Pico is gearing up for a major leap in visual and MR performance with its upcoming 2026 VR headset. The device will reportedly include 4K micro-OLED displays and a dedicated passthrough processing chip similar to Apple’s R1. These details were shared by Yang Zhenyuan, ByteDance’s Vice President of Technology, during the 2025 ByteDance Scholarship Award Ceremony, according to Chinese outlet STAR Market Daily. Pico has been quiet recently, but these specifications suggest a renewed push into high-end XR. The positioning also hints at a direct challenge to Apple’s Vision Pro lineup.
Reports over the past two years indicated that ByteDance moved away from developing a traditional Pico 5. Instead, the company introduced Pico 4 Ultra which was an update to the Pico 4 series. According to Zhenyuan’s comments, ultra advanced new device is now nearing completion, featuring advanced optics with specialised hardware for mixed reality.
The 2026 device is said to feature micro-OLED panels with a pixel density of 4000 PPI. This matches headsets such as Samsung’s Galaxy XR, Play For Dream MR and Shiftall’s MeganeX. The use of micro-OLED places Pico among a growing group of manufacturers prioritising sharper visuals, deeper contrast and smaller displays. Zhenyuan also stated that the headset will ship with a self-developed passthrough processor. This special chip is equipped with the tendency to handle high-resolution camera feeds with latency under 12 milliseconds.
If the buzz is true, Pico must be targeting best-in-class passthrough quality to give a tough competition to its rivals such as Samsung, which uses the Qualcomm XR2 Gen 2’s built-in image signal processor. Pico’s micro-OLED displays and the specialised chip would give it an advantage in clarity, responsiveness and overall feel.
Earlier this year, The Information reported that ByteDance is also developing an ultralight headset shaped like goggles, supported by a tethered compute puck. This design is similar to Meta’s upcoming prototypes. We are not yet sure if this high end device and the 2026 headset are the same products, but it is quite possible that ByteDance is preparing separate devices for different audiences.
There is one major limitation as excitement builds for Pico’s next-generation headset. Like the Pico 4 and Pico 4 Ultra, the new device is not expected to launch in North America. ByteDance continues to avoid political scrutiny linked to ongoing restrictions and bans related to TikTok. For regions where Pico is active, however, 2026 is shaping up to be a significant year for the company’s return to premium XR hardware.
