The Pico Neo 3 Pro is a business-focused XR2 VR headset for $699

Pico Interactive this week revealed two new standalone VR headsets for the enterprise market. The company previously announced the Neo 3, a consumer-oriented device that's destined only for China. For the Western markets in both North America and Europe, Pico is focused on working with businesses.

The Pico Neo 3 is a Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2-powered standalone headset, which bears a lot of resemblance to the Oculus Quest 2. It features four inside-out tracking cameras, which give the headset spatial awareness. The Neo 3 also includes a pair of optically-tracked motion controllers, which Pico said gives the controllers improved tracking compared to the electromagnetic solution in the Neo 2.

"Business needs are constantly evolving due to the changing landscape all industries are finding themselves in due to the COVID-19 pandemic," said Henry Zhou, CEO of Pico Interactive. "For the Neo 3 line, we implemented the latest technologies to meet the ever-changing demands of the enterprise. For instance, as hybrid and remote work continues, more companies are seeking remote collaboration solutions, like Pico Interactive's VR headsets with tools and applications available through our software partners, to allow employees to increase productivity and sales to boost revenue. From training firefighters to decreasing the impact of social isolation on seniors to measuring brain health, Pico's headsets are now being used in a wide range of industries."

To serve the needs of enterprise customers, Pico put together two business versions of the Neo 3. One with Tobii eye-tracking, and one without. The two headset SKUs are otherwise identical. Both options feature a single 5.5" 3664x1920 display, which operates at 90Hz. The fixed screen means the headset does not have a mechanical IPD adjustment.

The Pico Neo 3 Pro headsets have one feature that we've not previously seen in a standalone VR device. The headsets have a DisplayPort connector, which allows you to plug the Neo 3 into a PC to run a PC VR headset through your graphics card's DisplayPort. The Neo 3 Pro lineup also supports NVIDIA CloudXR, which allows for streaming content to the headset over 5G or Wi-Fi connections.

Pico created the Neo 3 Pro and Pro Eye for businesses, but the company is still coming in with relatively aggressive pricing. Businesses can pre-order the Neo 3 Pro for $699, and the Neo 3 Pro Eye is $899. Pico said the headsets would ship in Q3 2021.