Meta Quest: Major update brings windows integration and much more
Update 72 for Meta Quest brings Windows integration, hand tracking 2.3, a gallery app, better keyboard tracking, and more.
Last month's big update for Meta Quest is followed by another big one this month. I'll summarize all the important improvements for you.
Update 71 is rolling out to owners of Quest 3, Quest 3S, Quest 2 and Quest Pro beginning December 9th. As usual, it may take up to a week or more for the update to reach your Quest.
Content
Windows integration
Meta and Microsoft have been working for a long time to make it as easy as possible to connect Meta Quest 3(S) to a local Windows 11 PC and stream its content to virtual monitors in the headset.
Later this month, Meta will release an experimental feature that will allow users to simply view their Windows 11 desktop with Quest 3(S) to receive a pairing prompt.
There is an article in the Meta Quest Help Center that walks you through the setup steps and lists the system requirements. The feature requires a Meta Quest 3(S), Windows 11 22H2 and the installation of a dedicated PC application. The latter will be unnecessary in the future.
Hand tracking 2.3
Almost a year and a half has passed since the 2.2 hand tracking update.
Meta is now releasing another major iteration of its own hand tracking, making hand and finger tracking more stable, accurate, and responsive when interacting with the universal menu and applications.
The new Hand Tracking 2.3
- Makes the hand cursor more stable and responsive when navigating the universal menu,
- Stabilizes the cursor when you bring your index finger and thumb together, making it easier to select items,
- Improves the responsiveness and stability of pinch-and-drag interactions, such as dragging a browser tab to a new window,
- Makes it easier to use your hands in tight spaces, which is especially common in travel mode, and
- Adds a new hand beam visualization that makes it easier to find and aim the cursor at targets.
The improved hand tracking will be rolled out over the next few weeks. Check out the video below to see the improvements.
New gallery app
Meta brings a dedicated media app that makes it easier to view, manage and share images, screenshots, videos, spatial videos and panoramas.
Once the app is rolled out to your Meta Quest, you will find it in your app library. You can also launch it from the Camera app.
This is what the new gallery app looks like. | Image: Meta
Improved keyboard tracking
With Update 72, Meta introduces a new keyboard tracking technology that detects many different keyboards and then displays them in an appropriate passthrough window.
This feature can be enabled in Settings > Devices > Keyboard by selecting the "Show my keyboard" option. Hand and body tracking must also be enabled.
MIXED has already tested this feature. See the video below for a demonstration.
Live captions in calls
This feature turns on live captioning for calls made from the People app. Once enabled in Settings, you will see a live transcription of spoken words (and other sounds) in a separate window.
Boundary improvements
When switching from Passthrough mode to VR mode in the home environment, you are now assigned a fixed boundary without the system searching for a boundary or prompting you to create one manually.
Further improvements
- Travel mode now shows when it's active in the universal menu so you don't forget to turn it off when you're done traveling.
- The Facebook app for Meta Quest now allows you to view your friends' stories.
- With the Instagram app for Meta Quest, you can now use Direct Messenger to share reels, stories, and posts with friends or chat.
Full release notes
You can read the full release notes for firmware update 72 in the Meta Quest Release Notes.
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