PICO is a VR company founded in March 2015, the company launched the PICO 4 VR headset last year, which also marks its official entry into the Malaysian market. Virtual reality has been around for quite a long time, but it got more popular over the years when Mark Zuckerberg mentioned the word “metaverse”. With more and more companies making VR headsets, the PICO 4 is probably among the more accessible VR headsets locally. Without further ado, let’s dive into the full review of PICO 4.
PICO 4 Specs
- Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 processor
- 8GB RAM
- 128GB | 256GB storage
- 4,320 x 2,160 display (2,160 x 2,160 per eye) with 72Hz/90Hz refresh rate
- Optics:
- Pancake Lens
- 105° FOV
- 20.6 PPD
- 62-72mm inter-pupillary distance adjustment
- 6DoF Positioning System
- 5,300mAh battery with 20W fast charging
- PICO OS 5.0
Design
The PICO 4 comes with a set of standard items — the headset itself, two controllers, controller straps, a charger, cable, and two more accessories: the spacer and the nosepiece.
The headset itself is rather sleek and lightweight, PICO claims that it has a balanced design that evenly distributes the weight to the front and rear. The center of gravity fits snugly up against the face and the back has a cushioned support, which makes it pretty comfortable to wear.
To wear the headset, you will need to put the strap upwards first then put on the headset and make sure you can see properly, then you can start turning the knob behind until you feel comfortable.
There’s a black glossy plastic at the front of the headset, which will scratch easily. The bottom of the headset has two microphones and one vent for cooling. The headset has a passthrough camera, which lets you see the real world without taking off the headset. It also has 6DoF spatial positioning for a heightened VR experience.
The headset has built-in stereo speakers that feature spatial audio. You can still connect to your headphones via the USB-C port or Bluetooth. There’s also the spacer piece which is for those who are wearing glasses but do take note that your glasses might scratch the VR lens. The nosepiece is a handy accessory to avoid light leaking up to the lens.
The PICO 4 also comes with motorized inter-pupillary distance adjustment that supports 62-72mm inter-pupillary distance adjustment with precision via the settings menu. Behind the lenses are two 2.56-inch Fast-LCD screens that can achieve a refresh rate as high as 90Hz.
As for the remote control, the PICO 4 comes with two controllers that are fairly standard in terms of design. Each controller is powered by two AA batteries, which is rather unusual for controllers nowadays.
User Experience
The PICO 4 runs on PICO OS 5.0, which is a modified version of Android as it uses APK files too. When you first set up the headset, it will show you the IPD adjustment settings, then you are required to set the play boundary. If you do not have a big space, it allows you to customize your play boundary, you can just draw your boundary.
It works just like an Android device, but many apps are being optimized for the VR experience. It has its app store, which means it’s not an issue to be your first standalone VR headset, though most apps are paid apps.
If you want to play some PC VR games, you can thanks to the PICO Link app, which you can download from the official website here. You can connect the headset to your PC via a cable or Wi-Fi. You’ll need to connect to the same Wi-Fi network on both your PC and the PICO 4, then open the Streaming Assistant app in the PICO 4 to connect. You’ll need to have the SteamVR installed on your PC to make it works. The overall experience is pretty good, but do take note that you’ll be dizzy after using it for an extensive time.
Battery Life
The PICO 4 packs a 5,300mAh battery and supports 20W fast charging. Based on my usage, I was able to get about 2 hours of battery life, which seems to be bad but I don’t think using it for more than 2 hours is good for your health.
Final Words
Retailing from RM1,699, the PICO 4 is definitely your go-to VR headset if you are planning to own your first VR headset. It provides a great user experience out of the box and the headset is lightweight and comfortable to wear. However, the app store is still quite limited as it is still relatively new when compared to Meta Quest 2. Other than that, I think this is a perfectly suitable product for mass consumers.
Buy Here (Affiliate Links)
Yay
- Sleek and lightweight
- Wide range of IPD adjustment
- Affordable
Nay
- The app store is limited