Pico announces G3 headset and gives new life to 3DOF

At Laval Virtual, Pico has just announced a new headset for its enterprise line: the G3. Surprisingly, it is a 3DOF headset.

Pico G3 Headset launched

I wasn’t at Laval Virtual this year and I wasn’t even properly briefed about this launch. So when I was lazily looking at an XR news roundup and I suddenly saw the news of a new headset announced by Pico, I was a bit surprised. I started looking around for more details, and so discovered that the launch concerned a new enterprise headset: the G3, which is the evolution of the G2 4K. The G2 4K has been a very successful headset in the 3DOF market, and so Pico is releasing an update for companies that still want to invest in the 3DOF format.

The new headset, called Pico G3, has not been only announced but also immediately launched by the Chinese company.

Pico G3 Specifications

Here you are the specifications of the device, stolen from my friends at VR Expert:

• Display resolution: 1832 x 2160 pixels per eye
• Refresh rate: 72/90 Hz
• Pixels per inch: 773
• FOV: 98°
• Lens type: Fresnel
• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2
• Weight: 604 grams with Strap
• Storage: 128 GB
• RAM: 6 GB
• Tracking: Inside-Out 3DoF
• Controller: 3-DOF tracked Remote
• Battery: 5300mAh
• Price: €399

Design

These are some renders of the headset. It looks like a more polished version of the Pico G2 4K, which has taken some lessons from the design of the Pico 4.

Overall the design looks clean, but it still features the old “shoebox” look that now all the headset manufacturers (Pico including) are abandoning in favor of something prettier. I guess that Pico didn’t want to waste resources to improve the visual aspect of a headset dedicated to the enterprise world, which is very practical.

A headset for enterprise

The G3 is not a headset for consumers, and has some features that have particularly been thought with enterprise in mind:

• The face foam is in PU, which means that is easier to clean than the sponge of some consumer headsets (e.g. the Valve Index). This increases hygiene in business settings
• The headset is comfortable to wear because it is lightweight and its weight is balanced thanks to the battery in the back. It is also possible to wear it without problems for people having glasses. All of these features together make sure that people in enterprise settings can wear it for many hours. There are also 3 different IPD settings to select from (like on Quest 2)
• It runs the newest Pico OS and a special Pico Business Store which hosts only enterprise-oriented VR applications and services

• There is a dedicated Enterprise SDK that offers more low-level features than the one dedicated to consumers, so that enterprise applications may have more control over the device
• It offers facilities for enterprise playback, like the possibility of controlling multiple devices together, having kiosk mode, etc… This is fundamental for instance for marketing installations or virtual cinemas
• It implements the technology ARM Trustzone to guarantee higher security of the kernel.

Price and availability

Pico G3 is available for preorder at €399 (+ VAT) on the PICO Enterprise Channel, or through Pico enterprise resellers like VR Expert. The shipping of the device will start at the beginning of May, and after that, the device will be available for direct purchase. Remember that since it is an Enterprise headset, Pico won’t let consumers buy it.

Commentary

There are a few things to comment on about this announcement.

The first one is that 3 DOF virtual reality is still relevant enough that one of the major VR manufacturers has decided to release a new product in this category. I remember years ago Pico telling me that its 3 DOF market was still huge and that people thinking that 3 DOF was dead were doing a big mistake. Today’s news proves that this situation is still quite true. While in the consumer market, the 3DOF format is dead and forgotten, in the enterprise there are still many sectors (like multimedia, training, education, marketing) where companies use hundreds of 3DOF headsets. 3 DOF is still a reality… sorry to shock you by saying this. I personally know a few companies still doing good business with 3 DOF, so I can confirm that there is still a market for these devices.

It was about time that there was an option to upgrade for these companies, so the G3 is more than welcome. The price of €399 + VAT may seem high to you, because it is more than the price of the Pico 4 (which is 6 DOF), but remember that here we are talking about a headset for the enterprise. Enterprise headsets are more expensive because they offer a whole gamut of services with them (e.g. dedicated assistance): for instance, the comparison with the Pico 4 shouldn’t be made with the consumer one, but with the Enterprise one which costs 899€. 399€ for an enterprise headset is quite cheap. But still 100€ more than the G2 4K.

Talking about the G2 4K, the comparison of it with the G3 makes me a bit confused. Because there are some specs of the G3 that are actually INFERIOR to the one of the G2 4K:

• Resolution: G2 has 1920×2160 per eye, while G3 has 1832 x 2160
• FOV: 101° vs 98°
• PPI: 818 vs 773

So it seems, at least on paper, that this device is a very slight downgrade with regard to the previous edition for what concerns visuals. Luckily, there are many other features where this headset shines instead: the processor is much more advanced (Snapdragon XR2 vs Snapdragon 835), there is more RAM (6 GB vs 4), and the battery is more powerful (5300mAh vs 4200mAh). So this headset has actually much more horsepower and more battery duration. I’m particularly impressed by the use of the XR2, which is a very good chipset that can make wonders on a 3-DOF device. This seems to be the most powerful of the 3DOF headsets.

I have also to add that a headset can’t be judged on paper, because the specs never tell the full story. I’ve seen Pico improving a lot in the latest years, so I guess there will be many overall improvements both on the hardware (I imagine this headset potentially being more comfortable and better crafted) and software (where for instance the chromatic aberration has been reduced a lot). But before expressing an opinion I have of course to try the device. You can’t judge a headset until the moment you try it. For this reason, I hope to have the occasion this year, maybe in some exhibitions.

Of course, I’m curious to hear what is your opinion about this new G3 headset. Are you surprised by the fact that 3 DOF devices are still alive and kicking? Do you like it? Let me know your thoughts in the comments section here or on my social media posts!

(Header image by Pico)