HIGH-END PC VR SHOOT OUT! Bigscreen Beyond VS Varjo Aero VS Pimax Crystal | WHICH IS RIGHT FOR YOU? 

Great comparison. Each have their own pros and cons. I picked the Pimax Crystal and couldn't be happier. The weight doesn't bother me even when playing active games and the apache strap helps with comfort.

I was just asking for this comparison yesterday in the comments and you delivered a day later. Your legendary mate.

On the crystal when you are flying at night, especially in DCS it feels like you're flying with fogged up goggles with all the blooming. They really need to continue pushing micro OLED as VR seems to be the perfect application for it

Bigscreen Beyond put a spotlight on the subject of comfortability, which was never really talked about because everyone was just thinking about functionality, making even bigger headsets with more features... but, I've definitely noticed the discomfort from wearing a toaster on your forehead, it prevents longer use and immersion

Great comparisson.Thanks again!!! Keep content high :)

Brilliant video, a big thanks for putting all this work into it !!! ❤

Thanks Steve

I think you did a great job summing up the options 🎉 the winners in all this is the consumer because we now have options with more to come from Valve and Somnium

I think the dynamic foveated rendering is huge, for me the biggest driver is going to be image quality and FOV.

Hi Steve, I finally pulled the trigger on the Pimax Crystal, used your link and discount code as well so saved $20!

Dynamic foviated rendering is a huge reason I went for the Aero despite the reduced vertical FOV. DFR significantly improves performance in the games I play and is an essential feature of a proper VR set.

Finally, the well-awaited review, and as always totally honest, short, and to the point.. It did, however, muddy the waters to some extent 🥲. I was leaning towards the Aero but the Crystal does seem to be very tempting (if you ignore the battery issue, oh.. and Pimax's reputation). It seems that waiting is the best strategy, especially with Pico back in the game now, and both Somnium V1 and Valve Deckard on the horizon. This likely means that this Black Friday will be crazy. Thanks again Steve for devoting the time to help the simmers out there ;)

Thanks for the videos. I am impressed that you do this while working a full-time job! I definitely agree with you that we need a headset that finally combines all the things we know to make a truly great VR headset without obvious compromises in one or more areas. I'm also very hopeful to see Valve release their next headset, asap. I was ready to upgrade from the Index a while ago, and I'm impatient. I'm eyeing the Somnium VR1, but I have my doubts about what the price could be, given the wide range Artur has mentioned to date ($1000-$3500). It's still unknown if they'll offer off-ear audio as good as Index, but he's hinted that it will be an option.

Answer: 4! Get a Quest 3 - save the rest - and get a 12K next year.

Good reviews! My Crystal is incredibly sharp and clear, like real life. It is heavy like a helmet. I’ve added a small velcro balance weight at the back.

I just snagged an Aero having previously used a G2 which was my first VR headset. I was tempted by the Pimax, but the silly battery requirement even when plugged in (seriously?) as well as software that didn't seem as mature as Varjo made me go to Varjo. I like the adjustability, crystal-clear DFR-enabled clarity, great build quality, and software maturity. I may try a Crystal one day too, who knows?

Perfect headset still yet to come...

What a GREAT video, I really loved listinening your conclusions

thanks and I appreciate its difficult as every ones priorities are different. I love my Crystal but its not for everyone

I just can't wait to get back into VR with the Beyond flying my Camel against Dr1s.(my daily driver died a few months ago) Nothing will beat that based on your videos. The small size will make moving your head around so much easier. WW1 dogfights are incredibly dynamic and require you to move your head around sooooo much.

Thank you

Correct just sold the Varjo for the Crystal.. Both ace but..Crystal pips it to the post!!!

I'm a Pico4 owner and when thinking about upgrading I can only imagine going even lighter with Beyond. I think weight and comfort is as critical as image quality.

Functional reliable software will always be my top priority.

This really helped me. Out of the three, this video sorta DQ’s the Pimax for me; I want the best visuals but I think the weight and battery will make me desire replacing it as soon as something better comes along. The best headset is one you can just put on and are comfortable using daily; so that leaves the Aero and Bigscreen Beyond. I will wait to hear your comparison of the Quest 3 to these two and then go from there. (I have a Quest 3 on pre order regardless). Now I’m just torn as my second main use case is Elite Dangerous - so true blacks (BSB) vs. no glare of any kind (Aero) and both should still be significantly better than Quest 2/3. Thanks!!

I bought the Bigscreen beyond because comfort is very important and it has the Oled screens, but I had to purchase an iPhone so I could get a face scan. I will take the phone back because you have 14 days to return it they suggested that at the Apple store and it was okay to do that.

Beware of Crystal. It has a LOT of problems and Pimax’s support is utterly horrible. I made the mistake of buying one and wouldn’t recommend anyone to make the same mistake. With that said, when it works, it’s amazing.

I've had my Crystal now for a week and absolutely love it. It seems now with the latest firmware and software upgrades that Pimax is much more on top of it's game. The battery life seems quite good (I can use it for 2 hours and the battery still has 75% power left). And with the supplied hub it will automatically start charging the battery when I turn it off, so I haven't had to use the separate battery charger at all. It took me a few tries to get the headset mounted in just the right place but now I can do it quickly and find it is very comfortable.

I've had them all and now I only have Beyond. For me was super easy choice.

Just what the Doctor ordered this video. cheers

Very happy with my Aero purchase after the price drop. Thanks Steve. Perfection would be micro OLED panels with aspheric lenses, individual eye dioptre adjustment (so easy I don't know why it isn't always standard) and wide FOV. I genuinely don't know why this doesn't exist already as the Arpara design had it except it used pancake lenses and was killed off (outside of China) by RU-vidrs. The other critical thing that swung me to buying the Aero was availability from stock. That isn't the case for the other headsets.

Subscribed. The Bigscreen Beyond is less expensive than the others.

This was an unexpected surprise, like Uber Eats when you are hungover, the order says 45 mins away and then your delivery arrives in 15 minutes - just what I was after! Thank you Sir! 😝 I do enjoy reading the comments and opinions of others on your vids as well I must say…..For me, good build, customer support and active cooling are important (Australia gets warm!). I’m not used to a motorcycle helmet weight on my head, so I’m still swaying towards the Aero, only current issue is, the AU distributors haven’t reduced the price as yet, generally speaking😤

I imagine a future with a vr glasses with the video quality of pimax Crystal, black oled and cooling from big screen beyond, construction from varjo aero and price of Quest 3, a dream 😎😅🙏

Great review as always! Although I must say it’s kind of paradoxical that you mention the Aero comes from a fighter pilot DNA and at the same time, suffers from a smaller vertical FOV which is important for dogfights… Keep them coming! For me, the Crystal is perfect right now! MajorDad

Spot on Review Steve. Love ❤️ my Crystal.

Thanks, excellent comments. One over-riding question: which headset gives you the most immersive experience when you are flying (and concentrating on flying) in DCS/MSFS?

Thank you for all your info,I've been waiting for this compering .we have the quest 3 over the corner and it will be interesting. I'm about to upgrade my hp g2 and still don't know what will be best for me 😅

Great video! Just a quick note, Aero is not the first headset to use Aspheric lenses. PSVR 1, Gear VR and Rift DK1/2 used aspheric, I believe there are others. I would say it's the first modern headset to go back to that lens technology, that's pretty fair.

I’ll be going with the Beyond. What it offers is amazing for the price and it is definitely the future. Ready Player One here we come

I think I've been one of the lucky ones - I have owned a Pimax Crystal for a month or so and could not be happier with it. I should say I have a very high end PC which is able to handle it, and also I did need to get the Apache strap and counterweight before it felt good to wear. From a pick-up-and-play perspective it is much simpler than I expected, and I haven't really had any technical issues outside of some minor things that can be easily worked around (touch wood). Battery life is a non-issue for me - I've actually not had to change it once since I started using the USB hub. I don't tend to do super-long (>2 hour) VR sessions often though due to eye strain so that may be why. The actual VR experience it gives is as incredible as you describe, both with flight simming and also driving games. Mind-blowing is not too strong an adjective! I can't speak for the other two headsets (though they both look great from what I've seen), but it's so good to have different viable choices. More competitiveness for high end consumer VR products is a really positive thing as it hopefully keeps prices low(ish), incentivises people to buy them and developers to keep them in mind when developing their software.

Even though I love the Crystal's visuals, I find that it wants all my attention when I'm wearing it. Instead of concentrating on the sim, I'm distracted by the Crystal saying 'Hi! I'm on your head!!'.

What do you think if you use wifi 6 ( or 6E ) with this quest pro this pictures enough there is no articact on the screen? ( AV1 codec is much better than the old one ) So the Quest 3 would be sharper and it means there won'T be so much picture quality differenc with Crystal or Varjo which use display port or the wireless VR won't be the same picture quality than the dedicated display ports PC VR ? it is impossible? Thanks this answer in advance,

I think the Bigscreen beyond is the way forward hence why I’ve purchased one. The piemax may be the best visually but the battery is a massive killer for me, also the bulk and wait seems out modded as well. I think the beyond will be a better experience in other vr games as well, yes may not have eye or face tracking but i can live without that. The one thing I manly don’t enjoy with my current headset the g2 is the comfort not that the g2 is uncomfortable and was a massive upgrade from my first headset.

Hey I didn't have to wait until sunday! :)

Thank you, i just watched your video and these are exactly my thoughts. None is good enough to replace my old Reverb G2. Still waiting for a hmd that is cheaper than 1000€, does not need lighthouse tracking, has at least as good fov as Crystal, good colors like Bigscreen and good overall quality as Aero. A Crystal without batteries and less weight, or a Bigscreen without glare and lighthouse, or Aero with better fov & without lighthouse. Maybe next time.

I got a Pico when it was released to take the place of my Reverb G2 and recently a bought an Aero in addition for MSFS. I am very happy with both and will stay with them for a while. Quest 3? Nope. I‘ll wait for the Pico 5 and see, what is has to offer. Big Screen Beyond? Nope. I have one HMD with glare, that’s enough. 😅 Crystal? Nope. Too bulky and much to heavy for my taste. Looks like an outdated design already. So my combination P4 + Aero works fine for me. Keep up your great work mate! I really appreciate it a lot !!! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

I have owned several headsets. Valve Index, Pico 4, Bigscreen Beyond, and just recently Varjo Aero. Ill be honest. I returned every single one of them besides the Valve Index. Its the most comfortable and actually was the easiest to get up and running. Not as clear as the others at all but the others either took a lot of time to get up and running or are just plain uncomfortable. I will wait to see what Valve does next. I even returned the Varjo Aero and was seriously disappointed in it.

Fantastic overview. I wonder what the first “checks all the boxes” high end set will be

Curious to see the flood of sims tests in the Q3 next week 🙂

These are the 3 Options I'm Debating in my head, but I don't have an iphone so I think the Beyond is not something I can get bc of the Face Scanning only for Iphone users.

Which one would you recommend for iRacing, or sim racing in general. My complaint with my G2 is fov and having to move your head to see the apex, because off off center blur

What about 3d depth presence ? The stereoscopy overlap is goot in this headset?

Great video can you post a full video on the setup of Nvidia , Varjo Aero and MSFS 2020 setup lately everything is 6 month old and I am not feeling all what everyone is saying about the Varjo so I believe some setups are wrong at my end . I have the Asus Nvidia RTX 4070 so I should be seeing a little of what everyone is mentioning but I am not. A setup lesson will be great as I am sure lots of subscribers where able to but the Varjo headset VR. Thanks a lot

If you can please do a video on future headsets!!!

I already returned the Varjo Aereo due to the small FOV and extreme chromatic aberration. My Pimax Crystal arrived 2 days ago and the FOV is larger and the chromatic aberration is acceptable. However, the image warping is unacceptable because it breaks immersion when objects change shape. Will likely return that as well.

I bought the Aero following the price drop, plus a 4090; I was an early adopter G2 person, bought largely on Steve's observations . After a week: the Aero is in many ways the souped-up G2 we all dreamed of. The highlight is the virtual whole screen sweet spot, like central section G2 resolution all over, but sharper. The field of view feels essentially like the G2, but less like a round hole. The possibly larger vertical FOV in the G2 gave it that hole feeling for me, so if the horizontal is a bit wider and the vertical a bit less, that's fine. Personally, I don't find it a problem re dog fighting in DCS. The binocular overlap some folks have mentioned is fine in terms of getting a 3D effect, but it is slightly odd, perhaps because of the lense shapes; but like a ticking clock or tinnitus, your brain switches it out pretty soon. The cooling is a dream, especially with my VR Optician correctors that bring the lens surface closer to your warm, wet, steamy eyeballs. Jabra bluetooth headphones are perfect for it. Fires up first time, every time. Glad to have the excuse to buy a set of knuckles and get some Half Life action among the manic simming. Btw, I tried the Aero with my 3080 10G but, while okay, it wasn't really hacking it; so you will probably want a 4090 for any of these. The G2 really was a brilliant, ahead of its time, headset.

For me it's a toss up between the Aero and BSB. Reliability or OLED... Pimax has too many iffy stories around the crystal right now. The good news is my Quest Pro works fine so I can wait. Just wish it was a bit sharper with distant objects when I'm trying to see the silhouette of a distant ww2 fighter. The extra pixel density of any of these headsets would help out there.

Thanks for the comparisons, it's helpful for newbies, like me. I'm narrowing down the VR features which are important to me. I also wonder about the VR-to-user interface. I use X-Plane and there aren't many videos about how to turn dials, push buttons etc. Have you done one or could you do one. Thanks

alright, I am still gonna wait for another headset

Oh, I'm going crazy waiting. I want to see my MetaQuest 3 at its highest performance at DCS. 😭😭

Advice needed! I fly airliners in msfs. I have a 4090 and an i9. Pretty well specd pc. I fly at night more than I do during the day. Am I right in assuming the Beyond is the one for me? Should I wait for this new valve headset? Plz help.

Should be nice a video with VR Googles for everybody, like Reverb G2, Pico 4, Quest 3...

Great informative video again, thank you. Can you elaborate on your statement regarding super sampling the BSB. You say it can match the visuals of the Crystal? How much SS is required and does it have an acceptable impact on fps, can you still achieve 45fps in FSS2020? Loving my Crystal but I'm tempted by the form factor of the BSB. And lastly how does the FOV fall in with the other two headsets, are you happy with the BSB FOV...

Which is it? Well as you stated frequently it fully depends on your personal preference/needs, budget, the hardware you use, and what you're using VR for mainly (MSFS2020, DCS, Racing for me with an RTX4090). I do believe all the mentioned sets have their pros and cons. I decided to buy the Crystal because it delivers clarity and high resolution, FOV and that is very important to me. Yes, I wish the Crystal was lighter and they should have offered such a config, but now I use it together with a velcro head strap from Studioform which makes wearing the Crystal much more comfortable. I don't like glare and also want to share my experience with friends so the BB isn't a good choice for me I guess. Now after the price drop of the Varjo Aero I maybewould have selected that one because of the fact their product support seems to be better than Pimax offers but the lack of FOV hmmm. Hopefully, Pimax will catch up soon. For now, I'm very satisfied with the Crystal. Btw... I like your reviews!

I have a quest 3 on pre order but really debating if I should cancel and get the aero. I have a 3080ti and not sure which headset will be harder ro run in msfs?

Hey, VRSFG. Any chance you could do a comparison of the Quest 3 and Reverb G2 in MSFS? I'm trying to decide whether or not to sell my G2 and get a Q3.

Steve, can we use OXR Toolkit in Beyond? does it work with this headset?

Could you maybe do a Best MSF2020 settings guide for the Varjo aero? (your in game settings and openxr toolkit settings with your 4090)

Question… sometimes my VR position is locked in MSFS… sometimes it isn’t and I can lean in to see the instruments. Do you know how to set this?

Whitch one is best for WWII dogfight i DCS if you sitts on a top computer?

still having rough time with the Varjo it now shut's down the sim half way during the flight ( short flights) I was told by the support to go back on my Nvidia to 532 version which I did but this time the moment I opened MSFS and started the plan go around procedures it crashes and shuts down the sim . Very frustrating.

Yup, im even more confused now. 😂

Had a Crystal and moved to a Beyond. So worth for me but not for everybody.

Sold my Aero, have the Crystal and waiting on my Bigscreen Beyond. I could feel comfortable in the Aero for maybe 30min and it starts to hurt the back of my head with that small pad, feels like I needed to have longer hair in the back for it not to hit pressure points. Find the Crystal more comfortable but yeah much more clunky when moving your head. Look forward to using the Beyond, hopefully the glare is something I can live with.

Although I was all set to get the Aero when the price dropped, I have held off, mainly because of the lack of good audio. Still can’t make my mind up.

Always thankful for your insightful and helpful videos, Steve! :) Based largely on your passion for the headset, I gleefully sprang for the Varjo Aero when the price dropped so precipitously! 😄 I'm eagerly looking forward to setting it up this weekend, and discovering the difference between it and my long-trusty G2. That said, I've been combing RU-vid for CURRENT videos about settings for the Aero, and not finding anything meaningful so far. Most of what I'm seeing seems out of date... Do you have an plans for doing an updated 'settings' video for the Aero, in the wake of numerous changes and updates to both MSFS and Varjo's firmware, etc...? I'd love to have a 'great' experience with the Aero on my first effort -- and not be frustrated by poor performance because of my own ignorance.

Does BSB work with MS Store version of MSFS given it is steam VR?

I really want the Bigscreen Beyond but what keeps me from buying it is the need for base-stations and controllers in addition to the €1400 price tag.

Hiw are these compared to the quest 3

I still use the Rift S. Not supper sharp but it works. Lol

Hey! Thanks a lot for the video, it was really great.👍 Could you please give me advice? I think you're the only one who has enough knowledge in this area to answer my question. I'm mostly looking for a headset to watch movies and shows. I have a good 65" hdr oled tv but want to get really cinema and 3d effects with good picture(I don't have an appropriate wall for a video projector). My priority is not comfort but to get the most enjoyable and realistic picture from watching movies. I'm ready to buy Pimax Crystal but is it the best choice in comparison with Bigscreen Beyond or maybe there is a better choice? I mean which one can give the best cinematic experience? I've read that Pimax Crystal has HDR and Bigscreen has a "glare" issue during scenes with high contrast, is it true? Or maybe it's impossible for now to get better cinematic experience from a VR headset than from a good 65" hdr oled tv set? What do you think?

I am a GA pilot and want to get into SIM's for practice etc. Is a VR headset the right idea or should I stick with a standard 3/4 monitor or 3 projector setup? When you are flying on a VR headset are you 100% using keyboard and mouse or is there a yoke and rudder pedals etc on your setup?

Honestly sounds like Bigscreen Beyond is the closest to the perfect headset. Not totally there yet, but from what I can gather, it seems closest. If for BSB2 they can solve the glare issue - all that needs to be done is increase to 4K per eye micro-oled and that alone would make it "perfect". I guess we can always do with more FoV, but that won't change until we get to at least 180 but with the same PPD - which is a tall order. Will be many years still for that. Atm BSB wins for me. Though, I am very interested in the Visor headset - but that's probably Q3-Q4 2024 (and no guarantee that controllers will work with it). So BSB it is atm.

Hi, how do You know that valve is going to announce something? Based on the 1030 certification? cuz 1030 is likely a revised steam deck. Or perhaps You have insider info?

So the unanswered question, without qualifiers, is this: if YOU could only keep one of the three, for your sim hardware and use case, which would it be?

With running DCS at mid to high game settings in mind, if one were thinking of purchasing the Aero or Crystal what would be the minimum spec 40 series GPU you would recommend to pair with each/both (assuming the rest of the PC was "worthy")? Thanks!

If the Aero has a lesser FOV than a Crystal but similar resolution then shouldn't the Aero look much sharper?

Could you detail for each headset: hardware requirements in terms of graphics card, lighthouses, etc… ?

Hi! I'm really confused, in one video you say that the Beyond big screen, in the following one it seems to not be so fantastic anymore... I own a Varjo Aero, it's excellent but I didn't find it so comfortable, that's why I was tempted to buy a Bigscreen but in this 'last video you don't seem so convinced anymore... I understand that the comfort factor is important to me but I'm not willing to lose too much image quality, and the Varjo has some defects on this too, the image is so faded that the black doesn't exist and the colors don't look great either, even after having adjusted every setting, client and software several times... Can you give me some advice that will help me?

Surely the aero is due a replacement with oled veeery soon

I am a fan of both flight and driving simulators (but also other kinds of VR games if only they still made some), and I would like to upgrade from Quest 2 to a high-end VR headset, but it is really hard to choose which one. The Varjo Aero tempts me now that it has dropped in price, but I'm afraid the FOV is not sufficent especially for racing games and DCS, on the other hand the Pimax Crystal costs way too much, and I know the Pimax software optimization is not very good. I didn't know about the Bigscreen Beyond before seeing this video, it also looks interesting (I love OLED in my LG TV, although I was disappointed with PSVR2 and this annoying MURA effect) , but since I understand they make it custom-made and it doesn't have adjustable IPD, but in my home we would have to use it in three different people, so it might be a problem. I will also have to upgrade the GPU, as I fear that my 3080ti will not be enough, and perhaps I would be better off settling for a Quest 3 (or a G2 now that I can found used ones) so that I can also buy a 4090 too. It is really hard to choose, especially without having a chance to test them first to evaluate them in person!

I'll stick with my Varjo.

Great vid. Question? How does the FOV on the aero compare to the Reverb G2?

I use a quest 2 and the fidelity is way too low to me. Is the fidelity in the Reviewed Headsets a lot better? Like lets say, double as good? I hate the low Resolution feel at far away things. Vr works good in close but in sims... if you can not say if u see a tree or a house... that is a problem.

Wait, what - the big screen is the same quality as Pimax if supersampled 😀

Hi very nice... The only thing im a little concerned about is the Wiggle of your view... Is it only because you are talking? Hello from germany❤💙💛

Unless I missed it, you didn't mention the Beyond's vertical FOV. You said the Areo was like a letterbox and the Crystal was better in the vertical. But how about the Beyond in that regard ? Cheers

On the point of eye tracking. There is currently community work to mod eyetracking into the bigscreen beyond. And it looks REALLY promising so far.

I love my crystal but it started showing horizontal lines all across the display and I'm having a NIGHTMARE with Pimax's customer service. Nearly a month now and I'm STILL waiting for them to ship out a replacement! A far cry from HP's customer service unfortunately.