Category: Pico Interactive

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Pico Reportedly to Release ‘PICO 4S’ Headset, According to New Trademark & Leaked Controller Design

The Game Developer Conference (GDC) is coming up next week, which could give ByteDance’s XR subsidiary Pico Interactive a perfect opportunity to showcase what, according to a recent trademark and leaked controller model, could be its next standalone VR headset.

A post by X user and serial sleuth @Lunayian shows a 3D model scraped from the Pico Connect PC client, ostensibly showing off the right controller for the alleged Pico 4S.

These look similar to the alleged Pico 5 controllers leaked on Chinese social media in September 2023, which are notably different from the Pico 4 controllers, as they omit the Quest 2-style tracking IR rings.

Lunayian noted late last week that Pico has also already trademarked the name Pico 4S, a naming scheme that may suggest more of a hardware refresh of the Pico 4 headset, which launched in Asia and Europe in October 2022.

Still, a report from The Information late last year maintained that Pico was pulling the plug on its next consumer-focused Pico 5 VR headset in favor of competing with Apple’s $3,500 Vision Pro mixed reality headset.

At this point, it’s anyone’s guess what the company has planned in terms of a potential Pico 4S, Pico 5, or what some rumors suggest could also include a Pico 5 Pro Max.

Despite wide-reaching layoffs at Pico, the China-based headset creator is going to have it usual presence at GDC 2024, which takes place March 18th-22nd in San Francisco. We’ll be reporting on all things XR coming out of GDC, so make sure to check back soon for the latest in games and hardware.

The post Pico Reportedly to Release ‘PICO 4S’ Headset, According to New Trademark & Leaked Controller Design appeared first on Road to VR.

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Report: Pico Delayed GDC Announcement of Quest Competitor’s U.S. Launch Due to TikTok Congressional Hearing

Pico Interactive took to the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco this week with a massive booth, hyping the event as a “treat” that would be a “Journey to Infinity”. Strangely, there were no substantial announcements from the company there, however a report from The Verge now alleges Pico intentionally delayed its planned announcement of Pico 4’s US rollout due to increased pressure from US lawmakers on sister company TikTok.

Update (March 24th, 2023): The Verge’s senior editor Sean Hollister says in a brief report that a Pico employee told him the planned release of Pico 4 in the US was put on hold due to TikTok weathering a US congressional hearing this week. Both Pico and TikTok are owned by Chinese parent company ByteDance.

We’ve reached out to Pico for comment, and will update if/when we hear back. In the meantime, we’re labeling this a report since the company has yet to go on record. We’ve also included that information in the article below:

Pico, the creator of the Pico 4 standalone, is arguably one of the biggest untapped threats to Meta’s market supremacy in the consumer VR standalone segment. At least for now.

Owned by TikTok parent company ByteDance, many speculated that the China-based Pico was finally ready to announce the consumer launch of Pico 4 in the United States, a step that many (including us) have been waiting for following a US hiring spree last summer.

At the time, a Protocol report maintained the move would usher in “a major focus on content licensing as well as marketing its hardware to U.S. consumers.”

Image courtesy Pico

So, is Pico 4 coming to US consumers? We spoke to the company at GDC this week, and despite the flashy ‘save the date’ countdown to its ‘Journey to Infinity’ and a massive booth on the show floor, there’s simply nothing to report.

To boot, Pico’s Twitter presence isn’t very large—it has less than 10,000 followers at the time of this writing—but the initial countdown tweet promising to kick off “a new journey” managed to take the record for the company’s most-viewed tweet at more than 67,000 impressions. People were expecting something big from Pico at GDC, and it simply didn’t manifest.

But timing is everything, it seems. This week US lawmakers hauled in TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew to testify before congress in a bid to crack down on the ByteDance-owned video platform, emphasizing the platform’s harmful content to children and the spread of misinformation. Adding fuel to the fire with the US release of its VR products likely isn’t in ByteDance’s best interests right now.

Pico is probably the only company right now with both a capable device and the market stability to directly compete with Meta, the undisputed champion of the consumer standalone segment with Quest 2. Under the wing of the Chinese ByteDance media empire, Pico not only has the sort of cash reserves to subsidize hardware, but also a growing ability to attract developer interest.

Launched in October 2022 and priced at €420 (~$455), Pico 4 is available across Europe, China and a number of APAC countries, including Japan, Singapore, and South Korea. The missing puzzle piece is undoubtedly a North American release.

We have boots on the ground at GDC this week, so make sure to check back on all things AR/VR as we dive into developer sessions and see everything on the show floor.

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Report: TikTok Parent Lays Off Hundreds at VR Subsidiary Pico Interactive, Tencent Scraps VR Plans

TikTok parent company ByteDance is reportedly laying off what South China Morning Post maintains will be “hundreds of employees” working at its VR headset manufacturing subsidiary, Pico Interactive. A separate report from Reuters also maintains Chinese tech giant Tencent is scrapping its plans to release a VR headset.

According to two people with knowledge of the Pico layoffs, a substantial portion of the VR headset maker is expected to be affected. The report maintains that some teams will see as much as a 30 percent reduction, while some higher-level positions are also expected to be affected.

After being acquired by ByteDance in August 2021, Pico job postings revealed the company was making a sizable expansion into the US to presumably better compete with Meta on its home turf.

Shortly afterwards, the China-based company then released its latest standalone headset, Pico 4, in Europe and Asia to consumers. Seen a direct competitor to Meta Quest 2, Pico 4 still isn’t officially sold in the US; the headset is currently only available across Japan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, and most countries in Europe.

It was also reported by Chinese tech outlet 36Kr that Tencent, the massive Chinese multinational, was disbanding it 300-person strong XR unit. The company has since refuted this claim with Reuters, stating instead it will be making adjustments to some business teams as development plans for XR hardware had changed.

Citing sources familiar with the restructuring, Reuters reports that Tencent is abandoning plans to release a VR headset due to a sobering economic outlook.

This follows a widening trend of layoffs which have affected nearly every big name in tech, including Google, Meta, Amazon, and Microsoft. Microsoft recently announced it was shuttering its social VR platform AltspaceVR in addition to its XR interface framework, Mixed Reality Toolkit. Meanwhile, Microsoft has also had trouble fulfilling its end of a US defense contract which uses its HoloLens AR headset as the basis of a tactical AR headset.

It was also revealed late last year that Meta was planning to cut discretionary spending and extend its hiring freeze through the first quarter, alongside a layoff which affected nearly 11,000 employees, or around 13 percent of its overall workforce.

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The VR Job Hub: Pico Interactive, Cloudhead Games & Leia Inc.

Welcome to another VR Job Hub where every weekend gmw3 gathers together vacancies from across the virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR) and now Web3 industries, in locations around the globe to help make finding that ideal job easier. Below is a selection of roles that are currently accepting applications across a number of disciplines, all within departments and companies that focus on immersive entertainment.

Location Company Role Link
Mountain View, CA Pico Interactive Game Operation Manager, Pico Studios Click Here to Apply
Seattle, WA Pico Interactive Head of Overseas Content Eco System, Pico Studios Click Here to Apply
Mountain View, CA Pico Interactive Display Architect (MicroLEDs) Click Here to Apply
Mountain View, CA Pico Interactive Head of Consumer Sales Click Here to Apply
Mountain View, CA Pico Interactive Operation Manager Click Here to Apply
Mountain View, CA Pico Interactive Head of VR Game Strategy – Pico Studios Click Here to Apply
Mountain View, CA Pico Interactive User Researcher VR – Pico Studios Click Here to Apply
Mountain View, CA Pico Interactive Optical Design Engineer Click Here to Apply
Mountain View, CA Pico Interactive Head of Pico Studios Click Here to Apply
Mountain View, CA Pico Interactive Color Scientist Click Here to Apply
Mountain View, CA Pico Interactive Business Development Manager – Games Click Here to Apply
Mountain View, CA Pico Interactive Tech Lead Manager, Product Design Click Here to Apply
Mountain View, CA Pico Interactive Enterprise Marketing Manager Click Here to Apply
Seattle, WA Pico Interactive Haptic UX Prototyper Click Here to Apply
Seattle, WA Pico Interactive Haptic Software Engineer Click Here to Apply
Seattle, WA Pico Interactive Haptic Hardware Scientist Click Here to Apply
Seattle, WA Pico Interactive Haptic Controls Engineer Click Here to Apply
Seattle, WA Pico Interactive Haptic Research Scientist (Perception & Interactions) Click Here to Apply
Mountain View, CA Pico Interactive Imaging Display Architect Click Here to Apply
Mountain View, CA Pico Interactive Optical Design Engineer Click Here to Apply
Mountain View, CA Pico Interactive Vision Scientist Click Here to Apply
Mountain View, CA Pico Interactive Perceptual Imaging Architect Click Here to Apply
Vancouver, Canada/Remote Cloudhead Games Lead Engineer Click Here to Apply
Vancouver, Canada/Remote Cloudhead Games Gameplay Engineer Click Here to Apply
Menlo Park, CA Leia Inc. Display Optical Engineer Click Here to Apply
Menlo Park, CA Leia Inc. Display Optical Metrology Engineer Click Here to Apply
Menlo Park, CA Leia Inc. Field Solution Engineer Click Here to Apply
Menlo Park, CA/Remote Leia Inc. Principle Graphics Engineer Click Here to Apply
Menlo Park, CA Leia Inc. Procurement Technician Click Here to Apply
Menlo Park, CA Leia Inc. Senior Software Engineer – Unreal SDK & Tools Click Here to Apply

Don’t forget, if there wasn’t anything that took your fancy this week there are always last week’s listings on The VR Job Hub to check as well.

If you are an employer looking for someone to fill an immersive technology-related role – regardless of the industry – don’t forget you can send us the lowdown on the position and we’ll be sure to feature it in that following week’s feature. Details should be sent to Peter Graham (community@gmw3.com).

We’ll see you next week on gmw3 at the usual time of 3PM (UK) for another selection of jobs from around the world.

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ByteDance Expanding Pico Interactive’s VR Plans Into the US

May saw Pico Interactive finally take its first steps out of the consumer market in Asia with a limited release of the Neo3 Link headset in Europe. Up until this point, Pico had only focused on enterprise customers globally. Now the company is looking towards the US market as job listings on ByteDance’s website show a range of positions available across the West Coast.

Pico Neo 3 Link
Image credit: Pico Interactive

First spotted by Protocol, there are more than 40 vacancies ByteDance is looking to fill for Pico Interactive’s expansion. With the website saying ByteDance has: ““tons of money” for VR games and experiences”, the listings mainly focus on the San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle and San Diego.

Looking to fund lots of new content through Pico Studios, positions available include Head of Pico Studios, Head of VR Game Strategy, Head of Consumer Sales, Head of Overseas Content Ecosystem and an Operation Manager. There are also plenty of engineering roles across systems, optics, and other disciplines.

While nothing official has been announced regarding a consumer launch in the US, Pico Interactive is certainly looking to increase its presence there to compete with Meta. The Pico Neo3 Link is seen as one of the very few competitors to the Meta Quest 2, sporting a very similar specification list and videogame library. Titles such as SUPERHOT VR, Puzzling Places, After the Fall, Walkabout Mini Golf, Elven Table Tennis, and Demeo are all natively supported by the device which is also compatible with StereamVR.

Pico Neo3 Link

Nothing is likely to happen in the US until Pico has completed its European role out. Pico has continually said that the European release of Neo3 Link is a “beta Launch”, where only one headset can be purchased per customer. The headset is available in Germany (where the Quest 2 isn’t available), France, Spain, The Netherlands and now the UK for £399 GBP.

Whether ByteDance and Pico can compete with Meta is another question entirely, with the latest IDC figures putting Meta Quest 2 sales at nearly 15 million. Attracting more developers, as well as funding original content, might help Pico but the Neo3 Link’s biggest draw could be not having to connect it to a social network.

As Pico Interactive reveal further details, gmw3 will keep you informed.

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ByteDance’s Pico Interactive is Expanding to the U.S. to Compete with Meta

Pico Interactive has recently taken a significant step outside of Asia with the release of its Neo 3 Link in European consumer markets, a €450 standalone headset that hopes to compete with Meta’s Quest 2. Now Pico is aiming its sights on the US market too, as Protocol reports the China-based company has posted several US-based jobs there.

Pico, a subsidiary of TikTok parent ByteDance, is assembling a team on the US West Coast, which Protocol says has “a major focus on content licensing as well as marketing its hardware to U.S. consumers.”

ByteDance is also ostensibly courting VR developers, and is reportedly willing to splash “tons of money” for VR games and experiences, Protocol reports.

According to ByteDance’s job portal, there’s currently over said 40 job listings for Pico positions in the Bay Area, Seattle and San Diego, with many looking to fill positions related to the company’s AR/VR content producer, Pico Studios.

Listings include a head of Pico Studios, head of VR Game Strategy, head of Overseas Content Ecosystem, and operations manager. Technical roles related to VR hardware and software development and R&D are also on offer.

Image courtesy Pico Interactive

This isn’t really such a big surprise. Pico stated in October 2021 that it would put greater emphasis on its fleet of Neo 3 headsets outside of China, as they would be “built for businesses [and] be available in the West, including North America and Europe,” the company said then. This was only two months after the ByteDance acqusition which saw Pico go for a reported ¥5 billion RMB (~$775 million) sales price.

Late last month, Pico launched Neo 3 Link in Europe, a headset which straddles the PC VR and standalone headset segments by offering built-in PC streaming over either Wi-Fi 6, or tethered DisplayPort connection.

To attract consumers, the company has essentially feature-matched a few notable Quest 2 specs with its Neo 3 Link, such as its Qualcomm XR2 chipset and ability to tether to a PC to play SteamVR content, albeit through DP 1.4 and not Quest 2’s USB-C. It also features a standard 256 GB storage and a 5,300 mAh battery located in the headset’s strap, the latter of which is similar to Quest 2’s Elite Battery Strap in terms of balance and ergonomics—at no added price.

Moreover, Pico Neo 3 Link supports a number of standalone VR games including SUPERHOT VR, Puzzling Places, After the Fall, Walkabout Mini Golf, Elven Table Tennis, and Demeo. If ByteDance is truly throwing “tons of money” at VR developers to bring their games to the Neo 3 platform, it would essentially represent the biggest overt push by a company to break the Meta market monopoly on consumer VR standalones.

It’s not certain whether Pico would indeed launch its Neo 3 Link in the US, as it may well be using the European market to test out general sentiment. Still, the headset is currently listed at $400 on the Neo 3 Link order page, which is the same price as a commensurately speced Quest 2. The company has insisted it hasn’t launched into the US consumer market yet though, so that price may not include taxes or import duties, so we’ll need to take it with a grain of salt for now until Pico makes its next move towords Meta’s home turf.

The post ByteDance’s Pico Interactive is Expanding to the U.S. to Compete with Meta appeared first on Road to VR.

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Quest 2 Rival Pico Neo3 Link Officially on Sale in Select EU Countries

Last month Chinese virtual reality (VR) headset manufacturer Pico Interactive announced that it was finally going to compete in the consumer market, releasing the Pico Neo3 Link this month. That day has finally come, with the standalone headset now available for sale in Germany, France, Spain and The Netherlands.

Pico Neo 3 Link
Image credit: Pico Interactive

Pico is labelling the launch as a “beta”, limiting both the territories it is available in as well as only allowing customers to purchase one Neo3 Link. Retailing for €449 EUR, the device offers both standalone and PC VR connection capabilities, so owners can either download content off the Pico Store or play their SteamVR games. When connecting to a PC customers have the choice of using a cable (a 5m (16-foot) DisplayPort cable is included) and the Pico Link software or going down the wireless route using the in-built WiFi6.

“We are incredibly excited about the beta launch of the Neo3 Link. The feedback from the VR community at the Laval Virtual show was outstanding – VR fans are really hot for our high-performance headset,” said Leland Hedges, General Manager of Pico in Europe in a statement. “As part of our beta program, we will also be providing regular software updates and working closely with our beta community to optimize the VR experience.”

Pico Neo3 Link sports a Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 chipset, boasting a 4K level resolution (1,832 x 1,920 per eye) and a 90/120Hz refresh rate. Four front-facing cameras provide the 6DoF tracking and controller/hand tracking, there’s a 3-stage adjustable IPD, 6GB of RAM, 256GB of onboard storage, and a rear-mounted 5300mAh battery for better weight distribution.

Pico Neo 3 Link
Image credit: Pico Interactive
  •                  Germany [€449 Euro, including VAT]: BestWare | VR Expert
  •                  France [€449 Euro, including VAT]: Matts Digital | VR Experts
  •                  Spain [€449 Euro, including VAT]: XR Shop
  •                  The Netherlands [€449 Euro, including VAT]: VR Expert
  •                  UK [£399 GBP, including VAT]: SystemActive 

The UK release of Pico Neo3 Link hasn’t been given a date just yet although it was previously reported this could take place in June.

For the first time, the release of Pico Neo3 Link offers European VR gamers a viable alternative to the dominant Meta Quest 2 – especially in Germany where the headset isn’t sold. Neo3 Link has a similar feature set to Quest 2, it just lacks the Quest’s exclusive lineup of titles.

Gmw3 will continue its coverage of Pico Interactive, reporting back with further updates.

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Pico Neo 3 Link Releases for €450 in Europe with Hopes of Competing with Quest 2

Pico Interactive primarily targets enterprise users outside of China, however now the company has taken a significant step into European consumer market, as it’s officially launched its new Neo 3 variant there, Pico Neo 3 Link, which features both standalone and PC-tethered capability.

Update (May 25th, 2022): Pico announced the news in a tweet yesterday, seen below:

The headset is selling in Europe for €450, however the Neo 3 Link order page also indicates the device can be pre-ordered for shipment to the US, priced at $415, as well as other countries outside of Europe. We’ve reached out to Pico to see whether this pricing and availability is official, and will update here soon.

The original article follows below:

Original Article (April 13th, 2022): Called Neo 3 Link, the headset is aiming to straddle the PC VR and standalone headset segments by offering built-in PC streaming over either Wi-Fi 6, or tethered DisplayPort connection. It’s ostensibly the same hardware as the Pico Neo 3 Pro, albeit targeted at consumers.

For now, the company is pitching the headset as a kind of consumer beta, asking early adopters in Europe to help them improve the Pico Store, payment system, social… everything a company needs to compete with Meta in the realm of consumer standalone VR.

Image courtesy Pico Interactive

Pico says it’s launching pre-orders for Neo 3 Link starting April 15th in a number of European countries—coming first to Germany, France, Spain and the Netherlands, priced at €450. Pre-orders end May 23rd.

Neo 3 Link is also coming to the UK starting in June at £400, with other European markets added at monthly intervals. That’s exact price parity with an equally equipped Meta Quest 2—not counting the ‘Elite’ style strap that Quest users have to buy extra.

“In Asia, Pico is already the leading provider of consumer VR headsets in China and will bring the beta program to new markets such as Japan and Korea. Pico will target VR fans and gamers with its new Link headset; users will participate in a unique beta program where feedback informs future product development,” Pico says in a press statement.

In addition to being able to play SteamVR titles over Wi-Fi 6 or tethered DisplayPort, the company says its native standalone Pico Store features over 200 VR apps such as SUPERHOT VR, Puzzling Places, After the Fall, Walkabout Mini Golf, Elven Table Tennis, and Demeo.

Pico Neo 3 Link Specs

  • Display: 5.5-inch SFR TFT at 3,664 x 1,920 (773 PPI), refresh rate of up to 90Hz
  • Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2
  • Memory: 6GB RAM
  • Storage: 256GB
  • Connection: Wi-Fi 6, DisplayPort (DP Link cable included)
  • Sensors: 4 room-scale 6DOF sensors
  • Controllers: standard ‘Touch’ button layout, optically tracked
  • Hygiene: replaceable PU face pad with antifouling coating

The post Pico Neo 3 Link Releases for €450 in Europe with Hopes of Competing with Quest 2 appeared first on Road to VR.

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Pico Enters European VR Consumer Market With the €449 Neo 3 Link

Up until now, Pico Interactive has kept to a clear divide, selling its virtual reality (VR) headsets as consumer devices in China whilst outside its home territory the devices are enterprise-focused. Today, as part of Laval Virtual 2022 taking place in France this week, the headset manufacturer has announced the Pico Neo 3 Link, a consumer device coming to select European countries.

Pico Neo 3 Link
Image credit: Pico Interactive

Pico Neo 3 Link is part of a beta programme to target VR fans and gamers interested in immersive technology, with customers able to provide feedback to Pico so it can improve its products. To begin with, the headset will be sold in Germany, France, Spain and The Netherlands at specific retailers for €449 EUR with other European markets coming later. Currently, the UK is listed as June (£399.99 GBP from SystemActive) whilst Pico also has plans to bring the headset to Japan and Korea.

Inside, the Pico Neo 3 Link looks to feature the exact same specifications as the Neo 3 Pro. It’s an all-in-one (AIO) headset powered by Qualcomm’s XR2 chipset, packing a 5.5-inch SFR TFT display with a resolution of 3,664 x 1,920 pixels (773 PPI and a 90Hz refresh rate). There’s 6GB of RAM, 256GB of onboard storage, inside-out tracking, a rear-mounted 5300mAh battery for better weight distribution and comfort, plus full SteamVR compatibility.

Pico has its own store featuring popular VR title like SUPERHOT VR, Puzzling Places, After the Fall, Walkabout Mini Golf, Elven Table Tennis, and Demeo. You can connect to a PC wirelessly using Wi-Fi 6 or tethered to access all of those SteamVR games.

Pico Neo 3 Link
Image credit: Pico Interactive

“We are democratizing VR across Europe with local content and unique entertainment experiences. Pico will bring the joy of discovery and whimsy to VR by being a more open and more adventurous platform for creators, developers, and VR fanatics,” said Leland Hedges, General Manager of Pico Interactive in Europe in a statement. “If you are a true believer and you want to own a piece of VR history, come join the Pico beta program.”

Access to Pico Neo 3 Link will be limited, to begin with, with headsets restricted to one per customer. Pre-orders start from 15th April and run through until 23rd May.

The news will likely be of interest to anyone looking for a viable alternative to Meta Quest 2’s dominance of the VR market, especially in Germany where the headset isn’t sold.

For continued updates on the Pico Neo 3 Link, keep reading gmw3.

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Accessorise Your Pico Neo 3 With Ultraleap’s new Hand Tracking Addon

One of the definitive leaders in hand tracking technology is Ultraleap, with its tech integrated into devices such as Varjo’s headsets or available as a third-party accessory. It’s the latter that Ultraleap is announcing today, bringing hand tracking to Pico Interactive’s Neo 3 Pro and Pro Eye headsets.

Pico Neo 3 Pro with Ultraleap Hand Tracking
Image credit: Pico Interactive

As you can see in the image above, the setup consists of an Ultraleap Stereo IR 170 camera inside a bespoke mount, with a power cable running to the Pico Neo 3’s USB-C socket. The setup will then run Ultraleap’s fifth-generation hand tracking software Gemini, with Unity and Unreal platforms supported for developers.

The Ultraleap Hand Tracking Accessory won’t be sold as an individual unit it seems for current Neo 3 Pro and Pro Eye owners to upgrade to. It’ll be sold as a new bundle with one of the aforementioned headsets (Gemini coming pre-installed) through select retailers, available now in early access for developers and enterprise customers. An official launch will then take place this summer, with prices yet to be revealed.

“VR for training is on the cusp of mainstream adoption and we truly believe hand tracking plays an important part in tipping it over the edge. We’re already seeing significant wins from customers who have deployed VR training programmes or LBE experiences with hand tracking,” said Matt Tullis, VP, XR at Ultraleap in a statement. “This first phase of the Pico relationship will mean more developers and organisations will be able to test, pilot and refine their applications to unlock the true power of VR now and deploy at scale in a few months.”

Pico Neo 3 Pro Eye

“We’re very excited to bring Ultraleap hand tracking to our latest VR headsets through this accessory. When applications need the highest performing hand tracking for complex interactions or challenging environments, Ultraleap’s hand tracking really is world-class. We can’t wait to see what developers and organisations will create from this joint effort,” adds Leland Hedges, GM for Pico Interactive Europe.

Hand tracking has been gaining ground of late, featuring in devices like the HTC Vive Focus 3 whilst the upcoming Lynx-R1 utilises hand tracking (Ultraleap’s again) as its default input method. And, of course, let’s not forget about Meta Quest 2 which supports hand tracking out the box with titles like Cubism, Vacation Simulator and Clash of Chef’s VR all adding hand tracking updates.

gmw3 will continue its coverage of hand tracking as further announcements are made.