I had been a proper fanboy of WMR and the G2 was my 3rd, WMR, headset. I got board waiting for the Pimax Crystal Super, even though it's not WMR, and the Pico4U is relatively cheap, although I had big reservations about it not being WMR.
I've got one PC where I removed Win11 and plonked Win10 on to make sure WMR wouldn't be removed ( so there Microsoft
). I've another PC where I used GPEdit to set the target update version to W11 23H2 ( but Microsoft being Microsoft, I don't trust them to comply with this setting ). Then I wrote a powershell script to control all 6 Microsoft update services manually, to stop it removing WMR. I was too late to save Mixed Reality Portal for SteamVR but then I wasn't using SteamVR anyway so meh.
TL;DR, initially plugging the P4U in, I was disappointed. After learning to fettle the rendering settings, visually it just ( for me personally ) destroys my G2.
Negatives:
1) It's not as seamlessly integrated with Windows but then non WMR headsets were ever going to be as well embedded.
2) I don't want to call Pico Connect software 'ropey' but I learned quite quickly that, once I have it working with the config I want, never ever ever let it update, either the desktop software or, in particular, the headset software. That's just a quick way to get the often reported 'waiting to connect' problems that people are complaining about on the Pico Forums. Software can't be rolled back so the headset needed to be reset.
3) The native headset interface is basic, although it's pretty slick and I don't need controllers, just hands, so maybe this should be a plus?
6) Latency with my WiFi 6 router is cr@p. Great way to lose weight in a hurry and you're looking at someone who played Skyrim with VorpX back in the day. Sure, I could buy WiFi 7 but just for this.... really?
7) I needed to create a Pico account.
Positives
1) With a bit of fettling and a powered 5m USB-C cable, I get a more 'monitor like' picture than my G2 and which itself is good ( in the sweet spot ).
2) Ignore the comparative FOV data in degrees where the G2 is slightly better. Nobody talks about the face gasket. The G2 gasket is so bulky, it's like looking down a toilet tube. In reality the P4U has an obviously wider FOV than the G2, I can see more of my cockpit. Yes, there are after market gaskets for the G2 but then the same for the P4U and I've ordered one so it's still better.
3) it's smaller, lighter and the lenses seem taller and wider.
4) The USB-C cable is small with a right angled connector which can point 'toward' the PC where the USB ports are. Or, turn it around so it can hang down behind like the Reverbs do. Also, the cable is much lighter, less bulky and less fragile.
4) There's a lot more graphics fettling I can still do by editing P4U config files to increase the resolutions and bitrates presented in the Pico4 GUI.
5) Ignore what's published about the picture being rendered at 1920x1920 and upscaled. Sure, if you set it to do that. On the other hand you can set it to render native ( 2160x2160 ) or, if you have something better than my 3090, you can edit the Pico Connect config files to render as high as you like and down sample. Want 8k? No problem. With down sampling it looks spectacular but, hello sick bucket ( at least on my GPU ). Can also set the bit rates higher. Probably only limited by what the Snapdragon can process.
8) It doesn't need a Faceb*x.com account.
9) It's a fantastic way to make my autistic ADD nephew sit still until I take it off him.
I've bought the VR Desktop software but I don't see a reason to use it yet. As it is I can drive my headset well above what a 3090 can handle.
Some other, even more, subjectivity
1) EDO feels quite a bit more fluid for the same graphics settings, when compared with the G2.
2) Just for kicks, I dropped the SS to 0.85 ( which looks pretty bad on the G2 to me ). On the P4U the difference is there but I had to keep the view still and look for it. Must be something about the pancake lenses. Obviously the FPS went up so I'll be keeping that setting
I've got one PC where I removed Win11 and plonked Win10 on to make sure WMR wouldn't be removed ( so there Microsoft
). I've another PC where I used GPEdit to set the target update version to W11 23H2 ( but Microsoft being Microsoft, I don't trust them to comply with this setting ). Then I wrote a powershell script to control all 6 Microsoft update services manually, to stop it removing WMR. I was too late to save Mixed Reality Portal for SteamVR but then I wasn't using SteamVR anyway so meh.TL;DR, initially plugging the P4U in, I was disappointed. After learning to fettle the rendering settings, visually it just ( for me personally ) destroys my G2.
Negatives:
1) It's not as seamlessly integrated with Windows but then non WMR headsets were ever going to be as well embedded.
2) I don't want to call Pico Connect software 'ropey' but I learned quite quickly that, once I have it working with the config I want, never ever ever let it update, either the desktop software or, in particular, the headset software. That's just a quick way to get the often reported 'waiting to connect' problems that people are complaining about on the Pico Forums. Software can't be rolled back so the headset needed to be reset.
3) The native headset interface is basic, although it's pretty slick and I don't need controllers, just hands, so maybe this should be a plus?
6) Latency with my WiFi 6 router is cr@p. Great way to lose weight in a hurry and you're looking at someone who played Skyrim with VorpX back in the day
. Sure, I could buy WiFi 7 but just for this.... really?7) I needed to create a Pico account.
Positives
1) With a bit of fettling and a powered 5m USB-C cable, I get a more 'monitor like' picture than my G2 and which itself is good ( in the sweet spot ).
2) Ignore the comparative FOV data in degrees where the G2 is slightly better. Nobody talks about the face gasket. The G2 gasket is so bulky, it's like looking down a toilet tube. In reality the P4U has an obviously wider FOV than the G2, I can see more of my cockpit. Yes, there are after market gaskets for the G2 but then the same for the P4U and I've ordered one so it's still better.
3) it's smaller, lighter and the lenses seem taller and wider.
4) The USB-C cable is small with a right angled connector which can point 'toward' the PC where the USB ports are. Or, turn it around so it can hang down behind like the Reverbs do. Also, the cable is much lighter, less bulky and less fragile.
4) There's a lot more graphics fettling I can still do by editing P4U config files to increase the resolutions and bitrates presented in the Pico4 GUI.
5) Ignore what's published about the picture being rendered at 1920x1920 and upscaled. Sure, if you set it to do that. On the other hand you can set it to render native ( 2160x2160 ) or, if you have something better than my 3090, you can edit the Pico Connect config files to render as high as you like and down sample. Want 8k? No problem. With down sampling it looks spectacular but, hello sick bucket ( at least on my GPU ). Can also set the bit rates higher. Probably only limited by what the Snapdragon can process.
8) It doesn't need a Faceb*x.com account.
9) It's a fantastic way to make my autistic ADD nephew sit still until I take it off him.
I've bought the VR Desktop software but I don't see a reason to use it yet. As it is I can drive my headset well above what a 3090 can handle.
Some other, even more, subjectivity
1) EDO feels quite a bit more fluid for the same graphics settings, when compared with the G2.
2) Just for kicks, I dropped the SS to 0.85 ( which looks pretty bad on the G2 to me ). On the P4U the difference is there but I had to keep the view still and look for it. Must be something about the pancake lenses. Obviously the FPS went up so I'll be keeping that setting
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