ByteDance's new VR headset is looking to go head-to-head with the Meta Quest 2 in Europe and Asia
Meta's Quest 2 VR is getting some competition in the form of the Pico 4, a lightweight VR headset the company is calling "its best yet." The lighter, thinner wireless headset is sporting good horsepower and has already nabbed an exclusive game release from Ubisoft. Unfortunately, US VR enthusiasts might have to wait a bit to get their hands on one of these headsets.
The Pico 4 is powered by a 2.84Ghz Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 CPU and sports a 4K resolution display with a refresh rate up to 90Hz on a pair of 2.56 LCD screens. It comes with a pair of controllers and will launch with what they are calling a "diverse and inclusive" library of games and software.
Bytedance, the company that owns TikTok, acquired Pico last year and is poised to take a big slice of the VR headset market in Europe and Asia away from Meta. Meta has gone to strange lengths to combat the growing popularity of TikTok in the US. Pico has been making VR headsets for a while, though if you're from North America, this is probably your time hearing about them since their products, like the Neo3, primarily sell in Europe and Asia.
Pico is promoting the weight and comfort of the wireless headset. It comes at 295g without the strap and is a smaller, thinner headset than the Quest 2. Pico claims that the 5300mAh battery that rests behind the head should last around 3 hours. The headset includes a glasses spacer, so four-eyed people like me can wear the damn thing.
The haptic motion controllers have everything you'd expect to see for gaming, like a couple of face buttons, triggers, and a thumbstick. The design of the controllers allows for your hands to be closer together, and built-in sensors give a wide degree of movement. Interestingly enough, the Pico 4 will support hand tracking, so you can use some apps and games without controllers.
Steam Deck review: Our verdict on Valve's handheld PC.
Steam Deck availability: How to get one.
Steam Deck battery life: What's the real battery life of the new device?
How loud is the Steam Deck? And will it pass the Significant Other test?
Steam Deck - The emulation dream machine: Using Valve's handheld hardware as the ultimate emulator.
Games on the VR headset will be available through the Pico Store and support games through Steam VR. However, Pico announced a partnership with Ubisoft, which will be releasing Just Dance VR exclusively on Pico 4.
There will be something called Pico Worlds that's launching in 2023, which seems to be its version of Horizon Worlds, where you can create an avatar and take part in metaverse hijinx.
The Pico 4 starts at £429 and is available for preorder in parts of Europe and Asia. The VR headset doesn't seem like it will make its way to the US anytime soon. According to some recent job postings, Pico has hinted at releasing its products in the States. Folks who are Pico Neo3 Link beta program members can preorder starting today.
Pico tells us to expect more information about the Pico 4 Pro: it's more expensive, premium headset with eye-tracking tech, which should be out later in October during AWE Lisbon.