Pico announces its new Neo 3 Virtual Reality headset for consumers in Asia

In Virtual Reality News

April 13, 2021 – Pico Interactive, a provider of virtual reality (VR) and enterprise solutions, has today announced its latest VR headset for consumers in Asia – the Neo 3. The flagship 6DoF (six degrees of freedom) consumer headset utilizes Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR2 Platform, and comes with optical controllers and WiFi 6 functionality. 

Pico only recently announced the development of the Pico Neo 3 headset. The company added that more details on the enterprise version of the Neo 3 – the company’s primary device for all markets outside of Asia – will be announced soon, but that the device will be available in late Summer 2021.

“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. “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.”

The company has not released a whole lot of information on the device still, with no product page being available on Pico’s website at the time of publication. However, the features that Pico did mention include:

• Four wide-angle cameras;
• 90Hz refresh rate;
• 6DoF controller;
• Counterbalanced design for improved for comfort;
• Three physical IPD adjustments for better visual comfort;
• Made with all-PU (polyurethane) material, allowing for easy and regular cleaning and sanitization.

Through the use of the four built-in wide-angle cameras, the Neo 3 offers millimeter-level positioning and tracking, which means 3D maps of an environment can be reconstructed in real-time, and stable tracking can be achieved even in a low-texture environment and bright or dark settings, according to the company. In addition, the Neo 3 has an updated screen that is curved for a sleeker form factor, and is able to provide 90hz experiences. Finally, Pico’s new 6DoF controller utilizes 32 optical tracking sensors – which the company states are “more suitable for gaming.”

More information on the Neo 3 is likely to be announced by Pico in the coming weeks and months, but we do know that today’s announcement marks a significant step by the company in the direction of expanding its standalone consumer VR headset offering. Plus, with the recent announcement of its Pico Studios arm partnering with global developers to bring VR apps and games to its devices, it looks like Pico is gearing up to offer a potential alternative to Oculus for users who don’t want to buy into Facebook’s ecosystem.

For more information on Pico Interactive, please visit the company’s website.

Image credit: Pico Interactive

About the author

Sam Sprigg

Sam is the Founder and Managing Editor of Auganix. With a background in research and report writing, he has been covering XR industry news for the past seven years.