Pico XR

ByteDance-owned Pico has made a significant announcement, revealing plans to incorporate Gaussian Splatting into its VR ecosystem. While Gaussian Splatting has been gaining attention across the VR industry—with notable developments from companies like Varjo and indie projects alike—Pico’s upcoming solution marks a new milestone, especially for VR creators and developers looking to leverage cutting-edge rendering techniques.

Platform Highlights

• Gaussian Splatting for the PICO 4 Ultra: Pico’s Gaussian Splatting solution will be tailored specifically for the PICO 4 Ultra, their upcoming VR headset. Although this feature is currently in the announcement stage and not yet available, it promises high-fidelity rendering that could significantly enhance immersive VR experiences. The PICO 4 Ultra released September 2, 2024 though availability in the U.S. is still unconfirmed.

• Unreal Engine 5.3 Plugin: For U.S.-based developers and anyone outside regions where the PICO 4 Ultra will be sold, Pico is planning to release an open-source 3D Gaussian Splatting (3DGS) plugin for Unreal Engine 5.3. This plugin will allow users to integrate Gaussian Splatting into Unreal projects, extending the benefits of this technology to a wider audience and across multiple platforms. At this point in time the plugin has not been released, though this article will be updated accordingly.

• Dynamic Demo on the Horizon: Later this year, Pico also intends to release a dynamic Gaussian Splatting demo. This showcase will allow developers and VR enthusiasts to see the real-time potential of 3D Gaussian Splatting on VR hardware.

Core Features and Benefits

• VR-Focused Gaussian Splatting: The upcoming Pico solution for the PICO 4 Ultra leverages Gaussian Splatting to deliver high-quality, efficient rendering for virtual environments. This method provides memory efficiency and high fidelity, especially beneficial for immersive VR applications requiring realistic depth and detail.

• Cross-Platform Potential with Unreal Engine Plugin: Pico’s open-source plugin for Unreal Engine 5.3 allows developers without access to Pico hardware to experiment with and implement Gaussian Splatting in their projects. This is a promising tool for VR and AR creators looking to explore new rendering techniques without hardware limitations.

• Enhanced Accessibility for VR Creators: With both hardware- and software-based Gaussian Splatting solutions in the pipeline, Pico’s approach is designed to make this technology accessible across regions and platforms.