I have a PCL which I have been using quite a lot and am very happy with it in 202p and 2024. It uses built in camera tracking. That tracking works well, but sometimes tracking is lost (not very often).

My question is about for me now to buy a Valve Base Station ($149). I'm told this will improve tracking, making it even better. But if I do that, then do I also need to buy a Pimax Lighthouse Faceplate ($200)? Or can I get by without the Faceplate, and just the Base Station?

I'm thinking someone with a PCL has tried using a basestation with it and would have some advice?

https://pimax.com/products/pimax-crystal-lighthouse-faceplate?_pos=1&_sid=ecd2ee50b&_ss=r

 

I too am interested in this....🤔

18 hours ago, Fielder said:

Or can I get by without the Faceplate, and just the Base Station?

how would the headset receive the base station's signal without that faceplate receiver? tracking is not through the built in optical camera but via invisible infrared laser light.

https://xinreality.com/wiki/Lighthouse

 

6 hours ago, turbomax said:

how would the headset receive the base station's signal without that faceplate receiver? tracking is not through the built in optical camera but via invisible infrared laser light.

 

I don't know. The Big Screen Beyond is tiny and has no lighthouses, it looks like to me. It also has no built in cameras. They say to buy one or two base stations to make the headset track. Hence I thought my PCL might not need a lighthouse faceplate.

The answers on Pimax Discord say that the lighthouse faceplate is needed. But they are playing games where you move around the room, instead of being seated.

I'll search other Discord channels next, thanks for your help, much obliged.

 

I do know of one hack (that works well for me): cover up the two lower cameras on the Crystal Light Headset (it has 4 cameras, the 2 obvious ones are the lower cameras). Now tracking is done only by the 2 upper cameras.

I use one inch Johnson and Johnson Band-Aid waterproof tape (it's white and found in American drug stores). Long strip maybe 8" with two soft velcro pads stuck to the sticky side of the tape to protect the 2 glass camera lens covers.

Applied the tape, and tracking is way so much better, when seated and playing a PCVR game.

I've applied to plasters to the lenses (not sure if they call them that in the states) ..lenses are protected by the soft fabric and sticky is well away..

Now to test! Hopefully SU2 just released will be good for VR!

Well i tried the covering up of the 2 bottom cameras and my VR freaked out!

Unsure why so no matter what i tried it was making me ill.. so removed them at this time..

VR was working fine with default AC in SU2 beta so far

Covering the 2 lower lenses works in certain lighting conditions.

I agree with the great improvement with SU2 BETA. Tracking is much, much better! I don't need any stinkin' base stations now.

Edited March 27, 20251 yr by Fielder