Meta – Page 35 – Augmented & Virtual Reality Confabulation

October 28, 2021

Facebook changes name to Meta, embraces metaverse

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg speaking at Facebook Connect. (Image courtesy Facebook.)

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg announced that Facebook changing its name to Meta in order to focus on the metaverse. He spoke at today’s Facebook Connect, the company’s virtual reality and augmented reality conference.

The stock symbol will officially change to MVRS on December 1, the company said in an announcement released today. Facebook itself will remain, but will now be just one brand in the Meta portfolio, alongside Instagram and WhatsApp.

“We believe the metaverse will be the successor to the Internet,” Zuckerberg said. “When you’re in a meeting in the metaverse you’ll feel that you are in a room together, instead of looking at a row of faces on the screen.”

Connections will be more natural and vivid, he said.

“Screens just can’t convey the full range of human expression and emotion,” he said. “They can’t deliver the feeling of presence.”

He said that people will have photorealistic avatars for work, as well as more cartoony ones for socializing or gaming.

He said that people will be able to create rooms and spaces anyone can teleport to, using an open standard.

“In order to unlock the potential of the metaverse, there needs to be interoperability,” he said. “That goes beyond just taking your avatar and digital items across different apps and experiences, which we’re already building an API to support. You want to know that when you buy something or create something that your items will be useful in a lot of contexts. you’re not going to be locked into one world or platform. You want to know that you own your items, not a platform.”

This is a departure from how Facebook currently works, where social interactions and content are locked into the Facebook ecosystem.

In another departure from Facebook’s current modus operandi, he added, “privacy and safety need to be built into the metaverse from day one.”

He promised that the metaverse will be broadly accessible. People can use virtual reality headsets, or augmented reality viewers, but also computer screens and mobile devices to access metaverse content, he said.

And interactivity won’t be limited to typing. Input methods will include gestures and voice control, he said.

“Or even just make things happen by thinking about them,” he said.

You can watch the whole keynote presentation below:

October 28, 2021October 28, 2021

Zuckerberg Announces Facebook Company Rebrand To Meta

Mark Zuckerberg announced that Facebook’s company title will be renamed to Meta.

Facebook Becomes Meta

The social media platform Facebook will keep its name, as will other company services and apps, while Meta will become the official name for the umbrella company that oversees Facebook, Instagram, Facebook Reality Labs and all its other subsets.

The official announcement follows on from a report from The Verge last week that indicated the change might be incoming and announced officially at Connect.

As we remarked last week, the move is not dissimilar to Google’s 2015 decision to rebrand their company title from Google to Alphabet. This was done to distinguish Google from the search engine and provide a more encompassing name for the umbrella company managing all of its services and products.

For Meta, the new name signals a shift towards the metaverse, which has been a big focus of Facebook’s recent VR/AR efforts and today’s Connect keynote. Currently the company brands its own social VR applications on platforms like the Oculus Quest as ‘Horizon’, including Horizon Home, Horizon Workrooms and Horizon Worlds.

Meta says that the name was chosen “because it can mean “beyond,” and captures our commitment to building social technologies that take us beyond what digital connection makes possible today.”

What do you make of the new Meta name? Let us know in the comments below!

April 27, 2021

Meta AR Headset Reborn With Launch Of Campfire Startup

A new startup called Campfire emerged to announce a familiar AR headset design and reveal it raised more than $8 million from investors.

The system is built partially on the bones of Meta, the startup founded by Meron Gribetz which raised around $75 million before it ran out of cash a couple years ago and its pieces were sold by a bank. Some of those pieces were purchased by a venture capital firm and reborn as Campfire with CEO Jay Wright recruited to deliver a new solution.

So what’s different this time around?

“I think one of the things that’s been really challenging for everyone in this space is focus,” Wright said in an interview with UploadVR in response to a question about why Meta failed. “It’s hard to pick a direction and just do one thing.”

Wright sees Campfire’s offering as a focused product aiming to solve a single problem. Namely, he’s targeting the ability for professionals to view 3D models in AR pulled from their existing workflows. “We’re not depending on a developer ecosystem and don’t offer an SDK,” a document outlining the company explains. Wright declined to provide pricing details at this time but plans to ship commercially later this year with subscription pricing.

The startup claims the product will offer a 92-degree diagonal field of view with an accessory to turn a phone into a controller and the x-shaped “console” shown in the image above meant to be a physical object above which 3D content can be centered for easy reference. “There’s no ‘where am I? Where are you? Where should we be looking?’ Those questions are answered implicitly. You look at the console like you look at a monitor,” the document for Campfire explains.

So what do you think? Is Campfire going to succeed where Meta failed? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

February 4, 2021June 30, 2022

How To Find And Install App Lab Games On Quest 2 (Updated 2022)

Meta (formerly Facebook) introduced App Lab in 2021 — a new method of app distribution, allowing you to easily install non-Oculus Store games and apps onto your Oculus Quest and Meta Quest 2 (formerly Oculus Quest 2) headset.

Since launch, the Quest platform has operated much like a console, with a strict curation policy. The Oculus Store is the official avenue for discovering and installing apps on your headset, with developers submitting pitches to Meta to have their content available on the store.

However, App Lab gives Quest users and developers an alternate non-Store avenue for Quest content. Quest users and developers can use App Lab as an easy way to distribute and install experimental VR content from outside the Oculus Store. That being said, Meta doesn’t curate App Lab content quite as strictly, so the quality can vary — App Lab content is sometimes still a work-in-progress, unstable or of generally lower quality than official store content. App Lab apps can be free or paid, with multiple easy installation options.

Here’s how to install App Lab apps on Oculus Quest and Meta Quest 2.

How is App Lab different to sideloading?

App Lab and sideloading are similar in that both of them provide a way to install non-store content on your Quest. However, App Lab is Meta’s official solution for doing so, with a much easier installation process for apps and much less finicky setup process.

App Lab is not replacing other sideloaded content, nor does it mark the death knell for SideQuest. In fact, SideQuest can now be used as a directory for App Lab apps — more on that below.

How App Lab Works

App Lab content works a little differently to Oculus Store content.

Much like other platforms, the Oculus Store operates as a virtual storefront that you can browse, with everything visible in one place. Whether you’re browsing online, on your phone or in headset, you can see the see the entire catalog of Meta-approved content in the Oculus Store, all in one place.

App Lab doesn’t work this way — there’s no there’s no official centralized listing of every App Lab app available. App Lab is a service for developers to distribute content for users to install, but there’s no official way to browse a database of all App Lab content in one place.

Instead, each App Lab app has its own direct URL listing. Developers can choose to share and promote their app URL in any way they like — the URL presents users with basic info on the app and they can then add it to their library. Once it’s in your library, you can install the game on your Quest just like any other Oculus Store title — through the Oculus app or in-headset.

Discovering App Lab Content

There are a couple of ways you might discover App Lab content.

The simplest way is through a direct link — a developer or user may share a link to an App Lab experience, like this one, somewhere online.

Otherwise, if you want to browse through a list of App Lab content in a similar manner to browsing the Oculus Store, then the best way to do that is through SideQuest.

You don’t have to install anything* — on your computer or mobile simply head over to sidequestvr.com (click the App Lab button to filter the content on the homepage) or just visit SideQuest’s App Lab section directly. On the SideQuest site, you can browse through all major App Lab games and apps available for developers, as pictured above.

Clicking on a SideQuest listing for an App Lab game will bring up more information, along with a pink ‘Install App (Oculus)’ button — this will redirect you to the official App Lab URL/listing.

* If you do have SideQuest installed on your computer already, you can use the desktop client to browse App Lab content as well — it works the same way.

Adding App Lab Content To Your Library

Once you’ve got a direct App Lab URL open, you can purchase the content or add it to your library with the blue button on your browser or in the Oculus app (pictured above), just like you would with any other Oculus Store app. This will add it to your library, ready to install.

Installing App Lab Apps

You can either queue installation of App Lab content to your Quest via the Oculus app, or begin the installation manually inside the headset itself.

In the Oculus app, locate the App Lab content in your library, then hit the ‘Install on Headset’ or ‘Play Later’ button, pictured below, and choose the desired headset for installation.

Provided your headset is charged and in idle sleep mode, the Quest will then install the App Lab app in the background, ready for your next VR session.

If you’d rather begin the installation manually, put on your Quest and head to the app library. Your App Lab content should be visible under the ‘All’ category, alongside regular Oculus Store content, allowing you to begin the installation just like any other app.

There’s no way to begin installation from a computer — you’ll need to either use the Oculus app or the headset itself.

Browsing and Installing App Lab Content In VR With SideQuest

As of mid 2022, SideQuest released a VR app that lets you browse and install unofficial content, including App Lab games, entirely within VR using your Quest. If you want to ditch your computer and phone, and install App Lab content using just your headset, this is a fantastic option.

You will still need a computer for setup, to install SideQuest on your headset, but after that you can do everything directly on your Quest itself.

For instructions, head over to our guide on sideloading — follow the steps in the ‘First Time Setup’ section first, then follow the steps in ‘Easy Installer – SideQuest for VR on Quest’ section. That will run you through installing SideQuest and using it to browse, download and install App Lab content entirely on your Quest, without using your computer or phone.

That’s everything you need to know on how to find and install App Lab apps on Oculus Quest and Meta Quest 2. Any questions? Let us know in the comments and we’ll try to help out.

Looking for more guides like this one? Check out the New to VR? section of our site.

This article was originally published in February 2021, but was updated and re-published in June 2022.

January 18, 2021May 18, 2022

Oculus Quest 2 vs PSVR: What’s The Difference, Which One To Buy

For newcomers to VR, there are two headsets that you’re most likely to have heard about — Meta Quest 2 and PSVR.

There’s no doubt that Quest 2 and PSVR are the most mainstream and recognizable headsets for those with just a passing interest or limited knowledge of VR. However, it can be hard to figure out which would be best for you and what the differences are between the two.

Here’s our breakdown of how these headsets differ and why you would pick one over the other.

PSVR vs Quest 2: Which headset is best?

Meta Quest 2: Overview

The Meta Quest 2 (formerly known as Oculus Quest 2) is one of the most versatile headsets available on the market. It’s Meta’s (formerly Facebook) most recent headset, released in late 2020, and features hardware that is modern, up-to-date, and (for the most part) industry-leading.

The real benefit of the Quest 2 is that for $299 you get a full standalone headset that works straight out of the box — no other equipment is required — making it fully wireless and self-contained. It also has a selection of some of the best experiences and games on any platform. However, the big trade-off is that you need to log in to a Facebook account to use the headset — for now, at least.

The headset was introduced in 2020 with a mandatory Facebook login policy. However, at Connect 2021, Meta (formerly Facebook) announced changes to the mandatory Facebook requirement — from sometime in 2022, you will be able to login to your Quest headset with an account other than your personal Facebook account. Users will even be able to unlink their Facebook account from their headset and keep all their purchases.

For now though, any Quest 2 headset still requires connection and login via Facebook — while Meta says it is still working on the login changes, there’s still no set date for their arrival.

If you’re OK with that though, then the Quest 2 has some huge benefits. You can take it anywhere, use it anywhere, and let anyone else try the headset in a matter of seconds. The Quest 2 provides the least friction of any headset available at the moment.

Provided you’re not bothered by the required Facebook login, then the Quest 2 is our recommended headset for any newcomer to VR. One $299 purchase and you have everything you need to get into wireless, state-of-the-art VR. There are even some amazing free Quest games to try immediately.

The Quest 2 is available on Amazon, frequently going in and out of stock. When in stock, the 128GB model is available for $299 and the 256GB model for $399. There’s also the refurbished Quest 2 in limited quantities, available for $249 either direct from Meta or, stock levels depending, from Amazon.

It’s also worth mentioning that if you have a gaming PC that is powerful enough to support a VR headset, you can also plug the Quest 2 into your PC to experience even more VR games. Many of the best VR games are exclusive to PC VR and can’t run on Quest 2’s standalone hardware natively, so using Quest as a PC VR headset is a great way to expand your selection. We’ve got a guide on how to play PC VR games on Quest right here.

PlayStation VR: Overview

The PlayStation VR headset is an accessory for recent PlayStation consoles. Without a console, the headset cannot play anything or do anything. This means that you need to separately purchase (or already own) a PS4 or PS5 to use the headset. PSVR uses a wired connection to a processor box that then plugs into the console, so it needs to be plugged in the entire time you’re using it. It also requires the PS Camera to function.

The PSVR system has one of the best VR libraries available, with some fantastic exclusives. However, it also has some technological limitations. The headset originally released in 2016, so it’s hardware is now over six years old, and it shows. The tracking isn’t up to par with more modern systems, and the headset’s screen is woefully old in VR years. The system as a whole won’t offer the same graphic fidelity in games as other systems. Plus, almost all of PSVR’s non-exclusive games are available on Quest 2, on which they’ll likely also perform better.

That being said, the PSVR headset is quite comfortable, using a then-innovative halo strap design, and has a nice field of view.

Many PlayStation VR bundles only come with the headset and the PSVR camera that connects to your console. Some PSVR games also require (or improve with) PlayStation Move controllers or the PS Aim controller, which are usually sold separately but occasionally are included with the headset in a bundle. This means that you’ll need a PlayStation console, the headset and the controllers, all of which you might have to buy separately.

Sony confirmed that a next-generation VR headset for PS5 is on the way. It’s not a matter of if, but when. UploadVR even exclusively revealed the specs of the new headset in May 2021, confirming an increase in resolution, inside-out tracking and much more.

So while we don’t have a release date for Sony’s next headset, we do know it exists and will release sometime in the near future.

In 2022, the only reason to buy a PSVR headset over a Quest 2 would be if you already own a PS4 or PS5 console and you’re vehemently opposed to logging in with Facebook. The PSVR exclusive games are excellent though, so if those experiences look appealing then there is some great value here. When you factor in the price of the console, controllers and headset for PSVR, the Quest 2 does comes out as much cheaper overall.

Given its at the end of its life cycle, it’s also increasingly hard to find available PSVR bundles for sale. You can check on Amazon, but stock and price is now highly variable.

In Summary

Meta Quest 2 is wireless and requires nothing except what comes in the box. PlayStation VR is tethered by a wired connection at all times, and requires multiple pieces of hardware that are hard to find and now technologically outdated.

Quest 2 is a current, near top-of-the-line piece of hardware, whereas PSVR is already out of date in almost every aspect, and will soon be superseded by PSVR 2.

Quest 2 has a great library of VR games, including many games also available on PSVR, but is missing some of the exclusives available in the PSVR ecosystem. When you factor in the cost of the headset, controllers, and console needed for PSVR, the Quest 2 remains a significantly cheaper and future-proofed option — it’s what we’d recommend for almost everyone.

That being said, logging in and connecting your Facebook account is still required for Quest 2, and will be until sometime later this year. If that’s a deal-breaker, then PSVR (or waiting for PSVR 2) might be a more appealing option.

Other Options

Oculus Quest 2 and PSVR are not the only options for someone looking to get into VR — to learn more about PC VR and other options available, read our beginner’s guide to VR and check out our guide to the best headsets available as of 2022.

Looking for more guides like this one? Check out the New to VR? section of our site.

When you purchase items through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission from those sales.

This article was first published in January 2021, updated and republished in October 2021 and May 2022.

October 13, 2020May 17, 2022

How To Play PC VR Content On Oculus Quest & Quest 2 (Oculus Link, Air Link, Virtual Desktop) – Updated 2022

Want to play PC VR content on your Oculus Quest or Meta Quest 2? Here’s everything you need and how to do it.

This guide was first published in October 2020, but has been updated and republished several times since then — most recently May 2022 — to ensure all information remains correct and up-to-date.

The Meta Quest 2 (formerly known as Oculus Quest 2) is a fantastic standalone headset from Meta (formerly Facebook). There’s heaps of native content available on the Oculus Store, but one of the key features of the Quest and Quest 2 is their ability to also play PC VR content as well, while connected to a VR-ready PC — wired and wirelessly.

First and foremost, there’s Meta’s official wired method called Oculus Link, which uses a USB cable. However, there’s also more advanced wireless options — Meta’s official wireless option, Air Link, and a third-party app, Virtual Desktop.

We’ve outlined what you need and included instructions for setup of all three methods below, focusing primarily on Oculus Link.

For wireless options, we’ve written up a quick how-to summary on each and then linked to our other, more detailed guides for those methods, if you need them.

VR-Ready PC

In addition to your Quest headset, you’ll also need a VR-ready PC.

Take a look at Meta’s Oculus Link compatibility page to see if your computers meet the minimum requirements for Oculus Link. Also check that all your hardware is compatible — not everything is compatible with Link yet (but it’s getting better).

The specification requirements will change depending on the game as well — some PC VR games require beefier specs than others — so be sure to check game requirements too.

Cables

For Oculus Link, you’ll need a USB-C cable to connect your Quest to your computer. The benefit of using a wired connection is reliability. The wireless connections — Air Link and Virtual Desktop — can be less reliable, depending on your conditions.

Depending on what cables you have on hand, you may not need to purchase a new cable to use with Link. Any USB-C cable that meets at least USB 2.0 specification should work, but USB 3 and above is preferable. The cable should be at least 3 meters minimum, ideally 5 if you want a maximum range of movement.

The original Oculus Quest included a long Link-compatible USB C to C cable in the box. The Quest 2, however, does not come with a cable that is an appropriate length for Link — you’ll need to buy one.

Depending on cable, you may also need to buy an adapter to plug it into your computer. Most Link-compatible cables are USB C on both ends, but not all PCs have USB-C ports. You can buy a USB-C to A adapter if so, but you’ll need to make sure it’s also at least USB 2.0 (or matching the specification of the cable, if higher than USB 2.0, for best performance).

Regardless of what cable and adapters you use, make sure they’re from reliable brands — we’ve found Oculus Link can act a bit funny when you’re using less reliable equipment.

We’ve got an entire guide on building an Oculus Link cable, so read that if you’re still unsure.

Software

Download the official Oculus PC app, which will run Oculus Link (and Air Link) and allow you to play PC VR games on your headset. You can get it here, listed as a download for Air Link and Link Cable.

Oculus Link also works with SteamVR, so make sure to download Steam and install SteamVR if you want to play any of that content.

Oculus Link Setup

Before using Oculus Link, you’ll need to perform a first-time setup.

Make sure your Quest is turned on and connected to your computer with your USB cable. From there, open the PC Oculus app and press ‘Add a New Headset’ and select either the original Oculus Quest or Quest 2. The app will then run you through an easy first-time setup process.

After you’ve set up Oculus Link, it will be available to use whenever you plug your headset into the PC — a prompt should appear in VR asking if you want to enable Link.

From there, you can launch any Oculus games directly or start up SteamVR on your PC to jump into other experiences. You’re good to go!

Adjusting Oculus Link Refresh Rate on Quest 2

When using a Quest 2, you can adjust Link’s refresh rate to run at higher rates than the default 72Hz. The original Quest is limited to just 72Hz, so the following steps won’t apply.

Once you’ve got Link up and running, you can tweak its refresh rate to run at either 72Hz (the default, recommended option), 80Hz, 90Hz or 120Hz. To do this, connect your Quest 2 to your PC and go to the Devices tab in the Oculus PC app.

If you click on the active Quest 2 headset, a settings sidebar will be brought up.

Click on Graphics Preferences to adjust the refresh rate and rendering resolution, as pictured above. Setting these options too high will impact performance — it depends on your PC hardware and potentially what game you’re playing, so test and adjust accordingly.

This method works for setting Air Link’s refresh rate and rendering resolution as well — your preferences should be carried over.

Air Link Setup

Note: The Windows 11 update earlier this year brought with it some performances issues for those using Air Link. We strongly recommend not using Windows 11 if you’re looking to play PC VR content on Meta Quest 2 until the issue is resolved.

The official method for playing PC VR content wirelessly on Quest is Meta’s Air Link software, available in beta in the Oculus PC app. It was originally only available for Quest 2, but was later expanded to the original Quest in the v30 software update.

Keep in mind that Air Link won’t necessarily work for everyone — depending on your personal setup and your network hardware, performance and reliability may be unstable or vary.

Here’s a short summary of the setup process (for more detail, see here):

First of all, you’ll need an AC or AX router with a 5Ghz network for good performance, with your PC connected via Ethernet. Meta warns that mesh wifi networks or computers connected wirelessly are known to cause performance problems.

Ensure you have the Oculus app open on your computer. Then, go to the settings menu on your Quest and go to the Experimental tab. Here, you can enable Air Link and pair your headset with your desktop PC running the Oculus software.

After that, you’ll be able to start Air Link in the Quick Actions menu of your Quest — just select your PC, connect, and you’re good to go.

If you’re having trouble or need greater explanation, we have a separate guide with more detail on setting up and using Air Link here.

Virtual Desktop Setup

An alternative to Air Link is the third-party app Virtual Desktop, which allows you to bring your computer’s display into VR and interact with it from within your headset. However, it also has similar functionality to Air Link, allowing you to stream PC VR content wirelessly to your Quest.

The app has quite the history and was actually available long before Air Link — some users find the former works better than the latter, or vice versa. Virtual Desktop is available for both Quest and Quest 2 (but performance may not be quite as good on the former).

Virtual Desktop’s performance will really depend on your individual setup and internal network. If you’re having trouble with Air Link, Virtual Desktop may be an alternative to try instead. That being said, you might still encounter unreliable or varying performance depending on your setup. It’s really hard to say.

Just like Air Link, you’ll need a ‘reliable’ router with a 5Ghz network and a computer connected via Ethernet. You’ll also need to install the Virtual Desktop streamer app for PC and purchase a copy of Virtual Desktop for Quest.

Once you have those downloaded, just make sure the streamer app is running on your computer and open up Virtual Desktop on Quest to connect. Once connected to your computer, you can launch your PC VR content and adjust the streaming settings in Virtual Desktop’s menus to optimize performance. You can also use Virtual Desktop’s ‘Games’ tab (pictured above) to start playing.

If you’re having trouble and need a more detailed explanation, we have a separate, longer guide on how to stream PC VR content using Virtual Desktop here.

So those are your options for playing PC VR content on the Oculus Quest and Meta Quest 2. Got any questions? Leave them in the comments below.

July 7, 2020July 4, 2022

Top 10 Best Quest 2 Hand Tracking Games & Apps – Summer 2022

One of the biggest post-launch features added to the Quest has been controller-free hand tracking. With more and more experiences implementing support, we’ve narrowed down the best Quest 2 hand-tracking games so far.

When the original Quest launched, the only input option was the included Touch controllers. However, Quest headsets now support controller-free hand tracking. This allows you to use your hands for navigation in the Quest UI, as well as an input method for games and apps that implement support. Even better, the recent Hand Tracking 2.0 software update has resulted in huge performance and reliability improvements in select games.

While it started out slow, more and more games are supporting hand tracking on Quest — with some using it as an exclusive input method. Here’s our list of the best hand tracking experience available on Quest 2.

Honorable Mentions

First Steps with Hand Tracking

This alternate version of the introductory Quest experience is available through App Lab, and provides this same experience but altered to solely use hand tracking instead of controllers. You can read more here.

Tea for God

It’s a little scrappy, but this experimental FPS uses roomscale navigation and design in an innovative way to keep you fully immersed. It does support hand tracking, but it’s a little buggy. You can read more here.

Virtual Desktop

When using hand tracking, Virtual Desktop allows you to log into your PC on your Quest from anywhere with just your hands, no controllers needed. If you’ve sideloaded the alternate SideQuest version of the app, the feature even extends (in an experimental capacity) to control of PC-based VR games, where your hands act as emulated Touch controllers. You can read more about the feature and how it works here.

Best Quest Hand Tracking Games

10. Elixir

This game initially debuted at Oculus Connect 6, where attendees could try it out as a demo, after hand tracking was announced at the opening keynote. Once hand tracking moved out of beta and into full release, the game was made available to the public as a free download.

It’s free and a good demo for what you can do with hand tracking, so you’ve got nothing to lose. You can read more here.

9. The Line

Similar to Gloomy Eyes, The Line is a short immersive experience that follows the story of Pedro, a miniature doll and newspaper delivery man. It only lasts about 15 minutes, but unlike Gloomy Eyes, you’ll actually use your hands to interact with things in The Line. The animation is absolutely superb and the narrative is quite charming. It may be a small package, but it’s definitely worth it.

8. The Curious Tale of the Stolen Pets

This wholesome VR title released towards the end of last year, but was one of the first games to officially support hand tracking in the Quest store a few months ago. Each level is a diorama-style world with layers of puzzles and collectibles. We had a few nitpicks in our review (written pre-hand tracking) but were still big fans of the game. Unlike some other games on this list, Curious Tale supports hand tracking as a input method for the entire game — it’s not a dedicated or different mode specifically for hand tracking, so you’ll be able to play the game start to finish without controllers if you like.

You can read our review of the game (written before hand tracking support was integrated) here, and watch an interview about hand tracking support with Curious Tale developer Kristoffer Benjaminsson from Fast Travel Games above.

7. Richie’s Plank Experience

Even before hand tracking support, Richie’s Plank Experience was known for producing some of the most immersive moments in VR — you’ve all seen that video of the guy jumping into the TV.

However, with the latest update for the Quest version of the game, the immersion just got upped even more with the addition of hand tracking support. While the support is only for the main plank sections of the game for now, it’s still a fantastic and terrifying experience. The lack of controllers makes everything feel a little bit more real, just like you’re standing on a plank suspended off the side of a skyscraper.

You can read more of our impressions here. That piece was written when the feature was still in beta, but hand tracking support has now been implemented into the public release of the game on Quest.

6. Horizon Workrooms

One of Meta’s suite of social apps for Quest, Horizon Workrooms is a remote work application that allows you to use an Oculus Avatar to meet in a virtual boardroom with others. Not only does the game support hand tracking — which adds great expression and realism to everyone’s interactions — but it also lets you bring your computer into VR and use the space like a virtual office. With supported tracked keyboards, you can use hand tracking to type in VR just as you would in real life. Or, if you prefer, Workrooms can even fade a passthrough cut-out on top of your desk, so you view your real-life keyboard and surroundings with ease.

It’s a nifty use of hand tracking and probably the best remote work software we’ve tried on Quest so far. You can read more about Workrooms here.

6. Vacation Simulator

Vacation Simulator added hand tracking support pretty late in the game compared to some other titles, but it remains one of the most prominent and popular games on this list to have added support. The free Back to Job expansions also adds in several mechanics from the previous game, Job Simulator, so you should have plenty of content to keep you going.

5. Waltz of the Wizard

There’s a lot of hand tracking experiences available on Quest, but one is particularly magical. Waltz of the Wizard’s hand tracking support allows you to use your hands to cast spells and manipulate the environment around you in a multitude of different ways. Like any hand tracking experience, it’s not perfect but it is still one of the most memorable experiences we’ve had with the technology yet.

You can read our full impressions here.

4. PianoVision

There’s been a couple of education piano apps on Quest, but PianoVision is the best one yet.

PianoVision essentially lets you align a virtual piano to your real keyboard, and then uses passthrough to teach songs by displaying notes falling in sequence toward the keys. It uses hand tracking to achieve this, in combination with real-time responses to what you play through a connection with a MIDI-enabled keyboard. It’s one of the most interesting pieces of VR-based music education software we’ve seen so far, presenting a fascinating glimpse at the potential benefits and avenues of using VR as an educational tool.

PianoVision is currently only available in Early Access, but you can sign up for access over on its website.

3. Hand Physics Lab

Hand Physics Lab started as a demo available to sideload via SideQuest with a limited amount of environments and interactions design to experiment with the then-new hand tracking support on Quest.

Now, Hand Physics Lab is available on the official Oculus Store for Quest, supports hand and controller input and presents many of those original interactions (and new ones) as part of a fully-fledged puzzle game campaign. It’s a one-of-a-kind experimental playground that can be both immensely frustrating and satisfying. Recent updates have also improved the experience, thanks to implementation of Hand Tracking 2.0.

The Hand Physics Lab is available on the Oculus Store. You can read our review here.

2. Cubism

Cubism is a deceptively simple game. Its puzzles are easy to understand but perfectly challenging to finish. It’s a slow and measured experience, which makes it the absolute perfect fit for hand tracking.

It’s not that Cubism does anything revolutionary with its hand tracking implementation – all you’re really doing is picking up and placing pieces of its 3D building block puzzles. But that’s all that’s needed to make an absolutely sublime hand tracking game that’s easy to understand while also avoiding some of the friction found in other experiences on this list.

Not to mention that the game is one of the few (if only) hand tracking experiences to offer 120Hz support on Quest 2 as well. You can read our review of Cubism here (written before hand tracking support was added) and read our impressions of the hand tracking update here — while we were always impressed, hand tracking should perform even better now, thanks to implementation of Hand Tracking 2.0.

1. Unplugged

As a hand tracking game, Unplugged showcases a concept and use of the technology that is completely unmatched by anything else on this list.

Where other apps and games use hands in ways that replace controllers, Unplugged uses hand tracking to create an experience that isn’t possible or supported with controllers.

This game has the DNA (and excellent soundtrack curation) of rhythm games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band but ditches the plastic peripherals for just your own two hands, allowing you to shred rock songs on an air guitar brought to life with virtual reality.

While the game was certainly playable at launch, it had some limitations linked to the level of hand tracking available at the time. But in May 2022, Anotherway added support for Hand Tracking 2.0 and the difference in reliability and performance is day and night. It’s so much better, in fact, that all of the tracks have been re-mapped to be more complex, lifelike and challenging, thanks to the new capabilities of hand tracking software.

Unplugged uses hand tracking as a way to fulfill a fantasy and bring to life something that previously only existed in your imagination and in doing so surpasses any other hand tracking app on Quest by a country mile. You can read our updated 2022 review here.

What’s your favourite hand tracking game or app available on Quest? Let us know in the comments.

This article was published in May 2021 and updated in October 2021 and May 2022 in light of new releases and updates.

September 26, 2019

Meta’s resurrection shows future of AR is in the enterprise

Meta headset. (Image courtesy Meta View.)

The world of augmented reality is undergoing a major metamorphosis. This past winter, the industry saw the collapse of three major AR players, all of which lacked sufficient funding and were unable to deliver on promises.

But fast-forward six months and one of those companies, Meta, has been resurrected by new investors and relaunched as Meta View. The company, which once dreamed its Meta 2 AR headsets would render mobile phones obsolete, announced it will no longer manufacture them and instead plans to expand into new sectors.

Meta’s resurrection is in line with the sector-wide trend toward large-scale industrial use cases for AR. While AR is a critical component of consumer offerings like Pokemon Go and Snapchat’s Lens Studio, applications which enable users to interact with the virtual world and play with reality-enhancing digital layers, AR has real value to add beyond gimmicky consumer applications.

AR has already expanded into various sectors like broadcasting, healthcare, and even defense — and the results are enhanced efficiency in everyday processes, improved employee training, and higher engagement — demonstrating AR’s future will entail going much further than simply keeping users entertained.

The acquisition of 37 AR startups just this past year indicates that players across industries are looking to capitalize on the technology’s potential – and with the AR/VR market set to hit $160 billion by 2023, it’s slated to have a major impact across a broad range of industries.

Among AR’s greatest assets is its ability to add rich contextual information to visual data – information that can, in turn, be used to drive smarter decision-making. Case in point: the public safety sector, where AR means dramatically enhanced situational awareness and operational effectiveness.

When drones are equipped with AR tech, the result is unprecedented angles and revealed geospatial data that would otherwise be unknown in an emergency scenario but is imperative to the success of search and rescue missions. Understanding the scene during an emergency, like team members’ locations, powerlines, buildings, and street names, in real-time bolsters clarity and communication amongst safety personnel.

Public safety. (Image courtesy Edgybees.)

Beyond local law enforcement, augmented reality is also being integrated into the defense industry — with some big names to match the weighty contracts. Given its impressive visual capabilities, AR has shown its mettle as a highly effective training tool.

AR training tools make it possible for soldiers to simulate battlefield or other high-stakes scenarios – a boon to forces’ readiness. Microsoft, for example, recently sold its high-tech HoloLens goggles to the United States Army. The solution equips soldiers with more precise operating capabilities.

The goggles’ digital maps enable soldiers to orient themselves on the battlefield, identify their team members’ positions, and detect where the enemy is hiding.

But AR isn’t only for security professionals’ use during emergency scenarios and high-pressure simulations. Consider the healthcare field, where both patients and doctors are benefiting from AR’s ability to significantly improve visibility.

Today, AR can be used to add precision to rote hospital tasks such as vein location, and establishing intravenous access, which can often prove challenging for even the most experienced medical professionals. For instance, Accuvein’s lightweight vein viewing systems can use a laser camera projector to project a green light onto patients’ bodies, allowing nurses and doctors to quickly and painlessly identify vein location and improving overall patient and staff experience.

The same technology adding precision to medical procedures can also help consumers envision, say, how a new couch would look in their living rooms, or how a new blouse would complement one’s complexion.

Within retail, AR enhances the customer experience – offering new ways to “try on” products, making ads more innovative, and driving higher conversion rates. Sephora’s Virtual Artist app, for example, enables customers to virtually experiment with various cosmetic products prior to purchase. Users upload a photograph of themselves and are prompted to select from Sephora’s range of inventory to test on their photos.

Features like Foundation Finder even assist users in matching their skin tone to an exact product. Studies show that 61 percent of shoppers prefer shopping at AR-enhanced stores and 71 percent reported they would frequent a store more often if it offered AR, underscoring the technology’s growing appeal for consumers.

Firefighters. (Image courtesy Edgybees.)

For any market to survive, it must prove its value to business and society – and while millions of people across the globe associate AR with addictive games like Pokémon Go, the technology’s ultimate value lies in its ability to offer users greater situational awareness, increased efficiency and effectiveness in operations, and unparalleled perceptive capabilities.

In order for AR to stay relevant and reach its full potential, its transition into enterprise-oriented offerings that service business and society will be critical. AR is the tech industry’s oyster – and it’s time to open it up.

January 11, 2019

‘Meta Company Is Insolvent’ As Founder Returns From Trip

Since late last year we’ve been trying to get an update from Meta, the AR company, and its founder Meron Gribetz. A letter filed in a patent infringement lawsuit against Meta seems to say more than Gribetz can right now about the status of the business he started.

As first reported by Next Reality and confirmed with our own court records search, Genedics, LLC, submitted a letter in the case allegedly written by Meta Chief Financial Officer John Sines, which states “Meta Company is insolvent.”

Both Meta and ODG, founded respectively by Meron Gribetz and Ralph Osterhout, pursued varying AR headset designs but struggled through 2018, with ODG pursuing a sale focused around its patents this month. Next steps for Meta are still unclear. Its website appears stripped down with no purchase button for its Meta 2 headset and a copyright date of 2017 listed on the page. A statement issued today by PR representative Stuart McFaul suggested “the company remains in full operation” and “will be issuing a statement later next week which will address details of the company’s furlough, recent restructuring and subsequent progress.”

In December, I emailed Meta’s main PR address seeking to get the status of the company and received responses from McFaul’s Spiralgroup.com address in reply. He said that Gribetz was “traveling internationally.” With Next Reality’s report, McFaul followed up yesterday writing that Gribetz “returned from Singapore yesterday.” Bloomberg reported in September that Gribetz said he couldn’t get investment in China and furloughed employees as a result.

An order issued by the judge on Jan. 10 in the patent infringement suit says Meta has until Jan. 24 to respond or its answer in the case would be stricken and “default” would be entered against the company.

Tagged with: Meta

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January 11, 2019January 23, 2019

[Update]: Meta: AR-Unternehmen wird unter neuem Besitzer fortgeführt

[Update]:

In einem kürzlichen Interview mit Variety verkündete Meron Gribetz, dass sein AR-Unternehmen zukünftig unter einem neuen bisher unbekannten Besitzer weitergeführt wird. Entsprechend ist er nicht mehr länger der Besitzer von Meta. Der Support für sämtliche Produkte wird somit auch zukünftig weiter gewährleistet.

(Quellen: Road to VR | Variety)

[Update vom 14. Januar 2019]:

Meta veröffentlichte kürzlich ein Statement, in welchem die Pleite des Unternehmens dementiert wird. Laut eigenen Aussagen soll der AR-Brillenhersteller auch zukünftig in vollem Umfang in Betrieb bleiben und seine Produkte weiterentwickeln sowie verkaufen und supporten. Dafür arbeite man mit einem Team von Ingenieuren und Produktspezialisten zusammen.

Weitere Pläne zur Umstrukturierung sollen in Kürze folgen.

(Quelle: Business Wire | Road to VR)

[Originalartikel vom 11. Januar 2019]:

Jetzt ist es offiziell: Es ist aus für das AR-Unternehmen Meta. Die Hersteller der AR-Brille Meta 2 melden Insolvenz an. Grund dafür sind fehlende Investorengelder sowie ein langjähriger Rechtsstreit über eine Patentrechtverletzung.

Meta – AR-Unternehmen muss Insolvenz anmelden

Bereits seit Längerem sieht es finanziell eher schlecht bei Meta aus, denn die Verkäufe der hauseigenen AR-Brille Meta 2 gingen zurück. Jetzt wurde die AR-Hardware vollständig aus dem Handel genommen und ist nicht mehr erhältlich.

Image courtesy: Meta

Im September 2018 sollte eine Finanzierungsrunde durch chinesische Investoren neue Gelder in die Kassen spülen und somit das Unternehmen retten. So entstand vorerst ein Deal in Höhe von 20 Millionen US-Dollar. Allerdings kam alles anders als geplant, denn der Kapitalgeber zog sich kurzerhand aus den Verhandlungen zurück. Grund dafür seien Handelsspannungen zwischen den Ländern Amerika und China, welche durch die Trump-Regierung ausgelöst wurden, wie Meron Gribetz, CEO von Meta, damals beschrieb:

“Die chinesische Regierung hat unseren Lead-Investor offiziell aufgefordert, das Geschäft auf Grundlage der jüngsten Maßnahmen der Trump-Regierung neu zu bewerten. Das war ein großer Schock für uns.”

Doch damit nicht genug, denn auf das unerwartete Unglück folgte ein weiteres Problem, was letztlich den Sargnagel für den Untergang des Unternehmens schlug. Das Unternehmen Genedics, LLC konfrontierte Meta mit einer Patentverletzungsklage bezüglich “Benutzerschnittstellenverfahren zur Bildmanipulation und Benutzereingabe in einem dreidimensionalen Raum, in welchem Projektoren Bilder anzeigen und Sensoren Benutzereingaben identifizieren”, wie Next Reality berichtet.

Somit folgte ein Rechtsstreit, der bis zum heutigen Tage anhält. Auch außergerichtlich konnte bisher keine Einigung gefunden werden. Auf Nachfrage von Next Reality, meldete sich der CEO nun erneut zu Wort und verkündete die Zahlungsunfähigkeit des eigenen Unternehmens.

So wurden sämtliche Vermögenswerte liquidiert und Insolvenz angemeldet. Meta sei nicht länger finanziell dazu in der Lage, Rechtsbeistand zu erhalten oder ein Vergleichsangebot zu unterbreiten.

(Quellen: Next Reality | Road to VR: 1 | 2)

Der Beitrag [Update]: Meta: AR-Unternehmen wird unter neuem Besitzer fortgeführt zuerst gesehen auf VR∙Nerds. VR·Nerds am Werk!