pico neo 3 – Page 2 – Augmented & Virtual Reality Confabulation

August 26, 2021

TikTok Owner Considering Buying VR Headset Maker Pico – Report

ByteDance, the owner of social video platform TikTok, may be about to acquire VR headset maker, Pico.

Bloomberg cites “a person familiar with the matter” in saying the Chinese giant is in talks with Pico about a potential acquisition. These talks are reportedly ongoing, with a final decision yet to be made. We’ve reached out to Pico to confirm the report.

Pico Acquisition On The Way?

The report surfaces at an interesting time for Pico. For years, the headset maker has produced a range of standalone VR devices for various markets. Most recently it launched the Pico Neo 3, a 6 degrees of freedom (6DOF) headset with similar specs to Facebook’s Oculus Quest 2, including the Snapdragon XR2 chipset.

But, while the Neo 3 has an impressive line-up of games, the consumer version of the device is only launching in China. North America and Europe, meanwhile, get the enterprise-focused Neo 3 Pro and Neo 3 Pro Eye with eye-tracking. Earlier this year the company told us there are no plans to launch a consumer version of the Neo 3 outside of China at this time.

What the report doesn’t disclose is what ByteDance might want with Pico should an acquisition go ahead. Could we expect to see Pico double down on its consumer focus in Asia? Or might it represent a chance for the company to expand those operations into other regions to give the Quest 2 some much-needed competition? We’ll have to wait and see for now.

May 12, 2021

Pico’s Asia-Only Neo 3 Has A Great Software Line-Up

The Pico Neo 3 is launching with a software line-up that could have made it a genuine contender for the Oculus Quest. Sadly, the device isn’t coming to the west.

Earlier this week Pico hosted a conference to announce the launch of the Neo 3 along with two enterprise-level devices that will be coming to North America and Europe. The company also revealed an encouraging line-up of games for the consumer iteration.

Images from the event confirm that popular titles like Superhot VR, Apex Construct, Red Matter, Eleven Table Tennis, Synth Riders and Contractors are all coming to the device. Meanwhile, over on Twitter, the company’s banner image also suggests games like Tsuro and Fujii will hit the platform. The line-up builds on the momentum the company started with the Neo 2 Lite, which also featured Superhot.

All of these titles also appear on Facebook’s Oculus Quest and Quest 2. The Neo 3 is actually a very similar device, packing the same Qualcomm XR2 chip and even redesigned controllers that look quite similar to the Oculus Touch controllers.

Unsurprisingly, the headset’s missing Facebook-owned hits like Beat Saber, Echo VR and Onward (which came under the Facebook umbrella just a few weeks ago).

It is encouraging to see others launch standalone VR ecosystems with quality content, even if the Neo 3 won’t be launching in the US and Europe. There’s a lot of talk about which company might be able to offer competition in the standalone space right now – HTC yesterday announced another enterprise-only standalone, the Vive Focus 3, while Sony’s new VR headset will be linked to the PS5 console. Rumors persist about Apple VR, which might challenge Facebook’s position from 2022.

May 11, 2021

Pico Announces Neo 3 Pro, Neo 3 Pro Eye For Enterprise Market

Pico Interactive announced two new headsets this week — the Pico Neo 3 Pro and the Pico Neo 3 Pro Eye, both aimed at an enterprise market and available soon in North America and Europe.

The two new headsets follow from the launch of the standard consumer-focused Pico Neo 3 headset last month, which is available exclusively in China. Pico promised that headsets aimed at an enterprise market would follow, and the Neo 3 Pro and Neo 3 Pro Eye are just that.

Like the Neo 3, they are both powered by the Snapdragon XR2 platform and now feature optical 6DoF controller tracking, as opposed to the electromagnetic controller seen in the Neo 2 Pro and Neo 2 Pro Eye. Both headsets feature a single 5.5″ display, with a resolution of 3664 x 1920 and a 90Hz refresh rate. The field of view (FOV) on both headsets is ever so slightly lower than the last generation, down to 98 from 101 in the Neo 2 headsets. However, while the Neo 2 generation had a fixed IPD, the Neo 3 Pro and Neo 3 Pro Eye offer adjustable IPD settings at 58mm, 63.5mm and 69mm.

Just like the standard Neo 3 model, both the Pro and the Pro Eye feature upgraded WiFi 6 capabilities, along with improved guardian support thanks to the increase to 4 cameras from only 2 last generation. The Neo 2 headsets only supported a 3x3m guardian, but the Neo 3 Pro and Pro Eye now support a 10x10m space.

Continuing the partnership from the Neo 2 generation, the Neo 3 Pro Eye will feature built-in eye-tracking capabilities from Tobii.

Both headsets offer DisplayPort and NVIDIA’s Direct Mode support, which promises streaming of PC VR content at 4K 90Hz via Pico VR Streaming when connected to a VR-ready computer via DisplayPort.

In terms of pricing, the Neo 3 Pro sits at $699 USD and the Neo 3 Pro Eye at $899 USD. Both headsets will be available to pre-order soon for enterprise customers on the Pico Interactive website.

May 10, 2021October 1, 2021

Pico Launches Neo 3 Pro & Neo 3 Pro Eye, Serving up Strong Competition to Oculus & HTC

Pico Interactive’s next generation headsets—the Pico Neo 3 Pro and 3 Pro Eye—are now shipping to businesses worldwide, and they’re looking to undercut both Oculus and HTC by offering a pretty appealing set of specs at one of the lowest prices we’ve seen targeted at enterprise.

Update (October 1st, 2021): Pico launched Neo 3 Pro and Neo 3 Pro Eye, and it’s set to offer strong competition to Oculus Quest 2 Business Edition ($800) and HTC Vive Focus 3 ($1,300).

The new headsets, respectively priced at $700 and $900, include a battery strap similar to Oculus’ Elite Battery Strap for better comfort and longer battery life.

MRTV’s Sebastian Ang got to go hands-on with Pico Neo 3 Pro, and goes through a full unboxing and his impressions, which seem pretty favorable. If you’re short on time, jump to the 7-minute mark for Ang’s hands-on.

The original article announcing Neo 3 Pro and the Pro Eye variant follows below, including hardware specs.

Original Article (May 10th, 2021): Pico says these follow-up devices are “built for businesses and will be available in the West, including North America and Europe.” The company is also releasing them in China as well.

Pico says both Neo 3 Pro and Neo 3 Pro Eye will be available to enterprise sometime in Q3 2021, and they will be made available for pre-order on the Pico Neo website for $699 and $899 respectively. In China, its consumer Pico Neo 3 is coming in three flavors, priced locally at the US dollar equivalent of $390, $420, and $470.

As the name would suggest, its Neo 3 Pro Eye includes sensors for eye tracking; like in Neo 2 Eye, the eye tracking hardware is being provided by Tobii, the Sweden-based company known for integrating its tech into Vive Pro Eye, HP VR Reverb G2 Omnicept Edition, and more.

“Both 6DoF models were built for the enterprise and are powered by the Snapdragon XR2 Platform,” the company says in a press statement. “The headsets have a single 5.5 [inch] display with 3,664 × 1,920 resolution, a PPI of 773 and up to 90Hz refresh rate. With safety of utmost importance, the headsets also have a replaceable PU sterilizable face cushion that’s hygienic and washable.”

Much like Facebook’s Quest hardware, both Neo 3 headsets include two optically-tracked motion controllers and four head-mounted camera sensors.

The Pico Neo 3 Pro and Neo 3 Pro Eye are also slated to tether to PCs via NVIDIA’s Direct Mode, which lets the DisplayPort supported headsets to provide native 4K@90Hz wired connection for Pico VR Streaming.

Pico says all of its Neo 3 headsets will also support NVIDIA CloudXR too, which lets you wirelessly stream VR content via 5G and WiFi networks.

The post Pico Launches Neo 3 Pro & Neo 3 Pro Eye, Serving up Strong Competition to Oculus & HTC appeared first on Road to VR.

May 10, 2021

Pre-order Enterprise-Ready Pico Neo 3 Starting from $699

Excitement might be building for HTC Vive’s upcoming headset announcements tomorrow but before then Pico Interactive has just officially announced its new headsets for the western market, the Neo 3 Pro and Neo 3 Pro Eye. Both designed for business customers, they’re now available for pre-ordering with a launch taking place later in 2021.

While the standard Pico Neo 3 is a consumer-only headset exclusively available in China, the Neo 3 Pro and Neo 3 Pro Eye are very much enterprise solutions. They both feature 6 degrees of tracking (6DoF) and have the Snapdragon XR2 platform under the hood with 256GB of internal storage. There’s a single 5.5″ display with 3664×1920 resolution (boasting 773PPI) and a 90Hz refresh rate. Due to the assumption they’ll be used by multiple people in an office both headsets also have a replaceable PU face cushion that’s hygienic and easily washable.

As the Pico Neo 3 line now features four cameras the tracking and guardian system have been improved so they’re more robust for commercial use cases. In turn, the controllers have received a major overhaul to make use of the 6DoF tracking. Just like the Neo 2, the Neo 3 products retain the rear-mounted battery to help counterbalance the headset. It’s a 5300mAh battery which should be good for 3-3.5 hours of use.

Of course, the Pico Neo 3 Eye also has built-in Tobii eye-tracking which is ideal for companies looking to bolster analytics. That can be for understanding customer behaviour, enhancing training efficiency, or improving productivity for example.

Pico Neo 3 Pro Back — Pico Neo 3 Pro. Image credit: Pico Interactive

The Pico Neo 3 Pro and Neo 3 Eye are standalone devices but they do support NVIDIA’s Direct Mode via DisplayPort and come supplied DisplayPort connectors and cables. Using this mode the headsets are able to provide native 4K at 90Hz using Pico VR Streaming. Additionally, they support NVIDIA CloudXR to stream VR wirelessly across 5G and WiFi networks.

“Business needs are constantly evolving due to the changing landscape all industries are finding themselves in due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Henry Zhou, CEO of Pico Interactive in a statement. “For the Neo 3 line, we implemented the latest technologies to meet the ever-changing demands of the enterprise. For instance, as hybrid and remote work continues, more companies are seeking remote collaboration solutions, like Pico Interactive’s VR headsets with tools and applications available through our software partners, to allow employees to increase productivity and sales to boost revenue. From training firefighters to decreasing the impact of social isolation on seniors to measuring brain health, Pico’s headsets are now being used in a wide range of industries.

The Pico Neo 3 Pro and Neo 3 Eye are available for enterprise customers to pre-order now, retailing for $699 USD and $899 respectively. Both will then be made available in Q3 2021. For further updates from Pico Interactive, keep reading VRFocus.

April 13, 2021

Pico Neo 3 Includes Snapdragon XR2, Optical Controllers And Physical IPD Adjustment

Pico Interactive revealed the specifications for its Neo 3 headset and it is looking a lot like Oculus Quest 2 minus Facebook.

However, the headset is being pitched only to consumers in Asia.

The new headset is pitched as running the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 platform with a switch to optical controller tracking. The earlier Pico Neo 2 featured electromagnetic tracking that worked to accurately track controller position even when it was held behind your back. Optical tracking, meanwhile, is the type of tracking used on Oculus Quest 2 which loses tracking sometimes when held in unusual positions outside the view of the cameras. Pico Neo 3 also includes WiFi 6, according to the company. Pico says it will offer an enterprise version of the device in late summer 2021 that will be targeted toward professional markets outside Asia.

Pico Neo 3 includes four wide-angle cameras with a “curved screen” and 90hz visuals, according to the company, along with three settings for the distance between your eyes. The back of the headset includes a counterbalance for increased comfort. There’s a handful of apps for Oculus Quest that have made the jump to Pico’s platform. That was before Facebook started requiring your real identity used in associated with its headsets, however, and we’re curious to see if this updated Neo 3 convinces any developers to bring their products over to a competing headset with similar specifications. Pico recently announced a publishing effort to help developers release content on the company’s headsets in Asia.

We’re expecting new hardware reveals from HTC in May and next week Facebook is hosting an event related to new games on its platform.

April 13, 2021

Pico Neo 3 Specs Include WiFi 6, Snapdragon XR2 & More

Whether its content or hardware, there’s plenty going on in the virtual reality (VR) industry at the moment. Pico Interactive confirmed in March that a third-gen Pico Neo was on the way, followed by the first image of the all-in-one (AIO) headset last week. Today, Pico Interactive has shared another image and more importantly a few specifications for the Pico Neo 3.

Getting a nice side profile of the standalone headset the company has clearly gone for a rigid strap design, no headphones so the audio is piped through the arm and a fairly chunky rear head-mount to ensure the device isn’t going anywhere.

As for the specifications, the Pico Neo 3 will be the company’s flagship headset built on the Snapdragon XR2 Platform featuring WiFi 6 – so it’ll be more than capable of streaming immersive content – four wide-angle cameras which Pico claims offers “true millimeter-level positioning and tracking,” and physical IPD adjustment with three settings. With the new camera tracking system, Pico Neo 3 will come with 6DoF controllers – with 32 tracking sensors – for an improved user experience as well as the ability to work in a “low-texture environment and bright or dark settings.”

The AIO headset has an updated curved screen for a sleeker form factor, a 90Hz refresh rate for smooth gameplay, and it’ll be made with all-PU material, so it should be easy to wipe down and keep clean. Currently, a price and release date have yet to be confirmed. However, Pico Interactive has already stated the Pico Neo 3 with these specs is purely for the Asian consumer market, it won’t be sold in the West as a rival to Oculus Quest 2. As with Pico’s previous devices, the Pico Neo 3 will only be sold outside of Asia as an enterprise model, slated to arrive this summer.

“These innovative product developments follow our B and B+ funding rounds earlier this year. From our new optical controller-tracking solution to complex environment positioning, the Neo 3 is building off of the Neo 2 to offer the latest technology to give users an amazing, immersive experience,” said Henry Zhou, CEO of Pico Interactive in a statement. “Between the Pico Neo 3 headset’s state-of-the-art-technology and Pico’s new publishing division – Pico Studios – developers have the tools to get even more creative with the apps and games they create.”

From the brief spec revealed, the Pico Neo 3 is shaping up to be an interesting headset and one that could dominate its home market. Elsewhere, the upcoming Vivecon 2021 event could offer another VR alternative. For further Pico Interactive updates, keep reading VRFocus.

April 13, 2021

Pico Neo 3 Spezifikationen enthüllt

Mit der Pico Neo 3 wird in Asien am 10. Mai eine neue VR-Brille erscheinen, die ähnliche Eigenschaften wie die Oculus Quest 2 bieten soll. Nun sind auch die ersten Spezifikationen der Brille bekannt.

Pico Neo 3 Spezifikationen enthüllt

Die Pico Neo 3 wird auf einen Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Chipset setzen. Dieser wird auch von Oculus und Facebook in der Oculus Quest 2 verbaut. Ebenso teilen sich beide Produkte eine Bildwiederholrate von 90Hz, vier Kameras für das Tracking und drei Stufen für die Anpassung der Linsen an den eigenen Pupillenabstand. Hier die Spezifikationen der Pico Neo 3 in der Übersicht:

Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 chipset
WiFi 6 antenna
optical controllers with embedded tracking sensors
three physical IPD adjustments
four wide-angle cameras providing “millimeter-level” positioning and tracking
curved screen clocked at 90Hz refresh

Die Pico Neo 3 wird zunächst ausschließlich in Asien für Konsumenten erscheinen. In Europa wird sich Pico mit der Neo 3 auf den B2B-Markt konzentrieren.

(Quelle: Road to VR)

Der Beitrag Pico Neo 3 Spezifikationen enthüllt zuerst gesehen auf VR∙Nerds. VR·Nerds am Werk!

April 8, 2021

Pico Neo 3 Is A VR Standalone With Quest-Like Controllers Coming To Asia Soon

Pico Interactive’s next headset is the Pico Neo 3, and it looks a lot closer to the Oculus Quest.

Last month Pico announced a new investment round and confirmed plans to release a third entry in its Neo series of standalone headsets in 2021. This week the company posted a teaser image of the device on its Weibo page, announcing a May 10th product launch at a Beijing conference. There are no announced plans to bring the headset outside of Asia at this time.

Pico Neo 3 Teased

The post includes a teaser image of the device. The headset itself looks somewhat similar to the Neo 2 with more rounded edges, but you can also spot a new camera to the top left of the device along with another closer to the bottom, around where it as located on the Neo 2. It looks like the Neo 3 could have four cameras, then, and they’re all placed in similar positions to the Oculus Quest 2.

It’s the controllers that make a real change, though. They now have the upwards tracking ring similar to the Oculus Touch controllers, though the ring is attached to a clip at the very top of the controller rather than embedded onto the bulk of the device. Neo 2 had no such tracking ring.

Details are thin on the ground right now but these changes do suggest that the Neo 3 might be moving away from the electromagnetic tracking system of its predecessor. We took a look at that system at CES in 2020 – it allows for controller tracking without relying on a camera’s field of view.

The Pico Neo 2 did eventually come to the west as a enterprise-only model, but no such plans have been announced for the Pico Neo 3 at this time.

April 7, 2021

First Look at Pico Neo 3, China Launch in May

It’s a double bill of hardware announcements this week with May being a prime launch month. The HP Reverb G2 Omnicept Edition is set to arrive and now it looks like Pico Interactive is gearing up for a launch next month as well. The company has unveiled its new standalone headset, the Pico Neo 3, with a 10th May date slated (for China).

Pico Interactive had previously confirmed the standalone headset was on its way a few weeks ago when it confirmed the completion of a $37.4 million USD Series B+ funding round. For the first time though, images reveal what the Pico Neo 3 will look like as well as unveiling some features.

Spotted by Road to VR, details were released via Pico Interactive’s official Weibo account, noting that the company will be hosting a launch conference on 10th May at the Beijing National Aquatics Center. No specifications have been revealed just yet but the image rendering shows two camera sensors much like the Oculus Quest 2 – presumably, there are four in total – as well as a redesigned controller. As you can see from the image below of the current Pico Neo 2’s, this significantly alters the design so the platform’s inside-out tracking could be improved.

Even with a similar design to Oculus Quest 2, neither company is really competing against the other. Facebook is banned in China so no chance of the Oculus Quest getting into that market. When it comes to consumers Pico Interactive is focused on Asia, only proving B2B solution in Europe and North America.

Pico Neo 2 - group — Pico Neo 2 & Neo 2 Eye. Image credit: Pico Interactive

VR content, on the other hand, is a very different matter. At the end of March came the announcement of its publishing division, Pico Studios, partnering with global developers to bring 6DoF VR videogames to consumers in Asia. This has meant over 400 apps arriving on the Pico Store including SUPERHOT VR, Angry Birds VR: Isle of Pigs, OhShape, Sairento VR: Untethered, Apex Construct, and Racket: Nx.

“With our Pico Studios division and B and B+ funding rounds, we’re expanding our consumer offerings in Asia and supporting developers by helping with app and game porting, lending out dev kits, supporting app and game localization, setting up servers for multi-player games, providing monetary assistance and delivering SDKs,” said Jessie Zhang, senior director of Pico Studios in a statement.

The way Pico Interactive is going the Neo 3 could very well become Oculus Quest 2’s main challenger and viable alternative for those who don’t like Facebook’s policies, if Pico decides to expand outside of Asia. For further updates on the company, keep reading VRFocus.