PICO 4: DESIGN

PICO 4: DESIGN

  • Weight is well balanced
  • Intuitive controls
  • No headphone jack

We really like the design of the Pico 4. While it’s not quite as comfy as the Meta Quest Pro it is a huge step up from the Oculus Quest 2 as it doesn't use the same front-loaded design. Instead, like the Meta Quest Pro, the Pico 4 spreads its weight across the headset – the display and main processor are on the front and its battery is placed at the back as part of the strap.

Along with its pancake lens optical setup – which is thinner than what the Quest 2 uses – we found that even though the Pico 4 is heavier than its Meta rival – coming in at 586g compared to 503g – it generally looks and feels less bulky.

The design isn’t quite perfect, though.

The first negative we noticed was that the face padding is covered in fabric rather than silicone – which is what the Quest 2 comes with. If you tend to work up a sweat in VR then you’ll want to purchase the Pico Sports Kit add-on to ensure your headset doesn’t soak up your face sweat.

There’s also no headphone jack. While we found the 360-degree spatial audio to be immersive and microphone quality solid, players might still want to upgrade the setup – especially if they want a more private experience. If you’re in that camp then you’ll need a pair of Bluetooth headphones that can connect wirelessly to the Pico 4.

A breakdown of the Pico 4's pancake lenses and displays (Image credit: Pico)

Because wired headphones tend to use less battery power than the device’s Bluetooth chip, being forced to use wireless headphones will have a larger impact on how long you can stay immersed.

As for the controllers, they have a distinct design but are functionally similar to what the Quest 2 offers. The only advantage is the tracking ring’s shape and position, which allow the controllers to get closer together before bumping into each other. This can help experiences feel a tad more immersive, though it’s by no means a game changer.

  • Design score: 4/5

https://www.techradar.com/

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