TMTPOST -- ByteDance's XR platform PICO on Tuesday launched its first mixed reality (MR) headset, the PICO 4 Ultra.

This device is equipped with Qualcomm's new Snapdragon XR2 Gen2 computing platform and 12GB of memory. Compared to its predecessor, the XR1, the GPU performance has improved by 2.5 times, and AI performance has surged by 800%. The PICO 4 Ultra also features dual 32MP color pass-through cameras and iToF depth-sensing cameras, supporting MR functionality with a panoramic display workspace and body motion tracking.

Pricing for the PICO 4 Ultra starts at 4,299 yuan (US$ 603) for the consumer version and 7,499 yuan for the Enterprise version. The PICO body motion tracker is priced at 399 yuan per pair. Pre-orders have already begun, with official sales starting on September 2.

Market commentators have dubbed this device the "Chinese equivalent of Apple's Vision Pro."

PICO President Zhou Hongwei emphasized that the launch of the PICO 4 Ultra marks a significant step forward in the company's exploration of MR technology. He highlighted PICO's ongoing commitment to innovation, promising users a richer and more personalized mixed-reality experience.

PICO OS Product Manager Ma Jiesi mentioned that the XR industry is currently centered on immersive gaming, but with advancements in sensor technology and computing power, XR/MR devices are now applicable in more scenarios. He also noted that AI is playing a crucial role in enhancing the user experience on the PICO 4 Ultra, including environment sensing, semantic understanding, and spatial ML machine learning frameworks.

PICO, founded in March 2015, has released several consumer-grade VR/XR devices. In 2021, the company was acquired by ByteDance for approximately 9 billion yuan. Since then, PICO has expanded into international markets.