stunning. Smooth. This got me excited.
🟢 Brilliant water textures
🟢 Clear mountains & terrain
🟢 No ghosting or glare
I expect similar results in MSFS once quad view & FFR support roll out for Microsoft Flight Simulator like they are in DCS.
💬 My Thoughts on Comfort + Design
- The headset is lighter than it looks
- Pair it with a StudioForm Creative top strap or the upgraded top strap from Pimax(a must IMO)
- Long hair or bald—comfort matters. Proper fit = better clarity, (always ensure your IPD is set if you do not have auto IPD)
🧢 Pro Tip: A snug fit minimizes distortion and boosts clarity around the edges.
🔧 Specs Recap
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Resolution | 50 PPD (Super), up to 57 PPD (Pro Model) |
| Lenses | Aspheric Glass (not pancake) |
| FOV | Large with wide sweet spot |
| Tracking | Inside-out (Lighthouse version optional) |
| Eye Tracking | Yes, with dynamic FFR |
| Microphones | Dual |
| Cable | 5m DisplayPort 1.4a |
| Refresh Rate | 72–100Hz (lab mode) |
| Weight | Reduced (exact spec TBD) |
🤝 The Future is Bright
Pimax’s partnership with Microsoft on Fixed Foveated Rendering is HUGE for VR simmers. Performance gains in DCS and MSFS are coming—and that’s where this headset will truly flex its power.
📺 Watch my original video on FFR here
🧠 Shoutout to Calvin from Pimax for walking me through it in person and helping set me up.
💭 Final Thoughts
I’m genuinely excited to see where the Pimax Crystal Super goes from here.
If you’re a serious flight simmer looking for ultra-crisp visuals and you’re running a 4090+ GPU, keep this headset on your radar! I suspect most users will be blown away by the experience when upgrading from most headsets.
Let me know what you think in the comments! Are you planning to pick one up? Questions, concerns, or your own impressions—drop them below 👇
📌 Stay tuned this weekend: Apache DCS video + possible hand-tracking test!
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