Pico Neo 4 vs. Meta Quest 2

But does the Pico Neo 4 have the right specs to become a true competitor of Meta? And perhaps more importantly: how does Pico's software and games stack up? In this blog, we compare the similarities and differences between the Pico Neo 4 and the Meta Quest 2 and give advice on the best VR headset.

On paper, the specifications of the Pico Neo 4 and the Meta Quest 2 are very similar, but when the headsets are laid side by side, some things immediately stand out. For instance, the Pico Neo 4 is considerably smaller and narrower than the Meta Quest 2. This is due to the separate lenses used in the Pico Neo 4. These so-called 'pancake' lenses take up less space than the fresnel lenses that are typically used in all-in-one VR glasses. Because of this smaller form factor, the Pico Neo 4 looks a lot more streamlined than the Quest 2.

But that's not the only thing the Pico Neo 4 has over the Quest 2. The battery of the Pico Neo 4 is hidden at the back of the headset headband. This better distributes the weight of the headset across the entire headband, causing less pressure against the face. With the Quest 2, it can sometimes happen that the weight of the glasses feels 'top heavy' and leaves red marks on the face after you take the headset off. This will be less of an issue with the Pico Neo 4. Additionally, the overall weight of the headset also makes a big difference. The Meta Quest 2 weighs 470 grams (without headband) and the Pico Neo 4 weighs just 295 grams (without headband).

The Quest 2 has a display resolution of 1832 x 1920 pixels per eye, has 1 LCD screen, and uses fresnel lenses. The Pico Neo 4 has a resolution of 2160 x 2160 pixels per eye, has 2 LCD screens, and uses pancake lenses. As previously mentioned in this comparison, the pancake lenses of the Pico Neo 4 take up less space than the fresnel lenses used in the Quest 2. In addition, the Pico Neo 4 has a higher display resolution than the Quest 2.

Meta does not provide an official number of degrees for the field of view (FOV) for the Quest 2, but it is generally measured at about 98 degrees. Pico states that the FOV of the Pico Neo 4 is 105 degrees. This means that with the Pico you see slightly more in sight than with the Quest 2, although the (approximate) 5 degrees difference will not make much difference in practice.

In addition to the different design of the headsets, the Pico Neo 4 also has a new type of controllers. Where the Quest 2 controllers have a design we're already familiar with, Pico has developed controllers that look like a combination of the Quest and Valve Index controllers. These 'knuckle style' controllers have a sort of band around the hands that provide better tracking of the hands and fingers. Furthermore, the controllers are designed to come close together without problems. Many VR controllers (including those of Quest 2 and HP Reverb G2) have the issue that when the controllers are too close together, the tops of the controllers hit each other. Due to the clever new design, you will not have this problem with the Pico Neo 4 controllers so quickly.

A disadvantage of this new type of controllers is that there are still relatively few accessories available for them. Because the Quest 2 controllers have been around for a long time, there are many cases and other useful accessories available for them. But who knows, new accessories for the Pico Neo 4 controllers might hit the market soon - and they will of course be available at Unbound XR!

Passthrough allows you to look through the cameras on the front of the headset. As a user, you then see the actual physical environment around you. This is mainly used when you want to set up the play area, but it's also very handy when you need to go back to the 'real world'. The Quest 2 has a grey-scale passthrough camera. This means that the image you see with the cameras is displayed in black and gray. If you intend to use this passthrough only for setting up the room, this is no problem, but for other things, it's nice to add some color. The passthrough cameras of the Pico Neo 4 do have color this time. Although the quality of the cameras is not yet at the level of 'human eye resolution' (as for example the Varjo XR-3 has), it is a big improvement over the Quest 2.

The Pico 4 comes standard with a reinforced headband and a battery at the back of the headset. The Quest 2, as many are aware, comes standard with an elastic band and there is an optional Elite strap (with or without battery) to order. However, the new design of the Pico 4 does have some comments and remarks.

• If you have a smaller IPD than 62mm, those lenses will press against your nose, which turns out to be quite annoying.
• The optical system is mediocre, there are performance issues because the Pico 4 renders more pixels with the same XR2 chip as the Pico 3.
• The positional tracking is still not good, this was already a problem with the Pico 2 and 3. Users even advise that if you are sensitive to tracking quality, you better wait for software updates that hopefully will solve this in the future.
• Users also reported experiencing motion sickness. This is likely related to the performance and tracking issues.

The Quest 2 also has its problems, which are largely due to the weight. The headset can therefore start to hang on your forehead. If you solve this by tightening the headstrap a bit, you run the risk of getting a headache with prolonged use. On the other hand, there are many accessories available for the Quest 2 that make the headset very comfortable. Check out the Meta Quest 2 accessories.

The built-in processor in both glasses is the same. Both the Quest 2 and the Pico Neo 4 use the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 (this chip is also used in the VIVE Focus 3). The Snapdragon XR2 is a powerful processor that allows many games to be played at high quality. Another important part of any game console is the availability of games. Meta has developed its own Oculus app store with a wide range of VR games and applications. Until now, this was the biggest breaking point for Pico: because they offered relatively few games themselves, it was not a logical choice for consumers to choose Pico (business users can load their own applications). But fortunately, the Pico Neo 4 changes this. The game library has been greatly expanded and now has almost as many games available as Oculus (with even some exclusive VR games, such as Just Dance VR).

With the Meta Quest 2, it is possible to connect the headset to a computer via an Oculus Link cable and use the computer power and games. With the Pico Neo 4, it is not possible to use an external cable. Pico relies entirely on wireless PC VR streaming. It is possible to use PC VR games with the Pico Neo 4, but this will be less reliable than when you do it with the Quest 2 in combination with a Oculus Link cable does.

Both the Pico Neo 4 and Meta Quest 2 are excellent all-in-one VR headsets. The best choice for you depends on your needs and what you plan to use the headset for. The Quest 2 is available from €449, and the Pico Neo 4 is available from €429. The biggest difference between the headsets lies in the fact that the Quest 2 can be connected to the PC with a cable. With the Pico Neo 4, it is only possible to do this via Wi-Fi streaming (which provides slightly lower image quality). Furthermore, the Quest 2 currently has a much larger library with a wide choice of (exclusive) games, making the Quest 2 still the best choice for gamers. Lastly, the Quest 2 is somewhat more comfortable to wear and easier to upgrade with accessories, and it is less likely to cause nausea for sensitive users.