Pimax unveiled a new VR headset called ‘Artisan’ yesterday that, according to Pimax European Marketing Director Martin “SweViver” Lammi, shouldn’t have been revealed until CES 2020.

Pimax tweeted this cryptic image yesterday, and also published it to their website:

The headset is lower resolution than their other “8K” headset offerings, quoted as including a 3,200 × 1,440 display; it isn’t clear whether this is a single display, making it effectively dual 1,600 × 1,440 displays for each eye, or if it’s indeed two 3,200 × 1,440 displays. Considering it also has a lower advertised field of view (FOV) at 140 degrees (“8K” and “5K” variants are advertised with a 200 degree FOV) it very likely could be a single panel, divided in two for each eyes. Artisan boasts the same 120 refresh rate of the Pimax “5K” Plus, a $700 headset—so all things considered, Pimax may be positioning Artisan as its newest low-cost headset.

There’s still too little to go on for now, so it’s hard to guess what Pimax is aiming for with its mysterious “?49.00” pricing. The company is however still lagging behind in fulfilling “8K” headset orders for Kickstarter backers and regular customers alike, so the Christmas imagery may be simply be hollow marketing, and likely doesn’t indicate a pre-Christmas 2019 launch at all.

SEE ALSO
Pimax "8K" Headsets & Accessories Delayed Again, Now Estimated for Late 2019 & Early 2020

Martin “SweViver” Lammi certainly was taken by surprise by the announcement, as he took to the Pimax forums to explain that the big reveal would come to CES 2020, which takes place in early January:

“If anyone asks me what’s going on here, well I don’t know. Or I know, but I’m not allowed to talk about it. Im [sic] not allowed to talk about this unit at all. Officially it doesn’t exist. This was supposed to be announced and demoed on CES, but obviously someone didn’t agree.”

Lammi further admits even he doesn’t know about the release date, and that he’s unsure why Artisan has the same large body as the company’s “8K” and “5K” variants, which feature a larger advertised FOV.

“Tooling [a] new design from scratch is super-expensive and time consuming. [A new body design] [m]ight happen in the future (who knows), but surely not at this point,” Lammi hypothesizes.

Whatever the case may be, it appears we’ll be getting a look at CES 2020. We’ll have feet on the ground in Las Vegas for the show, which goes from January 7th – 10th, 2020, so make sure to follow us then for all things VR/AR to come from one of the world’s largest consumer tech shows.

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Scott Hayden
Well before the first modern XR products hit the market, Scott recognized the potential of the technology and set out to understand and document its growth. He has been professionally reporting on the space for nearly a decade as Editor at Road to VR, authoring more than 3,500 articles on the topic. Scott brings that seasoned insight to his reporting from major industry events across the globe.
  • JesperL

    Looks like the right specs in the wrong hmd..

    • Nostrildumbass

      What makes it the “wrong” HMD out of curiosity? In your eyes, what is the “right” HMD?

      • JesperL

        I have the Valve Index, and besides the half-assed joystick, that still works ok, the rest of it is great quality.
        The material quality of the pimaxes feels and looks like cheap shit from china, and every serious review confirms that.

        • Nostrildumbass

          So you’re saying a little crack in a headset (which is purely cosmetic and servers absolutely no functional purpose) makes it inferior to the Valve Index which has multiple actual functional defects? Don’t get me wrong, I love the Index, but my first set of controllers had the joystick click defect, and now my second set is starting to have the joystick drift defect. Case in point is virtually every product ever developed in human history tends to have issues at launch. The real concern is that the producers of the product acknowledge it and do something to improve it. I see Valve improving hte controllers as they corrected the click issue, just as Pimax improved the casing materials/production process. Next will be to see if Valve fix the drift issue.

  • Arashi

    Is it me or is this company getting worse since Kevin took office?

  • Ad

    They need to:

    1) Release universal accessories for hand tracking, eye tracking, 10m cables, full headstraps, face foam that can be washed, and even wireless if possible. This will pull in Index owners who just won’t get their headsets. I am open to buying a 10M cable or eye tracking from them.
    2) Make index style controllers that are as good but don’t have finger tracking. If they can lower the price then they’re perfect for Vive owners thinking about Alyx.
    3) Release the artisan as a mid range headset for those who don’t want a Rift S, and a really advanced 8KX, both super comfortable and with Pimax controllers in the box/can be bought with a coupon for steamVR base stations. This will pull in newbies who find the specs impressive and the people on the edge.
    4) Do whatever they need to to make their customer service and PR world class. Jump on events and controversies with other people like HTC and Oculus with flash sales and press releases.

    As a small company they can move faster than the big companies and listen to people rumbling about what they need.

    • Xron

      And $? needed for r/d?

      • Ad

        They’re already making a lot of these.

  • impurekind

    It’s not needed from these guys. Other companies have the more “standard” VR headsets covered. In my opinion Pimax should stick to the high-end units they’re known for. But, I guess I don’t know the full picture so maybe it is a good strategy.

    • Bob

      “I guess I don’t know the full picture so maybe it is a good strategy.”

      This isn’t a good strategy at all if you had any experience with business and marketing.

      • Nostrildumbass

        Ferrari begs to differ.

  • Mei Ling

    Pimax is a complete and utter mess with their marketing and public relations. They have absolutely no idea or have any experience with what they are doing.

    They have an extremely complicated purchasing options scheme and too many product offerings. The fact that they are announcing yet another product when they’re already having difficulty fulfilling existing orders and delivering on “promised” products is simply unprofessional and frankly amateurish business strategy.

    If Pimax wishes to be taken seriously as a professional entity with integrity they need to change their entire operations from the ground up.

    • Debbra

      I’m outsourcing from the solace of my home, completing some simple jobs that only require from you a PC and web access and it’s the best occupation I at any stage had…. After 6 months on this job and I made in total 36 thousand dollars… Basically I profit 80 bucks/hourly and work for 3 to 4 h daily.And great thing about this is that you can make your own schedule when you work and for how long and you get paid at the end of each week ->->-> hackflowerpot.am-strand.de

      • Ardra Diva

        really? what’s your cam chat site?

    • Yen

      It’s a pity, because I have both 8K and 5K+ and I can’t use other HMD in my work, neither Index. 5K+ is by far the best HMD in the market, with almost the double of fov of Index, and with the option of 140 degrees and 120hz. But… I had to customize everything, with DAS, with my 3D printers, tweaking Pitool software… I feeling like I created the 5K+ xD

  • Bob

    I think someone else on here has made it pretty clear; Pimax are just simply clueless and way out of their depth. It’s a shame because there are lot of people that support this company and their grand ambitions but even these people know that this company’s business acumen is almost non-existent.

  • J.C.

    Who is this targeted at?

    I think…me. I have an original Vive, replaced the controllers with Index ones. The other pimax headsets are so high rez that I doubt my 1080 would run them properly. This one appears to offer a wider FOV, a bit higher resolution screens and a higher possible framerate.
    It’ll depend on other factors, like comfort and tether length, but…I’m definitely interested to see what the price is. If it’s $349? I’m probably buying it.

    • huh

      Im in the same boat.
      The Reverb is currently my next go to headset.
      Will wait now and see what Artisan offers.
      Looking for a decent FOV, comfort, resolution. etc.

  • nejihiashi88

    this is a joke right now, just how many versions they announced?

    • Nostrildumbass

      Uhhh like 5? Mostly all being drastically different at different price levels? What are you complaining about here exactly?

      • nejihiashi88

        complaining about their fragmentation it is better to focus on 1 product or 2 at maximum, for several issues like good support and to keep it simple for consumers , also focusing on 1 product will help with manufacturing process it is easier and will save money on production cycle

      • ViRGiN

        Wow, you took your pimax propaganda outside Reddit. You want pimax to succeed more than they want to succeed themselves lol.

        • Nostrildumbass

          Why wouldn’t I? They’re the only ones offering a next generation headset with an actual WIDE FOV and high resolution displays. I wanted Oculus to succeed until Facebook bought them out.

          Wouldn’t call simply questioning someone’s illogical question a propaganda.

  • Mike Porter

    I have the 5K+ and if they plan to use the same plastic case for a Valve Index-level FOV HMD (which I also own btw) then they are out of their mind.
    We’ll see what this really is.

    • wow

      They could be aiming for better than index specs at a quest/rift price point which isn’t bad at all tbh. Wish they would release their previous accessories before even thinking about the headset though.

      • Mike Porter

        My point is the 5K/8K plastic case is too big to be competitive without a high FOV justification.

  • Pulstar44

    I wish someone would release some steam VR compatible controllers without the finger tracking. Maybe a steam VR version of the Oculus touch. I really don’t like the knuckles controllers and would like to have some options. I love my index though.
    And pimax can make all the headsets they want but their software is poor and glitchy. If it ran natively in steam it would be much better but I refuse to buy a pimax until they get their software sorted out. My experience with my 5K plus was not good. Sent it back to Amazon for a refund.

    • Immersive Computing

      Touch shape controllers with Triad Semiconductor diodes for steamVR tracking

      • Pulstar44

        Agreed. I prefer the original touch controllers cuz they felt the best to me. I still use the cv1 sometimes for that reason alone.

        • Francesco Fazio

          Same here man exactly the same

    • wow

      Tbh if you haven’t had a pimax headset don’t knock the company. They do have an awful business model but the product is better than anything out there. I can’t even put on a vive or oculus headset anymore even though I fell in love with VR using those headsets in VR arcades.

      • Pulstar44

        Oh so sorry. Didn’t realize you had to show proof to post on here. Please direct me to the proof you showed everyone before you posted on here…
        If you had a good experience with pimax then that’s great. Not everyone does. I’ve owned nearly every headset including the pimax 5K plus because I like to try them for myself and not listen to the reviewers. I’ve had backgrounds disappearing in some games and other games refusing to run at all. Some games ran great. Sometimes the tracking was off. It’s a shame because I love the field of view and the headset is comfortable for me. But the cons far outweigh the pros.

        • mellott124

          I had a 5K+ as well and sold it. When its sitting just right on my face, and after the distortion was fixed, it wasn’t half bad. However there was still residue distortion at the edges, updates problems, and performance issues. Not to mention the software problems. About 85% of the way there. If FOV is your thing then obviously you may like PiMax but for any other spec there are better options.

          • wow

            i actually stay on normal/small fov due to me only having a 1080ti

        • wow

          another troll comment cool…

      • Nostrildumbass

        I’m only having issues with a small crack forming in my 5K+ and sure, I’m contemplating not even going through the RMA for it because of the downtime I’ll likely have, but it’s by far the best headset (aside from the 8K+/8K X) on the market.

        • G-man

          its cracked within what a few weeks with basic use and its the best? nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnope.

          • Nostrildumbass

            More like 9 months for a little hair-thin crack. My Index controllers had the joystick click defect, and now my replacement set has the joystick drift issue, so meh. All products have defects.

          • Francesco Fazio

            This is untrue. I have an Oculus Rift CV1 since two years and a half. 0 defects works like the first day. I treat it very well though always protected from dust when I dont use it and I play wireless with the opentpcast so no cable in the middle of the balls and never a risk to fall because of the god damn cable :)

          • Nostrildumbass

            The CV1 is notorious for the headphones going out due to the internal wiring being stretched too tightly (expanding the strap would wear the wiring out over time). I had one too and was as lucky as you were. The headphone would occasionally cut out for me but just tightening the screws always took care of it. I suspect it is a more common issue for owners that share use of the headset with others, where the strap is constantly being adjusted.

          • Francesco Fazio

            Lol love Will Farrell :) I am Italian not Spanish.

            French: Francois
            Spanish: Francisco
            Italian: Francesco
            English: Francis

            I never had the problem with the headphone thanks god :)

          • Nostrildumbass

            Oh I know, I wasn’t making fun of ya. I just saw that movie yesterday so I thought of that line

          • Francesco Fazio

            No worries man :) Which movie is that btw ?

          • Nostrildumbass

            That is Elf!

          • G-man

            it certainly doesn’t make i “the best” though does it? especially when they even tried to get people to pay more for a headset made of thicker material that doesn’t just crack randomly

    • Andrew Jakobs

      You can always buy the older vive controllers if you don’t like the knuckle controllers.

      • Pulstar44

        I have them but they don’t really compare to the touch controllers. Games nowadays need analog sticks anyways.

      • Francesco Fazio

        The VIVE controllers are BAD very very bad. The worst are the WMR though for sure.

    • Ardra Diva

      oculus controllers rock. you quickly adapt to them.

    • J.C.

      What don’t you like about the Index controllers? I initially found them to feel too small for my hands, but there are bumper kits that fix that issue for like $13-$15. Now the buttons/sticks are in a comfortable spot for my thumbs.

      • Pulstar44

        That’s one of the things I don’t like. The sticks are at a weird angle and don’t feel natural like the touch controllers do. Also when using revive the grip button emulation is too touchy. I’m often letting go of things when I don’t mean to. Although I never heard of these bumpers. I’m assuming they’re on Amazon?

        • J.C.

          Etsy, “Index controller grip”.

      • Pulstar44

        So where did you get these bumper kits? I can’t find them anywhere…

        • J.C.

          Etsy. Look up “Index controller grip”. They’re 3D printed by several people on there. The source file for them was made by Valve so they’re pretty much all the same.

  • wow

    Pimax has a good product but they have no idea what they are doing business wise

  • eckehard

    I think that are old retoured versions with simpler displays – refurbished ..

  • Lulu Vi Britannia

    Is everyone really surprised at this point? Pimax is an utter piece of shit. It’s been a joke from the very beginning, but suckers fell for the high specs it showed on paper and gave money to complete amateurs.

    Just fuck off, for God’s sake! The VR market is too crowded.

    • Zantetsu

      I’ve read lots of comments from happy customers. By what criteria do you heap your abuse on Pimax?

      • G-man

        probably the “criteria” that the STILL havent given all the kikcstarter backers their headsets. and they are FAR from giving them all the stretch goal accessories.

        • Zantetsu

          That’s a pretty narrow set of criteria on which to base such sweeping claims.

          • G-man

            not really.

      • Twa Corbies

        I’ve read lots of comments from happy customers, before i bought that 4k piece of junk, too.

    • Andrew Jakobs

      uhh, the VR market ISN’T crowded enough, that’s why new headsets take longer..

      • RockstarRepublic

        I think it would be more accurate to say the VR market is over crowded with different kinds of VR headsets rather than the brands themselves. For example, the Quest, Rift S, Go… with HTC having the Vive, Vive Pro, Cosmos and the Focus… ect

        Too many versions and variances cause confusion. SO more brands and innovation is needed, standards are already there, but too many options and variances within the brands themselves are causing some unnecessary “crowding”.

        • Nostrildumbass

          I couldn’t disagree more. Clearly we have a divided consensus on whether a wider FOV is more important than refresh rate, resolution, wireless capability, etc. Some people will only buy a VR headset if it’s wireless, even if the resolution/FOV aren’t all that. Others will refuse to buy wireless until it’s both high resolution and FOV.

    • Nostrildumbass

      How is it too crowded? We literally only have like 3 headsets worth a damn, from huge companies, and neither of them offer a truly wide FOV.

  • Ratm

    I don`t think they could predict in any business plan, that nvidia would freeze gpu development so much the last 4 years.
    Judging by the speed they used to advance before monopole, Nvidia must have a stock of the next 5 technology steps gpus already in a cave somewhere.
    Apple like prices on a famously low quality product will not work for them. It would had ,if we had better gpus. That was the plan.
    So..plan B is… a) Cripple the product, b)Hit the market where it really needs. C) Sell at the max price you can sell what you have.

  • Zerofool

    It seems that the Artisan will be an entry level kit, which comes bundled with controllers and uses inside-out tracking. It has two separate LCD panels with 1600×1440 resolution each, it is PC-tethered, and the image on their website doesn’t show the actual design of the HMD.
    Here are some quotes from SweViver during MRTV’s live stream yesterday, as well as from the forums:

    “2 panels”
    “Tethered, for now”
    Q: “[A] Budget [option] must be a full bundle” A: “yes indeed ;)”
    “Artisan will not use that strap” in response to Sebastian’s rant about the standard Pimax elastic strap (visible on image on their site)
    “FOV is restructed by the nature ofo the panels and resolution.”
    “No, it uses different panels, which doesnt go wider than approx 140 [degrees FOV]”
    Q: “Any controllers with this headset?” A: “maybe :)”
    “the casing/housing is incorrect on that image”
    Q: “maybe it’s with inside out tracking and comes with controllers” A: “hmmmmmmmm :)”
    Q: “SweViver have you tried the Artisan? Is it ready?” A: “yes, yes”

    “OLEDS are pentile, unless they are very expensive. I think we can skip the OLED hype train for a while”
    Q: “Artisan… Would it have inside-out tracking?” A: “Finally someone who is thinking.”

    • G-man

      ph yeah, that pimax wirless, itll be out right after the eye tracking

  • Adrian Meredith

    These are clearly refurbished 5k+ locked to small fov mode, nothing more.

  • Andrew Jakobs

    Looking forward to the actual reveal, if only because it’s an extra headset on the market to choose from. But quality is something Pimax isn’t really known for, their 4K headsets broke pretty fast with a lot of people.

    • wow

      5k+ is a great product though

  • mAc

    The Best is… they removed it from their Website

  • Another headset that can be delayed :D

  • Ardra Diva

    Either brilliant marketing, or terrible marketing to reveal/unreveal. I’ll side with terrible because you never subscribe to malice what can be explained by incompetence.

  • Kyokushin

    Buying a 1440p headset is a complete nonsese when you have a Reverb or 8kX on the market.

    • Icebeat

      when you have a Reverb or 8kX, seriously where? the last new was that it is delayed too May of next year.

    • G-man

      not if you cant afford the $1300 8kx, and the fact it doesnt even really exist yet.

    • Nostrildumbass

      Not at nearly half the price it’s not. It’s still a very good option for someone looking to “enter” high end VR.

  • G-man

    oh look its a day that ends in a y. i wonder what new headset pimax announced today…..