PICO 4: Who is this for?
Virtual reality or VR in short has been around for quite some time. Even before Mark Zuckerberg decides Facebook’s parent company should be renamed META and focus on developing the virtual reality ecosystem, the PC gaming industry has been working on the VR solutions such as HTC and Oculus.
However, the primary obstacle for the public to adopt VR is the cost of entry. Apart from spending a fortune on the VR headset, controller and trackers, you will still need to have a powerful gaming PC to render the VR apps at a high frame rate.
Entering the all-in-one VR headset solution whereby an ARM processing hardware is built into the headset running on a lightweight operating system, usually customised Android OS. Today what we’re looking at is the PICO 4 VR headset. Starting at just $530 or RM1699, this is one of the most affordable VR headsets you can buy right now.
PICO 4: Two Months Later
I have personally owned the PICO 4 VR headset for the past two months, while I eagerly wanted to publish the review right after testing it out, then I thought it would not be fair to certain consumers since this kind of product takes time to get used to. So the question is, whether you’re going to enjoy the product long-term or just because of the sudden urge to try out VR. Hence the majority of this review will cover how I utilize the headset and who should get this product.
Getting Started: The Design
Just like plenty of other VR headsets, this eye-mask-style VR headset has most of the hardware crammed into the front of the unit while moving the 5300mAh battery to the back of the headband to balance the weight distribution. At a single full charge, I manage to get about 90 minutes of gameplay that requires high graphical processing and 90Hz refresh rate.
This is a crucial design as PICO 4 doesn’t feel front-heavy even after wearing it for long hours.
This is how it looks like when you’re wearing the headset.
The face cushion is soft and comfortable to wear. It also attaches to the headset via magnets so detaching it for cleaning is as simple as 1-2-3.
The speakers are built into the headband so that you won’t have to wear those clunky headsets. However, I would have hoped PICO at least provide a 3.5mm audio output for more headset options.
The only connector that is available is the USB-C for charging and data transfer.
Meanwhile, the controllers are pretty standard with the analogue joystick, trigger button, grip button, ABXY and four additional buttons that serve as home, menu and screenshot functions. The headset tracks the controller’s motion in conjunction with the controller’s own gyro sensors.
It is powered by two AA batteries stored in the handle. Two batteries provide a significantly longer battery life, the original alkaline AA battery I used still remains at 60~70%-ish after over 40 hours of usage. At least based on the reported battery level shown in the system. I think PICO could’ve gone with a single AA battery for each controller to keep the weight down.
Booting Up
Turning on the headset and you’ll be greeted with a custom Android operating system – PICO OS. The first thing you will need to do is to set the play boundary and then configure the IPD.
It is the adjustment for the lens to move closer or further apart since everyone has a different distance between the left and right eye. The adjustment is done through the software with 0.5mm intervals and the built-in motor will move the lens. I also strongly suggest you to enable 90Hz refresh rate as it will improve the overall VR experience at the expense of battery life.
Throughout these two months, the headset has received a few updates that improve the overall user experience of the headset. For instance, one of the early updates introduces the Friends and Party voice chat feature.
Generally, the UI and UX have been consistent so far. Most of the essential apps such as the Internet Browser, Video Player and File Manager are part of the system. Besides, PICO also includes 4 games with each purchase of the headset (depending on region). I believe they will occasionally offer different promotions such as additional free games to go along with the headset.
I particularly like the All-in-One Sports VR and the First Person Shooter game After The Fall. I’ll be honest with you, 80% of the time, I would be playing After The Fall with my friends.
This game caught us by surprise that how responsive it is and the fun of co-op shooter. It reminds us of the Left 4 Dead game but in VR.
VR is for Games only?
Even though VR is not limited to just games but also productivity apps such as VR meetings, unfortunately, while everyone has a work PC/laptop, not everyone has a VR headset. That’s what I meant by the barrier of entry. Besides, if a normal Video Call can work, why do we need to meet on VR anyway? Unless, in certain industries such as showrooms and designers, they can fully utilize the advantages of VR to have the clients visit the site in VR, then I would say the cost is justified.
Down the road, what will determine the success of PICO is the team’s proactiveness in getting developers onboard to their app store. Without a list of enticing apps, sooner and later the customers would get bored with the device and eventually the product will lose momentum. Besides, the pricing of the games and apps also plays an important role. As of now, I believe the apps are quite expensive in the app store.
PICO 4: Who is this for?
The PICO 4 comes with two configurations:
- RM1699 – 8GB+128GB
- RM1999 – 8GB+256GB
Given that the PICO 4 also supports Steam VR streaming over WiFi and USB cable, this is one of the best options you can get and many reviewers even commented how the PICO 4 is better than the Oculus Quest 2.
Personally, I think the base model is a great starting point for those who are interested to dive into VR. Most of the apps only take up a few hundred MB up to a few GB. Unless you’re planning to splurge on the games and load the headset with VR movies, then the 256GB storage option could be for you.
While there are still people who are sceptical about VR, you can’t deny it is a very unique experience. To be able to feel like you’re in the place and controlling your character is nothing like gaming on a mouse and controller.
