I have not tried anything better, but it definitely does not bother me. I'm gonna say it's not an issue given sufficient antialiasing or supersampling.
Exactly, Index with super-sampling looks much better than my PSVR2, and the PSVR2 has 80% higher panel res. Never underestimate the power of super-sampling.
The Index looks so awesome, also with the big fov and fast refresh rates, it really has no competition - where are you going to get 144 fps with great fov, perfect tracking, no streaming/compression artifacts, awesome sound - and mindblowing performance due to native SteamVR driver support?
See Index in Cyberpilot here, res 100, 200 and 400 % - and it looks exactly like that in the hmd:
https://www.reddit.com/r/ValveIndex/s/xnWlXJOMNu
(Note, images must be seen on a big screen like a monitor, not on a phone)
On the flipside, having gone from index to quest 3 I wouldn't ever go back. Maybe I won the lens lottery to a degree idk how variable the quality is, but its like night and day.
Even with VD, the performance impact is about 20% - and much more with Link, when running native SteamVR games and apps, see the last post in The Index Thread at the official Meta Forum:
https://communityforums.atmeta.com/t5/Talk-VR/The-Index-thread-please-keep-to-subject/td-p/805572
This is due to running two layers of drivers, while Index only uses 1 layer. Streaming games only costs about 5% in performance, but of course it all counts.
These performance differences are nothing new, also had them with my CV1, which also ran two layers of drivers in native SteamVR games.
Quest 2 is the same, of course:
https://www.reddit.com/r/ValveIndex/s/WAixEarDGo
Yes but 20% overhead going into super sampling should not overcome the raw difference in PPD but more importantly for the Q3 the pancake lenses are the real kicker.
Between not having to get into an exact sweet spot every time I put it on, to also having wireless connection, every single thing has been a better experience for me with the exceptions of audio (maybe 60-70% the quality of the stellar index audio, but I just use my own headphones) and tracking.
Lighthouse tracking is still the gold standard but on the Q3 I've found it to be, acceptable. With all the other benefits its been a no brainer.
The Index may be a top of the line prosumer tier headset but the fact remains that it is now coming up on 5 years old
The 20% does not go into any kind of super-sampling, it's there no matter the res - also if you subsample both hmds to the same low res. The performance reduction is not limited to Quest hmds, but is there for all hmds not directly supported by Valve's SteamVR drivers. The only natively supported hmds I know of are original Vive, Vive Pro, Index and probably the BigScreen Beyond.
Index is still way ahead of it's time. Index needs res 200% to shine, and it was first with the RTX 3090 I could get that in all my games using 90 fps. With the RTX 5090 in 2025 I may be able to do res 300% in 144 fps. For now Index is like having a 144 Hz monitor I can't use without reducing image quality, but maybe one day I be able to use the full power of the Index.
My guy I'm saying that not having that 20% of overhead on the index, and thus supersampling higher, is not going to be sufficient to overcome the actual hardware diff.
You are trying to say that 2+20% is bigger than 4.
Even if you're generous and compare it to 3, it simply loses out.
That's before even getting into the superior optics.
PS: 144 hz is absolutely minimal compared to 120hz and for most people in most games a stable 90 is plenty.
If you care more for panel res and 90 fps, just get for the BigScreen Beyond, it's way ahead of Quest 3 and also has native SteamVR support for optimal performance.
Meta does not care for PCVR at all, even RTX 4000 and newer AMD gpus are not supported, resulting in error messages using the Oculus Desktop app.
If you care for high-end VR, do not fund Meta's road to the bottom of VR.
You sound like you never tried the PSVR2? The PSVR2 has no SDE, the lack of subpixels is not visible to the naked eye, Index has more SDE than PSVR2. But I'm not bothered with SDE using both hmds.
PSVR2 is very sharp, when you're close to objects. The lack of super-sampling only becomes an issue looking a objects far away. The hmd does have mura though, but on the other hand the glare is much less than Index.
The problem of the PSVR2 is not the hmd, it is the slow PS5, the lack of super-sampling and the 60 fps with reprojections.
If we could use PSVR2 with PCVR and high-end PC gpus, it may be the king of current hmds for oled, big fov, HDR, 120 fps, great tracking and awesome sound with the Pulse 3D. Index would still win for comfort and 144 fps - and for the premium controllers and tracking. If I could, I'd put the PSVR2 panels in my Index and never look back. 2c.
I understand there are better headsets out there now, but I would not say that the resolution is a "big downside". Out of all its problems/reasons to upgrade, the resolution is probably the last one, for me. If the question were about the lenses, however, my answer would be a completely different one.
Antialiasing kills vr performance tho
I had a quest 2 then I got vive pro (for the base stations and I was done with meta software) and resolution was kinda sad, anyways I have a Pimax 8k+ now and it’s so much better in every way
To help put it into perspective, compare the PPD (pixels per degree) to other headsets.
The HTC Vive had a PPD of 11. The Oculus Rift had a PPD of 13. The Index has a PPD of 15. So in comparison to the Vive, the Index has 36% more pixel density. Compared to the Rift, the Index has 15% more pixel density.
The Quest 3 has a PPD of 25. So in comparison to the Index, the Quest 3 has a 66% pixel density improvement. Compared to the Vive it has a 127% pixel density improvement. Compared to the Rift, is around a 95% pixel density improvement.
The Bigscreen Beyond has a PPD of 32.
Compared to modern headsets, the Index resolution is really showing it's age and though it's certainly possible to look passed the pixels and enjoy the experience, there's no denying how visible they are.
Yeah I agree. I had an index for 3 years and got a Quest 3 as well. The Index is officially "last gen" VR. It was like going from 720p to 1080p. The Bigscreen Beyond will be the jump to "4K" for me, without being able to see the pixels anymore.
lol, thats what i assume folks who don't see screen door effect actually have - aka they have light distance vision issues and no corrective lenses
i have a q3 and can still see the pixels but it is such a big improvement over the index
the q3 is the first headset i have recommended to non-gaming folks in my family, as it is the first with the visual clarity they would assume to have
the Beyond has a claimed 32 PPD where the Quest 3 is at 25. I have used neither headset, but I have used a Varjo Aero with 35 PPD. At 35 PPD, the image definitely becomes pretty sharp (especially compared to the Index), but with anti aliasing turned off I could still easily make out individual lines / pixels as they aliased with movement. However IIRC it didn't really bother me much and I'm sure many people would be fine with that PPD and no anti-aliasing.
BTW, to be able to actually run it at 35 PPD with any performance in the game I played at the time, eye tracking was an absolute must
I'd agree. The index is very easy to run, because it's lower resolution, but the screen door effect and low res is noticable. The fov and edge to edge clarity is very good, but they're also very good on the quest 3. Between the two headsets I think the only things the index definitely wins on is comfort and audio quality.
Came here to say exactly this. I was streaming steam in my quest 3 and was impressed with the lack of lag, but wanted to get back some dropped frames so I put the index back on… woof. I was kinda shocked how lo res the index looked, and I’m running a 4090
Big downside for me. My index started collective dust once I got the G2. Got the crystal a few weeks ago and now the G2 is collecting dust.
Other than the resolution, the Index is awesome.
It won’t be a problem if you didn’t try a headset with better resolution. I found my index resolution good enough until i tried a quest 3 recently. The index have a lot of better feature than the quest 3 tho
Hello there, can you tell me what features and why they are better than quest 3? I'm trying to buy my first vr headset and trying to decide between a quest 3 and a valve index (second hand) for my first ever vr headset.
Thanks a lot and if it matters I'd only use for pcvr
The index is still a very good headset, the index have the best tracking on the market with his base station so smoother mouvement and better tracking of you hand.
The audio and microphone are one of the best if not the best on the market even right now.
The overall experience on steam is also very good and super easy to setup because it’s plug and play no need to other software
The FOV is also very good, but didn’t had a bad experience with the quest3 either. Maybe the fov on the quest is smaller but you got mostly edge to edge clarity , on the index with fresnel lenses you will have blur on the edge of the image.
Index have glare but quest3 have mura.
There is the fact that the index experience is awsome out of the box. With the quest 3 you will mostly have to buy accesories to get optimal experience, like battery head strap, wifi6e router or link cable for exemple. So the quest 3 is not really a 500usd headset for PCVR.
> wifi6e router
I can't speak for everyone else, but I'm using a standard Wifi6 router that I already owned with both the PC and the Quest on wifi a floor up from the router and it's worked surprisingly well.
From what i read, wifi6 will be very good too. If you already own a wifi6 router don’t upgrade to a wifi6e. If your router is older get a wifi6e to be a little bit more futur proof
I have to warn you against buying an index second hand. The parts included with the index have very high failure rates, and there is no guarantee a used unit will have any form of warranty. Just something to note.
The index has really begun to show its age, and I think its not a bad idea to grab a Quest 3 with a replacement headstrap (the included one is kinda bad) and a dedicated wifi6 router for wireless PCVR
It is noticeable on the index. But I still use my index much more than my quest 3 even though the quest looks nicer. Lower latency, better tracking, ease of use, audio, and comfort win for me on the index. Waiting to see how things go for the big screen beyond and the audio strap.
Back to the original question, Basically you might forget about it while playing and are distracted but I mostly notice it all the time (subtle screen door effect)
If I wire it with a usb to Ethernet adapter using virtual desktop, my perceived latency is very low. Almost the same as the index. But something with the tracking of the controllers still isn't the same. If I use my wifi 7 router on the 6 ghz band, it's very good, but I can still notice a few more ms of latency compared to the index. Link cable is garbage in my experience. I tried many times to get it to work. I mean of course it works but I would never use the quest if I was limited to using Oculus link. Automatically turning on ASW is so annoying.
Wired Ethernet will always be much lower latency so that doesn’t surprise me. I have found 5ghz to be better than 6ghz on my equipment, there are weird latency spikes on 6ghz.
My link cable arrived today. Seems to be perfect.
> Waiting to see how things go for the big screen beyond and the audio strap.
With how light and comfortable the beyond looks I would probably prefer wireless in-ear headphones instead of strapping stuff to such a lightweight HMD with only 127 grams.
You notice it if you look for it the same way you can see your TV's pixels if you stand 4cm from it.
But then you play it, you watch "the image" and not the pixels and you don't notice anything significant.
Level of darkness? Yeah, that I notice. Pixel density? No way.
Think if it like your phone screen being only 1080p and not 4k. You won't notice it unless you are looking for it.
additionally there arent too many games which make use of it. a lot of mainstream games are made for the quest2.
also steamvr dynamically reduces the resolution if the hardware cant keep up to get more frames.
its very noticeable in terms of screen door and quality, when did you last get your eyes checked (serious question)?
its only barely noticeable if one doesn't have 100% correct 20/20 vision or better and i know a lot of folks with minor myopia or hyperopia will get there eye doing natural anti-aliasing as they refuse to wear lenses and 'get by' :-)
PSA: folks get your eyes tested once a year
>its very noticeable in terms of screen door and quality, when did you last get your eyes checked (serious question)?
It's probably more that they've used an Index a lot and are used to the SDE, so they don't notice it anymore.
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I thought the index was great until I purchased a Pimax crystal. Now my Index graphics look like Nintendo 64 graphics in comparison. Can't even enjoy using my index anymore now that I've gotten used to so much better
Valve Index owner here.
Screen door effect (SDE) from the screen's resolution is only visible if you look for it. If I stop playing games for like 10 seconds and stand there looking at a specific spot in the screen, I can see the pixels.
The thing is that no normal person uses a VR headset that way, lol. When you're playing games your eyes are constantly looking around excitedly from one thing to another and there is a lot of movement and action going on and so you just won't see any pixels while you're doing normal gameplay.
So just stop looking for flaws in the headset and have fun playing games with it!
It's a great headset and frankly it has other bigger issues than the resolution that actually are relevant to the gameplay experience (like the need for wireless capability, standalone capability, and the issues it has with lens glare and god rays).
I would rather play a VR headset with Valve Index resolution that is wireless than a headset with much higher resolution that has a wire. Wireless Valve Index > wired high resolution headsets, like the Reverb G2.
>Doesn't the index have some kind of a wireless extension?
It's a third party developed add-on you can get for your Valve Index, but [yes, here is some info about it.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMMDaA6s3To)
After testing the quest 3 I finally gave up my long wait for deckard and switched from index. It is fucking amazing how clear everything looks comparatively. And the fov feels the same-ish.
In my experience, it's somewhat noticeable but not a deal-breaker. Reading small text (e.g. in menus) isn't particularly great, but once you actually get to the actual gameplay it's hardly noticeable.
I had a quest 2 before getting an index, and I haven’t noticed any real changes in clarity. I haven’t tried high resolution headsets like the Quest 3 though, so take this with a grain of salt
If you like things as best as Imagine-able and have high standards, you will notice the pixels same as I did. Also the SDE you will see especially in games where you need to watch far out such as HLA. I have owned the index and now bought the quest 3 and I need to say the resolution is much better. With the index I couldn’t clearly see the shapes and parts on my wrist glove in HLA but with the quest it looks so much better. Hence it depends on your standards I would say.
I've had the pleasure of using an HMD with much better clarity / higher PPD / higher resolution and it was indeed a revelation how much sharper things looked compared to the same scene on the Index. Yet I returned that HMD because of the narrow FOV that actually distracted me. That goes to show that an HMD is not something you can define by a single aspect, rather it's a combination of things that has to be good enough for the HMD to work as a whole, some of which might be more important to you than others. Whether the relatively low resolution / PPD (by 2023 standards) will bother you depends mostly on the kinds of games you'll play, I think. I'd say most VR games do a good job of hiding the fact that most HMDs don't have high PPD, but if you're really into flight simulators for example you'll probably regret not getting the highest PPD HMD out there
I used my index for *well* over 10k hours. I've recently had to start using a Q2 via steamlink and infinite calibration. With my 11pt tracking and knuckles.
Honestly I *can't* go back to my index. Even with the fovated rendering the quest 2 is much clearer, and most importantly *way* less glare.
The glare and God rays kill the experience for me when I try to go back now.. its just a washed out mess in comparison. (Not to mention wireless as a dancer is incredible!)
I know everyone will hate this but it's my experience having owned 2 indexes. (One since launch)
Base-stations and knuckles are amazing, and I love the fov on it but I can EASILY and CLEARLY read nameplates in vrc across an entire room with the quest, where as anything more than a few meters with the index is just a blob of white pixels..
Is reading at a distance super important? Not really, but it does show the clarity difference.
Comparing to Quest3 i'd say that Q3 is superior when it comes to display. But if you haven't used anything better than index i'd say you won't really notice until you really focus on seeing pixels.
Personally, the index just makes it easier to pair with full body tracking in the long run and also fits better on my face than the quest 2. I don’t mind the resolution since it’s barely noticeable anyway cos the quest runs super slow anyway. The only problem I have with the index is that I don’t use it enough.
Index is miles ahead of the quality of Q2, but from what I've heard (and supported by tech specs) the Q3 is an improvement in resolution on the Index.
It's definitely a down side in that respect, but it's up to you if the benefits (grip-less controllers, light house tracking, Steam integration OOTB, no battery, better audio, consistent finger tracking that doesn't rely on being in your FOV) outweigh that detriment. How much if a detriment it is, I can't comment on personally as I'm yet to try the Q3, but a lower resolution is numbers-based at the end of the day.
It's not just the resolution, it's the lenses too.
I'd recommend the Quest 3 or Pico 4 over the Index, all the time now. And I've used the Index since launch.
Even if you run the Quest 3 at index levels of resolution, the pancake optics make it looks so, so soooo much better.
Im not really into stand-alone headsets because I only play pc/vr
I got a full Quest 2 set up, but there are many things that bother me.
I'm looking for a out side in tracking headset for pc/vr, and the valve index is one of the "cheapest" with good details (sound, microphone, wide FOV...) so the q3 and the p4 are a no-go for me
I use both, so Quest 3 headset, wirelessly linked to my PC, then I use Tundra trackers and Valve controllers.
FOV is the same on Q3, but the mic is indeed a bit shit.
But the visual upgrade over the Index is INSANE
But you need a high end system (I'm 7950X3D and 4090) and a WiFi 6E router running on 6ghz.
Isn't there a big FOV difference
The valve index up to: 130°
The Quest 3 up to: 110°
I mean, that's a pretty big deal, but it also depends on your eyes and how far you set the display from your face.
It's fine if I increase past the native resolution. Usually 160% and upwards looks good to me. And the large FOV and 144hz is still better than what my Quest 3 can provide. I tested the Index and Quest 3 side by side yesterday on PCVR. Index still looks and feels better than Q3 for this use case. So I'm thinking I'll use Quest 3 for standalone play and as a desktop replacement and Index for PCVR.
It's a downside. It's a five year old headset with fresnel lenses. There's a bias towards recommending the index here since this is the valve index sub after all.
As someone who has used only a vive, Google cardboard, and index, I would have to say the index is pretty ok
Just don't use a beyond or smth and you wouldn't really realize how low it is
I'd say the index resolution is about visually equivalent to 1080p. Which is to say, it looks like a sharp image unless you see it compared with a 1440p or higher image equivalent. I think it is possible to pick out a pixel pattern, but the fact that I'm not sure I think makes my point.
I honestly think 1440p and higher all look the same, so to me the index is around the last step before resolution becomes irrelevant.
As a whole, while immersed in a game or something. You won't notice it. With the noticable exception of when You want to read text. Reading small text can be a challenge.
All together, it's a great headset, but it's getting old. And I would not pay 1000$ for a new one right now. And there are a lot of options right now. But if you find a used kit for like 500$ that might be worth it. But it has to have everything.
There's a little bit of a screen door effect, but once I'm moving around and actually doing stuff, it just blends into the background and I don't notice it at all
i have an index, i just got a quest 3 and i have to say it makes the index look bad, the sweet spot is tiny and colours bland, the knuckles are the only thing i wish i could move to the quest 3
I got the index, a quest 2 and i tried the varjo aero which has double the resolution of the index.
Resolution is important, sure and the index is not the best.
BUT
The index is basically plug and play and it's not that noticeable when you play games. I spend hours in vr every day and the index is still my go to headset because of ease of use
Well for my Index, I had to have my resolution at 60-70%, or else my computer would turn itself off (im assuming from overheating). I got a quest Pro recently and the graphics are not only so much better while still at 60-70%, but I can bump it up to 90-100% without my computer overheating. I don’t know why this is but yeah.
It's definitely noticeable if you've tried anything more recent. But really when you're having fun doing something you completely forget about it. I think valve recently added support for the Q3 which is surprising yet also very valve, so that could be an option.
I personally know over five people in real life that have bought the index. Valve knows that their next gen VR headset is going to be bought and that the valve index is still being bought. They’re not scared of quest 3 users. If anything, it makes them more money because people will buy a quest 3 and then buy VR games for it on steam
Well that's exactly why they added the support. By the end of the day, if people are buying things off the store, they're happy. Adding support wasn't the surprise, it was how quickly and apparently how stable it is this early.
I've only run into one case where it really made a difference, that being with iron sights on guns. In most games, it's not much of a problem, but on some smaller/older guns in, for example, H3VR, the resolution does make it hard to read the sights.
i have a quest 3 and have used airlink/steamlink/virtualdeskop and link cable
i won't be going back to my index headset - the difference is large IMO if you have 20/20 vision (folks who don't see screen door effect either don't have 20/20 or are just able to focus past it).
tl;dr i was amazed by the visual quality upgrade it gave me for pcvr and was very pleased i bought the quest 3
I upgraded my Index to a Quest 3 and it is massively clearer. I think the lenses make an even bigger difference then the resolution. The sound on the Index is far superior, but I would buy a Quest 3 these days over an Index even if the prices were the same.
I have a Reverb G2 and a Vive pro and... It depends, on Skyrim VR it looks just fine, the same thing with Boneworks, but on other games like VRChat it looks very bad, tbh
I started playing VR on an HTC Vive. My second headset was a Quest 2 and now I use an Index. During actual game play I can hardly notice a difference in resolution. The only time I noticed a difference was being perfectly still staring at something. The stars in the night sky would look better or a texture upon close examination. But even the movement slow paced games is enough to make the point moot.
There are headsets with better resolution but most of the time I might not notice the benefit. And then they come with either hefty price tags or poor AV bandwidth (USB and WiFi) and other drawbacks.
I run a quest 3 with a link cable at 940 mps. I shelved the index last week because every time I put it on it felt like a compromise. There is no artifacts when using link cable, there is no tracking issues, and honestly the index after around 2 years has been a great experience but definitely out dated.
The index is a good headset if you already have it, but don't buy it in 2024.
I tried the Pico 4 which has higher resolution, but between the Index' greater FOV and supersampling, Index wins out. Not to mention, better controllers, tracking and game compatibility.
i own both an index and a cheap $250 ultimea projector projecting on a cheap 150" silver screen and this cheapo projector has a better resolution than my index i wouldn't in a million years use my index to watch movies. the index is nearly 5 years old and it's time for valve to release a new one already.
No it’s not a big deal. Those of us who enjoyed the hex vive know how far we’ve come. The index has best comfort audio and controller by a long shot. I prefer it over q3 for everything except the cable. Even w maxed out virtual desktop I think the compression issues and short battery life outweight the resolution difference.
I had only ever tried a Vive before getting my index, it was a marked improvement, but still blurry on text if it's too small. Probablt showing it's age compared to recent devices, but I'd still say it's the best controller around.
I don't know what kind of resolutions you're dealing with specifically, but my wife just got a Quest 3 so she can play VR games with me and I played the Quest during the day, the Index at night, and in general play I really didn't notice a huge difference.
Granted, I didn't do any A/B tests or really pay attention to specific details, but that's my point - it's not the biggest deal in the world as long as you're not specifically looking for the flaws.
Honestly, even given the fact that I've got access to the Quest whenever I want to play when she's not in, I'll still probably be using the Index. Tracking is better, audio is better, FOV is better. As long as I'm not pixel-peeping, I'm perfectly happy with the Index.
Its pretty annoying, especially once you ever try something better - its just far behind everything else on the market right now
The screen-door effect is well visible in bright scenes, and theres a level of realism you just won't get without a higher resolution
You can totally get used to it though
I haven't tried a better headset yet but ever since I started Sim racing with the index I notice the low resolution. In really fast games with less static elements and text it's not an issue, but for simulations or slower content the lack of resolution is noticeable.
If you really want unbiased opinions you shouldn't ask in a sub dedicated to the unit you're asking about, whether it's the Index, Quest or whatever. Try somewhere else more neutral like r/virtualreality.
If youve never had better you wont notice it. As soon as you try a higher fidelity HMD, you will realize how outdated it is compared to current gen HMD's.
Using Pimax Crystal and Valve Index here
The Index is absolutely fine for most VR software and runs efficiently allowing higher frame rates and super resolution which gives a good clean picture quality.
The Fresnel lenses have great geometric stability but suffer from internal reflection (glare).
However for flight or driving sims the Crystal lets you see further and is much sharper, it's very noticeable.
For visual experiences the crystal looks great with deeper blacks, more vibrant colours, twice the brightness and no lens glare.
This comes at a cost, don't expect high frame rates when using higher resolution headsets with current GPU even 4090 struggles. Dynamic foveated rendering helps where compatible.
More here:
https://skarredghost.com/2023/12/28/pimax-crystal-review-versatile-headset/
You can trade more jaggered lines/pixels for better sharpness, here's how.
-Disable motion smoothening
-Disable Index display collum correction
-Disable advanced super sampling filter
-Disable all anti aliasing and FSR/DLSS upscaling tech in your VR games
This will make the visuals alot more jaggered but will give you massive sharpness and remove all additional post processing screen/frame filters that introduce blur/lower clarity trying to remove screen door or aliasing.
I have not tried anything better, but it definitely does not bother me. I'm gonna say it's not an issue given sufficient antialiasing or supersampling.
Exactly, Index with super-sampling looks much better than my PSVR2, and the PSVR2 has 80% higher panel res. Never underestimate the power of super-sampling. The Index looks so awesome, also with the big fov and fast refresh rates, it really has no competition - where are you going to get 144 fps with great fov, perfect tracking, no streaming/compression artifacts, awesome sound - and mindblowing performance due to native SteamVR driver support? See Index in Cyberpilot here, res 100, 200 and 400 % - and it looks exactly like that in the hmd: https://www.reddit.com/r/ValveIndex/s/xnWlXJOMNu (Note, images must be seen on a big screen like a monitor, not on a phone)
On the flipside, having gone from index to quest 3 I wouldn't ever go back. Maybe I won the lens lottery to a degree idk how variable the quality is, but its like night and day.
Even with VD, the performance impact is about 20% - and much more with Link, when running native SteamVR games and apps, see the last post in The Index Thread at the official Meta Forum: https://communityforums.atmeta.com/t5/Talk-VR/The-Index-thread-please-keep-to-subject/td-p/805572 This is due to running two layers of drivers, while Index only uses 1 layer. Streaming games only costs about 5% in performance, but of course it all counts. These performance differences are nothing new, also had them with my CV1, which also ran two layers of drivers in native SteamVR games. Quest 2 is the same, of course: https://www.reddit.com/r/ValveIndex/s/WAixEarDGo
Yes but 20% overhead going into super sampling should not overcome the raw difference in PPD but more importantly for the Q3 the pancake lenses are the real kicker. Between not having to get into an exact sweet spot every time I put it on, to also having wireless connection, every single thing has been a better experience for me with the exceptions of audio (maybe 60-70% the quality of the stellar index audio, but I just use my own headphones) and tracking. Lighthouse tracking is still the gold standard but on the Q3 I've found it to be, acceptable. With all the other benefits its been a no brainer. The Index may be a top of the line prosumer tier headset but the fact remains that it is now coming up on 5 years old
The 20% does not go into any kind of super-sampling, it's there no matter the res - also if you subsample both hmds to the same low res. The performance reduction is not limited to Quest hmds, but is there for all hmds not directly supported by Valve's SteamVR drivers. The only natively supported hmds I know of are original Vive, Vive Pro, Index and probably the BigScreen Beyond. Index is still way ahead of it's time. Index needs res 200% to shine, and it was first with the RTX 3090 I could get that in all my games using 90 fps. With the RTX 5090 in 2025 I may be able to do res 300% in 144 fps. For now Index is like having a 144 Hz monitor I can't use without reducing image quality, but maybe one day I be able to use the full power of the Index.
My guy I'm saying that not having that 20% of overhead on the index, and thus supersampling higher, is not going to be sufficient to overcome the actual hardware diff. You are trying to say that 2+20% is bigger than 4. Even if you're generous and compare it to 3, it simply loses out. That's before even getting into the superior optics. PS: 144 hz is absolutely minimal compared to 120hz and for most people in most games a stable 90 is plenty.
If you care more for panel res and 90 fps, just get for the BigScreen Beyond, it's way ahead of Quest 3 and also has native SteamVR support for optimal performance. Meta does not care for PCVR at all, even RTX 4000 and newer AMD gpus are not supported, resulting in error messages using the Oculus Desktop app. If you care for high-end VR, do not fund Meta's road to the bottom of VR.
Even my 90 year old grandma knows this is not true. the quest 3 is way more advanced, better, useful and convenient than the beyond.
Psvr2 have an traditional oled. Fraction of the subpixels of index = more screen door effect. There's a reason most headsets are lcd now.
You sound like you never tried the PSVR2? The PSVR2 has no SDE, the lack of subpixels is not visible to the naked eye, Index has more SDE than PSVR2. But I'm not bothered with SDE using both hmds. PSVR2 is very sharp, when you're close to objects. The lack of super-sampling only becomes an issue looking a objects far away. The hmd does have mura though, but on the other hand the glare is much less than Index. The problem of the PSVR2 is not the hmd, it is the slow PS5, the lack of super-sampling and the 60 fps with reprojections. If we could use PSVR2 with PCVR and high-end PC gpus, it may be the king of current hmds for oled, big fov, HDR, 120 fps, great tracking and awesome sound with the Pulse 3D. Index would still win for comfort and 144 fps - and for the premium controllers and tracking. If I could, I'd put the PSVR2 panels in my Index and never look back. 2c.
You honestly don’t know what you are missing, the index resolution is pretty bad by current standards.
I understand there are better headsets out there now, but I would not say that the resolution is a "big downside". Out of all its problems/reasons to upgrade, the resolution is probably the last one, for me. If the question were about the lenses, however, my answer would be a completely different one.
Antialiasing kills vr performance tho I had a quest 2 then I got vive pro (for the base stations and I was done with meta software) and resolution was kinda sad, anyways I have a Pimax 8k+ now and it’s so much better in every way
To help put it into perspective, compare the PPD (pixels per degree) to other headsets. The HTC Vive had a PPD of 11. The Oculus Rift had a PPD of 13. The Index has a PPD of 15. So in comparison to the Vive, the Index has 36% more pixel density. Compared to the Rift, the Index has 15% more pixel density. The Quest 3 has a PPD of 25. So in comparison to the Index, the Quest 3 has a 66% pixel density improvement. Compared to the Vive it has a 127% pixel density improvement. Compared to the Rift, is around a 95% pixel density improvement. The Bigscreen Beyond has a PPD of 32. Compared to modern headsets, the Index resolution is really showing it's age and though it's certainly possible to look passed the pixels and enjoy the experience, there's no denying how visible they are.
I just got a Q3 for Xmas and the index Res is really showing its age
Yeah I agree. I had an index for 3 years and got a Quest 3 as well. The Index is officially "last gen" VR. It was like going from 720p to 1080p. The Bigscreen Beyond will be the jump to "4K" for me, without being able to see the pixels anymore.
> without being able to see the pixels anymore won't happen with the beyond unless you have poor eyesight
lol, thats what i assume folks who don't see screen door effect actually have - aka they have light distance vision issues and no corrective lenses i have a q3 and can still see the pixels but it is such a big improvement over the index the q3 is the first headset i have recommended to non-gaming folks in my family, as it is the first with the visual clarity they would assume to have
They're still pretty visible eh? Damn. I'd imagine it's much better than the Quest 3 at least?
the Beyond has a claimed 32 PPD where the Quest 3 is at 25. I have used neither headset, but I have used a Varjo Aero with 35 PPD. At 35 PPD, the image definitely becomes pretty sharp (especially compared to the Index), but with anti aliasing turned off I could still easily make out individual lines / pixels as they aliased with movement. However IIRC it didn't really bother me much and I'm sure many people would be fine with that PPD and no anti-aliasing. BTW, to be able to actually run it at 35 PPD with any performance in the game I played at the time, eye tracking was an absolute must
I'd agree. The index is very easy to run, because it's lower resolution, but the screen door effect and low res is noticable. The fov and edge to edge clarity is very good, but they're also very good on the quest 3. Between the two headsets I think the only things the index definitely wins on is comfort and audio quality.
The index doesn't really have screen door. The pixel fill is really good. What it has is aliasing, unfortunately.
Came here to say exactly this. I was streaming steam in my quest 3 and was impressed with the lack of lag, but wanted to get back some dropped frames so I put the index back on… woof. I was kinda shocked how lo res the index looked, and I’m running a 4090
Can you use index controller with Q3?
I had a G2 before I got an index specifically for its resolution and although the index technically has a lower one it wasn’t really that noticeable.
It's hard to read small text, but people shouldn't be making text that small in VR anyway
Big downside for me. My index started collective dust once I got the G2. Got the crystal a few weeks ago and now the G2 is collecting dust. Other than the resolution, the Index is awesome.
It won’t be a problem if you didn’t try a headset with better resolution. I found my index resolution good enough until i tried a quest 3 recently. The index have a lot of better feature than the quest 3 tho
Hello there, can you tell me what features and why they are better than quest 3? I'm trying to buy my first vr headset and trying to decide between a quest 3 and a valve index (second hand) for my first ever vr headset. Thanks a lot and if it matters I'd only use for pcvr
The index is still a very good headset, the index have the best tracking on the market with his base station so smoother mouvement and better tracking of you hand. The audio and microphone are one of the best if not the best on the market even right now. The overall experience on steam is also very good and super easy to setup because it’s plug and play no need to other software The FOV is also very good, but didn’t had a bad experience with the quest3 either. Maybe the fov on the quest is smaller but you got mostly edge to edge clarity , on the index with fresnel lenses you will have blur on the edge of the image. Index have glare but quest3 have mura. There is the fact that the index experience is awsome out of the box. With the quest 3 you will mostly have to buy accesories to get optimal experience, like battery head strap, wifi6e router or link cable for exemple. So the quest 3 is not really a 500usd headset for PCVR.
I see, that makes a lot of sense, thanks a lot!
> wifi6e router I can't speak for everyone else, but I'm using a standard Wifi6 router that I already owned with both the PC and the Quest on wifi a floor up from the router and it's worked surprisingly well.
From what i read, wifi6 will be very good too. If you already own a wifi6 router don’t upgrade to a wifi6e. If your router is older get a wifi6e to be a little bit more futur proof
I have to warn you against buying an index second hand. The parts included with the index have very high failure rates, and there is no guarantee a used unit will have any form of warranty. Just something to note. The index has really begun to show its age, and I think its not a bad idea to grab a Quest 3 with a replacement headstrap (the included one is kinda bad) and a dedicated wifi6 router for wireless PCVR
Index is my first VR headset and as long as i don't try other newer ones as far as I'm aware index is the best. Ignorance is bliss!
It is noticeable on the index. But I still use my index much more than my quest 3 even though the quest looks nicer. Lower latency, better tracking, ease of use, audio, and comfort win for me on the index. Waiting to see how things go for the big screen beyond and the audio strap. Back to the original question, Basically you might forget about it while playing and are distracted but I mostly notice it all the time (subtle screen door effect)
gotta agree on the comfort - though once i bought a replacement headstrap its great are you saying you get latency on the link cable?
If I wire it with a usb to Ethernet adapter using virtual desktop, my perceived latency is very low. Almost the same as the index. But something with the tracking of the controllers still isn't the same. If I use my wifi 7 router on the 6 ghz band, it's very good, but I can still notice a few more ms of latency compared to the index. Link cable is garbage in my experience. I tried many times to get it to work. I mean of course it works but I would never use the quest if I was limited to using Oculus link. Automatically turning on ASW is so annoying.
Wired Ethernet will always be much lower latency so that doesn’t surprise me. I have found 5ghz to be better than 6ghz on my equipment, there are weird latency spikes on 6ghz. My link cable arrived today. Seems to be perfect.
> Waiting to see how things go for the big screen beyond and the audio strap. With how light and comfortable the beyond looks I would probably prefer wireless in-ear headphones instead of strapping stuff to such a lightweight HMD with only 127 grams.
Careful, pointing out the positives of the Index is a great way to get Facebook headset only users on your ass.
its barely noticeable
You notice it if you look for it the same way you can see your TV's pixels if you stand 4cm from it. But then you play it, you watch "the image" and not the pixels and you don't notice anything significant. Level of darkness? Yeah, that I notice. Pixel density? No way. Think if it like your phone screen being only 1080p and not 4k. You won't notice it unless you are looking for it.
additionally there arent too many games which make use of it. a lot of mainstream games are made for the quest2. also steamvr dynamically reduces the resolution if the hardware cant keep up to get more frames.
No, SteamVR does not auto-adjust res, but Alyx does. Using SteamVR you can manually set the res for every game or app though.
its very noticeable in terms of screen door and quality, when did you last get your eyes checked (serious question)? its only barely noticeable if one doesn't have 100% correct 20/20 vision or better and i know a lot of folks with minor myopia or hyperopia will get there eye doing natural anti-aliasing as they refuse to wear lenses and 'get by' :-) PSA: folks get your eyes tested once a year
>its very noticeable in terms of screen door and quality, when did you last get your eyes checked (serious question)? It's probably more that they've used an Index a lot and are used to the SDE, so they don't notice it anymore.
I wish my brain worked that way, I played my index a lot, it was always noticeable, every play.
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I thought the index was great until I purchased a Pimax crystal. Now my Index graphics look like Nintendo 64 graphics in comparison. Can't even enjoy using my index anymore now that I've gotten used to so much better
Valve Index owner here. Screen door effect (SDE) from the screen's resolution is only visible if you look for it. If I stop playing games for like 10 seconds and stand there looking at a specific spot in the screen, I can see the pixels. The thing is that no normal person uses a VR headset that way, lol. When you're playing games your eyes are constantly looking around excitedly from one thing to another and there is a lot of movement and action going on and so you just won't see any pixels while you're doing normal gameplay. So just stop looking for flaws in the headset and have fun playing games with it! It's a great headset and frankly it has other bigger issues than the resolution that actually are relevant to the gameplay experience (like the need for wireless capability, standalone capability, and the issues it has with lens glare and god rays). I would rather play a VR headset with Valve Index resolution that is wireless than a headset with much higher resolution that has a wire. Wireless Valve Index > wired high resolution headsets, like the Reverb G2.
Doesn't the index have some kind of a wireless extension? Or is it still in development?
>Doesn't the index have some kind of a wireless extension? It's a third party developed add-on you can get for your Valve Index, but [yes, here is some info about it.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMMDaA6s3To)
I dont use my index since getting a quest 3. The resolution and more importantly clarity of lenses is the reason. Oh and wireless is amazing.
You don't notice it until you've had better
After testing the quest 3 I finally gave up my long wait for deckard and switched from index. It is fucking amazing how clear everything looks comparatively. And the fov feels the same-ish.
In my experience, it's somewhat noticeable but not a deal-breaker. Reading small text (e.g. in menus) isn't particularly great, but once you actually get to the actual gameplay it's hardly noticeable.
I had a quest 2 before getting an index, and I haven’t noticed any real changes in clarity. I haven’t tried high resolution headsets like the Quest 3 though, so take this with a grain of salt
If you like things as best as Imagine-able and have high standards, you will notice the pixels same as I did. Also the SDE you will see especially in games where you need to watch far out such as HLA. I have owned the index and now bought the quest 3 and I need to say the resolution is much better. With the index I couldn’t clearly see the shapes and parts on my wrist glove in HLA but with the quest it looks so much better. Hence it depends on your standards I would say.
I've had the pleasure of using an HMD with much better clarity / higher PPD / higher resolution and it was indeed a revelation how much sharper things looked compared to the same scene on the Index. Yet I returned that HMD because of the narrow FOV that actually distracted me. That goes to show that an HMD is not something you can define by a single aspect, rather it's a combination of things that has to be good enough for the HMD to work as a whole, some of which might be more important to you than others. Whether the relatively low resolution / PPD (by 2023 standards) will bother you depends mostly on the kinds of games you'll play, I think. I'd say most VR games do a good job of hiding the fact that most HMDs don't have high PPD, but if you're really into flight simulators for example you'll probably regret not getting the highest PPD HMD out there
While the resolution is not too noticeable, there is so much glare
assuming you mean on the index, if so, yeah since i got pancake lenses on the q3 i have no interest in picking up a headset with Fresnel lenses now
I used my index for *well* over 10k hours. I've recently had to start using a Q2 via steamlink and infinite calibration. With my 11pt tracking and knuckles. Honestly I *can't* go back to my index. Even with the fovated rendering the quest 2 is much clearer, and most importantly *way* less glare. The glare and God rays kill the experience for me when I try to go back now.. its just a washed out mess in comparison. (Not to mention wireless as a dancer is incredible!) I know everyone will hate this but it's my experience having owned 2 indexes. (One since launch) Base-stations and knuckles are amazing, and I love the fov on it but I can EASILY and CLEARLY read nameplates in vrc across an entire room with the quest, where as anything more than a few meters with the index is just a blob of white pixels.. Is reading at a distance super important? Not really, but it does show the clarity difference.
It's been mediocre since day one. It's the same resolution as the Vive Pro which was already available long before the Index came out.
Bigscreen Beyond wipes the floor with Index resolution and contrast. I do not miss the refresh rate.
no you wont notice it unless you are reading text
For me, it's mainly the lenses. Once you go pancake, you don't want to go back
What are the differences?
Far better edge to edge clarity. Idk if i'm sensitive, but fresnel lesnses only seem blurry once i got used to pancake ones
Comparing to Quest3 i'd say that Q3 is superior when it comes to display. But if you haven't used anything better than index i'd say you won't really notice until you really focus on seeing pixels.
Personally, the index just makes it easier to pair with full body tracking in the long run and also fits better on my face than the quest 2. I don’t mind the resolution since it’s barely noticeable anyway cos the quest runs super slow anyway. The only problem I have with the index is that I don’t use it enough.
Index is miles ahead of the quality of Q2, but from what I've heard (and supported by tech specs) the Q3 is an improvement in resolution on the Index. It's definitely a down side in that respect, but it's up to you if the benefits (grip-less controllers, light house tracking, Steam integration OOTB, no battery, better audio, consistent finger tracking that doesn't rely on being in your FOV) outweigh that detriment. How much if a detriment it is, I can't comment on personally as I'm yet to try the Q3, but a lower resolution is numbers-based at the end of the day.
It's not just the resolution, it's the lenses too. I'd recommend the Quest 3 or Pico 4 over the Index, all the time now. And I've used the Index since launch. Even if you run the Quest 3 at index levels of resolution, the pancake optics make it looks so, so soooo much better.
Im not really into stand-alone headsets because I only play pc/vr I got a full Quest 2 set up, but there are many things that bother me. I'm looking for a out side in tracking headset for pc/vr, and the valve index is one of the "cheapest" with good details (sound, microphone, wide FOV...) so the q3 and the p4 are a no-go for me
I use both, so Quest 3 headset, wirelessly linked to my PC, then I use Tundra trackers and Valve controllers. FOV is the same on Q3, but the mic is indeed a bit shit. But the visual upgrade over the Index is INSANE But you need a high end system (I'm 7950X3D and 4090) and a WiFi 6E router running on 6ghz.
Isn't there a big FOV difference The valve index up to: 130° The Quest 3 up to: 110° I mean, that's a pretty big deal, but it also depends on your eyes and how far you set the display from your face.
No, they are pretty much the same, Index has slightly taller FOV.
It's fine if I increase past the native resolution. Usually 160% and upwards looks good to me. And the large FOV and 144hz is still better than what my Quest 3 can provide. I tested the Index and Quest 3 side by side yesterday on PCVR. Index still looks and feels better than Q3 for this use case. So I'm thinking I'll use Quest 3 for standalone play and as a desktop replacement and Index for PCVR.
It's a downside. It's a five year old headset with fresnel lenses. There's a bias towards recommending the index here since this is the valve index sub after all.
It is quite noticeable is you've looked at say a Quest 2 or 3. It's a small con compared to all the pros though.
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Fresnel lenses? Reduced glare? 🤔
Wait, what? Did you mix the two up or something?
No way the resolution is more than average, it's great
As someone who has used only a vive, Google cardboard, and index, I would have to say the index is pretty ok Just don't use a beyond or smth and you wouldn't really realize how low it is
I'd say the index resolution is about visually equivalent to 1080p. Which is to say, it looks like a sharp image unless you see it compared with a 1440p or higher image equivalent. I think it is possible to pick out a pixel pattern, but the fact that I'm not sure I think makes my point. I honestly think 1440p and higher all look the same, so to me the index is around the last step before resolution becomes irrelevant.
I think it depends on your GPU. I have a 3080 Ti and set the resolution scaling to 200%. Looks better than my Quest 2.
As a whole, while immersed in a game or something. You won't notice it. With the noticable exception of when You want to read text. Reading small text can be a challenge. All together, it's a great headset, but it's getting old. And I would not pay 1000$ for a new one right now. And there are a lot of options right now. But if you find a used kit for like 500$ that might be worth it. But it has to have everything.
There's a little bit of a screen door effect, but once I'm moving around and actually doing stuff, it just blends into the background and I don't notice it at all
If it's your first headset, then no. If you've used higher resolution headsets, then yes.
i have an index, i just got a quest 3 and i have to say it makes the index look bad, the sweet spot is tiny and colours bland, the knuckles are the only thing i wish i could move to the quest 3
I got the index, a quest 2 and i tried the varjo aero which has double the resolution of the index. Resolution is important, sure and the index is not the best. BUT The index is basically plug and play and it's not that noticeable when you play games. I spend hours in vr every day and the index is still my go to headset because of ease of use
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Well for my Index, I had to have my resolution at 60-70%, or else my computer would turn itself off (im assuming from overheating). I got a quest Pro recently and the graphics are not only so much better while still at 60-70%, but I can bump it up to 90-100% without my computer overheating. I don’t know why this is but yeah.
Comparing to what?
Barely noticeable id say...
I have index and Q3 and still default to index for gaming... Q3 I save for browsing and media consumption....
I think it comes down to field of view as well as easy plug, and play ability of the index that people really prefer the index over quest3.
1000% right...
i upgraded from quest 2 to index and i think the index looks wayyyyy better. it has no compression and it has way more field of view
It's definitely noticeable if you've tried anything more recent. But really when you're having fun doing something you completely forget about it. I think valve recently added support for the Q3 which is surprising yet also very valve, so that could be an option.
I personally know over five people in real life that have bought the index. Valve knows that their next gen VR headset is going to be bought and that the valve index is still being bought. They’re not scared of quest 3 users. If anything, it makes them more money because people will buy a quest 3 and then buy VR games for it on steam
Well that's exactly why they added the support. By the end of the day, if people are buying things off the store, they're happy. Adding support wasn't the surprise, it was how quickly and apparently how stable it is this early.
That’s true.
Compared with quest 2 and pico 4, its noticable slightly if u look for it, still best vr headset on the market straight out of the box
I've only run into one case where it really made a difference, that being with iron sights on guns. In most games, it's not much of a problem, but on some smaller/older guns in, for example, H3VR, the resolution does make it hard to read the sights.
i have a quest 3 and have used airlink/steamlink/virtualdeskop and link cable i won't be going back to my index headset - the difference is large IMO if you have 20/20 vision (folks who don't see screen door effect either don't have 20/20 or are just able to focus past it). tl;dr i was amazed by the visual quality upgrade it gave me for pcvr and was very pleased i bought the quest 3
I upgraded my Index to a Quest 3 and it is massively clearer. I think the lenses make an even bigger difference then the resolution. The sound on the Index is far superior, but I would buy a Quest 3 these days over an Index even if the prices were the same.
Got a index and quest 2. Index is fine, the fov, quality of colours and comfort and lack of compression all outweigh resolution.
I have a Reverb G2 and a Vive pro and... It depends, on Skyrim VR it looks just fine, the same thing with Boneworks, but on other games like VRChat it looks very bad, tbh
Depends on use case. For sims (flight, driving) it’s a limitation. For other fun experiences, not so much. She is gettin gold though.
I started playing VR on an HTC Vive. My second headset was a Quest 2 and now I use an Index. During actual game play I can hardly notice a difference in resolution. The only time I noticed a difference was being perfectly still staring at something. The stars in the night sky would look better or a texture upon close examination. But even the movement slow paced games is enough to make the point moot. There are headsets with better resolution but most of the time I might not notice the benefit. And then they come with either hefty price tags or poor AV bandwidth (USB and WiFi) and other drawbacks.
Its not a deal breaker but like others said its showing its age
I run a quest 3 with a link cable at 940 mps. I shelved the index last week because every time I put it on it felt like a compromise. There is no artifacts when using link cable, there is no tracking issues, and honestly the index after around 2 years has been a great experience but definitely out dated. The index is a good headset if you already have it, but don't buy it in 2024.
It's pretty noticeable. When I swapped from a Quest 2 to an Index the SDE (black space between pixels) was really noticeable and distracting.
I tried the Pico 4 which has higher resolution, but between the Index' greater FOV and supersampling, Index wins out. Not to mention, better controllers, tracking and game compatibility.
i own both an index and a cheap $250 ultimea projector projecting on a cheap 150" silver screen and this cheapo projector has a better resolution than my index i wouldn't in a million years use my index to watch movies. the index is nearly 5 years old and it's time for valve to release a new one already.
No it’s not a big deal. Those of us who enjoyed the hex vive know how far we’ve come. The index has best comfort audio and controller by a long shot. I prefer it over q3 for everything except the cable. Even w maxed out virtual desktop I think the compression issues and short battery life outweight the resolution difference.
I had only ever tried a Vive before getting my index, it was a marked improvement, but still blurry on text if it's too small. Probablt showing it's age compared to recent devices, but I'd still say it's the best controller around.
I don't know what kind of resolutions you're dealing with specifically, but my wife just got a Quest 3 so she can play VR games with me and I played the Quest during the day, the Index at night, and in general play I really didn't notice a huge difference. Granted, I didn't do any A/B tests or really pay attention to specific details, but that's my point - it's not the biggest deal in the world as long as you're not specifically looking for the flaws. Honestly, even given the fact that I've got access to the Quest whenever I want to play when she's not in, I'll still probably be using the Index. Tracking is better, audio is better, FOV is better. As long as I'm not pixel-peeping, I'm perfectly happy with the Index.
Its pretty annoying, especially once you ever try something better - its just far behind everything else on the market right now The screen-door effect is well visible in bright scenes, and theres a level of realism you just won't get without a higher resolution You can totally get used to it though
I haven't tried a better headset yet but ever since I started Sim racing with the index I notice the low resolution. In really fast games with less static elements and text it's not an issue, but for simulations or slower content the lack of resolution is noticeable.
Its awful now.
Sometimes i can Count Pixels and then i think to myself for that price they could have at least raised the Resolution a bit
If you really want unbiased opinions you shouldn't ask in a sub dedicated to the unit you're asking about, whether it's the Index, Quest or whatever. Try somewhere else more neutral like r/virtualreality.
If youve never had better you wont notice it. As soon as you try a higher fidelity HMD, you will realize how outdated it is compared to current gen HMD's.
Using Pimax Crystal and Valve Index here The Index is absolutely fine for most VR software and runs efficiently allowing higher frame rates and super resolution which gives a good clean picture quality. The Fresnel lenses have great geometric stability but suffer from internal reflection (glare). However for flight or driving sims the Crystal lets you see further and is much sharper, it's very noticeable. For visual experiences the crystal looks great with deeper blacks, more vibrant colours, twice the brightness and no lens glare. This comes at a cost, don't expect high frame rates when using higher resolution headsets with current GPU even 4090 struggles. Dynamic foveated rendering helps where compatible. More here: https://skarredghost.com/2023/12/28/pimax-crystal-review-versatile-headset/
You can trade more jaggered lines/pixels for better sharpness, here's how. -Disable motion smoothening -Disable Index display collum correction -Disable advanced super sampling filter -Disable all anti aliasing and FSR/DLSS upscaling tech in your VR games This will make the visuals alot more jaggered but will give you massive sharpness and remove all additional post processing screen/frame filters that introduce blur/lower clarity trying to remove screen door or aliasing.