Pico released its standalone VR headset Neo 3 Link this summer, marking its first real push to launch a consumer device outside of Asia. Now it’s getting ready to ship the follow-up standalone Pico 4, and the company seems to be struggling to keep up with demand in some regions.

Pico opened up pre-orders of Pico 4 in late September with the aim of initially releasing the headset today across several regions, including 13 European countries, Japan, and Korea.

Note: there’s still no word on whether Pico 4 is coming to the US, although Pico Interactive, owned by TikTok parent ByteDance, is expanding to the US to compete with Meta.

Pico says in a recent tweet however some European customers may see delays in shipment due to high demand:

“Due to unprecedented global demand, there will unfortunately be delays in fulfilling some customer pre-orders in the EU region. We are working tirelessly to ensure that demand is satisfied by the end of October,” Pico says.

Continuing: “We strongly recommend that you keep your back order in place at your preferred retailer as we will be prioritising existing back orders first. If you are affected, please accept our sincerest apologies. We are doing everything we can to resolve it as quickly as possible. In the meantime, if you can’t wait any longer to get your hands on a PICO headset, Neo 3 Link is available and in stock right now.”

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In Europe, Pico 4 is strongly positioned to compete with Meta Quest 2. At €430 for the 128GB model and €500 for the 256GB model, Pico 4 not only beats Quest 2 on pricing, but also goes toe-to-toe in the specs department while providing a slimmer profile thanks to the addition of pancake lenses.

Last month the company also announced Pico 4 Pro, an enterprise-focused variant due out later this year which adds three internal cameras for eye and face-tracking. Pricing and launch of that device is still unclear, although it may be looking to take market share away from the recently announced Meta Quest Pro, which is priced at an eye-watering $1,500.

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Scott Hayden
Well before the first modern XR products hit the market, Scott recognized the potential of the technology and set out to understand and document its growth. He has been professionally reporting on the space for nearly a decade as Editor at Road to VR, authoring more than 4,000 articles on the topic. Scott brings that seasoned insight to his reporting from major industry events across the globe.
  • Till Eulenspiegel

    Quest 2 was banned in many European countries because Meta not only added Facebook login but also face destroying chemicals in the headset.

    Meta could have taken the European VR market, now Pico takes all.

    • Andrew Jakobs

      It was only banned in Germany.

      • PeterFun

        It was never banned in Germany or any other European countries, stop making stuff up. – Meta CHOOSE to not sell it in Germany. Huge difference.

        • Andrew Jakobs

          It was banned in 2019 due to not conforming to the german privacy laws, and those laws still haven’t changed. So the law prevented them from selling their headset in germany which is called a ‘ban’. Maybe with their change from forced Facebook account to a separate Quest account since august they might sell it again.

        • ViRGiN

          Let valve shills be valve shills.

  • Sofian

    Failed launch, why announce it first in Europe if the first orders are for Asia?

  • Bumpy

    Typical paper launch. Same with the 4090, only a handful were made and all bought in a day.

  • Dale Kirkley

    EU is around 450 million people, if they don’t care about that market they are idiots.

  • ViRGiN

    That’s such a bullshit. Kickstarter grade tactics. Set a low goal, then reap benefits of “funded in 2 hours!”

    Here is the same. Sold out within days!! Meanwhile, nobody literally talks about this device other than youtube shillers and wanna-be influencers, and a bunch of neckbeards on reddit looking for yet another headset to play exclusively games from steam.

  • Andrew Jakobs

    AppleVR will certainly not be for mainstream, as it’ll probably cost $3000+, and Quest 3 is still not clear what it really wil bring. I can see Pico releasing a Pico 4+ (with the same X2+ chip as the quest 3 will have). Don’t underestimate the Pico headsets.

  • KRAKEN

    we have plenty 4090 where im from.

  • Roadrunner

    I ordered my Pico 4 (128 GB version) last week. Got an email on Monday that the delivery was delayed, but it was still shipped to me today. Most stores here in Germany now list the Pico with a delivery date until the end of this month.

    • silvaring

      Thanks for some ‘factual’ information, I imagine a good barometer of availability will be the social media vids and posts coming out in the next month or two. That’s usually what I look out for to see if something actually exists or not in the mainstream haha

  • Mr.Philgood

    “who cares if they have success against Quest 2 in Europe?” is what you said

  • Anonymous

    Due to high demand eh?
    With the US abruptly tightening down on chips just this week against China, and the US military soon getting XR headsets in their next-gen reconnaissance vehicles, it is only a matter of time that VR becomes “key strategics technology” like AI and the CCP spyware Pico becomes “deader” than dead.

  • I ordered 128GB model on bestware yesterday. They told me my order will not be delayed and only 256GB models are delayed. We’ll see if that’s true.

  • ViRGiN

    lmao now that’s an insane projection.
    you think you will get a gf by donating 500 bucks on twitch female streamers

  • ViRGiN

    I wish I could get a girlfriend. The only people who accept me as a friend are my parents.