Where they actually differ
The most decisive specs, ranked by how much they matter — before the full spec table.
| Spec | Pimax - Crystal Super | Valve - Index |
|---|---|---|
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 144 Hz |
| Field of view | 135 ° | 130 ° |
| Eye tracking | true | false |
| Color passthrough | true | false |
Between the Crystal Super and Index, the Crystal Super comes out ahead in field of view / eye tracking, while the Index wins on refresh rate. Overall, the Crystal Super scores 78 and the Index scores 65.4 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The Crystal Super is the clear pick on raw spec strength, leading by 12.6 points on the Mars Score. The margin is wide enough that the underdog only makes sense if its individual strengths line up with what you specifically need.
Pick the Crystal Super if you care most about field of view / eye tracking. The biggest gaps in its favor are field of view, eye tracking, color passthrough. The single most decisive one: Field of view — 3.85% more. 135 ° vs 130 °.
Pick the Index if the display is what you stare at all day — refresh rate, brightness, or sharpness is where the difference will be most visible. Its strongest claims are refresh rate. The single most decisive one: Refresh rate — 20.00% more. 144 Hz vs 120 Hz.
Both ship with comparable standalone, so those specs do not separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: the Crystal Super is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Which should you buy: Pimax - Crystal Super or Valve - Index?
Pimax - Crystal Super leads the current Mars Score by 12.6 points.The more useful decision is the trade-off behind that result: compare refresh rate, field of view against the way you will actually use the product.
Choose Pimax - Crystal Super if…
Pimax - Crystal Super has the measurable edge on fov deg, has eye tracking, has passthrough color.
Choose Valve - Index if…
Valve - Index has the measurable edge on refresh rate hz.
This is a structured comparison of the published catalog values. It is not a claim of identical real-world performance across every workload; use the linked spec drill-downs and methodology page to inspect the inputs.
Why Pimax - Crystal Super wins
- ▲Field of view — 3.85% more. 135 ° vs 130 °.
- ▲Has Eye tracking.
- ▲Has Color passthrough.
Why Valve - Index wins
- ▲Refresh rate — 20.00% more. 144 Hz vs 120 Hz.
Spec comparison
Display
| Spec | Pimax - Crystal Super | Valve - Index |
|---|---|---|
| Resolution per eye | 3840x3840 | 1440x1600 |
| Refresh rateⓘ | 120 Hz | 144 Hzlead |
| Field of view | 135 °lead | 130 ° |
| Panelⓘ | QLEDlead | LCD |
Tracking & Audio
| Spec | Pimax - Crystal Super | Valve - Index |
|---|---|---|
| Inside-out tracking | truelead | false |
| Eye tracking | truelead | false |
| Face tracking | false | false |
| Color passthrough | truelead | false |
Compute
| Spec | Pimax - Crystal Super | Valve - Index |
|---|---|---|
| Standalone | false | false |
| Battery | 0 h | 0 h |