Pico 4 is the new ByteDance virtual reality headset. Let’s find out more about Meta’s new competitor arriving on the market at the end of October. Pico, the company owned by ByteDance, showed the world Pico 4, the new headset for virtual reality. At the moment, the company has not yet revealed the global release plans for the device. Still, distribution is expected to begin in late October in Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, and Italy. There is still no confirmation for the United States and the rest of the world, but optimistically, the launch should take place by the end of the year.
Pico 4, Technical Characteristics
From the information released by ByteDance, Pico 4 will be equipped with a Qualcomm XR2 processor, Adreno 650 GPU, and 8 GB of RAM; the battery should last about three hours of use on a single charge. The weight should be 295 grams, excluding the strap, and 586 when connected. The dual displays of this device deliver higher than 4K resolution with 4,320 x 2,160 pixels for each eye.
According to the first rumors, it would also seem that the screens will have a refresh rate of 90Hz and a field of view of 105 degrees. Pico 4 is sold with motion controllers and can count on four external cameras. It also appears that ByteDance’s new device will have a color passthrough, an idea that Meta would also like to put on its Project Cambria headset.
Pico 4: Perfect For Gaming And More
By connecting the new Pico 4 to a PC designed for Gaming, it will be possible to take VR experiences to the next level. Currently, the viewer is compatible with 165 games in the official store; among these, Peaky Blinders: The King’s Ransom, The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners, All-in-One Summer Sports VR, and Just Dance VR, which will be one of the 2023 Pico exclusives. The company’s plans also include full support for SteamVR.
But this, of course, is not the only intended use for this device. ByteDance intends to make it compatible with TikTok and many other forms of immersive entertainment. The idea is to guarantee users VR experiences on the famous social network and use this viewer for what concerns live sports and a whole series of exclusive virtual events. For the moment, we are talking about concerts and many other solutions related to the world of audiovisual entertainment in the metaverse.
Pico And The Challenge To Meta
Although the idea of a metaverse is generally associated with Meta and Facebook, in 2023, Pico Worlds will see the light, which, unlike the competition, already seems to be a tangible “reality.” ByteDance would like to compete with Meta Quest 2 and offer better features at a lower price. At the moment, there are still no certainties about it. Still, if the thing were confirmed, Pico could be the first natural “alternative” to Meta. Of course, there will be complete applications and experiences for both platforms. Still, as things stand, it looks like Pico 4 could be a dangerous competitor for Project Cambria.
Pico 4, Cost And Availability
Pico 4 with 128 GB of memory should arrive on the market at 429 euros (about 422 dollars), while for the model with 256 GB, it will be necessary to spend 499 euros (about 491 dollars). Pre-orders will officially open next month, and the first devices are expected to ship as early as October 18th.