The new Pico 4 Ultra could challenge Meta Quest 3’s VR dominance – but only if you make the shortlist.

Pico's Pico 4 Ultra VR headset is a strong competitor to the Meta Quest 2 and if the current information translates into a positive user experience, Pico could be on track to make another great VR headset.

The new Pico 4 Ultra, announced for launch in selected countries in Europe this month, looks incredibly similar on paper to Meta's newest offering, the Meta Quest 3. The Pico 4 Ultra is equipped with the same Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 processor, and has a similar weight (the Pico weighing only 68g more). Both are designed for mixed reality and virtual reality gaming. Pico 4 Ultra, however, has 4 GB more RAM, a higher quality passthrough and can support Wi-Fi 7, for better internet stability.

The headset is priced at PS529 and only comes in a 256GB version, which puts it between the most expensive Meta Quest 3 and the cheapest.

Pre-orders will open on Friday, Sept. 6, and the headset will be officially released on Friday September 20. At first, it will only be available in the following European countries:

• Germany
• France
• Italy
• Spain
• Netherlands
• Belgium
• Poland
• Austria
• Switzerland
• UK
• Norway
• Denmark
• Sweden

No information is available on the headset's arrival in the US. Pico 4 is notoriously hard to obtain, so it's unlikely that you will be able to get it anytime soon if you are in the US. It's unlikely that the device will be available in the US as Bytedance is currently embroiled with a legal battle against the US due to its ownership over TikTok.

If you live in Europe, or have a friend who is willing to send one to you, it's a great alternative to Meta. Pre-ordering the headset will get you some nice bonuses. However, our standard advice to not pre-order still stands. It comes with a Pico Motion Tracker for enhanced tracking of games such as Blade & Sorcery: Nomad and Infinite Inside.

If you are looking for a mid-range VR head set with MR capabilities and haven't yet been tempted by Meta, it might be worth a look when it launches this month. We won't be able to test the device until after its launch, so we recommend waiting for our review.