The ULTIMATE VR Headset Durability Test! Pico 4 VS Quest 2!

Hello! Here is the long awaited extreme durability test of the Pico 4. I figured before I do a proper review it would be more than worth it to do the exact same tests I did on the Quest 2 when it released to see EXACTLY how strong the headsets are against each other.
Here I do a headset and controller drop test, controller bash test, lens scratch test, dryer machine test, and headstrap flexibility test. SO! Will the Pico 4 survive?
Links:
Polywatch:
amzn.to/42JjQEs
My Pico 4 Headstrap Upgrade:
amzn.to/3TJruu8
My links:
Support Content Like this on Patreon:
/ thrillseeker
Discord:
/ discord
Twitter:
/ thrilluwu
Outro Music:
• Magic.

[@ThrillSeekerVR]

Thank you so much for watching. So excited to be making some super fun videos again! Join for an awesome community: Discord.gg/Thrill

[@CentriVR]

Hi thrill

[@brysonsanders5422]

Gotta say your editing goes under appreciated. Good job man

[@ThrillSeekerVR]

@@CentriVR hey there Centri!!! :D

[@theyounggerald3007]

gonna be 10 k in under in hour this one blowing up... had to leave the video i was on to help out.

[@louie365official]

Thank you for the video! Waiting for that review too. Keep it up!❤

[@Fancy2209Real]

The start of the video shows Thrillseeker killing a innocent a headset with no mercy already, wow.

[@wrongteous]

That headset is not innocent at all. It's spyware.

[@EvyFurry]

@@wrongteous almost every device made by a big corpo has spyware

[@peanut9426]

@@wrongteous source ?

[@wrongteous]

@@peanut9426 Maybe the fact that it's developed by Bytedance, the same company behind TikTok. The app which is being investigated for supplying China with data from the USA and Europe.

[@wrongteous]

@@EvyFurry But this is corporate espionage being conducted by China. A country which is extremely hostile to democracy and western values.

[@Alopexus]

Thanks for the video Thrill! As an Australian who imported their Pico 4 from China, I'm VERY careful with the headset out of fear of potentially damaging any part of the system and then being unable to use it until I can source replacement parts from overseas which as we all know, can be a glacially slow process.. It's great to know that the whole system generally holds up very well to a proper physical stress test and I appreciate you taking the time to do this! Thanks mate

[@shiftednrifted]

I bought replacement battery preemptively

[@bluebaconjake405]

@@shiftednrifted Thats a smart move lol

[@allantotti]

Same here, bought mine via Kogan, main use will be on trips to work (I am a FIFO worker). I bought a carry bag and lens protector just in case but man, this thing is solid! I've been using Virtual Desktop on my laptop, amazing performance.

[@jovanleon7]

How much did you get it for if I may ask including shipping cost. And was it from AliExpress?

[@shiftednrifted]

@@bluebaconjake405 yea i figured with my luck by the time i need one they wont be available

[@troliskimosko]

The quest 2 durability test is legendary 😂

[@toututu2993]

But the crappy joystick drift is a pain

[@aidandillon5515]

@@toututu2993 that's supper easy to fix i used to have it just get some electronics 4d-40 and put in in the sticks fixed it perminantly for me had it for a year before that

[@TropicalCyc]

@@toututu2993 you can easily just replace the joysticks if you just follow a video tutorial on how to disassemble the controllers and buy replacement sticks online, i have been doing that for my quest 2 controllers and i havent broken any cables yet, even if i was rough with disassembling it

[@FunnyUro]

@@TropicalCyc or just spray some WD-40 into the joysticks

[@yoanperez172]

@@FunnyUro Just a note, not the oil! the contact cleaner!

[@reNINTENDO]

It's genuinely incredible these things can survive impacts like that. Just an HMD in general. I don't normally expect complex tech to deal with much beyond ideal usage. Granted I've hit my Index controllers and headset enough to know it's gotta be something they have to think about when making this stuff, but the ability to still use a headset fine after chucking it across the room is far beyond expectations.

[@Hawk7886]

Plastic is strong, dude

[@roberine7241]

Yeah Q2 is a brick. There is also a good amount of air between the important bits and the plastic shell. It is also an absolute pain to take apart and I will have to do that again soon, cause it seems meta cheaper out in terms of thermal paste. It has dried up after two years of extensive usage.

[@smittyvanjagermanjenson182]

Basically just a phone encased in an egg of plastic lol. The durability info is helpful, but like my PC, I won't be chucking my VR headset ever lol

[@roberine7241]

@@smittyvanjagermanjenson182 but you will likely drop it at some point and you will be happy it can survive that.

[@SnrubSource]

i really think premium (>$500) hmds should focus on protecting the lens. Like, make them glass instead of plastic and include a built in cover so you dont get sun damage

[@FrontwaysLarry]

I've been saying from the get-go that people should be wary about the integrated, unremovable strap, so it's VERY reassuring to finally see someone testing out if this is a point of failure to worry about. Glad to see it's so reliable, damn! This actually puts Pico in a really good position if they do a US release. When the Quest 3 comes out supposedly at a higher cost, the Pico 4 could be everyone's consumer option that still has pancake lenses, but at a lesser cost.

[@ngregoirenc]

My only concern would be how it does with fatigue, especially the wires inside. After a year or so of stretching and movement, how will it hold up.

[@FrontwaysLarry]

@@ngregoirenc My best guess would be that you'd be good with normal wear and tear for a few years, but time will tell. Could be that this kind of plastic they use will lose its durability after a couple years, but we'll see. I think that generally speaking this kind of workability for the plastic just means that you'll be protected if you accidentally drop it battery-first, bending the strap entirely. You probably wouldn't be doing what Thrill's doing here in the video every day, otherwise I'd totally agree with you there.

[@smittyvanjagermanjenson182]

Needs good software for it to go anywhere. I'm talking QoL, games, apps. Quest 2 is just leagues ahead. Plus if the rumors of a quest lite are true, then I assume that would be a revamped quest 2 with pancake optics, and maybe the XR2+ potentially. The main thing pico has is the tiktok branding.

[@vadnegru]

People looking how Quest2 is cheap forget how terrible it is without accessories and replacements (strap is just a must have)

[@efm_375]

Hey man thanks for all the stuff you make. It’s awesome and I love watching your videos and listening to ur vr news. Ur the best

[@hammadsheikh6032]

Watching this actually hurts me physically… but loving this content. You are the most exceptional VR reviewer out there. Please never stop.

[@ConalFlood]

been waiting all week for this

[@shadowcolossus8045]

After the pico 4 review I’d love to see a tier list or overview comparing all the major headsets to see what’s best for who. Been thinking of a video like that for a while now

[@sashabagdasarow497]

pin this!

[@Shuroii]

Quest 2 for standalone users, Pico 4 for wireless pcvr users

[@lildicksbigblunts]

Thank you. That’s vids must be so expensive to make but you’re doing a huge service for all of us and all the future Vr users

[@chris_is_here_oh_no]

Awesome video, always great to see a durability test! Still a shame though there is yet to be a NA release date.

[@swingly6061]

not just date, not even announced to ever release. xD Bytedance is understandably careful with their US relations. In the event of a trade ban they would be locked out of using Qualcomm hardware.

[@jerbid_]

sick pfp love KDE

[@sharkle4350]

Oh Ive been waiting for this one :)

[@Assassin32VR]

Another round of headset laundering. Thank you. 👍👍

[@CakePrincessCelestia]

It's always great to see at least someone cleaning up their wearables! XD

[@ThunderDraws]

@@CakePrincessCelestia giving those lenses a good scrub

[@ChrisQuitsReality]

THE RETURN OF THE DRYER FINALLY!!

[@ItsMicahDesu]

Hi Chris! Love your vids man

[@lyonsdwyer5373]

Finally the long awaited test is here. Super fun watch

[@CallMeYuu]

It hurts soo much..... But I've waited for that video soo long! Thanks Thrill!

[@Shrenetor]

It’s always a good day when thrill chucks a headset in a drying machine 🎉

[@douglasbrown2367]

Reading the title I was VERY doubtful about this video. Only a crash-test? No specs or actual testing? I was surprised how cleverly you’ve solved it and shared your thoughts about the specs and even key durability concerns that might made some Pico 4 users use the device too carefully. Keep up the good work!✌🏻

[@artmediocre4595]

Ooof, that review tease! Drop it already Thrill 😆

[@northwestguru1]

This video was fun. More extreme takes from thrill

[@b5a5m5]

So for the scratch repair, you should attempt to work your way through higher and higher grit sandpaper before moving to polishing compound. You do have to make sure you start with a sandpaper close to your scratch depth though, and make sure that the surface is of uniform scratchy-ness (a haze at higher grits) and no trace of the scratch you're trying to remove is there anymore before moving up to the next grit. Oh, and also be careful with the polishing phase and keep the lenses cool since that polishing (especially with a tool) will make a lot of heat and melt the plastic lenses.

[@MIN_0001]

The video we have all been waiting for

[@sembalo1776]

hell yeah good to see it passed and cant wait for the review, im really clad you mentioned repairability aswell

[@swecreations]

Loved the parts about repairability ❤️

[@Ustemer]

I've been waiting for this! Watching this on my Pico, heh

[@paulsilva753]

waiting for full review!

[@agustinmacias8575]

I can't express how much anxiety watching this video gave me. Thanks for the awesome video!

[@ezyto]

I wonder how hard fixing this damage yourself would be with replacement parts!

[@ThrillSeekerVR]

Yeah I wonder this too actually!! I think it may be a little hard to get the parts though!

[@rhetz1562]

As someone who likes to repair before I replace I was disappointed when I found out how even a simple lense is hard to find for the quest 2

[@zerocool6452]

The battery is super easy to swap out if the tear down is anything to go buy. There is a chinese video about it so shouldn't be hard to find.

[@PandaGamingPodcast]

I never worry about scratches ever since Thrill introduced me to pollywatch.

[@macmi11i]

omg I thought I'd be slick and pause at the dryer to see your face....but you got that covered... well played good sir

[@Kylekashi]

Normal VR KZbinrs: Stick to a regular review Thrillseeker:

[@sifivibe1098]

the video weve al been waiting for

[@Rootgm08]

The first five seconds I see thrill hit the thing with a fricken axe, this is gonna be good

[@sixxiom1142]

I like how chill your cat was about it.

[@stryker2k2]

Do you remember when Thrill had like 15 supporters and read each of their names out at the end of each video? Now the list moves so fast! Gratz on the massive growth!

[@thevinlanddragon]

What I need is that Bigscreen Beyond review ASAP when that embargo drops😆

[@Meianju]

Wow thanks for making this insane stress test happen. I live in Europe so the Pico 4 has been on my radar, even though their owner doesn't strike me as trustworthy, I would get this over a Quest 2. However I will be getting the Lynx R1, with the transparent front cover, if they manage to get the production going smoothly, almost there.

[@Aereto]

I have the normal case on pre-order in addition to the controllers mostly for testing. But yes, their progress is slow but steady.

[@Meianju]

@@Aereto Yes the controllers, I hope they come soon. I remember in Stan's last live stream he mentioned the hired someone specifically to work on them. The lack of info on them is the reason continued considering other headsets but ultimately Lynx R1 is the headset I want the most.

[@izmer67]

great work!

[@swingly6061]

About the lenses: Pico made sure glasses are unlikely to scratch them, with a plastic bumper and the lenses being flat, if not concave. Should make the pancake lens coating problem less of a worry. 👍

[@DuckReconMajor]

that patron list has gotten out of control! You deserve it! inb4 50 mil subs

[@zeppelinshy]

When will you be releasing the video you mentioned about adding eye tracking to your index?

[@jameskirk4692]

thanks for the fun video

[@bobanncob]

i have been waiting for mine for months and its so painful to watch you destroy it, but its also very informative to see what are its strengths and weaknesses

[@tyler8261]

thanks for reviewing the pico 4 and not just destroying it for a video

[@Lilithe]

With the Quest 2 strap we got off of Amazon, the back of the head can fold inward so I do that to cover the lenses when I put it in my bag to go to something like the Virtual Portal we put on at FE mid March. I haven't noticed any scratches having it loosely packed in with a bunch of crap to go to a furry con. So that's 👍

[@seventhblessing.7371]

It's been 5 months since this video, and we still haven't gotten a full review.

[@mocktagoon]

This just reaffirms my decision to get one. I'm enjoying it.

[@ookami5329]

I'm not planning on buying a Pico like maybe ever, but this video was still fun to watch

[@simonshemetilo4606]

Hello, first off great torture testing. I am hoping you don't just throw that headset away. I live in an area where people just throw away still salvageable electronics, I love to to just take them and refurbish them it helps give me some technical experience. Anyway love your videos, thank you.

[@8motozero8]

Heya Thrill! Any update on your VR cover colab? Just got a M2 Plus strap and need to complete it with a fov increasing face gasket.

[@LunaNicoleTheFox]

My vive has scratched lenses (and a broken cover for where the cables go in) and while they are very fine scratches from glass on coated titanium they are very annoying, because there is essentially a small smudge in my fov all the time.

[@PNolandS]

Good to know, if I ever get a Pico and spill something on it I can just toss it in the drier. Solid video 👍

[@virtuallyaverage9357]

Please test the index! it would be great to see it compared on this playing field with it's known flaws and see where they land on this scale

[@Reava_]

Thats an entire other league in costs lmao

[@arcticwolfyt9836]

10:03 Literally threw me off. I actually thought this was also a pico review lol. Good one.

[@og_ocassions]

Watching while thrillseeker is at 669k subs, feeling good

[@user.asleep]

Whoa never thought the strap could be twisted like that without breaking. Now I`m relieved my pico`s strap won`t snap like quest 1`s did if I pick it up from one side

[@mrmobbs350]

Great video. I owned a Q2 since day one & sold it 1 month after buying the Pico 4. To this day I have no regrets. I was originally looking to buy a Cambria (now know as the quest pro) but reviews were mixed & the price was very high in comparison. I finally got my hands on a pro to compare with a Pico 4 & honestly I can say I made the right decision. I honestly can't believe how well the Pico 4 holds up against the Pro. There should be such a difference between the 2 but in my opinion there isn't! I went slightly off topic but wanted to share my own experience with you & your viewers :)

[@Tdugg]

Dude the pet in the back wondering WTF you're doing 😂

[@lumpytheman]

in the full review could you mention if pico 4 or quest 2 is better for pcvr exclusively? thank you for being such an amazing content creator. love you.

[@TheMonLust]

That's why it takes so long for him to make a review. I switched to pico from quest and i still can't answer this question with certain. My case is pico has suitable IPD for my eyes and quest don't. In other terms they are just different.

Are you going public with the Pico4 review soon? I would like to watch your review. Two months ago, I switched from Q2, used for over a year (mostly for PCVR), to P4 and still have mixed fillings. Most of my Pico issues are with quality. The main one is a bad facemask. Even a 3D-printed face mask is soo uncomfortable. Lack of maturity also caused a lack of moded facemask variants, unlike with Q2. I am still waiting for a few facemask mods to try to resolve the comfort issue. It is not only about comfort. Bad facemasks result in mask movements, resulting in uncentered eyes and blurriness. Another thing is controller movements are a little bit more sensitive than with Q2. Every little move could be much more felt in P4 than in Q2. This could be resolved with future updates, so I hope for additional controller stabilization. Also, noticed a lack of spacial sound feeling in P4 compared to Q2. With Q2, I can know exactly with headphones when someone is in front of me vs. when it is behind me. With P4, it is a lot more difficult to tell that difference. About positives. One thing is a big, incomparable difference for me against Q2. That is the openness of the Android system in P4. You can do almost anything you can do with an Android phone. That is, besides lenses, displays, and battery on the back, the greatest advantage against Q2.

[@alexderpyracc4053]

Where did you buy the pico 4 pro with eye and mouth tracking cameras from?

That is good, but on a forklift at my work there is some lights sticking out in a rubber lite material that been crushed between the truck and a wall several times without breaking, and they always flip back out to the correct position, and the same goes for some markers on the floor that hold up a ring of led lights to mark the corners of shelfs, those have been run over so many times but they still work. Question it why the rink on comptrollers is not mage by thick flexible rubber.

[@chainsov]

what would be interesting to know is if the pancakes react differently to direct sunlight than fresnel lenses. So far the only damange I had with 2 headsets was sun damage :(

[@KuraMad2000]

Pico likely applied a hardcoat like a UV acrylic. Decent coatings can usually withstand scratching from something like steel wool. You should be able to buff the scratches out of your lenses with enough effort, even the 80 grit. This is basically the same way you remove the yellowing from old car headlight covers. You just need to gradually work through the deep scratches with ever finer grit at each stage, down to as fine a grit as you can go, like 1000 or even 3000, the finer the final grit stage the better. Eventually you use a fine liquid polishing compound. You'll have all but completely removed the hardcoating layer though. In theory, you might be able to put a new protective coating on just like what they do with automotive headlight covers.

[@thebellowfellow]

I wanna go to the meet up! Heck yea see you there!

[@corneliusbuckley8897]

I've been using my pico for 5 or so months in the US, you just have to order through a UK amazon. And mine actually arrived 2 weeks ahead of schedule. Pretty great headset for standalone, especially with new games regularly coming to the store now. Don't have a PC, so not sure how the PC vr is unfortunately.

[@TheMonLust]

PC VR is cool but needs gaming router, i bought mine for 280 EUR, asus. Then it lowers the delay to comfortable values.

[@data_c0rrupted807]

Hey are you going to buy Brain computer interface headset for a torture test when they come out? The cheaper one is only $24k... not that much right?

[@mrglitchcrazy8695]

Love the shirt!

[@JediMando11]

I'm thinking of changing my VR headset from Quest 2 to Pico. I really want a lighter PC VR headset and that has nice wight balance. Thanks for testing the durability on this because I was kind of worried about it being a piece cheap plastic

[@Dtr146]

My PICO4 controllers have been through so much. I was playing beat saber when I first got the headset. I forgot the controllers didn't have a strap and I went for a big swing. Let's just say my ceiling fan was on. They still work by the way. Let's also say that I also have wrist straps on them now.

[@purpletail1460]

Next thrilluwu stream when!?!?! :)

[@RealPi]

Any recommendations on how to clean oculus quest 2 lenses? I used eyeglass microfibre special cloths so far and they work okay but wondering if there is some specific cloth for oculus lenses out there

[@connortitus2589]

Will you do a valve index torture test

[@chasemathwin3911]

I love the approach of the very unscientific scientific vibe of these videos

[@mikas2051]

Rarely do I see hardware test which makes me cringe and feel bad for the poor device during first minute! Great work!

[@2ndLastJedi]

I'd love to see this done to test a HP Reverb G2.

[@zeekjones1]

I guess outside edgecases, my Pico 4 will survive. I even got prescription lenses protecting the inside. The controllers however... I already knocked loose(or messed the calibration) the grip sensor once. Punched a bookshelf while aiming at a skeleton. _(some percussive maintenance worked, removing the battery pack resets it whenever it stops)_ I do hope they sell replacements separate from the headsets eventually.

[@kathestardust8653]

I'll always love this type of videos but the pain it causes me to see a brand new headset getting beated to death and I'm just like trying to get one, it really hurts x'D

[@Nienna_Asyare]

durability tests hurt my soul ; - ; but the information is good to know D:

[@prafnik89]

I lightly smashed wall with pico contoroller and sensor curve already moves a bit. The same spot as in the video, just not as much. Still works though.

[@Noise-fe6dp]

Got my Pico 4 just a few days ago and for the price it's amazing, stream from my pc with virtual desktop. Only cons might be battery time 2 ish hours, but easily solved with the right power bank. And the other con is the virtual desktop app costs money. But you can't really complain about that when you see how well it works.

[@doguso1016]

Where did you but the pico4? For the US at least?

[@ricdinchirock3625]

Well I certainly *would* look into getting a Pico 4 and helping those sales numbers, apparently they're not being officially sold in the US...

[@InventingThings]

Thank you omegas!

[@Bauxitedev]

I'm missing a "sun rays directly into lens" test here.

[@iliekrobelzx]

So true man

[@UtopssAKAPJ]

I'm waiting for the pico review

[@Camera-Guy_ODST]

How are the joysticks tho? I had to replace my sticks 4 times now I want Halleffect joysticks

[@samanthanu9672]

the sandpaper test on the lens hurt my soul.

[@e-man4155]

I just bought a G2 and I really love it so far. But if I had any idea the Pico was selling for US shipping I would have tried it out instead!

[@mo_mo1995]

Do the lens scratch at level 6 with deeper grooves at level 7?

[@LiveSpingas]

Love the b2b sweatshirt, I got the same one! Were you at SS22?

[@ThrillSeekerVR]

no i couldnt make it i was devastated!! PHIA picked this up for me, was so sweet

[@themainnerd0566]

"but its on steam, at least, for now" scary but accurate words...

[@moohooman]

I will be keeping a very close eye on this headset.

[@reyluna0]

Truly a video for Tech Gore enjoyers

[@drze7910]

Bro, it is now the time to test it? Would be great...

[@lp712]

Have you ever talked about/heard about Galea vr?

[@Roguevrgaming]

Hey I just noticed the Pico 4 can be ordered from Walmart in the us right now. I’m about to order one

[@Trenty_Boi]

I wanna know where you get the pico 4!