The AUKEY VR Headset is one of several sets of premium VR goggles offered for PC users. It’s clearly geared toward the serious gamer market, though A/V aficionados who want to watch 3D movies in the highest definition possible might also like these glasses. We were interested in the exceptionally high pixel depth that the manufacturer promised, so we took a look at what other users said while examining hardware specifications to get a better picture of what makes the Aukey Cortex goggles tick. What we found was actually a little surprising, so read on.
With dual 1000Hz gyroscopes, the Aukey Cortex should be able to offer a rollercoaster-like experience to a majority of users. Since these sensors take around 18ms to respond, they might be a bit problematic for some. The goggles overcome this somewhat by offering a few different modes for users to choose from, which gives them the opportunity to match the display to the type of content they’re working with. The default video mode allows applications to use an extended display. Many users prefer the direct mode, which provides them with a more modern interface. Pimax mode offers an enhanced version of the direct mode, and it can be used to emulate other more expensive virtual reality headsets.
These goggles are designed around a patented proprietary Aukey VR-W1 Cortex 4K HMD system. While they’re internally very different from the Oculus Rift headset and other similar VR goggles, they should be compatible with most games that require them. Aukey designed their goggles to masquerade different configurations so users wouldn’t have to go out and buy a different pair of goggles each time they wanted to try a different application. They require 64-bit computers running Windows 7 or higher, which means those running the newest version of Windows 10 on a 32-bit processor won’t have much fun with them. They also don’t work with OS X or macOS Sierra products from Apple as well as anything running Linux.
Aukey Cortex 4K VR Headset: Controls & Display
Some people complain that they see visible pixels when working with 2K virtual reality headsets, and the Cortex completely solves this issue. While the images won’t be quite as bright as if they were on a Vive or Rift, they’ll still be pretty good. Vertical banding tends to be about the absolute worst problem the Cortex ever suffers from. Since the goggles only come with rotational sensors, you’ll have to move around with a game controller. This gives you a different feel than if you were able to move a character in a game by simply turning your head around.
Aukey Cortex 4K VR Headset: Setup
You’ll need to download the Pimax download install package in order to get your goggles working. The installer will then instruct you to disable your security software, which is a concern for many users. Some parts of the installer are written in Chinese, which was also a concern for users who were afraid that the software might be installing questionable routines without their permission. You may also have to roll the version of the Java runtime libraries you have installed depending on whether the Pimax installer likes it. Once you’re done resolving dependencies, however, you should be able to use your goggles like normal.
Aukey Cortex 4K VR Headset: User Experience
While it may come as a surprise to readers, relatively few people have actually voiced their own opinion on the Aukey Cortex 4K VR Headset. This isn’t really a mark against the product, though, because Aukey’s smartphone-based solutions are more popular. Two users reviewed the product on Amazon at the time of this writing. The first was concerned about the irregularities involved with the Pimax software installation. He didn’t like that his Java installation had to be wiped out in the process. The other user felt that virtual reality itself really wasn’t all that impressive.
Bottom Line
Aukey Cortex 4K VR Headset users will have to take the good with the bad. This headset can eliminate the need for many types of costly VR headsets. Moreover, gamers will get a huge boost in the pixel department. On the other hand, it suffers from serious software problems. It could certainly use a few more sensors to make it more suitable for those playing FPS titles. Do you have any experience with Aukey’s USB solutions? If so, then we’d love to hear about what you thought of these goggles. Let us know if you have any questions as well.
