What the Pika is
The Pika measures 100x60x35mm, weighs 260 grams and offers two scanning modes: a seven-line parallel blue laser and near-infrared (NIR) structured light. Tom's Hardware describes it as having the look and feel of a point-and-shoot camera. It has a 3-inch touchscreen on the back, a play/stop button, a power button and a switch for USB or Wi-Fi.
The reviewer says it runs on rechargeable AA-sized batteries, and two are included. Creality's own materials describe them differently, as two 3,350mAh removable batteries. I'm not going to reconcile that for you. Treat the form factor as removable, rechargeable cells and check the box contents before you buy.
Tom's Hardware lists the price as $699 and the release date as July 22, 2026. Its verdict still calls that a pre-order price. Prices and availability move, so check them yourself before you buy.
Where Windows comes in
The Pika has an onboard 8-core 2.0GHz processor. It still passes a large share of the heavy work to the connected device. Notebookcheck notes it doesn't have the standalone power to post-process. You can scan standalone, but fusion and meshing need a phone or PC.
That is why the requirements table matters. Per the review, the Windows requirements are:
| Minimum | Creality recommends | |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core i7, 7th gen | Intel Core i7, 13th gen or newer |
| GPU | Nvidia, 8GB VRAM | Nvidia RTX 3060 or better |
| RAM | 16GB | 32GB |
| OS | Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit | Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit |
Creality's product page confirms the recommended Windows tier: Windows 10/11 64-bit, Intel i7 Gen13 or above, RTX 3060 or above and 32GB RAM. A retailer listing echoes the minimum tier: Windows requires a compatible Nvidia GPU with at least 8GB of VRAM and 16GB of RAM.
The reviewer's own experience fits those numbers:
- Old laptop, 8GB RAM: it didn't work, even though that machine had been fine for earlier scanners.
- Low-end gaming laptop, 16GB RAM: it ran the scanner "quite well."
- iPhone 15: it had "just enough oomph," and the reviewer expects newer phones to do better.
These are one reviewer's observations. They don't prove RAM alone decides compatibility. The GPU requirement is a hard filter too. An Nvidia card with 8GB of VRAM is a real condition, and plenty of thin-and-light Windows laptops and AMD-only desktops won't meet it.
Connection modes and limits
The review says the scanner can pair wirelessly with a phone or a laptop, or connect to a computer by cable. Wireless is more convenient but slower. Marker-free laser scanning only works while physically tethered to a computer. Creality's page backs this up. Retailer listings also describe marker-free scanning as supported in wired PC mode. Creality adds that iPhone wired connection is not supported.
If you plan to scan purely from a phone, you give up marker-free laser scanning. Windows laptop owners with the right hardware get the fullest feature set.
Scanning results
Blue laser mode. This is the mode for detail. The reviewer scanned a bust of Michelangelo's David, a 62mm-tall toy figure and a bobblehead. The reviewer says the David scan may be the best they've gotten of that model. They credit the scanner's small size and decent tracking, which let it reach the underside of the hair and chin. Software cleanup did the rest. The David and the small figure were printed on a Prusa Core One L. The bobblehead was printed on a Prusa XL.
NIR mode. This mode doesn't need marker dots. It handled a foot scan well enough for sizing TPU shoes, though the reviewer cleaned it up in Nomad Sculpt. Hair is a problem in every mode. The reviewer says it "flummoxed" the scanner. The review lists tracking in NIR mode as a downside.
The turntable. The included manual turntable works well when covered in marker dots. It has a few millimeters of play in the center bearing, though. That can roughen the surface texture if you're careless.
Calibration and software workflow
The scanner is calibrated with the included glass board. You hold the scanner above the board at different heights and angles, and it takes about ten minutes. The review lists an improved calibration routine as a plus.
Creality Scan is available for Windows, Mac, Android and iPhone. The same workflow handles both scanning and processing on your computer. The review walks through these steps:
- Fuse the model. This removes the marker dots and noise.
- Clean up stray geometry. Use the lasso tool to delete unattached pieces.
- Trim the base. Select markers around the scan to create a clipping plane, then raise or lower it for a flat bottom.
- Run mesh processing. Smooth, simplify and fill the small holes, which show up in yellow.
- Fill large flat holes. Use Plane-type hole filling for them.
- Export. Creality Scan exports STL, PLY, OBJ or ASC files, which you can feed to a slicer or modeling tool.
One warning is worth remembering. Don't tick "make watertight" when there is a large hole, such as an open bottom. The software will cover it by ballooning the surface outward.
Spec discrepancies to watch
The spec table in the Tom's Hardware review doesn't match Creality's published figures in several places. Don't mix the two sets.
| Spec | Tom's Hardware table | Creality and retailer listings |
|---|---|---|
| Scan speed | Up to 90fps, both modes | Up to 110fps on PC and 40fps on phone for blue laser. Up to 30fps on PC and 20fps on phone for NIR. |
| Blue laser resolution | 0.05–2mm | 0.1–2mm |
| NIR resolution | 0.1mm | 0.15–2mm |
| NIR accuracy | Up to 0.08mm/m | Up to 0.1mm |
| NIR minimum scan volume | 50×50×50mm | The official manual says 50×50×50mm, while CNX Software and the Creality page's summary cite larger figures. The sources conflict. |
Creality's accuracy figures also come with a caveat. Creality says its accuracy is evaluated in laboratory conditions, and real results can be affected by vibration, temperature and other factors. The review's photos and prints are the reviewer's own results. They are not independent accuracy measurements.
Who should buy it
Good fit:
- Hobbyists who print small figures, miniatures and parts.
- Anyone who already owns a recent Windows laptop with an RTX GPU and 16GB or more of RAM.
- Users who want a scanner that works in the field with a recent phone.
Think twice:
- Anyone with an older or integrated-graphics laptop. The 8GB failure in the review is a warning sign.
- Anyone who needs reliable head or hair scans.
- iPhone owners who want a cable connection. It isn't supported.
Bottom line
The reviewer's verdict is that this is one of the best scanners they've reviewed in 2026, because of its portability and price. They say it's less precise than Creality's pricier Sermoon line, but it uses the same Creality Scan software. That is the reviewer's comparison, not a verified spec. The scanner is cheap by the standards of 3D scanning. The PC you connect it to may not be, so check your GPU and RAM against the table before you order.