Consumer facing virtual reality headsets may not be vast in terms of options just yet, but the space is growing and 2016 already saw a handful of new options join the ranks alongside Samsung’s Gear VR. This year, companies like Pico are entering their offerings into the mix while announcing as well showcasing for the first time their own consumer-based options. For Pico, the Pico Neo CV is that consumer-based VR headset model and while it does sort of look like many other VR headsets at first glance, it also has a big niche that not many other headsets aimed at consumers offer, if any at this point in time. While the Pico Neo CV was officially announced earlier this morning, we were able to get some hands-on time with it to check things out a little bit closer.
Where the Pico Neo CV stands apart from other offerings here is that it’s hailed as a standalone option for VR experiences. Unlike other VR headsets such as the Samsung Gear VR, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, PlayStation VR, and Daydream View, the Pico Neo CV does not need any other equipment to function and immerse users in virtual reality. It works all on its own and is equipped with enough firepower thanks to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor inside to set users up in a virtual setting and let them enjoy things near immediately.
Since it works right out of the box and there’s no need to tether any other hardware to it, you can jump right into VR quickly and more effortlessly than with most other options, and there’s something to said about the cost as you won’t need to buy any additional hardware, either. That said, Pico hasn’t yet mentioned what the cost of the Neo CV will be yet, although with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 inside and an integrated hi-fi speaker to alleviate the need for headphones, chances are it will be a little more than entry-level models like the Gear VR or Daydream View, though probably not nearly as much as the other available mid-tier to high-end options. While not mentioned, the Pico Neo CV shown in the announcement seems to come in a White color, while the model shown here on the CES show floor displays a Black model with orange color accents, so perhaps there will be multiple color options for consumers.
