Meta Quest 3 vs. Pico 4: A comprehensive comparison

What advantages does mixed reality offer?

• Extended play options: Virtual objects can interact with the real environment, e.g. by placing virtual furniture in your living room.
• Fitness and training: MR apps enable interactive fitness experiences in which virtual trainers or obstacles are superimposed on the real environment.
• Productivity and collaboration: Virtual models can be viewed and edited in the real environment, opening up new possibilities for design and collaboration.

Design and construction: Both headsets have a similar physical design, but the Quest 3 offers additional sensors and a handy physical IPD adjustment knob. The quest 3 has a LiDAR depth sensor of the  Enables more precise Hand Tracking and more seamless integration of digital objects into the environment for mixed reality applications. 

Controller: The Quest 3 controllers offer a more immersive experience through improved haptic feedback, a feature that is less pronounced on the Pico 4 controllers.

Battery life and charging speed: The Pico 4 scores with a longer battery life and faster charging, an important advantage for extended use.

Pico 4 vs Quest 3: Software in a duel When choosing between Pico 4 and Quest 3 the software plays a decisive role. A comparison of the software on offer between the Pico 4 and the Quest 3 clearly shows that Meta offers a much more extensive selection of VR content with the Quest 3. Meta has invested heavily in the expansion of its Oculus Store, making exclusive titles such as "Assassin's Creed VR" and "Beat Saber" available, which are not playable on the Pico 4 due to their high performance requirements and exclusive contracts.
While the Pico 4 strives to offer a wide range of apps and games, the range remains limited compared to the Quest 3. The Quest 3 has more powerful hardware, which enables developers to create more complex and graphically sophisticated games. Meta has also secured exclusive contracts with developers for popular titles such as "Beat Saber", which makes the Quest 3 even more attractive.

Enterprise version of the Pico 4: A unique selling point of the Pico 4 is the availability of an enterprise version of the headset, specially developed for business applications. This offers significantly more configuration options, an option that the Meta Quest 3 does not have. This aspect makes the Pico 4 particularly interesting for professional applications and companies. Read more:

Price considerations: The price of the Pico 4 at about 350 €while the Quest 3 round 550 € costs. Although the Quest 3 is more expensive, it offers the better overall package in terms of graphics and performance. For VR users who value a comprehensive and powerful experience, the Quest 3 is the more attractive choice despite its higher price.

Conclusion

The Meta Quest 3 stands out as a significant improvement over the Pico 4, especially in terms of mixed reality features and superior processing power. It's the ideal choice for those looking for a premium VR experience, despite its higher price tag. In the end, processing power wins out for me because you can clearly see the impact on visual quality in Quest 3 games of the superior graphics chip. Pico 4 is the choice for VR enthusiasts who are looking at the price. It should also be noted that the Pico 4 came onto the market a year before Quest 3 and in the world of VR hardware, older models are usually significantly inferior to newer ones.