Pimax Alters Payment System for Flagships: More Affordable, Less Refundable

With some exciting changes to their PC VR headsets, Pimax not only updated their lineup but also introduced a new financing plan that might just catch your eye. Their latest strategy for the Crystal Super and Crystal Light headsets seems to make them more affordable, although the details of the plan and the new returns policy might raise some eyebrows moving forward.

Back in April, Pimax announced their upcoming flagship model, the Crystal Super. This headset promises to wow users with a whopping 57 PPD version featuring QLED panels, each eye packing a stunning resolution of 3,840 x 3,840 pixels. That’s paired with a 120-degree field-of-view (FOV) and glass aspheric lenses boasting a 99% light transmission. Impressive, right?

But that’s not all. Crystal Super comes equipped with eye-tracking, dynamic foveated rendering, inside-out tracking, and swappable optical engines. Plus, it flaunts a more compact and ergonomic design, perfect for VR enthusiasts who already sport top-notch GPUs. This high-end model, with its mind-boggling specs, is set to make its debut in Q1 2025.

And if you’re looking to upgrade, wait till the additional optical engines hit the market! These include a micro-OLED engine priced at $699 and a 50 PPD QLED engine with a 135-degree FOV for $399. Keep an eye out for pre-orders early next year.

Along with unveiling the Crystal Super’s specs and launching its pre-orders, Pimax also revealed a new pricing approach that might stir up some chatter. This new model lowers the prices of both the Crystal Super and the already available Crystal Light but does come with some noticeable tweaks to payments and returns.

For those curious about the details, here’s the breakdown: Crystal Super’s price is dropping from $1,800 to $1,695, while Crystal Light will now be $858, down from $899. Don’t worry; these prices include controllers. However, as with all things Pimax, there’s a bit more complexity involved.

Enter the new mandatory financing/membership program: Pimax Prime. With it, customers can snag the Crystal Super for $999 upfront and the Crystal Light for $599 upfront. Remember the Trial Payment scheme back in May? This new plan offers a trial period to see if the headset suits you. After the trial, you need to pick a payment plan to keep accessing the headset’s software—or return it for a full refund.

For the Crystal Super, you can pay $696 once or opt for a $33 monthly plan over two years, amounting to $792, to continue accessing Pimax Play software. Similarly, for the Crystal Light, the one-time fee is $259, or $12 monthly for two years, totaling $288. Miss a payment and your access to the software gets suspended.

Once you’ve completed these payments, Pimax Play access is free for that particular headset, a seemingly great deal if you ask me. Plus, there are perks like early access to software updates, exclusive event invites, and priority support, sweetening the deal further. Still, these changes are stirring conversations due to adjustments in the returns policy.

Previously, Crystal Light offered a 15-day trial for free returns and 30 days for transit-related issues. Now, that has shrunk to just 10 days for both, which means you’re signing up for a payment plan if you decide to keep it beyond that.

Different countries have different return policies. While the U.S. lacks a federal consumer protection law, the EU and UK ensure a 14-day return policy and offer two-year protection against faulty products, avoiding cover for user-related issues.

Here’s where things get tricky. As noted by a sharp-eyed Redditor, ‘TotalWarspammer’, Pimax Prime isn’t refundable after 10 days unless Pimax decides otherwise. If you make that one-time payment on day 10 and change your mind later, getting a refund depends on Pimax’s discretion—even for the purchased Prime subscription.

Worth mentioning, Pimax’s 12-month warranty doesn’t cover any software, whether by Pimax or third-party, even if it’s meant for the product.

This approach by Pimax could either be a clever strategy or might overshadow some great hardware offered at fair prices. Yet, with a chance to trial the headset for a few days, you can still choose to send it back without charge if it doesn’t fit your needs. However, some might find paying for access to software that ideally should be free a hard pill to swallow.

Looking ahead, Pimax plans to extend Prime to future headsets as well, so it will be intriguing to see how this pans out and whether it becomes a permanent strategy.

Update (November 26th, 2024): Initially, the headsets’ FAQ indicated Pimax Prime was non-refundable. However, this isn’t entirely correct—at least within the 10-day trial window, or possibly beyond at Pimax’s discretion. Jaap Grolleman, Director of Overseas Marketing Operations, clarified that if you upgrade to Prime and return within 10 days, both the headset and Prime fees are refunded. We included this update, along with details about the limited 12-month warranty.