Quest 2 hand tracking improves with update
Advances in tracking software, especially artificial intelligence, are making Quest hand tracking better and better. This is proven by the latest version of hand tracking for Quest 2, which was released with Update 47 and can be used directly in all VR applications.
Handtracking 2.1 was introduced to Quest devices with Update 47. Don't be fooled by the small bump in the version number from 2.0 to 2.1, says Meta's interface lead Alex Dufetel: Update 2.1 is a "major upgrade to tracking.
The biggest impact, he says, is in reducing jitter in subtle interactions that require precision, such as the new hand-tracking game Silhouette. The update was first announced in October 2022. Silhouette is a new hand-tracking game that should benefit from the higher tracking accuracy for subtle movements.
Better gesture prediction through AI
Hand Tracking 2.1 uses a new neural network to more accurately predict hand and finger movements, minimizing or eliminating tracking errors. According to Oculus Developers, version 2.1 features reduced tracking loss and recovery time, improved tracking accuracy and position prediction, and improved pinch gesture quality.
Tracking recovery time after an interruption has been accelerated, resulting in faster tracking recovery and fewer interruptions overall (see video below). Meta has also improved pinch gesture recognition, which is particularly useful for navigating menus.
Meta released hand tracking 2.0 at the end of April 2022, which represents a big jump in quality over the previous version, 1.0. The basis for these strong tracking improvements on the same hardware are significant advances in computer vision and AI technology.
Automatic hand tracking update for development studios
Developers do not need to specifically implement the new Hand Tracking 2.1: Any Quest VR app with hand tracking support will automatically benefit from the improved tracking - as was the case with the major hand tracking update from version 1.0 to 2.0.
Hand Tracking 1.0 will be permanently disabled in April 2023. The default setting is already Hand Tracking 2.0. Developers who "for some reason" still want to use Hand Tracking 1.0 until April 2023 will have to manually configure their app to do so, according to Meta.
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