Simultaneous controller and hand tracking controls coming to Quest Pro
Update v56 for Meta Quest not only improves hand tracking, but also lets you use the Quest Pro's controllers at the same time.
Meta wants to make it easier for Quest Pro users to decide whether they want to use hand tracking or controllers. The v56 update adds the ability to the SDK to use both options at the same time, or to switch seamlessly between them. Meta calls this "Multimodal".
As users operate the sticks and buttons on the touch controllers, the built-in cameras simultaneously capture hand positions and finger movements. This also allows developers to create VR games for one controller, leaving the other hand free to do things like navigate menus.
Quest Pro: Seamless Hand-Controller Switching
At the moment, you have to put the controllers down to switch to hand tracking mode. Switching back to the controllers isn't quite seamless either. Meta's CTO Andrew "Boz" Bosworth presented the new possibilities for developers in a video on Twitter.
2/ SDK - we're introducing two new experimental APIs to unlock two new experiences: simultaneous hands and controllers (multimodal) and controller-driven hand pose (capsense hands)
AdAd— Boz (@boztank) July 21, 2023
They are only available as an experimental feature on the Quest Pro for now, but should appear in regular apps and on Quest 3 later.
Update v56 has been rolling out to Meta Quest headsets since July 20. As usual, some users will get the new features earlier than others. The list of features includes Hand Tracking 2.2, Facebook Live Streaming, free button mapping for touch controllers and automatic updates for apps in sleep mode. Follow the link for more details.
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