Pimax, a well-known name in the world of PC VR headsets from China, has issued a statement addressing how the ongoing trade tensions between the US and China are affecting its operations, notably concerning its new Crystal Super VR headset. While buyers in the US will see a slight price increase, Pimax’s introduction of a subscription-based payment model is helping to absorb some of these additional costs.
Since its unveiling in April 2024, the Crystal Super has been positioned as Pimax’s flagship VR headset. It boasts impressive specs, including QLED panels with a 57 PPD resolution, each eye getting 3,840 x 3,840 pixels, along with a 120-degree field-of-view. Currently available only for pre-order, shipping is slated to begin shortly.
Amidst these developments, the US has imposed a hefty 145% tariff on all Chinese-made products. This is concerning news for VR headset manufacturers globally since China is a major manufacturing base for these products. Pimax, based in Shanghai, is among the first to announce price adjustments in response to these economic changes.
In a recent blog post, Pimax explained how these tariffs will impact its US customers. Fortunately, there’s a silver lining. Pimax assures that any Crystal Super orders placed before February 4th, 2025, won’t incur additional tariff fees, although they might experience a delay of approximately 20 days due to bulk shipping requirements to US warehouses.
For orders made between February 4th and April 10th, a $75 ‘Regional Surcharge’ will be added to cover increased shipping and logistics expenses. After April 10th, a $95 surcharge will apply to all new US orders, with deliveries expected to commence in June. Pimax is also taking proactive steps by setting up a new facility in Delaware specific for final assembly processes.
Despite these changes, the overall pricing of the Crystal Super headset remains mostly intact. Pimax has revised its pricing strategy, and although the integration of a subscription-based software model has made things a bit more complicated, this approach is effective in easing the burden of tariffs.
Under the new structure, the upfront cost of the Pimax Crystal Super is reduced to $799, with an additional $885 due later through the Pimax Play with Prime service, bringing the total to $1,684 (excluding the $95 US-only surcharge).
For international customers, these adjustments are minor. Earlier, the headset was priced at $999 with a Prime subscription fee of $696, totaling $1,695. Prices in other regions reflect a reduced initial payment, which should make the headset more appealing worldwide.
Significantly, Pimax continues to offer a 14-day trial period. This feature is particularly enticing for buyers outside the US, as it reduces initial financial commitment, and allows for a refund if returned within the trial period unless they wish to continue using Prime.
Pimax is in a rare position to mitigate cost increases through its subscription model, a strategy not viable for everyone. Companies like Meta, which already subsidize their hardware to drive software sales, don’t have the same flexibility.
Interestingly, while Meta has yet to announce any current price hikes, they have increased headset prices before, like during the COVID-19 pandemic when the Quest 2’s price was temporarily raised from $300 to $400 back in 2022. Time will tell how these dynamics will unfold.
We’ll be monitoring how these US-China trade war tariffs continue to impact XR hardware, so stay tuned for updates.
