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Pico 4 Ultra review: a solid enough headset, but nothing groundbreaking

20.9.2024

Translation: Jessica Johnson-Ferguson

The Pico 4 Ultra delivers more power and a better passthrough mode than the previous model. However, this model isn’t great over longer stretches of time either. On the plus side, it includes two optional ankle cuffs equipped with motion sensors.

Even after the Apple Vision Pro, the VR revolution’s still a long time coming. However, this device with its price tag of over 4,000 francs/euros has managed to focus more on productivity. The Pico 4 Ultra also aims to be a mixed reality headset that can be used for work. But that only works to a certain extent.

Setup and operation

All it takes is a few minutes to set up the Pico 4 Ultra. You define the VR area in which you want to move by manually drawing it with the controllers. Otherwise, Pico will simply create a circle for you to play in. Next, you’re greeted by a classic horizontal menu containing the most important apps and functions. You can download new apps and games from the store, and change the virtual background. Standard stuff for most VR headsets these days.

What looks like my eyes in the header above are actually cameras for passthrough mode. Depending on the angle, they look just as creepy as Apple Vision Pro’s fake eyes.
Source: Philipp Rüegg

The controllers no longer have brackets to track movements, and without them they look almost identical to those on the Meta Quest 3. The same goes for the key layout. However, the right-hand Pico controller also has a dedicated record button next to the home button, which is featured on both sides.

The controllers no longer need a bracket to track the headset’s sensors.
Source: Philipp Rüegg

You can also choose to control the Pico 4 Ultra with hand gestures. This doesn’t work as accurately as it does with the Apple Vision Pro, but can definitely keep up with the Quest 3. Personally, I only ever use this function when the controllers aren’t to hand. It would be handy if you could combine the feature to stream from your PC desktop. Typically, this is where hand gestures and controllers often interfere with each other. In other words, you’d have to switch the controllers off every time, which isn’t great either.

The Pico 4 can also record videos. But just like with the Vision Pro, the recordings are only worth watching with the headset, which renders them pretty much useless. If you want to share them, they’re only in 2D. That’s why I’ve stopped going to the trouble of walking around like a headset-wearing madman and turning my children into data for ByteDance. That’s the company behind TikTok that also produces Pico glasses.

Stiff, but comfortable

I rarely find VR headsets comfortable over long periods of time. The same goes for the Pico 4 Ultra. Although its padding is on the hard side, the headset feels relatively comfortable on my head. The weight’s evenly distributed. But it doesn’t feel quite as high-end as the Quest 3, which has a finish and rounded design that give it a slightly better feel.

The Pico 4 Ultra does without an additional headband to fit well. But after an hour, this headset also becomes uncomfortable.
Source: Philipp Rüegg

The headband can be folded up, so you can easily slip in and out of the headset without having to squeeze your head into it. There’s a set screw at the back to tighten the headset around your head. Despite these options, the Pico starts to feel uncomfortable after an hour at the latest. The Quest 3 with its optional Elite Strap remains my favourite in terms of comfort. Not least because it’s also 70 grammes lighter.

The Pico 4 Ultra keeps the outside world out slightly better than the previous model. All I can see is the tiniest of cracks around my nose. But the Quest 3 still does a bit of a better job. Only the PS VR2 or the Quest Pro almost completely seals off the outside – the latter, however, only with the complete light blocker add-on.

Not much has changed in terms of design compared to the Pico 4.
Source: Philipp Rüegg

Slightly sharper and faster

As with its predecessor, the display’s resolution is 2160 × 2160 pixels. The rendered resolution is 1920 × 1920 pixels and 62 per cent higher than that of the Pico 4, limited to 1550 × 1560 pixels. To make a direct comparison, I first installed Moss. The game featuring a cuddly little adventurous mouse looks a little sharper on the Pico 4 Ultra than on the Pico 4. Without this direct comparison, however, it’d be impossible for me to tell. With the Quest 3, the game looks equally good, but the field of vision is slightly larger. The headset has a 110-degree horizontal field of vision compared to 105 degrees for the two Pico glasses. In a game like Moss, with its diorama-like scenes, this is more noticeable than the slightly higher resolution.

In terms of contrast, all three are beaten by the PS VR2, which can now also be used on a PC with the right adapter. What’s more interesting for me is to compare games I stream from my PC to the headset.

VR headset comparison

	Pico 4 Ultra	Pico 4	Meta Quest 3	Playstation VR2
Lenses	Pancake	Pancake	Pancake	Fresnel
Display	LCD	LCD	LCD	OLED
Resolution	2160x2160 p	2160x2160 p	2046x2208 p	2000x2040 p
Refresh rate	90 Hz	90 Hz	120 Hz	120 Hz
Field of vision	105 °	105 °	110 °	110 °
Weight	580 g	586 g	515 g	560 g

The PS VR2 is the only headset with an OLED instead of an LCD display. And it shows. Only the former delivers black that’s truly black. This is particularly noticeable in dark scenes of which there are plenty in Half-Life: Alyx. Having said that, the Pico 4 Ultra also does a good job. Valve’s VR game also impresses with this headset. Games generally look crisp, and the colours are rich in contrast despite the LCD – albeit not at OLED level. The slightly higher resolution than the competition certainly helps with the sharp picture.

To compare performance, I installed The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners on the two Pico headsets. The zombies primarily give me a fright because of their pixelated appearance. Even though this is a VR game that runs on mobile glasses, the game doesn’t look very impressive. With the Pico 4 Ultra, the game’s slightly sharper and the picture flickers less. I didn’t notice any significant differences in loading time or other performance.

The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners doesn’t make the Pico 4 Ultra break a sweat.
Source: Philipp Rüegg

Please note that the selection of games on the Pico 4 Ultra is significantly smaller than on the Quest. The latter has some exclusive titles including Asgard’s Wrath, which’ll probably never be available for the Pico. Not to mention classics such as Beat Saber or Super Hot.

Virtual desktop and streaming

If you want to enjoy VR games in all their glory or mirror your Windows desktop, you need to start the Pico Connect app. As soon as it’s installed on the headset and the PC or Mac, all you need to do is press «connect» and you’re good to go. It all works wirelessly or via USB-C cable. You can use it to display a huge desktop, navigating it with the controllers, which work like a mouse. You can use them to scroll, move windows or open apps. But you can also continue to use your mouse and keyboard. To do this, you need to switch to transparency or passthrough mode so you can see your physical desk with all the devices through the headset.

With passthrough or immersive mode, as Pico calls it, I can see the outside world through the headset.
Source: Philipp Rüegg

Since I can’t type entirely without looking at the keyboard, I also have to rely on passthrough for that. The quality of my office as well as the display of my virtual desktop is clearly better than with the predecessor. However, text on the virtual desktop still flickers too much and looks grainy. Unlike the other devices, however, it can be read perfectly – although the quality’s not as good as the Quest 3. But it’s not pleasant to work with. Not even at the highest possible level of detail in the Connect app, that is. In addition to Ultra HD+, I’ve set the maximum bit rate to 150 Mbps and the maximum refresh rate to 90 Hz. Pico recommends an RTX 4090 or RX 7900 XTX for this, as your graphics card has a lot to calculate. While it was enough to write part of this text, it wasn’t pleasant.

I’ve no complaints about the latency. If it’s too high, this quickly leads to nausea. According to Pico, latency has been reduced by 2 milliseconds compared to its predecessor thanks to the new AV1 video codec. The higher the resolution and bit rate of a stream, the more noticeable the delays in transmission. I haven’t picked up on any delay with my PC setup, which still uses Wi-Fi 5. The Pico 4 Ultra even supports Wi-Fi 7, which should reduce latency even further.

I can display a PC desktop displayed together with various VR apps.
Source: Philipp Rüegg

What I haven’t managed, even with the help of Pico’s support, is to display several virtual desktops. I can only pin other Pico VR apps to my desktop. But I’d prefer to have more space for Windows apps.

That’s why I mainly use Pico Connect for playing PC VR games. If you already have the desktop in front of you, you can start Steam VR via the corresponding button above the window and start playing immediately.

More movement thanks to ankle cuffs

Pico included two motion trackers with the test sample they sent me. At launch, they’re included with the headset as part of a promotional offer. Otherwise, they cost 89 francs/euros when bought separately. I strap them on and connect them by briefly pressing the pairing buttons and the corresponding app. After that, I can use them in around 20 games and apps.

Pico offers optional motion sensors for your ankles
Source: Philipp Rüegg

I tried out the ankle trackers in Sports Adventure, a kind of fitness app and VR chat. With the fitness app, you can run and accelerate by trotting on the spot. It reminded me a lot of Ring Fit Adventure for the Switch, only that it’s not as much fun. In VR Chat, you can use the trackers to move the legs of your virtual avatar. It doesn’t serve much of a purpose, but it’s quite amusing and helps you immerse yourself in the virtual chat world. The motion trackers are fun for these types of gimmicks, but that’s about it. Wearing a VR headset is enough for me, and I don’t feel the need for any other accessories.

Verdict: solid VR glasses, but no must-have upgrade

If you’re looking for a new VR headset or are getting your first pair, the Pico 4 Ultra is definitely worth checking out. The display’s brighter than its predecessor and has a higher resolution than the Quest 3. The built-in chip can handle anything you throw at it and passthrough mode delivers much more detailed images. This comes in handy if you’re working with a virtual desktop, but the quality’s still too low to feel comfortable for long periods of time.

The headset’s much better suited for playing PC VR games. Its wireless connection is stable and is set up in no time. This also means you have significantly more games at your disposal. The selection in the Pico store is still unsatisfactory.

The Pico 4 Ultra felt relatively comfortable on my head, and I didn’t need to buy a better holder like I did with the Quest 3. Thanks to this and its lower weight, Meta’s headset’s still the most comfortable.

The motion sensors for your ankles are a nice (pricey) addition. However, there simply aren’t enough compatible games to make the purchase worthwhile. The Pico 4 Ultra, on the other hand, is a valid alternative to the Quest 3. But please note that the version with less memory is significantly cheaper. If you’re opposed to Meta and prefer to buy from TikTok’s parent company, you can do so without hesitation.

VR headsets

EUR589,99

Pico 4 Ultra

256 GB

accessories VR + AR

EUR111,71

Pico Motion Tracker/EU

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Philipp Rüegg

Senior Editor

Philipp.Rueegg@digitecgalaxus.ch

As a child, I wasn't allowed to have any consoles. It was only with the arrival of the family's 486 PC that the magical world of gaming opened up to me. Today, I'm overcompensating accordingly. Only a lack of time and money prevents me from trying out every game there is and decorating my shelf with rare retro consoles.

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