Benchmark Test of Pimax Crystal Super Micro-OLED & 57 PPD Optical Engines in DCS World

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Benchmark Test of Pimax Crystal Super Micro-OLED & 57 PPD Optical Engines in DCS World

We recently introduced two new optical engines for the Pimax Crystal Super — the 57 PPD QLED and the 53 PPD Micro-OLED modules. Both represent a leap forward in display clarity, sharpness, and color depth, pushing visual realism in VR to new heights. But what’s even more surprising is that these upgrades don’t just look better, they also perform better.

To test these improvements, a series of benchmarks were run in DCS World, comparing below headsets:
  • Crystal Super (50 PPD QLED)
  • Crystal Super (57 PPD QLED)
  • Crystal Super (53 PPD Micro-OLED)
  • Crystal Light
  • Original Crystal

All tests were performed using identical settings to ensure fairness and consistency.

Testing Setup

  • System: RTX 4090 GPU + Ryzen 5950X CPU
  • Render Quality: Set to 1.0 in Pimax Play
  • Runtime: PimaxXR as OpenXR runtime + OpenXR Toolkit
  • Rendering Method: Quad Views (Fixed Foveated Rendering)
  • Resolutions Tested: 150% and 200% foveated area resolution
  • Headset Refresh Rates:
    • Crystal & Crystal Light: 120Hz
    • Crystal Super modules: 90Hz

All benchmarks were conducted using the F/A-18 Hornet over Nevada in free flight to minimize CPU variance.

Results: Frame Rate & Clarity

1. Crystal Super (50 PPD QLED)

  • 150% FFR: ~70 FPS (75 FPS without recording)
  • 200% FFR: ~60 FPS
  • FOV: ~126° horizontal

2. Crystal Super (57 PPD QLED)

  • 150% FFR: Locked 90 FPS — ~30% higher than 50 PPD
  • 200% FFR: ~87 FPS
  • FOV: 102–104° horizontal

3. Crystal Super (53 PPD Micro-OLED)

  • 150% FFR: Locked 90 FPS
  • 200% FFR: ~86–87 FPS
  • FOV: ~116° horizontal

4. Crystal Light Headset

  • 150% FFR: ~95 FPS
  • 200% FFR: ~85 FPS

5. Original Crystal Headset

  • 150% FFR: ~117 FPS FPS
  • 200% FFR: 110-112 FPS

Why Performance Improved

Despite higher clarity and pixel density, both the 57 PPD and 53 PPD modules deliver better frame rates due to several engineering advances:
  1. Improved distortion profiles — fewer extra pixels are needed to correct for optical distortion.
  2. Slightly narrower FOVs — reduce total render load.
  3. Optimized optical efficiency — clearer images with lower per-eye pixel demand.

At Render Quality 1.0 in Pimax Play, the 50 PPD module needs to render nearly 45% more pixels than the 53 PPD Micro-OLED, explaining the performance gain despite higher clarity.

The Takeaway

Upgrading to the 57 PPD QLED or 53 PPD Micro-OLED module doesn’t just improve sharpness — it can actually boost your performance by up to 50% depending on your game or simulator. Even with demanding titles like DCS World, both new modules maintain smooth 90Hz performance while delivering unmatched image fidelity.

These findings also hint at what’s coming next: the Pimax Dream Air, which is expected to render at even lower native resolutions while maintaining high clarity thanks to the same Micro-OLED technology.

Watch Martin's full benchmark video here:

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