PICO 4 Ultra Review: A VR Gaming Contender
This article reviews the PICO 4 Ultra VR headset, comparing it to competitors like Meta Quest 3 and Apple Vision Pro. While the VR market is dominated by Meta, PICO aims to offer a compelling alternative, especially for gaming.
VR Market Share and Key Factors
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Meta holds a dominant 80% of the global VR headset market share as of Q2 2024.
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Sony and Apple each have a mere 3% market share.
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Two crucial elements for VR headset success are having compelling content ("something to play") and a fun user experience.
PICO 4 Ultra vs. Vision Pro: Comfort and Price
The PICO 4 Ultra aims to compete with the Vision Pro by offering similar mixed reality (MR) capabilities at a more accessible price point.
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It boasts a lighter weight, more comfortable fit, better glasses compatibility, and a lower price than the Vision Pro.
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The PICO 4 Ultra incorporates a built in fan to prevent fogging.
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However, material quality and craftsmanship are noted as areas where it falls short compared to Apple's offering.
MR Display Quality: A Weak Point
The PICO 4 Ultra has 32MP cameras, while the Vision Pro has 6.5MP. The PICO 4 Ultra has an 8MP screen while the Vision Pro has a 23MP screen. Despite having a higher megapixel camera, the MR display on the PICO 4 Ultra suffers from several issues:
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Inaccurate colors.
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Noticeable noise.
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Significant discrepancy between perceived distance and reality.
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Distortion and low clarity, making it difficult to read text on computers or phones.
Gaming Experience
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The PICO 4 Ultra's user interface is described as "gaudy."
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The included game library is criticized for being filled with older or lower-quality games, reminiscent of "VR versions of 4399 games."
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A lack of major new VR titles and VR games from major developers is a significant drawback.
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Despite the limited selection, the actual gaming experience is praised for its smooth performance and accurate tracking.
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The screen resolution, however, is a limiting factor, leading to noticeable aliasing and reduced sharpness.
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Users can play PC VR games by streaming them to the headset, such as Half-Life: Alyx.
Streaming and Functionality
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PC VR game streaming offers a smooth and responsive experience when the network connection is stable.
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Streaming allows users to access their computer screens, which are clearer than the MR passthrough, facilitating tasks such as office work.
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However, streaming non-VR games or movies results in significant lag and frame drops.
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Attempting to play mobile games like Genshin Impact is possible, but limited control schemes hinder the experience.
Movie Watching Experience
The PICO 4 Ultra's movie-watching capabilities are decent, offering a "giant screen" experience.
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However, the screen's limited resolution becomes more apparent during movie playback.
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The built-in speakers, positioned far from the ears, suffer from poor audio quality, making headphones a necessity.
Foot Tracker
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The foot tracker is fun, but there are not many applications that support it outside of PICO's first party software.
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It can be used for dancing and fitness games.
Other Features
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Hand Tracking: The headset offers precise and responsive hand tracking, though its practical use cases are limited, especially when watching movies.
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Battery Life: The headset offers around two hours of gameplay on a full charge.
Conclusion and Recommendation
The PICO 4 Ultra is a capable VR gaming device, but is held back by a lackluster game library. If users are new to VR and looking for a cheaper alternative to Meta Quest 3, the PICO 4 Ultra is a solid option.