The MeganeX Superlight 8K is an impressive high-end PCVR headset manufactured by Shiftall, a Japanese startup originating from the Panasonic group. It’s the world’s first DisplayPort PCVR headset to feature two 4K microOLED panels, and at only 179 grams, it offers a remarkably sleek and lightweight form factor. I have now spent extensive time with the final production unit to present you with my complete review of the MeganeX Superlight 8K, and I am pleased to report that it’s even better than the first impressions I had from its launch last year suggested. It’s the headset to choose if you want the best visuals, the best colors, incredible immersion thanks to its binocular overlap, and supreme comfort! However, even though it meets most expectations, it’s still not perfect! Read my entire review to find out everything you need to know about my new daily driver, who should get it, and who should not!
Overview, Features, Build Quality
Let’s start with what it is and what it is not. It’s not a standalone headset like the Quest or Pico. You need a powerful PC to run this, and it is aimed specifically at the PCVR niche: enthusiasts who want top-tier visual quality for their virtual adventures. That could include VR Chatters, and without a doubt, especially flight- and racing simmers, but of course also anyone who loves the higher clarity and sharpness that PCVR delivers.
The headset ensures this level of quality by using a wired DisplayPort connection to transfer the video stream from the GPU to the headset. The BOE microOLED displays provide a stunning resolution of 3552 × 3840 pixels per eye, which is 4 million pixels more than what the Apple Vision Pro offers, and I can confirm: it truly shows!
Tracking is powered by the Lighthouse system, so to use the headset, you’ll need base stations and compatible controllers like the Valve Index controllers or Shiftall’s own GripVR controllers that are releasing this summer.
The MS8K also offers fully motorized IPD adjustment, allowing the headset to be used by many users rather than being a personal device exclusively. This is logical because the company also caters to enterprise customers who will likely share the headsets among colleagues.
Visuals
When I first looked through the headset, I was immediately impressed by its visual stack. “This looks better than Apple Vision Pro!” was the first thought that came to mind when I witnessed the photorealistic demo presented at the launch event. Now, after having the device at home and testing it with everything I could, I can confidently state that the MeganeX Superlight 8K provides the best visuals I’ve encountered in a VR headset so far. Period. A variety of factors come together here: the high resolution, the microOLED colors, paired with near-perfect binocular overlap, all help make objects appear more realistic and three-dimensional, leaving little that reminds me it’s not real. I’m not constantly reminded I’m viewing a display! But let’s do the MRTV thing and delve into details!
Displays
The new BOE microOLED panels are undoubtedly crucial to this remarkable visual performance. They offer extremely high resolution along with the characteristic rich OLED colors and perfect blacks that we love about the technology. Even better, there’s no MURA, in contrast to standard OLED displays that often suffer from pixel brightness inconsistencies. These panels can even display 10-bit HDR content when such source material is available.
The Shiftall team takes particular pride in the panels’ color accuracy, which makes sense since the device is not only targeted at gamers but also at professionals who will use it for work.
The panels have a 90Hz refresh rate, which is a good standard. 120Hz appears to be too much to expect at the moment from these new 4K microOLED panels, and in any case, there aren’t yet GPUs on the market capable of driving them at 120Hz at full resolution.
One aspect absolutely worth noting about these 4K panels is their pixel density or fill factor. Because so many pixels are packed into such a small area, the image looks incredibly lifelike. Of course, you can’t see individual pixels anymore, but it goes further than that: you can’t tell you’re looking at a display. It’s like getting a glimpse of real life. This is what I want moving forward, and I didn’t anticipate these 4K microOLED panels would make such a huge difference, even if you’re not running them at maximum resolution or applying additional supersampling.
I often downsampled the resolution to 3K × 3K because my laptop wasn’t able to run more in MSFS, yet it STILL looked better than other panels due to that high fill factor. That factor truly sets it apart, and of course, even when downsampled, I was still looking at those beautiful microOLED colors and near-perfect binocular overlap—more on that soon.
Brightness
While I was impressed by the headset’s resolution, brightness didn’t initially stand out to me when I tested the pre-production unit last year. At the time, it felt like the headset’s weak point. It appeared quite similar to what I had observed in the Bigscreen Beyond. Back then, the company told me they could still increase brightness for the final production unit.
And here we are! I’m genuinely happy to confirm that Shiftall fulfilled its promise, and the headset is indeed noticeably brighter now. It is sufficiently bright, and I would place it somewhere between the Pico 4 and Quest 3 in terms of brightness, while obviously offering much better contrast typical of OLED. Although it’s not as bright as LCD panels and can’t portray a sunny day as convincingly as, for example, the Pimax Crystal Super, overall brightness is no longer a weak point.
Persistence Blur
So, how about motion blur? I did not see any during my time with the headset. Shiftall carefully adjusted the maximum brightness setting to ensure an experience without motion blur. We also don’t have an “overdrive” feature like in the Bigscreen Beyond that increases brightness by shifting from low to high pixel persistence, making the image remain on-screen longer. Personally, I don’t miss that feature because I prefer low persistence without motion blur, but I’m aware preferences differ in VR, and perhaps Shiftall could consider such a feature for those who aren’t bothered by motion blur.
Lenses
I’m pleased to say the lenses are excellent. The device uses pancake lenses that are manufactured by Panasonic.
The clear lenses in the MS8K offer an unobstructed view of the 4K panels, and you won’t be distracted by excessive glare or declining quality at the lens edges. The edge-to-edge clarity and minimal glare reminded me of the Quest 3’s lens quality, which is quite high praise. In direct comparison, the Quest 3 lenses do maintain an advantage, and you’ll notice the glare is a bit more visible here than on the Quest 3. Overall, it’s somewhere between the Pico 4 and the Quest 3.
All in all, factoring in both the display quality and the exceptional lenses that approach Quest 3 levels of clarity, this is simply the best optical setup I’ve ever seen in a VR headset.
Diopter Adjustment
The headset even features diopter adjustment from 0 to -7 for near-sighted VR enthusiasts. Unlike most headsets with this feature, you can perform the adjustment from outside the headset while you’re wearing it. This is such a clever design because you want to see the direct impact that the adjustment has on image clarity. For those who need different kinds of visual corrections, well-known suppliers will offer MeganeX lens inserts that can be attached magnetically. And as you know, I’m definitely a fan of that. I’ll be getting them as soon as they become available.
FOV
The field of view is nothing extraordinary and might be the one weakness preventing this headset from absolutely dominating the PCVR headset category. I measured it to be 94° horizontally and 94° vertically—so basically standard or slightly smaller. The shape of the FOV is very round and reminded me of the Pico 4, which I appreciate much more than some stretched shapes like the Quest 3 that gain FOV by sacrificing binocular overlap. Therefore, while the measured FOV might not be particularly impressive, the actual FOV you see in the headset feels bigger, especially if you position your eyes close to the lenses as I do. In that scenario, it’s just a standard FOV that can compete effectively with headsets like the Quest 3S or Pimax Crystal. It’s just not large. If wide FOVs are your priority, this isn’t the headset for you. However, what makes this headset special for me is the binocular overlap.
Binocular Overlap
The binocular overlap here is nearly perfect. That’s precisely what I need in a headset to feel immersed and comfortable. When both eyes see a largely overlapping image, it mimics real-life experience. If the overlap isn’t good, our brains struggle to combine the two images into a genuine 3D scene. The overlap here matches the Pico 4 and outperforms what we get in the Bigscreen Beyond, Pimax Crystal, Quest 3, and most other headsets. This is also why I’m not bothered by the standard FOV at all. I personally find I get more immersion from this FOV with perfect overlap than, for instance, a 120° FOV that compromises that overlap. If you’ve followed MRTV for a while, you’ll know that about me. It also makes wearing the MeganeX Superlight 8K very easy on the eyes, allowing for long, uninterrupted sessions. So, yes, it’s the binocular overlap, my friend!
Distortions
I’m highly sensitive to distortions and will notice even slight optical issues. In the main, central area of the lenses, the MS8K showed no distortion issues for me. I was therefore surprised to learn some people reported barrel distortions. I asked the team about it, and their explanation was logical: it all depends on the correct distance between the eyes and the lenses. For the vast majority of users, the head strap will let them place the device in a position that maximizes FOV and eliminates distortions, just like I experienced. But because the device is suspended from the forehead cushion, some might not get close enough if they have a more prominent forehead or more deeply set eyes.
The headset undoubtedly shows warping around the outermost edges of the lenses, which is a warping effect I also observed with the Varjo Aero. In the outer 5% of the lenses, this can be distracting and might take a little getting used to. Those who can’t bring the lenses close enough or who already have a smaller FOV may find this especially noticeable. Since I can position myself very close to the lenses, these warping issues didn’t affect me at all.
As you can see, how much you’ll enjoy this headset really depends on how close your eyes can get to the lenses. If you usually share my FOV measurements in other headsets, there’s a good chance your experience will match mine. However, if your past FOV measurements were consistently lower, you might be more bothered by edge distortions and the FOV. So while this is my new favorite headset and daily driver, it’s still not the perfect headset for everyone.
Comfort
Now let’s discuss the comfort of the device. I was skeptical when I first saw the soft strap. Soft straps have typically been only okay if you travel with a headset or need to lean back without discomfort. I usually swap them out for more rigid head straps to achieve better balance and stability.
I was pleasantly surprised by the MS8K soft strap. It’s the first soft strap I’ve seen implementing a halo-style design. Instead of being fastened directly to the headset, you tighten a cushion on your forehead, and the headset attaches to that mechanism via a hinge, merely floating in front of your eyes instead of pressing against them. This design allows you to flip the headset up if you need a quick look into reality. It even has an eye-relief mechanism that lets you move as close to or as far from the lenses as you prefer.
The gasket touching your face serves primarily to block light. It’s removable if you prefer to remain aware of your surroundings, but if you want to immerse yourself in VR experiences, you’ll likely keep it on. It’s made from a soft rubber material, similar to what we see with the PSVR2.
Thanks to this strap design, the device is incredibly comfortable to wear. I’m generally a fan of halo-style headsets like the PSVR 1 and 2, but carrying only 179g makes this design especially comfortable. After a while, you genuinely forget you’re wearing it—no other headset has accomplished that for me before. This alone is noteworthy and might be the biggest reason to pick it over the wider FOV headsets that the MS8K competes with this year.
The flip-up mechanism also turned out to be solid rather than flimsy. You press a button to unlock the mechanism, then flip it up or down into position where it locks again. It’s sturdy, and you don’t need to worry about the headset wobbling in front of your eyes. And yes, it will stay in place even if you’re shaking your head or using a motion rig. Note that you can also adjust the angle at which the headset faces your eyes, so if you’re concerned about wobbling, just tighten the angle and see that it’s not a problem.
Because the headset is so light and compact, you also don’t get the inertia issues that bigger headsets like the Pimax Crystal face when you make quick movements. I loved that about the Bigscreen Beyond, and it’s similar here. This is simply the form factor I hope to see more and more of in the future.
The cable management has also improved significantly compared to the pre-production units, where Shiftall team members actually held the cable during demos. Now, there’s an L-shaped USB connector that guides the cable to the left side of the device. The cable is then secured to the back of the head strap with a Velcro tie. It’s a simple but smart solution. The outside of the strap is Velcro-friendly, so you can place more cable ties if you want more control over cable routing. Overall, I’m extremely satisfied with comfort, and I believe it might be a key selling point for many considering this headset.
Audio
Unfortunately, the MS8K doesn’t include its own audio solution. You’ll need to handle audio on your own. There’s a USB-C port at the bottom of the headset, so you could use USB-C headphones or a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter for your existing headphones, or opt for a wireless headset with its own USB dongle.
I prefer headsets with built-in audio because it’s simply more convenient to have everything integrated. Props to Bigscreen Beyond for including a very high-quality audio strap. The Shiftall team informed me that they are working on a similar audio strap, so if that was the main factor holding you back, rest assured they’re addressing it.
On a brighter note, the headset does feature integrated Technics microphones (Technics is also part of the Panasonic family). These microphones are of really good quality. However, as of mid-March 2025, the Shiftall software’s noise reduction causes audio compression, which results in a noticeable lisp for me. Shiftall has confirmed they will fix this in future software updates, but for now, the issue persists.
Controllers & Tracking
The MeganeX Superlight 8K is a Lighthouse-tracked headset, and Lighthouse is still considered the most accurate consumer-level tracking method available. But this also means you’ll need base stations and compatible controllers. If you’re upgrading from a Valve Index or older Vive headsets, you already have base stations and controllers—lucky you! Everyone else will need to invest around $600 in base stations and Valve Index controllers. Alternatively, you could look for a used Vive that comes with base stations and controllers if you only plan to use the headset for simming, in which case even old Vive controllers will suffice.
Tracking performance is generally excellent, as expected from Lighthouse tracking. However, I did encounter some instances where the headset suddenly “greyed out,” a standard sign of lost tracking. It happened randomly, without frantic movements. I asked Shiftall about it; they assured me it’s not a hardware issue since the majority of the time, it functions flawlessly. It could be a software problem where the headset’s internal IMU enters a sleep mode when it shouldn’t. Shiftall is actively investigating and hopes to fix this soon.
Software
The MeganeX Configurator Software is required to operate the headset. Unlike the Index or Bigscreen Beyond, which are pure SteamVR headsets, the MS8K uses its own compositor to assemble rendered frames before sending them to the headset. This grants Shiftall more control but also means they need to develop their own Motion Smoothing algorithm since SteamVR’s version can’t be used. Currently, Motion Smoothing isn’t available but is said to be in development.
Overall, the software is straightforward and unobtrusive. It provides various important settings, including brightness controls, and goes beyond that. You can adjust saturation and even make blacks deeper if that’s your preference. Personally, I like my visuals to appear more OLED-like, with deep blacks and rich colors. Yes, I confess to liking how Samsung phones look. If you want, you can replicate that style in VR, or you can dial it back for a more natural look. You can also choose different color spaces. So, this is not just for Beat Saber; it’s suitable for professional design tasks as well, given the color accuracy.
This is also where you set your IPD. Simply enter it into the software, and the lenses will move accordingly. Upon saving, the software asks for your name, so next time you can select your profile and have the lenses instantly align to your eyes. Very handy if you share the device at home or at work.
Overall, the software won’t get in your way. There’s certainly room for improvement, and I encountered minor bugs. For instance, at 100% brightness, one of the displays appears dimmer than the other, so I keep it at 98%. Also, the headset can take a moment to power on when I start SteamVR—I wish that part was a bit more instant. These, however, are minor issues that can be addressed.
Rendered Resolution & Performance
At 100% SteamVR supersampling, the headset renders at 4084 × 4084 pixels, which is surprisingly low considering the panels’ actual resolution. Nevertheless, it works, and even at these settings, the visuals are razor-sharp and photorealistic. Again, the fill factor is crucial in achieving such lifelike imagery. You could reduce the resolution even more, and it would still outperform headsets that lack this pixel density. The chosen render resolution also helps with performance. I had zero trouble running this on my mobile 4090 laptop, roughly equivalent to a 3090 desktop. So no, you don’t need a 5090 behemoth to fully enjoy this headset. Of course, a more powerful GPU would let you supersample to 150% for an even sharper picture, so thanks to these high-resolution panels, the headset already looks great with existing GPUs but will only improve as new GPUs emerge. It’s a headset that can easily serve you well for years.
Game Compatibility
As a strictly PCVR device, the headset is compatible with all SteamVR titles. So prepare to finally play Half-Life Alyx in its full glory, explore the dungeons of Skyrim, and take off in Microsoft Flight Simulator. If you’re a PCVR enthusiast, you already know what you want to play on this. I can confirm it’s more visually impressive and immersive than ever.
Additional Observations and Limitations
At the moment, this headset is definitely my daily driver, thanks to its exceptional clarity, unparalleled pixel density, and top-notch comfort.
However, potential buyers should be aware of a couple of significant limitations. First, it only supports NVIDIA GPUs—AMD graphics cards aren’t supported. That might change eventually, as the limitation arises from the company not having sufficient resources to add AMD compatibility at this time.
Second, it lacks eye tracking. So if you’re a DCS simmer and want to use quadviews to boost performance, that’s not possible here. Competing headsets do offer eye tracking, so bear that in mind.
Interestingly, third, Shiftall’s return policy is quite restrictive. Buyers who aren’t satisfied cannot just send the headset back; they must resell it themselves. Also, no restocking fee option is provided. If you order it, it’s yours. Of course, Shiftall does offer a warranty, so if anything goes wrong with the headset, they’ll take care of it regardless of your point of purchase.
Conclusion
The MeganeX Superlight 8K is a remarkable headset for PCVR enthusiasts. If you want the sharpest microOLED visuals currently available, near-perfect binocular overlap, and the most comfortable VR experience to date, this should be your next headset!
You simply get the best visuals I’ve ever seen in VR, and it’s even crisper than Apple Vision Pro. I’ve been waiting for a PCVR headset that could deliver Apple Vision Pro–style microOLED visuals in a DisplayPort device made specifically for PCVR enthusiasts, and here we have it!
The $1,899 asking price does not strike me as too high once you consider the cost of the BOE 4K microOLED panels. I happen to know those costs and understand that the company isn’t making substantial profits as long as microOLED panels remain expensive due to poor yield rates.
So, there’s a lot to like here, but it’s still not a perfect headset. If you want a super bright headset that can totally fool you into believing you’re flying around on a sunny day, this isn’t the best choice. The same is true for those who want a wide FOV beyond the standard one on offer. If you’re in either of those two categories, the upcoming Pimax Crystal Super or Somnium VR1 might serve you better.
Overall, I’m thrilled that the MeganeX Superlight 8K has finally arrived. It’s my new daily driver, and I haven’t been this convinced by a VR headset in a long while. This one checks off so many boxes, and I can’t wait to jump back into it!
