In Mixed Reality News
June 6, 2024 – Meta has this week announced a significant update to its Quest 3 headset with the release of v66, which is aimed at reducing the amount of visual distortion in Passthrough for users.
According to Meta, despite releasing a number of Passthrough-related improvements in its last few software updates, this latest v66 update is “the big one,” which the company states will “significantly improve the mixed reality experience.”
Enhanced Passthrough experience
By reducing visual distortion in Passthrough it ensures a more natural appearance of hands and objects, with Meta promising better alignment of virtual hands with real-world counterparts. Previous improvements in version v64 focused on exposure, colors, and contrast, while v66 further refines image quality to decrease distortion and the warping effect around moving objects.
Meta will be rolling out these improvements gradually, so as to ensure stability and prevent unforeseen issues.
New wrist buttons for accessible menus
The update also introduces an experimental feature aimed at improving hand tracking. Users can now access system-level features via new buttons on their wrists, displaying the Meta and Menu icons. These wrist buttons function similarly to the buttons on the controllers, providing quick access to main menus, casting, screenshots, and other settings. This feature can be enabled from the Experimental Settings panel on the Quest 3.
Background audio improvements
Additionally, v66 enhances the functionality of 2D apps (such as the Browser) by allowing continuous audio playback, even after minimizing apps. The feature supports multitasking, enabling users to listen to music, podcasts, or videos while engaging in other activities, such as playing games or socializing in Meta Horizon Worlds.
Parental Supervision tools update
Starting June 27, Meta is updating its Parental Supervision tools to better support parents and guardians managing multiple teens or children aged 10-12. These changes will allow supervised users to automatically see each other in the Family Center without additional setup.
For more details on Meta’s v66 update for Quest 3 and to view the release notes, click here.
Image / video credit: Meta / YouTube
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Sam is the Founder and Managing Editor of Auganix. With a background in research and report writing, he has been covering XR industry news for the past seven years.