September 23, 2022 – Pico Interactive , a manufacturer of virtual reality (VR) solutions for consumers and enterprise, has this week announced its latest standalone VR headset with the launch of the Pico 4.
It was only back in April this year that the company unveiled its Pico Neo 3 Link device, which was primarily aimed at VR fans and gamers in Europe. Now, just over five months later, it is bringing the Pico 4 to market, with many viewing the company’s latest VR offering as the most viable direct competitor to Meta’s popular Quest 2 headset.
The Pico 4 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 chipset, which is also the same platform that is used in Pico’s Neo 3 headset line, as well as the Meta Quest 2, Vive Focus 3 and many other standalone VR headsets.
In terms of specifications, the Pico 4 comes with the following features:
Other features of the device include a full-color passthrough mode, proprietary omni-directional SLAM, an infrared optical positioning system and upgraded optical sensors, all of which help to provide improved tracking and positioning for the headset and controllers.
Buyers will receive a Pico 4 VR Headset, two controllers with lanyards, four 1.5V AA Alkaline Batteries, a spacer for users who wear glasses, a nose pad, a USB-C power adapter, a USB-C to C 2.0 data cable, along with user and safety guides.
Additionally, Pico has also unveiled new motion trackers, which can be attached to a user’s legs to track their movements and provide 3DoF spatial positioning. Plus, the company will also launch a wireless kit for wireless PC VR, as well as a carrying case. These items will be available separately.
The Pico 4 comes in two versions. The 128GB model will cost €429 and the 256GB model will cost €499. Preorders for the device will begin in October, however, those who purchased the recently launched Neo 3 Link will be able to pre-order their Pico 4 devices as early as this week.
Pico 4 will be released on October 18, 2022, initially in Europe, as well as Japan and South Korea. However, the company has stated that it has plans to launch the device in Singapore and Malaysia later this year, with China a possibility at a later date.
The strategy Pico is taking here with regards to geographic availability is an interesting one, as it appears the company has decided to stay away from the US market for now – presumably as it has determined that Meta has a fairly firm grip of the market share in North America, and to make inroads in the same region might not be worth the effort for Pico at this time. However, by focusing on Europe, if it is able to gain a large part of the Western market share in the European continent, it might make approaching the US market at a future date slightly easier.
For more information on Pico and its newest Pico 4 virtual reality headset, please visit the company’s website .
Sam is the Founder and Managing Editor of Auganix. With a background in research and report writing, he has been covering XR industry news for the past five years.
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