October's Big Deal Days event is right around the corner, and although waiting for the official start time of the sale might mean more access to great discounts on all sorts of gaming hardware, I'd advise UK gamers not to wait if they're planning to shop for one of the best VR headsets.
The Pico 4 Ultra, for those who don't know, is a competitor to the Meta Quest 3. It shares the same processor but has more RAM and is overall an excellent device for VR gaming. I'd say that it's easily on par, if not slightly better to use than the Quest 3, and before Prime Day has even begun, it's seeing up to £179 off right now. You can get £100 off the headset and controllers, but you could also go for a bundle with motion trackers and a free Season Pass for Premier League Player (a free-to-play VR football game) and pay the same £429 at Amazon as if you were just buying the headset.
Alternatively, If you want to go a step further and grab even more accessories, you could get the motion trackers and a facial interface for the normal price of the headset, which is £529 at Amazon.
I'd recommend the Pico 4 Ultra any day of the week, but when it's discounted like this and Prime Day Meta Quest deals are yet to even begin properly? That's even more tempting. Yes, it's possible that the Meta Quest 3 512GB model goes on offer for either Prime Day or Black Friday this year, but I'd be surprised if it managed to come down to lower than the £429 you'll pay here.
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Pico 4 Ultra | Meta Quest 3 |
Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen2 | Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen2 |
Resolution | 2160 x 2160 per eye | 2064 x 2208 per eye |
Refresh rate | 90Hz | Variable - 72Hz, 90Hz, 120Hz |
Field of View | 105 degrees | 110 degrees |
Sensors | iTOF Depth sensor, Two MR cameras | RGB cameras, 4 IR cameras |
Lenses | Pancake | Pancake |
Display | 2 x LCD | 2 x LCD |
Storage | 256GB | 512GB |
Cameras | 2 x 32MB cameras | 2x RGB 18PPD cameras |
Audio | Integrated speakers | Integrated 3D spatial audio speakers |
RAM | 12GB LPDDR5 | 8GB |
Weight | 580g | 515g |
Eye Tracking | None | None |
Battery | 5700mAh (2-4 hours depending on use) | Up to 2.2 hours average |
Connectivity | Wi-Fi 7, USB-C | WiFi 6E, USB-C |
Admittedly, the Meta Quest 3S is the cheapest option, but the specs on the Pico 4 Ultra outclass it. You get the same processor, but the same pancake lenses that people love about the full-fat Quest 3. When I reviewed the Pico 4 Ultra, I was amazed at how comfortable it was. It's almost the same size as the Quest 3, and is actually slightly heavier, but the way its weight is distributed across its clever headband system means it feels really light on your head.
Now, I know what you're thinking. If Meta Quest 3 is more popular, isn't it the obvious choice? Or at least, shouldn't you wait until Prime Day actually begins so we can see which one ends up cheaper? That's a wise thing to do, but I've seen some rather oddly timed offers around the Pico 4 Ultra when it comes to these big events. Since this isn't officially part of the Big Deal Days sale, and it isn't exclusive to Prime members, you never know if it might end sooner. For that reason, I'd consider this now.
To really dive into the nitty-gritty of why I think Pico 4 Ultra might actually be better than the Quest 3, I wrote up a handy round-by-round battle about the Quest 3 vs Pico 4 Ultra. And I swear, it's not just because I'm not a big fan of Meta as a company - although I can't lie, that does come into things. If you're like me and you want any alternative to giving more of your time, money, and data to Zuckerberg's empire, I'd consider the Pico 4 Ultra.
The biggest caution I'd give you about the Pico 4 Ultra is that there is technically better access to games and apps on the Quest 3 as a result of the Horizon OS being more widely adopted and well-known. But anyone who tells you that there aren't games and apps on Pico is lying, or doesn't know enough. The biggest heavy-hitting games make their way over there, and most of the ones you'll want to play are on both platforms already. That might not even be an issue if you don't want to play games natively - if you're just looking to use SteamLink or hook up to SteamVR through any other means, you'll have the same library you have on your PC. In terms of mixed-reality apps, you have everything you need on the Pico 4 Ultra.
For me, the Pico 4 Ultra has a better gaming experience, not least because its controllers are slightly longer and don't suffer from as many tracking issues. I know which one I'd rather spend my money on, but in truth, these devices are such a close call that it'll come down to you. Still, I'd consider this deal because Meta isn't the only player in the VR arena these days.
US VR deals
- PSVR 2: $399 at Amazon
- Meta Quest 3S: $380 at Amazon
- Meta Quest 3: $499 at Amazon
Do you want to upgrade your flat-screen gaming setup instead? Check out the best gaming PCs, the best RAM for gaming, and the best computer speakers.
