Aukey Cortex 4K VR headset review: A lot of pixels at a low price

Not enough resolution is one of the most common complaints about the current crop of VR headsets. They’re all more or less roughly 1080p (or 2K), split between the two lenses. So I was really interested when Aukey came out with the AUKEY VR )) — substantially below the Rift or Vive. However, while specs are one thing, real world performance is another. I’ve been taking an Aukey Cortex 4K through its paces. So far, my test results have been mixed.
Unboxing the Aukey Cortex 4K

The headset weighs in at 17.6 ounces — an ounce heavier than the Rift and a little over an ounce lighter than the Vive. I found it easy to use over my prescription glasses, which was a nice benefit. The unit is well put together, with side straps and a top strap. You can get it with matching over-ear headphones, that plug into audio jacks on the unit. You assemble those by routing the straps through them. The headset itself is about the same comfort level as a DK2, but not quite as nice as a production Rift or Vive. Some other reviewers complained about the hard-plastic nose piece, but in my case it didn’t actually sit on my nose at all, so it didn’t bother me.

Cable-wise, the Cortex 4K has an HDMI and a USB cable. The USB cable is apparently fine going into either USB 2 or USB 3 ports. Before you start using the headset, you need to download and install the Piplay software. It includes drivers for the device, as well as an intermediate layer that allows it to work with some Steam and Oculus-native titles, and access to the Piplay library of 3D and 360-degree content. Once I disconnected my Oculus headset, the Piplay software recognized the Cortex 4K immediately. It automatically prompted me to update its firmware, which was quick and painless. One quick tip is that for full functionality, you’ll want to launch Piplay as Administrator.


The unit has 1000Hz dual gyroscopes, and an acceptable 110-degree field of view. It can operate at up to 60fps (or up to 90fps in async mode). However, the gyros have an 18ms response, which may have contributed to the motion issues I felt while using it. It appears to be essentially equivalent to the Pimax 4K headset, and uses the same software. It can operate in Video mode (extended display), Direct Mode (more modern interface where applications can drive it directly), and Pimax mode (which is an enhanced version of Direct Mode that helps it do its emulation of other headsets).



If you need to access the support resources, you’ll find that many of them are in Chinese. Fortunately there is an active user community, so answers to many common questions can be found by searching, but Aukey clearly hasn’t invested much in polishing its user experience for the English-speaking market.