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PICO released version 0.5.0 of PICO CLI on 15 September 2026, according to its developer blog. The tool lets AI coding agents build spatial apps for PICO devices. PICO is a LEXRA member.
A command-line tool is software a developer runs by typing commands instead of clicking through menus. An AI coding agent writes and runs code from instructions typed in plain language. PICO CLI 0.5.0 works with five agents: Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, TRAE and GitHub Copilot.
“Building a PICO app meant installing Android Studio, configuring the SDK, aligning toolchain versions, debugging on a device, and digging through docs,” PICO said in its announcement.
PICO said one setup command installs a plugin for the agent the developer picks. The plugin includes Skills, PICO’s instructions for the agent. They cover when to create a project, when to build and what to check when something breaks.
The plugin also includes a knowledge base of PICO’s documentation, API references and sample code. The agent looks up that material instead of searching the web, PICO said.
PICO’s emulator, which runs an app on a computer, downloads only when a developer needs it. Android Studio is not required, PICO said.
Each project template includes the PICO software development kit it needs, PICO said. The PICO Spatial SDK builds native spatial apps in Kotlin, a programming language used for Android apps. The PICO Unity SDK supports Unity Spatial and Unity XR projects and requires a local Unity installation.
SpatialML converts AI models in ONNX, TFLite and PyTorch formats into a form a PICO device can run. It works from either SDK. WebSpatial, for spatial apps built in HTML and React, is limited to debugging in this release.
PICO demonstrated the tool with a Spatial Chess app. The instruction was one sentence, asking for a board in the main window and a side panel for mode, difficulty and the move list.
According to PICO, the agent wrote the code, fixed bugs and checked the result on the emulator over a few rounds of iteration. “We only did the final sign-off,” PICO said.
The emulator captures logs, screenshots and screen recordings. Install, launch and log capture use the same commands on a headset as on the emulator, PICO said. A profiler measures frame rate and load.
“AI tools continue to make content creation cost drop, which should eventually lead to more affordable content for operators,” said Bob Cooney, a VR consultant and executive director of LEXRA, the trade association for location-based XR, who began his career operating immersive location-based entertainment in 1989. “We will be tackling content costs at the Summit.” Cooney publishes The VR Collective.
The LEXRA Summit runs 5 and 6 October 2026 at Gilley’s Dallas.
For content developers, PICO said five AI coding agents can now build and debug PICO apps without Android Studio. For operators, Cooney said falling creation costs should eventually lead to more affordable content.
What does PICO CLI change about AI VR content creation? It lets an AI coding agent create, build, install and debug a PICO app from plain-language instructions. PICO’s documentation, API references and sample code come bundled for the agent to look up.
Which AI coding agents does PICO CLI 0.5.0 support? Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, TRAE and GitHub Copilot, according to PICO.
When was PICO CLI 0.5.0 released? PICO announced it on its developer blog on 15 September 2026.
Does PICO CLI need Android Studio? No, according to PICO. Setup installs the agent plugin, the software development kit comes with each project template, and the emulator downloads on demand.
What is SpatialML? A PICO tool that turns ONNX, TFLite and PyTorch AI models into a form a PICO device can run. It works for projects built with either the PICO Spatial SDK or the PICO Unity SDK.
