The Pico 4 VR headset has just been announced and the company claims big upgrades to image quality and comfort compared to the previous generation thanks to the new pancake lenses that should provide a larger sweet spot of ideal focus. The updated design also reduces the size and weight of this low-cost, stand-alone headset.
The display features a 2160 x 2160 pixel resolution per eye, up from the 1832 x 1920 pixels per eye of the Pico Neo 3 Link. That’s a third more pixels to make the image crisper. The field of view has increased to 105 degrees. While that isn’t the widest view among current VR headsets, it is more competitive and better than its main rival, the longstanding veteran, Meta’s Quest 2.
The interpupillary distance can be fine-tuned in 0.5mm increments and is adjusted from the Pico 4’s user interface, rather than using physical sliders like most VR headsets. This should allow much more accurate spacing to maximize comfortable viewing.
The weight is 586 grams (1.3 pounds); however, a good portion of that heft is in the rear battery, providing a better distribution than front-heavy VR headsets like the Quest 2. Making the Pico 4 more comfortable and friendly is an ongoing theme with its newest model.
Pico pointed out that better social interaction will be possible in the Pico 4 with avatars, improved TikTok integration, fitness tracking, and plans for more virtual events in the future. Meta has a big lead in this area, but Pico is pushing forward and is working on its own section of the metaverse, Pico World.
The pass-through view has been upgraded to include color, making augmented reality experiences more satisfying. While Pico is using the same Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 chip as the previous generation, the company expressed that performance will be improved in the Pico 4 due to its improved cooling capacity.
The Pico 4 will be priced at 429 euros for the 128GB model and 499 euros for 256GB of storage with pre-orders beginning on September 23 for beta members and general availability coming almost a month later, on October 18.
Unfortunately, there are no plans to release the Pico 4 in North America; however, a Pico 4 Enterprise variant is coming to the U.S. at a higher price and with extra features such as face and eye-tracking capabilities.
