Meta Quest 2 Vs Pico 4 Lineup: Which Is The Best VR Headset?
After years of dominating the VR industry, Meta finally has some competition from Pico (Bytedance’s VR division). The company’s newest Pico 4 lineup competes directly with Meta’s VR headsets in price and specs. So let’s compare the Meta Quest 2 vs Pico 4 vs Meta Quest Pro vs Pico 4 Enterprise.
We have compared both the consumer and enterprise-focused VR headsets from both companies. Of course, a spec sheet doesn’t tell the whole story about what a buyer should consider before spending his money. That’s why we will compare the important aspects of each of these devices at the end of the article.
Meta Quest 2 Vs Pico 4 Vs Meta Quest Pro Vs Pico 4 Enterprise [Specs]
| Specifications | Pico 4 | Meta Quest 2 | Pico 4 Enterprise | Meta Quest Pro |
| Price | €430 (128GB) €500 (256GB) | $400 / €450 (128 GB) $500 / €550 (256 GB) | €900 | $1500 / €1800 |
| Processor | Qualcomm XR2 | Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 | Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 | Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2+ |
| Passthrough cameras | High-resolution cameras with colour passthrough (16MP) | Low-resolution cameras with grayscale passthrough | High-resolution cameras with colour passthrough (16MP) | High-resolution colour passthrough cameras with depth-correct colour |
| Screen | Dual LCD panels | Single LCD panel | Dual LCD panels | Dual QD-LCD panels with miniLED backlighting |
| Resolution | 4320 x 2160 max resolution 2160 x 2160 pixels per eye (1200 ppi) | 1,920 x 3,664 max resolution 1832 x 1920 pixels per eye (773ppi) | 4320 x 2160 max resolution 2160 x 2160 pixels per eye (1200 ppi) | 1,920 x 3,664 max resolution 1832 x 1920 pixels per eye (773ppi) |
| Lenses | Pancake lenses (Thinner) | Fresnel lenses | Pancake lenses (Thinner) | Pancake lenses (Thinner) |
| Tracking | Five external cameras for Inside/Out Tracking | Four external cameras for Inside/Out Tracking | Five external cameras for Inside/Out Tracking | Five external cameras for Inside/Out Tracking |
| Refresh Rate | 72Hz/90Hz | 60Hz/72Hz/90Hz/120Hz | 72Hz/90Hz | 72Hz/90Hz |
| Field of View | 105° Horizontal 105° Vertical | 89° (+-4) Horizontal 93° (+- 5.1) Vertical | 105° Horizontal 105° Vertical | 106° Horizontal 96° Vertical |
| IPD adjustment | 62-72mm (Automatic) | 58mm, 63mm, 68mm (Manual) | 62mm–72mm (Automatic) | 55 – 75 mm (Manual) |
| Battery | 5300mAh 2-3 hours 20W charging | 3640mAh 3 Hours 10W charging | 5300mAh 2-3 hours 20W charging | 4500mAh (speculated) 2 hours 45W charging |
| Ram | 8GB LPDDR4 | 6GB LPDDR4 | 8GB LPDDR5 | 12GB LPDDR5 |
| Storage | 128GB, 256GB | 128GB, 256GB | 256GB 512GB (only in China) | 128GB, 256GB |
| Eye and face tracking | No | No | Yes (3 sensors) | Yes (5 sensors) |
| Touch controllers | Pico 4 controllers (Infrared) AA battery powered | Meta Quest 2 Touch controllers (Infrared) AA battery powered | Pico 4 controllers (Infrared) AA battery powered | Meta Quest Touch Pro controllers (Inside/Out camera tracking) 3200mAh battery (rechargeable) |
| Weight | 586g | 503g | 591g | 722g |
| Operating System | PICO OS 5.0 | Android | PICO OS 5.0 | Android |
| Charging Dock | No | No | No | Yes |
| Strap | Adjustable Strap | Fibre Strap | Adjustable Strap | Adjustable Strap |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 6, 2.4GHz/5GHz dual-band, Bluetooth 5.1 | Wi-Fi 6, USB-C | Wi-Fi 6, 2.4GHz/5GHz dual-band, Bluetooth 5.1 | Wi-Fi 6E, USB-C |
Which VR headset is the best?
Meta Quest 2 vs Pico 4
The Pico 4 VR headset is definitely superior to the Meta Quest 2 in terms of specs and price. Compared to the Quest 2, the Pico 4 has many advantages, such as better resolution, colour passthrough, thinner design, better strap, and a lower price.
However, it should be noted that the Pico 4 standalone games library is severely limited compared to the Meta Quest headsets. The Meta Quest has access to many reclusive standalone VR games, such as Resident Evil 4, Beat Saber, and many more coming in the future.
These exclusive VR games library can heavily influence buyers’ decisions if they are more interested in playing standalone VR games. However, in terms of PC VR, the Pico 4 is a better choice due to its increased resolution. The base model of the Pico 4 is even cheaper than the Quest due to its recent $100 price bump.
In hindsight, Meta raising the price of the Quest 2 right before the launch of the Pico 4 looks like a wrong decision. Unfortunately, the Pico 4 is only available in Europe, China, Japan, and South Korea. There are rumours that the Pico 4 would also come to the US. However, until then, the Pico 4 will be limited to specific regions.
Meta Quest Pro vs Pico 4 Enterprise
Many reviewers have also pointed out that the colour passthrough on the Pico 4 seems much better than the Meta Quest Pro. It is due to the better-resolution LCD panels featured in both Pico 4 headsets. The Pico 4 Enterprise edition also features eye and face tracking like the Quest Pro.
Unfortunately, the $1500 / €1800 price point does sting a little bit, considering the Pico 4 Enterprise is just €900. However, the Quest Pro comes with Snapdragon XR2+ SoC, 12GB Ram, a charging dock, and advanced Touch Pro controllers.
Although colour passthrough opens the gate to many mixed reality apps and games, the face and eye tracking features aren’t as exciting. Looking at all the options, the only reason to consider the Meta Quest 2 or Quest Pro over the Pico 4 is due to the exclusive VR games.
However, considering PC VR also plays a huge role in gaming, the base Pico 4 seems the best choice for the right price. Let us know what you think is the best standalone VR headset in the comment section below. Is it the Meta Quest 2 or the Pico 4?
