Gaining access into the virtual reality (VR) gaming world is generally an expensive affair, meaning gamers with a shoestring budget may have to think twice before picking up a premium VR headset.
However, ByteDance, the company that owns TikTok, recently launched the relatively cheaper PICO 4 all-in-one VR headset, which honestly blew my socks away.
Here’s why…
The VR Experience
I’ve donned a few VR headsets in the past, namely the PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift S, and the HTC Vive. I wouldn’t call myself a VR aficionado, but I can say with certainty that the PICO 4 offers unrivalled comfort during long gaming sessions.
Speaking of which, gaming on the PICO 4 on either wired or wireless mode offers almost zero latency, meaning you can opt not to tether it to the PC and still enjoy your Steam VR games in all their glory.
In case you’re wondering, I was running an Intel i5-10400F processor, as well as an Nvidia RTX 3070 graphics card to push all the pretty pixels. I would suggest running a beefy gaming PC for the best gaming experience, for example, a Ryzen 5 or Intel i5 paired with any Nvidia RTX card or AMD’s latest Radeon cards.
You can connect the PICO 4 to your PC with the Streaming Assistant application on both the headset and the computer app, or you could use VR Desktop, which can be purchased from the PICO Store.
For those without a beefy gaming PC to run all those VR games at playable quality, the PICO 4 offers games that can be bought, downloaded and installed on the headset.. Powered by a Kryo 585 CPU and an Adreno 650 GPU, the headset is capable of running games smoothly at up to 90 fps. The default setting is 72Hz, but you can opt for the 90 Hz refresh rate mode in the settings menu.
Also, the interpupillary distance (IPD) can be continuously adjusted between 58 and 72 mm.
Design
As mentioned earlier, the PICO 4 is comfortable to wear even after hours of use. The design is perfectly balanced thanks to its ingenious design; all of the hardware is stationed in the goggle, while the 5300 mAh battery is embedded in the strap adjuster of the headband.
The padded foam also helps secure the head-mounted device (HMD) firmly without it feeling restrictive.
PICO has equipped the HMD with a proprietary pancake lens that not only makes it substantially lighter, but also provides a wider field of view and clearer images.
Creature Comfort
The headset weighs only 295 grams, which is considerably lighter than most headsets, meaning it won’t put a strain on your head during intense gaming sessions. Again, the balanced weight design ensures that looking around with the headset on feels intuitive and seamless.
Another feature that the PICO 4 got right is the addition of the glasses spacer, allowing spectacle-bound nerds like me to have maximum comfort gaming without having to worry about smushing and smudging your glasses.
If you need to peek into the real world to make sure you’re not hitting anything, gently double tapping the right side of the headset will activate Seethrough Mode, which is quite clear to the point that I was able to reply to text messages on my phone while still having the HMD fastened.
Otherworldly Experience
Gaming is one hell of an enjoyable experience on the PICO 4.
I played all four pre-installed games, as well as a few Steam VR games like The Lab and Blade & Sorcery.
For games installed directly on the headset, it’s an otherworldly experience. It puts you smack in the middle of the virtual world, with all your senses poised and sharpened. Thanks to the near-zero latency, interacting with the virtual world feels natural.
As for playing Steam VR games, the headset supports two types of connection: wired and wireless. The headset is connected to a USB 3.0 port through a USB-C connection. With the wired connection, gaming feels seamless with no latency. This works well for games that don't require you to move a lot, such as Assetto Corsa Competizione and F1 22.
To play more interactive games like Blade & Sorcery that involve many stabbing and slashing motions, opt for the wireless mode, as it provides more mobility and freedom. The wireless mode works best on a 5GHz WiFi connection; any less than that and it won’t connect. That said, modern WiFi routers should offer more than enough processing power to stream VR games directly to the headset. Even though the game is processed on the PC and streamed to the headset, there was unnoticeable latency, making the untethered experience a great one.
Audio is channelled through speakers embedded in the headband. The speakers are capable of 360° surrounding stereo, supporting 3D spatial sound. I was trying out the headset in the middle of the night playing some games and even at full blast, it wasn’t obtrusive enough to wake up my sleeping wife.
Cons
The PICO 4 ticks almost every box in my book, and it’s hard to point out a single flaw with this VR headset.
If there’s something PICO could improve with this headset is the battery life, but it was not a major issue for me. I gamed wirelessly for almost six hours before the headset called it quits for the night, which was great but natively playing games on the headset can drain the battery significantly.
The PICO Store is also lacking in options, though I believe the store is taking its first steps in growing into a considerable library of applications and games.
Conclusion
The PICO 4 definitely sets itself apart from the competition, both in performance and features. Plus, it’s priced pretty aggressively, starting at RM1,699 for the 128GB model and RM1,999 for the 256GB model, making it one of the most affordable VR headsets in the market. Both models are available now and PICO is also throwing in four games for free until January 2023.
Would I suggest the PICO 4 headset for beginners looking to delve into the world of VR? Definitely, even so for veterans. It may not be perfect, but it’s a huge step in the right direction.
