Pico announced today that their next headset, the Pico 4 will be released as soon as this October in European counties, Japan, and Korea. There’s no word of a US launch yet, but recently Pico 4 and Pico 4 Pro were spotted in FCC filings, so it’s safe to assume it won’t be long. They’re looking to compete with Quest 2 directly, and judging by the specs on this new headset, they’re coming in pretty strong. Recently, Pico was acquired by ByteDance and has been moving towards the consumer market ever since.
Will the Pico 4 be the Quest 2’s first real competition? Let’s have a look at what the Pico 4 will have to offer.
Specs?
While the Pico 4 will be sporting the same processor as the Quest 2 — Qualcomm XR2 — it will also have 8GB of RAM compared to the Quest 2’s 6GB. It will also be equipped with ‘Pancake Optics’ which increases the FOV and helps keep the headset lighter and less bulky. Visuals will also be slightly crisper at 2,160 × 2,160 resolution per eye compared to Quest 2’s 1,832 × 1,920.
The Pico 4 will also have a color passthrough and precise IPD adjustment which are features that the Quest 2 doesn’t have but Meta’s upcoming headset Project Cambria will, at a premium price. The Pico 4 will even connect to your PC, though they opted to only provide a wireless option. Pico did state that they will be releasing a wireless dongle for those that don’t have dedicated routers.
Here’s a look at all the Pico 4 will have to offer:
| Processor | Qualcomm XR28 Cores 64 bit2.84GHz7nm process technology |
| Storage | 8GB+128GB8GB+256GB |
| Wireless Connections | Wi-Fi: Support Wi-Fi 6, 2.4GHz/5GHz dual bandBluetooth: Support Bluetooth 5.1 |
| Display | Resolution: 4,320 ✕ 2,160 (2,160 ✕ 2,160 per eye)Refresh rate: 72Hz / 90Hz |
| Optics | Pancake Lens105°20.6 PPD62-72MM inter-pupillary distance adjustment |
| Positioning and Sensor | 6DoF Positioning System |
| Audio | Integrated high fidelity speakerDual mic |
| Battery and Charging | 5300mAh20W Fast Charging |
| OS | PICO OS 5.0 |
| In the box | VR Headset2 Controllers4 1.5V AA Alkaline BatteriesGlasses SpacerNose Pad2 Controllers Lanyards 、USB-C Power Adapter 、USB-C to C 2.0 Data Cable 、Quick Guide 、User Guide 、 Safety and Warranty Guide |
Let’s Talk About Pricing
Alright, it sounds pretty good so far, but what’s it going to cost us? Well, the answer might surprise you.
Pico announced that prices would start at €430 for the 128GB model and €500 for the 256GB model, which is cheaper than the Quest 2. They’ve made it clear that they not only plan to compete with Meta, but they plan on undercutting them as well. Meta recently raised the price of the Quest 2, which doesn’t seem so sensible now that competition is hitting the market full speed with better hardware.
Ecosystem
Meta might have the upper hand in this department, but that might not be for long. It looks like their library of games is growing. Slowly, but surely. The company will even launch Pico Worlds. A social VR Platform, similar to Horizon Worlds.
Let’s be clear here. Meta has quite the headstart on content and Pico has a long way to go before it can be considered the “Quest Killer”, but it’s not totally out of the question. At the end of the day, competition is good and it’s nice to see a headset that might put the Quest 2 in its place — or at the very least, force Meta to provide better value to their customers. Pico 4 looks to be the first real competitor to the Quest 2, it’ll be interesting to see how adopted it will be.
