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Pimax Play

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Pimax Play
Information
Type PC VR software client
Industry Virtual reality
Developer Pimax
Operating System Windows 10 and 11
Supported Devices Pimax 5K Super, Pimax 8K X, Pimax Crystal, Pimax Crystal Light, Pimax Crystal Super, Pimax Dream Air, Pimax Dream Air SE
Release Date September 28, 2022 (as Pimax Client)
Website https://www.pimax.com/support/downloads


Pimax Play is the Windows desktop software that Pimax supplies to connect, configure and update its PC VR headsets. Pimax describes it as "the software client that powers all the Pimax VR headsets, including the 5K/8K, Crystal Series, Crystal Super, Dream Air, and Dream Air SE".[1] The client pairs controllers, runs room setup, installs headset firmware, sets resolution, refresh rate and other display options, and launches SteamVR and OpenXR content.[2][3][4][5]

The software descends from PiTool, the companion app that earlier Pimax headsets required, and from Pimax Client, which replaced PiTool in September 2022.[6][7] Since version 1.32 in September 2024, Pimax Play has included Pimax's own OpenXR runtime with Quad Views foveated rendering; the unofficial PimaxXR runtime that previously filled this role now describes itself as superseded by Pimax's implementation.[8][9] A redesigned version 2.0 entered open beta in April 2026, and the current release listed by Pimax on October 6, 2026 is version 2.0.4.[10][11]

Reviewed 6 October 2026. Checked every date, version number, price, quotation and feature claim against the cited Pimax blog posts, downloads and EVO pages, the 2022 OpenMR announcement, the PimaxXR repository and releases, the Steam listing, the Crystal Light user guide and the cited press reviews. About review dates.

History

PiTool

Before Pimax Play, Pimax headsets such as the Pimax 8K X relied on a companion app called PiTool. In its 2021 review of the Vision 8K X, Tom's Hardware wrote that "Pimax headsets have always required a companion app called PiTool", which handled firmware updates, SteamVR driver injection, rendering options, field of view, refresh rate, color correction and lens position adjustment. The reviewer called it "somewhat intimidating" and "not a plug-n-play type of setup". Pimax had added a second program, Pimax Experience, reached through PiTool, that let users change settings from inside the headset and applied per-game settings from cloud-hosted profiles based on the PC's hardware.[6] The review's tests used PiTool version V1.0.1.270.[6]

Pimax Client (2022)

On September 28, 2022, marking what it called its seven-year milestone as a company, Pimax announced a new program called Pimax Client in its official announcement channel on the OpenMR community forum. Pimax said the client "replaces our Pitool software" and supports "all past and future Pimax headsets". The announcement listed full PiTool integration, a built-in Pimax Store for browsing, buying, downloading and launching games adapted for Pimax's field of view and resolution, PayPal payments, wish lists, game reviews and comments, and built-in technical support. Registered users received a free "mystery game", and Pimax said the client would also host standalone games for its next-generation headsets.[7]

Early press coverage used both names for the same program. TechRadar's September 2023 review of the Pimax Crystal called it the "Pimax Play app",[4] while MIXED's November 2023 review referred to the "Pimax client".[12] A December 2023 hands-on in The Ghost Howls used "Pimax Client" and "Pimax Play client" interchangeably.[13]

OpenXR runtime integration (2024)

Before Pimax built its own runtime, OpenXR applications could run on Pimax headsets through PimaxXR, an unofficial OpenXR runtime written by developer Matthieu Bucchianeri (mbucchia) that was not produced by Pimax. PimaxXR ran on top of Pimax's PVR native SDK and let OpenXR applications run without SteamVR; its first preview release, 0.1.0, appeared on June 5, 2022.[9][14][15] Its README states that it was never officially conformant with the Khronos Group standard because of the US$30,000 adopter fee, although it passed most conformance tests.[9]

On September 10, 2024, Pimax announced that it was developing its own OpenXR runtime and Quad Views foveated rendering for Pimax Play, with a beta test to start soon. The company said integration would remove the need to download and install extra software, and it credited Bucchianeri, "the visionary behind OpenXR Toolkit and PimaxXR, including the Quadviews features", saying it would build on his ideas with its own runtime.[16] The same day, Pimax's progress update said Pimax Play 1.31 would take its Upscaling Mode out of beta and replace local dimming presets with a slider, and that versions 1.29 and 1.30 had already improved the SLAM tracking algorithm for the Pimax Crystal Light and added support for that headset's non-local-dimming version.[17]

On September 27, 2024, Pimax reported that Pimax Play 1.32 was live with the "native integration of Pimax OpenXR runtime", so that users "no longer need to download third-party software to launch OpenXR-supported titles", with Quad Views included. The release also made a 90 Hz upscale mode available for the Crystal Light as a Lab Feature.[8] The PimaxXR repository now states that the project is abandoned and has been superseded by Pimax's own implementation in Pimax Play; its last release, 0.4.4, came out on September 25, 2023.[9][15]

Version 1.34.01, announced on November 2, 2024, introduced an "Open-Beta" channel for early access to new features. In the same update Pimax listed user-reported issues it was working on, including the performance of its OpenXR runtime and of the 90 Hz upscale mode, and top community requests such as an offline mode, OpenXR Toolkit compatibility and more Quad Views settings.[18]

Pimax Prime and paid software activation

In November 2024 Pimax introduced Pimax Prime, a two-part payment scheme for the Crystal Light and Pimax Crystal Super. Road to VR reported that buyers paid US$599 (Crystal Light) or US$999 (Crystal Super) up front and, after a trial period, had to either return the headset or pay for continued access to "the required Pimax Play software": US$259 once or US$12 a month for two years for the Crystal Light, and US$696 once or US$33 a month for two years for the Crystal Super. Missed monthly payments suspended software access. Road to VR noted that "paying for access to middleware that should be included for free may simply not sit right with some". Pimax had first announced a 10-day trial and extended it to 14 days as of December 3, 2024.[19]

On June 19, 2025, Pimax dropped the 24-month option for new orders, leaving a single "two-step payment" (base price plus Prime) for the Crystal Light, Crystal Super, Dream Air and Dream Air SE. Pimax said most buyers had not used the monthly plan, that many disliked seeing Prime as a subscription, and that "other users were confused by the 24-month option showing in Pimax Play".[20]

Roadmap and Pimax Play 2.0 (2025-2026)

Pimax published a Pimax Play roadmap on September 19, 2025. It listed a "Pimax Play UI 2.0" with revised device settings and system UI, a new Pimax Home environment, native hand tracking for SLAM-tracked headsets, AI-assisted support, RMA and warranty tools, custom button mapping, improved AMD GPU compatibility, an FPS dashboard, a field-of-view slider, wireless streaming for the original Crystal ("OG Crystal WiFi-Airlink", then in beta), Unreal Engine VR support, CPU and GPU utilization improvements, and Linux support.[1] At its "Frontier" launch event on October 6, 2026, Pimax confirmed that it was developing a native Linux version of Pimax Play, according to reports from Realovirtual and Tech4Gamers; no release date was reported.[21][22]

A closed beta of Pimax Play 2.0 opened in December 2025. Pimax described it as "a complete overhaul of the underlying technical architecture" that kept existing customization features.[23] Development of the 1.x line continued in parallel: version 1.43.3 (December 2025) added a 20-minute screen saver option and fixed edge transitions with Quad Views,[24] and version 1.44.1 (May 2026) added floating window rendering scale settings and a device diagnostic tool and fixed OpenComposite compatibility issues.[25]

The Pimax Play 2.0 open beta followed on April 5, 2026, with a new Pimax Home and redesigned interface, QR code login, OpenXR API layer support, game pinning, and SystemUI changes covering Smart Smoothing, foveated rendering and a curved mode. Pimax listed support for the 5K Super, 8KX, Crystal series and Dream Air.[10] Later 2.0 releases added device diagnostic checks (2.0.2, July 2026),[26] advanced Quad View and FOV cropping adjustments, a Wide FOV mode for the Crystal Light and Dream Air, and customizable button mapping (2.0.3, August 2026).[27] Version 2.0.4, dated September 20, 2026 on Pimax's download page, is a 313 MB installer for Windows 10 and 11 that Pimax said would be "gradually rolled out to all users over the next two weeks".[11]

Pimax EVO (2026)

On June 18, 2026, Pimax introduced Pimax EVO, a separate client developed by a dedicated team for experimental, edge-case or time-limited features. Pimax said it had previously handled such features with a "Labs" tag, and that EVO features which prove successful are moved into mainline Pimax Play.[28] According to Pimax's product page, installing EVO replaces the regular Pimax Play, which it embeds, and users can switch between the two without losing settings, profiles or device pairings. EVO is free, runs on 64-bit Windows 10 and 11, and supports the Crystal Light, Crystal Super, Dream Air and Dream Air SE.[29]

The first release had five features:[28][29]

  • 6DOF Recline Mode, which keeps the horizon level when the user lies down.
  • Room-Tracking Offset, which moves the in-game viewpoint independently of the user's physical position.
  • Video Recording of exactly what is displayed in the headset, including menus, overlays and rendering effects, at up to 4K (2160p), 30 or 60 FPS and up to 50 Mbps.
  • Hand tracking using the headset's tracking cameras, available first on the Dream Air and Dream Air SE, with Crystal Light and Crystal Super support announced for a later update.
  • Open Port, which opens part of the Pimax Play display pipeline to verified third-party plugins. The first plugin is a native SteamVR driver built with the developer Sboys3, which lets a headset run either through Pimax's own compositor or as a native SteamVR headset; it initially supported only the Lighthouse version of the Dream Air.

Pimax released EVO 1.0.1 alongside Pimax Play 2.0.3 in August 2026.[27]

Features

Setup and device management

Pimax's Crystal Light user guide describes Pimax Play as "the tool that enables your Pimax headset to connect to a Windows 10/11 PC". The guide has users install the client, register a Pimax Play account, and then install OpenXR or OpenVR applications such as SteamVR apps. Controllers are paired with a "SET PAIR" button in the client, and headset firmware is updated through "Device Settings -> Check for Updates".[3] A 2024 review of the Crystal Light in The Ghost Howls listed the home page options as Guidance, Room Setting, Restart Headset, Device Settings, Start SteamVR, Set Pair and Restart Service. Its device settings covered resolution, frame rate, brightness, local dimming, software interpupillary distance offsets, tracking system type, passthrough, chaperone, motion compensation, fixed foveated rendering, Quad Views and the OpenXR runtime type, and a separate setting enabled passthrough by double-tapping the side of the headset.[5]

On headsets with eye tracking, such as the Crystal, the client runs the eye-tracking calibration and holds the dynamic foveated rendering (DFR) settings, which offered three levels or off in late 2023. Changing the refresh rate in the client restarts the headset, and the client is also where users switch between inside-out and Lighthouse (SteamVR Tracking) tracking.[13]

Runtimes and rendering

In a 2023 hands-on published by The Ghost Howls, Rob Cole noted that the Crystal is not a native SteamVR headset and "operates through the Pimax Play client", which causes an additional performance cost compared with native headsets such as the Valve Index or HTC Vive.[13] Pimax Play can start SteamVR directly,[12] and since version 1.32 it provides its own OpenXR runtime with Quad Views, which Pimax describes as producing a sharp center and a softened periphery in supported games.[8][16][29] Pimax's September 2025 roadmap listed GPU upscaling, sharpening, "more runtimes" and "adjustable Quad Views" among the features already added to the client.[1]

Gaming Trend described the 90 Hz upscaling function for the Crystal Light as a proprietary algorithm that reconstructs and adds pixels while sharpening the image. Its reviewer reported holding about 60 FPS at the headset's 2880x2880 resolution in a game without its own upscaling support, compared with around 45 FPS when rendering that resolution natively.[30]

The eye-tracked foveated rendering that Pimax ships in Pimax Play was later re-implemented for other headsets. In November 2025 UploadVR reported on PimaxMagic4All, a free tool by Bucchianeri that "re-implements a feature Pimax ships in its Pimax Play software" so that other eye-tracked SteamVR headsets can use it in DirectX 11 OpenVR games on NVIDIA GTX 16-series and RTX graphics cards; UploadVR noted that Pimax owners do not need it.[14]

Release history

The table lists versions with features documented in Pimax's own announcements. Pimax publishes most releases in staged rollouts.

Version Date Documented changes Source
Pimax Client September 28, 2022 Replaced PiTool; integrated Pimax Store with game purchases, PayPal payments, wish lists and reviews [7]
1.29 and 1.30 By September 2024 SLAM algorithm improvements for the Crystal Light; support for the Crystal Light's non-local-dimming version [17]
1.32 September 27, 2024 Native Pimax OpenXR runtime with Quad Views; Crystal Light upscale mode as a Lab Feature; lower CPU use by the tracking algorithm [8]
1.34.01 November 2, 2024 Open-Beta channel for early access to new features; fixed the 90 Hz upscale refresh rate on the Crystal Light [18]
2.0 (closed beta) December 1, 2025 Rebuilt technical architecture and reorganized interface [23]
1.43.3 December 22, 2025 20-minute screen saver option; fixed Quad Views edge transitions; tracking stability and re-tracking speed improvements [24]
2.0.0 (open beta) April 5, 2026 New Pimax Home and interface; QR code login; OpenXR API layer support; game pinning; SystemUI changes [10]
1.44.1 May 18, 2026 Floating window rendering scale settings; device diagnostic tool; OpenComposite compatibility fixes [25]
2.0.2 July 1, 2026 Device diagnostic checks for disabled cameras and excessive image quality settings; SteamVR launch and central foveated rendering fixes [26]
2.0.3 August 7, 2026 Advanced Quad View and FOV cropping adjustment; Wide FOV mode for Crystal Light and Dream Air; button mapping for Recenter, Screen On/Off and Passthrough; color tone adjustment [27]
2.0.4 September 20, 2026 IPD and volume options for custom buttons; warning when the headset is not tracking at game launch; account deletion; firmware updates for Dream Air, Dream Air SE, Crystal Light and Crystal Super [11]

Supported devices

Pimax says Pimax Play supports its 5K and 8K headsets, the Crystal series, the Crystal Super, the Dream Air and the Dream Air SE.[1] The 2.0 open beta listed the 5K Super, 8KX, Crystal series and Dream Air.[10] Not every feature applies to every model: native hand tracking is limited to SLAM-tracked headsets,[1] and in May 2026 Pimax said it was working with NVIDIA on a compatibility problem affecting the 8KX.[25]

Pimax also has a Steam store page for Pimax Play, which lists it as free Windows software with Pimax, SteamVR and OpenXR support and English, Japanese and Simplified Chinese language options. As of October 6, 2026 the page shows the release date as "Coming soon".[2]

Reception

TechRadar's 2023 Crystal review found the Pimax Play app "easy to use".[4] MIXED's November 2023 review of the same headset noted that, at the time, there was no software menu inside the headset, so every setting change or reboot had to be made in the desktop client with the headset removed.[12] A December 2023 hands-on in The Ghost Howls pointed out that dynamic foveated rendering did not work in every game and that Pimax had published a list of 42 tested titles.[13]

In a December 2024 Crystal Light review published by The Ghost Howls, Rob Cole wrote that Pimax had recently talked about seeing Pimax Play "as a product in its own right" and that the client had seen "rapid iteration", with some updates "breaking a few things" before later fixes. The reviewer reported stable connections and said the client kept working offline for six days during a broadband outage; the tests used version 1.34.02.01.02.[5] PC Gamer's January 2026 review of the Crystal Super found Pimax's software easy to navigate but noted that it was an extra step and had to be configured to play some games such as Microsoft Flight Simulator.[31] The Pimax Prime scheme, which tied continued use of Pimax Play to payment of the second part of the headset price, drew criticism from Road to VR when it was introduced.[19]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Vera Liu (2025-09-19). "Pimax Play Roadmap". Pimax blog. Pimax. https://store.pimax.com/blogs/blogs/pimax-play-roadmap. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Pimax Play on Steam". Steam. Valve. https://store.steampowered.com/app/3730540/Pimax_Play/. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Crystal Light User Guide". Pimax. Pimax. 2024. https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0127/3767/5323/files/Crystal_Light_User_Guide_240618.pdf. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Aleksha McLoughlin (2023-09-14). "Pimax Crystal review - undeniably powerful, but unfinished". TechRadar. https://www.techradar.com/reviews/pimax-crystal. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Rob Cole (2024-12-12). "Pimax Crystal Light Pro: a thorough review". The Ghost Howls. https://skarredghost.com/2024/12/12/pimax-crystal-light-pro-review-2/. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Kevin Carbotte (2021-07-05). "Pimax Vision 8K X Review: Ultrawide Gaming with Incredible Clarity". Tom's Hardware. https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/pimax-vision-8k-x-review-ultrawide-gaming-with-incredible-clarity. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 "Pimax Client is now HERE!". OpenMR (Pimax Official announcements). Pimax. 2022-09-28. https://forum.openmr.com/t/pimax-client-is-now-here/39375. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Jaap Grolleman (2024-09-27). "Progress Update September 27th". Pimax blog. Pimax. https://pimax.com/blogs/blogs/progress-update-september-27th. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Matthieu Bucchianeri. "PimaxXR: an implementation of the OpenXR standard for Pimax headsets". GitHub. https://github.com/mbucchia/Pimax-OpenXR. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Jaap Grolleman (2026-04-05). "April 5th - Progress Update". Pimax blog. Pimax. https://store.pimax.com/blogs/blogs/april-5th-progress-update. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 "Downloads". Pimax. Pimax. https://www.pimax.com/support/downloads. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Benjamin Danneberg (2023-11-09). "Pimax Crystal review: A step in the right direction, but ...". MIXED. https://mixed-news.com/en/pimax-crystal-review/. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 Rob Cole (2023-12-28). "Pimax Crystal hands-on part two : A very versatile headset". The Ghost Howls. https://skarredghost.com/2023/12/28/pimax-crystal-review-versatile-headset/. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 David Heaney (2025-11-18). "Free Tool Adds Eye-Tracked Foveated Rendering To Many SteamVR Games". UploadVR. https://www.uploadvr.com/pimaxmagic4all-adds-eye-tracking-to-many-steamvr-games/. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 "Releases - mbucchia/Pimax-OpenXR". GitHub. https://github.com/mbucchia/Pimax-OpenXR/releases. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Jaap Grolleman (2024-09-10). "Announcement: Pimax Play to get integrated OpenXR and Quadviews functionality". Pimax blog. Pimax. https://store.pimax.com/blogs/blogs/announcement-pimax-play-to-get-integrated-openxr-and-quadviews-functionality. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Jaap Grolleman (2024-09-10). "Progress Update September 9". Pimax blog. Pimax. https://pimax.com/blogs/blogs/progress-update-september-9. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Jaap Grolleman (2024-11-02). "Pimax Progress Update November 2". Pimax blog. Pimax. https://pimax.com/blogs/blogs/pimax-progress-update-november-2. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Scott Hayden (2024-11-25). "Pimax Changes Payment Structure to Make Flagships More Affordable, But Less Refundable". Road to VR. https://roadtovr.com/pimax-prime-payment-affordable-less-refundable/. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
  20. ↑ Jaap Grolleman (2025-06-19). "From subscription to two-step payment: Changes to Pimax Prime". Pimax blog. Pimax. https://store.pimax.com/blogs/blogs/from-subscription-to-two-step-payment-changes-to-pimax-prime. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
  21. ↑ "Pimax presenta su alternativa de gama alta a Steam Frame y un PC consolizado". Realovirtual. 2026-10-06. https://www.realovirtual.com/noticias/17139/pimax-presenta-su-alternativa-gama-alta-steam-frame-pc-consolizado. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
  22. ↑ Salman Fareed (2026-10-06). "Pimax Unveils Crystal Pro With 6 Gbps Wireless VR Streaming". Tech4Gamers. https://tech4gamers.com/pimax-unveils-crystal-pro-with-6-gbps-wireless-vr-streaming/. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Vera Liu (2025-12-01). "Progress Update December 1st". Pimax blog. Pimax. https://pimax.com/blogs/blogs/progress-update-december-1st. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 Vera Liu (2025-12-22). "Progress Update December 22nd". Pimax blog. Pimax. https://pimax.com/blogs/blogs/progress-update-december-22nd. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 Vera Liu (2026-05-18). "Progress Update May 18th". Pimax blog. Pimax. https://store.pimax.com/blogs/blogs/progress-update-may-18th. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 Vera Liu (2026-07-01). "Progress Update July 1st". Pimax blog. Pimax. https://store.pimax.com/blogs/blogs/progress-update-july-1. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 27.2 Vera Liu (2026-08-07). "Progress Update August 7th". Pimax blog. Pimax. https://store.pimax.com/blogs/blogs/progress-update-august-7th. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 Vera Liu (2026-06-18). "Introducing Pimax EVO". Pimax blog. Pimax. https://store.pimax.com/blogs/blogs/introducing-pimax-play-evo. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 29.2 "Pimax EVO". Pimax Store. Pimax. https://pimax.com/pages/pimax-play-evo. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
  30. ↑ Ron Burke (2025-07-23). "Pimax Crystal Light review - Clear-Cut Clarity for the Cockpit". Gaming Trend. https://gamingtrend.com/reviews/pimax-crystal-light-review-clear-cut-clarity-for-the-cockpit/. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
  31. ↑ Hope Corrigan (2026-01-19). "Pimax Crystal Super review". PC Gamer. https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/vr-hardware/pimax-crystal-super-review/. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
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