Finally ! Meta boosts hand tracking on its VR headsets

With the v50 update for VR headsets Quest, Meta finally puts a spin on hand tracking with the Direct Touch setting.

However, this feature is still experimental. Hand tracking has been more or less stagnant on Meta headsets since 2019.

Product Tracking

Remember that using a Quest without the controllers was possible in a summary way for five years already. However, this was limited to interactions by “pinching” the fingers. This week announces, after a lot of patience, the change to hand tracking on Meta headsets.

A new update introduces the experimental Direct Touch setting. Thanks to this, it will finally be possible, as its name suggests, to directly “touch” buttons or a virtual keyboard, or even to take advantage of tactile applications and games by the sole use of one’s hands.

” Direct Touch is a major enhancement to our hand tracking technology, providing a more intuitive and engaging way to interact with the system and 2D panels “, Meta rightly says. It’s akin to using a fully virtual touchscreen and is a nice change from what’s previously been on Quest headsets.

What to cut the quid to Apple?

While the idea that Meta is finally picking up the pace for hand tracking on its VR headsets is pretty good news, one wonders why it’s only happening now. Part of the answer may lie with Apple and its mixed reality headset.

It intends to offer advanced hand tracking and should in all likelihood finally be presented during WWDC this summer. It’s still too early to tell how much better the technology will be on Apple’s very expensive headset, but Meta might be considering pulling the rug out from under it.

Along with the experimental Direct Touch setting, the v50 update adds other handy features. The ability to bring up an application in 2D without closing a game, previously exclusive to the Quest Pro, is indeed coming to the Quest 2, among other comfort additions.

Source : Meta