What it’s good to know
- The Quest v64 replace started rolling out on Monday, April 8.
- Meta guarantees that Quest 3 passthrough may have “increased decision” with higher “shade, publicity, distinction, and dynamic vary.”
- Different Quest 3 enhancements embody exterior mic assist, a lying-down mode, and an enchancment to casting.
One of many principal Quest 3 perks over different headsets is its full-color passthrough. Whereas we appreciated the way it labored out of the field, we have seen a direct enchancment since updating our headsets to the Quest v64 replace — and we’ll present you footage.
Introduced on Monday, the Quest v64 update was designed to “enhance the perceived decision for passthrough by optimizing the passthrough pipeline,” in keeping with Meta. In apply, it is meant to make it simpler to learn “telephone notifications and different small textual content,” so you may verify your messages with out eradicating the headset.
On the identical time, the Quest v64 replace modified the “digicam processing pipeline” to “enhance shade, publicity, distinction and dynamic vary in passthrough.” Meta says this makes shade constancy nearer to actual life and reduces “graininess in decrease mild circumstances.”
My colleague and fellow VR nerd Nick Sutrich donned his Quest 3 and recorded passthrough footage after downloading the replace, which you’ll see within the embedded video under.
General, the standard appears nice, and it is simpler to see textual content on telephone or TV screens than earlier than. That stated, we did discover some apparent object warping when it strikes. Your hand would not warp as you progress it, however the room across the edges of your hand does warp barely.
Because the Quest v64 notes do not point out this, we assume that is one thing you may should get used to! With the Quest 3 and Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional competing for VR followers’ love, this replace is clearly designed to make the cheaper headset nearer to the high-res Imaginative and prescient Professional in passthrough high quality.
Past passthrough, the replace helps exterior mics related through the USB-C port in case you allow it in Experimental Settings. Not like different equipment like keyboards or mice, you will not be capable of join one over Bluetooth. This transformation got here after Meta fastened Quest 3’s inner mic points in a earlier replace.
Whereas the Quest v63 replace added assist for enjoying the Quest 2 or Quest Professional whereas mendacity down, the Quest 3 was left behind. Now, with v64, Quest 3 homeowners can allow “Use Apps Whereas Mendacity Down” in Experimental Settings, then lie down and maintain the Oculus button to vary their perspective.
We suggest trying into Pillow, a Quest app designed earlier than Meta’s lying-down replace with cute experiences like stargazing, meditation, and bedtime tales. Mockingly, the developer Lucas Rizzotto complained on Twitter/X that the v63 replace broke his app, however he seems to have fastened it previous to v64.
The final main characteristic replace ensures that in case you take away your Meta Quest headset whereas casting to a TV, the headset will “hold the stream alive” as an alternative of going black. Now you may take a break or cross the headset to another person with out having to reset the casting settings — particularly helpful for these unfamiliar with VR!
Contemplating Meta quickly eliminated casting from Quest earlier than bringing casting again this January, it is good to see that Meta is constant to enhance the characteristic, somewhat than letting it languish.
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