TikTok owner tipped to release Meta Quest 3 XR headset rival — what we know

It’s been a couple of years since the ByteDance-owned, XR company Pico released its Pico 4 VR headset which launched as a competitor the the Meta Quest 2.

However, it now appears that Pico is revving back up as it recently announced an August 20 launch event for a new  device. The new product is believed to be the Pico 4S (or in some areas the Pico 4 Ultra). 

Recently, regular tipster Steve Hemmerstoffer (OnLeaks on X), revealed a number of images that are purported to be the Pico 4S to Android Headlines.

Similar to the much rumored Meta Quest 3S, the Pico 4S will likley be a more budget-friendly headset with some improvements. The design in the images from OnLeaks also appears to be very similar to the current Pico 4.

It does look like it adds a stereoscopic set of cameras to the front glass though, which is most likely meant to improve the pass-through or mixed reality experience. 

The new headset will also come with hand controls that appear to have removed the loop but the pictures do show off a new wrist strap to keep the controllers close by instead of flung across the room. Otherwise, the controllers look unchanged. 

Previous leaks spotted by UploadVR had the Pico 4S passing through South Korea’s regulatory system and showed off some potential specs. The 4S version should feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chipset, up from the Gen 1 in the Pico 4 and will be paired with 12 GB of RAM. For comparison, the Meta Quest 3 features the XR2 Gen 2 but only has 8GB of RAM.

Currently, the Pico 4 utilizes a pair of 2.56-inch 2160 x 2160 LCD screens with a 90Hz refresh rate. However, we haven’t seen any news on whether or not the potential 4S will feature the same displays or an improvement. 

For some time the Pico 4 was mostly relegated to Europe and Asia, and it was supposed to come to the US last fall, however a last minute decision kept it off our shores. That said, you can purchase it from Amazon right now for $474.99. 

Pico may be caught up in the issues ByteDance is facing with TikTok and the US government’s decision to ban the social media platform, but that isn’t 100% clear.

Pico wouldn’t be the only Chinese manufacturer fighting against US bans. Just recently, the House of Representatives passed a ban on the sale DJI drones in the US. That bill has yet to make its way through the Senate, though that may change in September. Phone manufacturer Huawei has been effectively banned in the United States since 2019 when Trump was still president.

Still, social media company’s making headsets seems de rigueur at this point. Even Snapchat still has its Snapchat Spectacles. It’s surprising that Twitter, sorry X, doesn’t have a VR headset in the works, but then again, Elon Musk is out there trying to “end the woke mind virus.” He’s been busy.

More from Tom’s Guide