Pimax Portal QLED View
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| Pimax Portal QLED View | |
|---|---|
| |
| Basic Info | |
| VR/AR | Virtual Reality |
| Type | Head-mounted display |
| Subtype | Standalone VR |
| Developer | Pimax |
| Manufacturer | Pimax |
| Announcement Date | November 2022 |
| Release Date | 2023 |
| Price | $599 (Kickstarter bundle price: Portal QLED handheld with Portal View headset) |
| System | |
| Operating System | Android (Android 10 in Android Central's December 2023 review) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 |
| Storage | |
| Storage | 256 GB; microSD expansion |
| Memory | 8 GB |
| Display | |
| Display | Single 5.46-inch QLED + Mini-LED panel, shared by both eyes |
| Resolution | 1920x2160 per-eye (3840 x 2160 panel) |
| Refresh Rate | 144 Hz |
| Image | |
| Field of View | 100° diagonal (standard lenses); 60° with the high-resolution lens set |
| Optics | |
| Optics | Two interchangeable lens sets (100 degrees and 60 degrees) |
| Ocularity | Binocular |
| IPD Range | 58-68 mm hardware adjustable (manual) |
| Tracking | |
| Tracking | 6DoF inside-out, using four cameras on the rear of the handheld |
| Audio | |
| Camera | Five rear cameras |
| Connectivity | |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.1 |
| Ports | USB-C, Micro HDMI input |
| Battery Capacity | 4,000 mAh (handheld); 6,000 mAh headset battery (announced 2022) |
| Device | |
| Weight | 367 g (handheld) |
| Input | Detachable magnetic controllers mounted in VR controller sleeves |
Pimax Portal QLED View is a virtual reality head-mounted display released in 2023. It is the configuration of Pimax's Portal handheld game console that combines the Portal QLED model with the Portal View headset shell. The Portal is an Android handheld with detachable controllers, similar in layout to the Nintendo Switch. For VR use, the handheld slides into the View headset and the controllers slide into VR controller shells.[1] The version with the standard LCD handheld is covered in Pimax Portal View.
The Portal QLED uses a 5.46-inch QLED and Mini-LED display with a resolution of 3840 x 2160, and Pimax lists it as the only Portal model with a Micro HDMI input.[2][3] Pimax sold the QLED handheld and View headset together for US$599 during its 2022 Kickstarter campaign.[4] The handheld shipped in 2023, but Pimax redesigned the View headset after the handheld launched and delivered the headset later than the console.[5]
Announcement and release
Pimax announced the Portal in November 2022 and funded it through Kickstarter.[6][1] The campaign drew 605 backers and raised US$354,080 against a goal of US$200,000.[4] Kickstarter pricing was US$549 for the Portal QLED handheld with 256 GB of storage and US$599 for the QLED handheld bundled with the View headset. The equivalent LCD bundle with 128 GB of storage cost US$449.[4][6][7] Inverse listed the QLED bundle as including the "Portal View Pro" headset, which it described as a version of the headset with an extra built-in 6,000 mAh battery.[7]
When the campaign launched, Pimax also said it planned two higher-end headset shells. "Portal Social" was to have facial tracking cameras, and "Portal Horizon" was to use 140-degree lenses.[1] UploadVR urged "extreme caution" before pledging, citing the company's history of repeatedly missing its shipping targets, and noted that Kickstarter is not a preorder system.[1]
At the time of the campaign, Pimax said it would ship in January 2023.[8] The date slipped several times. According to MIXED, Pimax had originally hoped to deliver all orders by Christmas 2022, then aimed for the end of January 2023, and later expected all Kickstarter orders to be completed and delivered in April 2023.[4] Pimax also announced a US$30 million Series C1 funding round, which it said would support the rollout of Portal and the Pimax Crystal.[5]
In July 2023, with the handheld already shipping, Pimax said it had redesigned the View headset. Portal product manager Snake Lin said the first prototype worked but was not good enough to mass produce: "Its weight isn't distributed well and the comfort can be improved a bit. Also, we found some components are a bit weak if the user is rough with the device."[5] The new shell borrowed from the design of Pimax's Crystal and 8K headsets.[5] MIXED reported that it replaced the original's thinner headband with a sturdier plastic strap.[4] Pimax said the View would come in two editions, one with a battery pack on the back and one without. Both were expected to ship to the more than 600 Kickstarter backers in the third quarter of 2023, with orders from the general public opening afterwards.[5][9] Android Central reported that Pimax said the headset would fit every Portal regardless of screen type.[10]
By December 2023, Android Central wrote that some Portal owners had received the VR accessories, while its own review unit was still waiting for them.[11]
Design and hardware
Handheld and display
The Portal QLED handheld has a 5.46-inch touchscreen that Pimax describes as "QLED+MINI-LED", with a resolution of 3840 x 2160 and a refresh rate of 144 Hz.[2] Pimax's product listing for the Portal View bundle on Amazon claims a color gamut 20% wider than similar-sized OLED displays, coverage of 90% of the BT.2020 color standard, and "OLED-level blacks" from the Mini-LED backlight.[12] In VR mode the single panel is split between the two eyes. Sources differ on the refresh rate: Pimax lists 144 Hz, while Android Central's review of the QLED model gave "up to 120Hz".[2][11]
The handheld runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 chip, the processor also used in the Meta Quest 2, with 8 GB of RAM. The QLED model has 256 GB of storage, which a microSD card can expand. Android Central listed Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.1, USB-C and a Micro HDMI port that only the QLED model has, along with a 4,000 mAh battery.[11] Pimax gives the weight as 367 g and lists LED lights on the controllers as another QLED-only feature.[3] The controllers attach with magnets and can be removed without releasing a latch.[11]
Headset shell and optics
The Portal View holds the handheld in front of the eyes. At the Kickstarter launch, Pimax said the headset would come with two sets of lenses: 100-degree lenses for general VR, and 60-degree lenses that give a higher angular resolution for watching films.[1] Pimax rated the 100-degree lenses at 27 pixels per degree and the 60-degree lenses at 40 pixels per degree.[6][12] As announced in 2022, a 6,000 mAh rear battery in the headset supplements the handheld's own battery and also counterbalances the weight of the display at the front.[1]
Tracking and input
The rear of the handheld has five cameras. The four at the corners handle positional tracking, and the one in the center was intended for mixed reality.[1] Pimax promised six degrees of freedom tracking for both the head and the controllers.[5] For VR, Pimax said the detachable controllers would slide into sleeves that turn them into 6DoF tracked controllers.[8] MIXED reported that the redesigned View does not support mixed reality and has no opening for the handheld's camera.[4]
PC VR connection
Pimax said the QLED version of Portal would support native PC VR through an HDMI cable, while the other Portal models would stream PC VR content over Wi-Fi and USB-C.[5][4]
Software
The Portal runs a customized version of Android. Android Central's December 2023 review found it on Android 10, with a separate Pimax Settings app for performance management, resolution and refresh rate, and a Pimax Store that requires an account to browse.[11] In April 2023, Pimax said it would have "more than 20 VR games" for Portal's VR mode by the end of May 2023. It also listed heat dissipation, power consumption, controller connection and "rare" tracking issues as areas still under work.[5]
Specifications
| Specification | Pimax Portal QLED View |
|---|---|
| Display | Single QLED binocular (5.46-inch QLED + Mini-LED panel)[2] |
| Resolution | 1920x2160 per-eye (3840 x 2160 panel)[2] |
| Refresh Rate | 144 Hz[2] |
| Field of View | 100° diagonal; 60-degree lens set also announced at launch[1] |
| IPD Range | 58-68 mm hardware adjustable (manual) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2[11] |
| Memory and storage | 8 GB RAM, 256 GB storage, microSD slot[11] |
| Tracking | 6DoF inside-out (four rear cameras)[1] |
| Handheld battery | 4,000 mAh[11] |
| Handheld weight | 367 g[3] |
| Price | $599 (Kickstarter bundle)[4] |
Reception
UploadVR's Ian Hamilton tried a sample of the View at CES 2023. Pimax did not let him use the Joy-Con-style controllers in their VR sleeves, saying they were not ready for testing, and the demo used dedicated controllers instead. He wrote that the headset did not seem overly front-heavy, but tracking "failed spectacularly" in Open Brush and a canyon scene: drawn artwork did not stay in place as he moved his head, and his view drifted over the canyon while he stood still. He noted that the Kickstarter page had claimed the whole View VR kit would be ready during the campaign.[8]
Android Central reviewed the Portal QLED as a handheld because the headset had not reached it. Andrew Myrick listed the "4K QLED display is gorgeous" among its strengths and criticized the price, the ergonomics and the uncertainty over VR. He concluded that until the VR headset and accessories arrived, "it's just another gaming handheld", and that the Portal QLED was "a tough sell at $549" as a handheld alone. He also noted that the 128 GB Meta Quest 3 cost less than the QLED Portal.[11]
Availability
As of September 2026, Pimax's online store listed the Portal QLED handheld with 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage for US$399. The box includes the handheld only.[2] Pimax's Portal page lists VR mode as supported on the Portal QLED.[3]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 David Heaney (2022-11-14). "Pimax Crowdfunding Handheld Console That Can Turn Into VR Headset". UploadVR. https://www.uploadvr.com/pimax-portal-handheld-vr-headset/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 "Pimax Portal QLED handheld only 8+256G". Pimax Store. Pimax. https://store.pimax.com/products/pimax-portal-qled-handheld-256g. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "Pimax Portal". Pimax Store. Pimax. https://store.pimax.com/pages/portal. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 Jan Wöbbeking (2023-07-18). "Pimax Portal: Hybrid VR headset delayed after redesign". MIXED. https://mixed-news.com/en/pimax-portal-hybrid-vr-headset-delayed-after-redesign/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 Scott Hayden (2023-07-19). "Pimax Delays VR Headset Shell for Its Nintendo Switch-style Handheld Portal". Road to VR. https://www.roadtovr.com/pimax-vr-switch-hybrid-shipping-release/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Brad Linder (2022-11-10). "Pimax Portal portable game console can be used as a handheld or a VR headset (crowdfunding)". Liliputing. https://liliputing.com/pimax-portal-portable-game-console-can-be-used-as-a-handheld-or-a-vr-headset-crowdfunding/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Ian Carlos Campbell (2022-11-15). "Pimax Portal: features, specs, release date, price". Inverse. https://www.inverse.com/gear/pimax-portal-handheld-gaming-vr-release-date. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Ian Hamilton (2023-01-09). "Pimax Portal View: Hands-On Demo Shows Incomplete Software & Hardware". UploadVR. https://www.uploadvr.com/pimax-portal-view-hands-on/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ David Heaney (2023-07-18). "Pimax Redesigning Delayed VR Headset For Portal Handheld Console". UploadVR. https://www.uploadvr.com/pimax-portal-view-delayed-redesign/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ Nicholas Sutrich (2023-07-18). "This Android handheld is about to turn into an Oculus Quest". Android Central. https://www.androidcentral.com/gaming/virtual-reality/pimax-portal-new-vr-headset-design. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 11.7 11.8 Andrew Myrick (2023-12-15). "Pimax Portal review: A Nintendo Switch with VR aspirations". Android Central. https://www.androidcentral.com/gaming/pimax-portal-review. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Pimax Portal View Standalone VR Headset". Amazon. Pimax. https://www.amazon.com/Pimax-Portal-View-Standalone-Headset/dp/B0C1SLKV8C. Retrieved 2026-09-27.