Where is Pico Interactive’s New VR Headset?

All the latest information on the Bytedance subsidiary's latest VR hardware

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Where is the New Pico VR Headset?
Mixed RealityInsightsNews Analysis

Published: September 9, 2022

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Rory Greener

Last year, Tik Tok parent firm Bytedance bought Chinese virtual reality (VR) hardware developer Pico Interactive to expand into new technology markets following success as a social media company – similar to Meta’s rebranding.

After its acquisition, Pico partnered with Qualcomm in February to participate in its Snapdragon Spaces mixed reality (MR) accelerator program.

The partnership secures Pico with extended reality (XR) development tools that encourage the creation of immersive applications on its line-up of devices and assists with software development for upcoming Pico hardware.

Pico advertises its product portfolio as suitable for consumer and enterprise adoption, with applications available to accommodate B2B and B2C use cases.

Technology Leaks and Developments

The Chinese VR headset developer filled a major patent request with the FCC for its upcoming Pico 4 and Pro device – codenamed “Project Pheonix.”

The FCC patent request outlines an “all-in-one” device that does not require tethering to an external computing device. Pico 4 and Pro are powerful enough to run high-quality VR experiences without offloading computing requirements.

Also, the upcoming devices use an Android Q operating system (OS), and the hardware operates on Qualcomm processing chipsets.

In July, an anonymous source leaked images of the Pico 4 controllers onto the internet. The input devices contain inside-out tracking, a thumbstick, and a screenshot shortcut button.

Pico 4 Controllers Leaked
Alleged leaked images of Pico 4 controllers PHOTO: Skarredghost

Additionally, Pico listed more details of the Pheonix device via the Bluetooth Special Interest Group platform, a standardisation body which regulates the licencing and development of Bluetooth-related technologies.

In the listing, Pico revealed more details on the upcoming device, including 6 degrees of freedom (6DoF), eye tracking, and face tracking. Pico has not confirmed a release window for its Pheonix product yet despite the prevalent rumours of a September 2022 debut.

Pico Interactive Opens Neo3 Link Sales

On the other hand, Pico Interactive launched its Neo 3 Link device sales in May, following the product’s initial debut at Laval Virtual Europe 2022 in Mayenne, France. Pico sells the device for £399 in the UK through its distribution partner SystemActive.

Pico designed its new device for gaming and enterprise use. Also, like the upcoming Pico 4 headset, a user can operate Neo 3 standalone without needing to offload processing to a desktop.

Alternatively, an operator can attach the Neo 3 to a PC for running system-intensive applications with low-latency playback and streaming, even supporting 4K ultra-high definition experiences. The Neo 3 runs on Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 chipsets.

The Neo 3 also includes a 120 Hz ultra-high refresh rate, 6 degrees of freedom (6DoF), and an adjustable lens mount for adjusting interpupillary distance.

Users can access various immersive gaming applications on the integrated Pico Store. Also, the device contains an updated Pico OS to improve user input and navigation.

FCC Blockades

The updates come amid Bytedance’s efforts to scale Pico hardware globally and as it faces significant pushback from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

In July, FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr posted an open letter on his Twitter account accusing Bytedance of gathering data for the Communist Party of China via TikTok.

Carr described Pico’s parent company as a “wolf in sheep’s clothing” due to Tik Tok allegedly conducting highly-invasive data farming operations on its active user base.

The commissioner highlighted how India and US government bodies like the Department of Defense banned Bytedance’s social media service.

Additionally, he noted that the software negated Android privacy safeguards, procured iOS sensitive information like cryptocurrency wallets, and transmitted physical/digital locations to Chinese servers.

 

 

GamingMixed Reality HeadsetsWearables
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