For a while, rumors have been circulating about the arrival of the “PICO 4 Ultra” headset- a new mixed-reality device offering incremental improvements to the previous PICO 4.
When the Bytedance-owned XR company introduced the PICO 4, it was meant to compete with the popular Meta Quest 2. Like Meta’s device, Pico’s headset supported hands-free and wired play modes. It even used the same Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 chip.
The PICO 4 also offered a slightly higher resolution, full-color passthrough, and a lightweight, comfortable design. Unfortunately, soon after this headset arrived, Meta introduced the Quest 3, leaving the PICO 4 in the dust. With the PICO 4 Ultra, the XR firm hopes to regain its hold on the XR market with an affordable, feature-rich solution comparable to the Meta Quest 3.
So, how does this new device compare to its predecessor?
The PICO 4 Ultra: Specs and Pricing
Officially debuted in China in August 2024, the PICO 4 ultra is an upgraded version of the PICO 4, featuring a slightly sleeker design and a range of feature improvements. For now, the headset is only available to preorder for Chinese customers at a price of ¥4300 (about $600).
However, since PICO has already shared all of the information about this headset on its Global website, I think an international debut will likely be coming soon.
PICO seems to focus on a few key areas with this new headset, starting with its mixed reality capabilities. The previous device offered full-color passthrough, but the Ultra is a lot more advanced, with depth sensors and color options.
Plus, PICO might be competing with Meta, but it’s playing nicely with other XR vendors. For instance, the PICO 4 doesn’t just capture spatial videos, photos, and audio. It’s also compatible with the spatial content you capture with Apple devices.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the specs:
- Processor: Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2
- Storage: 12GB RAM, 256GB Storage
- Wireless: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, and wireless streaming
- Mixed reality: 2 x 32MP color passthrough cameras, iTOF depth-sensing and four environment tracking cameras.
- Display: 2x 2.56 inch screens with pancake lenses
- OPTICS: 2160 x 2160 pixels per eye
- Refresh rates: 90Hz
- FOV: 105 degrees
- Speakers: Dual stereo
- Microphones: 4 embedded microphones
- Battery: 5700 mAH rated capacity
The PICO 4 Ultra vs the PICO 4: What’s New?
At a glance, the PICO 4 Ultra looks very similar to its predecessor, but there are some significant improvements. The resolution remains the same, putting the device on par with the Meta Quest 3, and the refresh rate hasn’t changed.
You also still get pancake lenses (which isn’t a bad thing), and a 105-degree field of view.
Updates:
The major upgrades with the PICO 4 Ultra include:
- A new chipset: The Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chipset is a significant upgrade, ensuring you can unlock the same functionality in the PICO 4 Ultra as you would on the Meta Quest 3. However, PICO’s headset offers 4GB more RAM than both its predecessor, and the Quest 3, which should indicate it will be slightly more powerful.
- Mixed reality: The previous PICO 4 only used a single 16 MP passthrough camera, while the Ultra offers 32 MP per eye. The Quest relies on two 4 MP cameras, which means MR with the PICO 4 Ultra is likely to be clearer.
- Spatial reality: Like the Quest 3, the PICO 4 includes a depth sensor for room mapping and spatial computing. It also enables spatial video capture with a frame rate of 60Hz and a resolution of 2,048 x 1536 pixels for spatial content creation.
- Connectivity: The PICO 4 Ultra supports Wi-Fi 7, compared to Wi-Fi 6 on the PICO 4, and Wi-Fi 6E for the Quest 3.
- Controllers and battery: The PICO 4 Ultra controllers are ringless, similar to the Touch Plus controllers of the Quest 3. The battery is also a little stronger, supporting faster charging at up to 45W, which is great if you’re sick of running out of power.
- The displays: Although the displays have the same resolution as the PICO 4, they’re 25% brighter, and offer improved color correction. Default rendering resolution has also been increased by 62% with the new chipset.
The PICO 4 Ultra: Comfort and Design
As I mentioned above, the PICO 4 Ultra doesn’t look too different from the older headset. This headset resembles a cross between the Meta Quest 3 and the Apple Vision Pro. I don’t think the decision to maintain most of the elements of the previous design is bad.
Thie PICO 4 was already a pretty lightweight and comfortable headset, and the upgraded device is no different. The rigid head strap could be improved in my opinion, but there are definitely more weighty and uncomfortable headsets out there.
One exciting upgrade is that the PICO 4 Ultra can support PICO’s new “motion tracker” accessories. The Motion Tracker, weighing around 27g, can connect to your headset and use 12 infrared sensors to give you more powerful 6DoF tracking. It combines PICO’s proprietary AI algorithms to give you motion tracking across up to 24 skeletal points.
The motion trackers are super simple to collaborate with, too, with a step-by-step guide built into your headset. If you suffer from VR sickness, better motion tracking can allow for a more immersive, comfortable experience overall.
The Visuals and Performance
While PICO has maintained the same resolution with its PICO 4 Ultra headset as it offered for the previous device, there are some major upgrades to overall performance. There are a few key features that upgrade the immersive experience with this headset.
First, the more powerful Snapdragon chipset improves brightness and color correction. The audio features don’t seem to have changed much, but you get four handy built-in microphones for immersive collaboration.
The biggest performance improvements, in my opinion, are linked to mixed reality. The Pico 4 Ultra leverages upgraded cameras and sensors to give you high-quality color passthrough with minimal distortion. It has a built-in proprietary environment perception algorithm, which allows the headset to map your environments and objects in real-time.
Plus, you can control your environment using either PICO’s new upgraded controllers, your hands, or connected keyboards, mice, and other peripherals. The virtual reality experience has seen a slight upgrade too, with the option to create AI-generated environments from scratch.
The Software and PICO OS
Notably, PICO hasn’t just redesigned its headset with the new “Ultra” model; it’s also introduced an upgraded operating system. The new PICO OS comes with a 360-degree screen you can customize however you like and use to browse through multiple windows and virtual desktops at once.
The OS also supports the PICO Connect app, which allows you to mirror all of your connected devices, such as your laptop or smartphone, on your headset screen. Plus, with upgraded Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, you’ll enjoy less latency when connecting external devices.
The PICO 4 Ultra also has new applications that allow you to capture spatial videos and audio. As mentioned above, it’s compatible with the spatial content you capture on Apple devices, like the Vision Pro and iPhone.
The biggest problem, in my opinion, is that the PICO app store is still minimal. Although there are various apps you can access that leverage PICO’s upgraded mixed reality and spatial computing features, you won’t have nearly as much freedom as you would with something like Horizon OS. Most of the apps I could find are focused on consumers.
There are tons of games, as well as an exclusive VR version of TikTok, but there aren’t many apps for immersive collaboration or productivity. For the most part, if you want to use the PICO 4 Ultra for work, you’ll be limited to connecting the headset to your other devices (like your desktop).
This isn’t necessarily a deal breaker for everyone, but I do think PICO will need to look at expanding its app library if it wants to compete with Meta.
The PICO 4 Ultra: A Worthwhile Purchase?
Compared to the previous PICO 4, the Ultra edition of the headset is certainly a step in the right direction. This new headset is definitely going to deliver better mixed reality and spatial computing abilities. Plus, it’s bound to be a lot more powerful with its upgraded chipset.
At the same time, although it’s not yet available worldwide, the PICO 4 Ultra will definitely be more accessible to consumers than alternatives like the Apple Vision Pro when it starts shipping globally. It’s definitely one of the most affordable headsets out there. A price of $600 (based on the cost we can see today), would make it even cheaper than the comparable Meta Quest 3.
However, it’s difficult to say whether PICO’s upgraded headset will actually give Meta a run for its money. After all, Meta still offers a wider range of apps, and more advanced software.
That being said, if you’re looking for a cheaper headset with advanced mixed reality capabilities, the PICO 4 Ultra is still a good choice. I just hope the company spends a little more time and money on its app market in the months ahead.
