At CES this year virtual reality seems to be a big focus for many companies and one of those companies is Pico. While Pico did announce a headset last year, called the Pico Neo DK, that particular VR headset was aimed at the Business to Business sector. Pico’s new options is designed for consumers, and makes it extremely easy for consumers to experience virtual reality. Especially when compared to other VR headset options. This is all possible as the Pico Neo CV, their newest offering, is a standalone headset that was developed to work untethered, meaning it can operate without being tethered to other hardware.
We were able to get some hands-on time with the Pico Neo CV and get a more in-depth look at its design and features, and it certainly looks like most other VR headsets, but it also has enough to set itself apart. The ability to work completely untethered from a console, PC, or smartphone is one thing, but it’s also able to stay untethered from headphones as it’s already equipped with it’s own built-in spatial audio speakers.
These are fitted on the inside of the headband and when coupled with the fact that the Neo CV also has its own processor and display unit inside, it provides you with a completely self-contained offering, which is impressive to say the least. The headset is also lightweight which is a good thing as it won’t weigh you down during longer VR sessions, although it’s hard to envision how long each session might be as Pico has not yet unveiled what sort of content exactly will be available for the Neo CV once it launches. This might also be due to the fact that they haven’t actually set a release date yet and there is currently no information on what it will cost. The Neo CV also has a camera fitted on the front that allows you to move around freely, not too unlike what you can do with the HTC Vive, although since the Vive is connected to a PC and headphones and the Neo CV is not, you’re left with an experience that is free of any worry from tripping over cables from the connected hardware.