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In this article I will highlight the most important differences between the recently released Pico 4 and its predecessor, the Pico Neo 3 Link VR Headset.
The improved screen resolution on the Pico 4 results in a better visual experience. The Pico 4 has a screen resolution of 2160 x 2160 pixels per eye compared to the Neo 3 Links 1832 x 1920 pixels per eye. This is an increase of approximately 30% which will provide a much sharper image.
In addition, the Pico 4 has a field of view of 105 degrees compared to the 98 degrees you get on the Pico Neo 3 Link. The Field of view plays an important part in the realism of the VR experience as it allows you to see more of the virtual world at once.
Finally, the Pico 4 can provide a more detailed experience. Because of the higher resolution the Pico 4 has also increased the pixels per inch to 1200 compared to the Links 770 pixels per inch, resulting in more pixel information and creating a higher-quality, crisp image.
The Pico 4 is much lighter than the Pico Neo 3 Link without straps; the Pico 4 weighs 296 grams compared to the 390 grams of the Neo 3 Link. The lightweight design has been made possible through the introduction of the innovative pancake lenses in the Pico 4, compared to the Fresnel lenses found in the Neo 3 Link. The Pancake lenses allow the headset display to only require ⅓ of the space that was required in the Neo 3 Link.
The end result is that the device is more comfortable to wear because of its lighter build. This makes extensive periods of gameplay much more comfortable.
The controllers on the Pico 4 have seen a major design change. The controllers have moved away from the tracking ring on the top of the controller to a more distributed one. The Pico 4 controller now has a tracking ring that starts on the top right corner of the controller and goes diagonally over the top of your hand to bottom left of the controller. This allows for more precise tracking to occur due to the better distribution of the sensors.
Furthermore the controllers also feel much more comfortable and well built. This is in part due to the new shape and the layout of the 2 AA batteries in the device.
The new controllers also have improved haptics, which make the VR experience better.
The Neo 3 Link came equipped with 4 integrated cameras distributed evenly on the headset with 2 on the top edges of the device and 2 on the bottom edges of the device. The same layout has been employed by the Pico 4 with one difference, that being the addition of a fifth integrated camera found on the front panel of the device. This camera is a 16MP RGB camera which not only improves the inside out tracking on the Pico 4, by reducing possible tracking deadzones which could be found on the Neo 3 Link when the controllers got too close to the device.
The extra camera also enables full color passthrough on the Pico 4, compared to the Neo 3 Link which only had mono passthrough. The color passthrough on the Pico 4 means you can experience the real world that is around you in real time with the headset on. With some apps it will now also be able to blend the virtual and real world in a natural way which could not be done using mono passthrough.
The Pico 4 does not come with a built-in display port like the Neo 3 Link. This means wired streaming on the Pico 4 is not supported. However, the Pico 4 supports improved Wireless Streaming which will be possible through the use of a dedicated streaming dongle for the device. This will allow for wireless streaming to occur in 4K at 90Hz.
The price of the Pico 4 is striking. With the 128GB version costing only €429 including VAT. This is less than the Pico Neo 3 Link which costs € 449 including VAT.
The price of the Pico 4 128GB version being lower than the Neo 3 Link is not to be confused with a less premium VR headset. The Pico 4 is a premium and new generation device with excellent features.
The 256GB version of the Pico 4 costs €499 including VAT making it slightly more expensive than the Pico Neo 3 Link due to the extra storage capacity.
The table below summarizes the specification of the Pico 4 and Pico Neo 3 Link.
| Pico 4 | Pico Neo 3 Link | |
| Display | 4K+ | 4K |
| Resolution | 4320 x 2160 pixels | 3664 × 1920 pixels |
| Refresh rate | 72/90 Hz | 60/72/90 Hz |
| Pixels per inch | 1200 Pixels Per Inch | 770 Pixels Per Inch |
| Visible Field of View | 105° | 98° |
| Lens type | Pancake | Fresnel |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 | Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 |
| Weight | 586 grams | 620 grams |
| Storage (ROM) | 128 GB / 256 GB | 256 GB |
| RAM | 8 GB | 6 GB |
| Tracking | Inside-Out 6DoF with 5 integrated cameras | Inside-Out 6DoF with 4 integrated cameras |
| Battery life | 3-4 hours | 3 hours |
| Price | €429 (128 GB)€499 (256 GB) | € 449 |
Jakob Pii is Writer at VR Expert and currently lives in the UK. He started his career in VR gaming in 2015 and has stayed in XR since, from exposure therapy in VR to 360-degree video documentaries. He is fascinated by how emerging technologies change how we live, play and work.
