In this article, we will highlight the key differences between the Pico 4 Enterprise and Neo 3 Pro enterprise VR headsets.
The Pico 4 Enterprise is even more comfortable than the Pico Neo 3 Pro. The Pico 4 Enterprise has been built with innovative pancake optics, this new type of lens technology has many benefits compared to the fresnel lenses used in the Pico Neo 3 Pro. The use of pancake optics in the Pico 4 Enterprise means the head-mounted display section of the device is ⅓ the width of the Pico Neo 3 Pro. Not only is it thinner it is also far lighter with the Enterprise weighing 295 grams without a headband compared to the 395 without a headband of the Neo 3 Pro. This means that the front of the headset provides less strain on the front of your head making it more comfortable for extended periods of use.
Pico 4 Enterprise has a better display than its predecessor the Pico Neo 3 Pro. The new headset has a screen resolution of 2160 x 2160 pixels per eye compared to the Neo 3 Pro’s 1832 x 1920 pixels per eye. Furthermore, the Pico 4 Enterprise has seen a big improvement in its display’s field of view, going from 98 degrees in the Neo 3 Pro to 105 degrees on the Pico 4 Enterprise. Along with this, the saturation rate has been improved to allow for better colours. The final result is a 30% improvement in the Pico 4 Enterprises display compared to its predecessor.
The Pico 4 Enterprise has taken tracking to the next level compared to the Pico Neo 3 Pro. The Pico Neo 3 Pro came with 4 external cameras put on each corner of the front panel. The Pico 4 Enterprise has been equipped with 5 external cameras and 3 internal cameras. The external cameras have the same layout as on the Pico Neo 3 Pro with the only difference being a 16MP RGB camera found in the middle of the front panel of the device. The 5th camera helps to improve the quality of tracking by reducing possible dead zones which could occur when the controllers were too close to the device.
The 3 internal cameras are also a major improvement over the Pico Neo 3 Pro. The Pico 4 Enterprise is now able to support eye and face tracking. Eye tracking is not new to the Pico Neo 3 line however, this was previously only possible with the EYE version. While face tracking is brand new and will allow for better data collection as well as more realistic avatars and facial expressions to take place in virtual reality.
Lastly, the Pico Neo 3 Pro did not support native hand tracking, this was previously only possible on custom-built applications using the Ultraleap hand tracking accessory. This issue has now been solved and the Pico 4 Enterprise supports native hand tracking, which will open the device to a multitude of new use cases.
Also due to the 5th RGB camera on the front panel, the Pico 4 Enterprise supports color passthrough, a huge improvement over the Neo 3 Pro which only had mono passthrough. The new and improved passthrough allows users to interact more naturally with the real world that is around them without needing to take off the device. Secondly, mixed reality capabilities are now possible allowing applications to run in union with the real world in a natural way.
The Pico 4 Enterprise also has seen the removal of the dedicated DP cable port to allow for wired streaming of PC content. However, the Pico 4 Enterprise will be offered with a WiFi 6 Dongle which will allow you to connect your PC to your Pico 4 Enterprise easily and stream in 4K at over 90Hz. Alternatively, you will be able to use the virtual desktop application to connect your Pico 4 Enterprise to a PC, this has worked well and costs only €20 in the Pico App Store.
The Pico 4 Enterprise does not come with a built-in 3.5mm audio jack. From now on Pico 4 Enterprise users will either need to connect headphones using a USB-C to 3.5mm Audio Jack dongle or through Bluetooth.
The Pico 4 Enterprise is more expensive than the Pico Neo 3 Pro. The Pico 4 Enterprise will cost €899 excl. VAT compared to the Pico Neo 3 Pro which has a price point of €599 excl. VAT. In reality the Pico Neo 3 Pro Eye is a better headset to compare prices to as it has integrated Eye Tracking which gave it a price point of €749 excl. VAT. Although the Pico 4 Enterprise has a higher price than both, it does come with a substantially better display, mixed reality capabilities, better tracking and a far superior design due to the pancake optics.
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.