Playing outdoors with Meta Quest 3 could become a thing
Meta Quest 3 is better suited for outdoor play than its predecessor. This may change the way you the headset is used.
I have tried to play Meta Quest 2 outdoors a few times. This only worked under very cloudy skies or at dusk. Otherwise, the controllers were not tracked, probably because the sensors are too sensitive to direct sunlight.
With Quest 3, that no longer seems to be the case: Since its launch, videos have been making the rounds on Twitter of VR enthusiasts experimenting with the headset outdoors, exposing it to direct sunlight without tracking issues.
I truly wanted to test how well the Quest 3's tracking would perform outdoors with some AR content. So what better chance to test something than diving back into the world of Sword Art Online in REAL LIFE!
Proud to say this headset definitely passed 🙂 pic.twitter.com/UbGz2M8TdP
AdAd- KRNG Toasty ? (@AwakenToast) October 9, 2023
Of course, you still need to be careful with such experiments, as the lenses can damage the displays in a very short time when exposed to direct light. For this reason, you should protect the lenses from sunlight before and after wearing the headset.
Safety first when playing outdoors
While outdoor gaming is certainly not a use case that Meta would endorse, it is worth a try. Provided, of course, that you ensure your safety and the safety of others. Under no circumstances should you play VR outdoors alone and unsupervised.
OK don't be mad. But someone had to do it.
AdAdwalked into a cafe in mixed reality pic.twitter.com/WSJEMWuG00
- CIX (@CixLiv) October 16, 2023
Quest 3, unlike Quest 2, is designed for mixed reality, and mixed reality games could be particularly appealing outdoors. Passthrough ensures that the physical environment becomes part of the game, which also makes the experience safer. You'll also have more room to move in parks, sports fields, and playgrounds than you would at home.
The beginning of outdoor mixed reality
I wonder if we'll see more games on Meta Quest 3 and other standalone mixed reality headsets optimized for outdoor use in the next few years, and if related devices will increasingly move in that direction. The potential seems huge.
Field-scale Doom3 on Quest 3. pic.twitter.com/WDNHVhUQPI
- rogeressig (@rogeressig) October 15, 2023
Ten years ago, it was almost unimaginable that we would one day have headsets that could be used outdoors without external sensors, cables, or computers. Oculus Quest made that dream a reality. And with Meta Quest 3, outdoor augmented reality could become a reality for many people for the first time.
What is the next step for this technology? Smaller and lighter devices, more powerful mixed reality, or something else entirely? The future is exciting.
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