The company’s latest update introduces a handful of exciting features that revolve around safety and accessibility.
Facebook (Meta) today announced the rollout of update v34 for the Oculus Quest platform. Over the course of the next month, you’ll see a variety of new features make their way to your headset, including Android phone notifications, Passthrough API, and improved voice commands.
Image Credit: Facebook (Meta)
There’s also Space Sense, an experimental new feature for the Quest Guardian system that highlights any large object, person, or pet that moves within your established playspace. Now, when a nosy friend enters your Guardian boundary, they’ll appear in your headset as a ghostly figure surrounded by a pinkish glow. Space Sense is still actively in development and will therefore be available via the Experimental Features tab in the Settings of your Quest headset.
In addition to Space Sense, v34 introduces support for Android smartphone notifications, allowing you to check texts and mobile app notifications without having to remove your headset. You can set up in-headset app notifications via the free Oculus companion app. Just like iOS app notifications, Android notifications cannot be viewed by other accounts signed into the headset.
Image Credit: Facebook (Meta)
Voice commands also received a bit of attention in the form of expanded app support. You can now use your voice to pause and play media in the Oculus TV app, hide or show your Oculus Move stats mid-workout, and access your Settings tab. You can also use voice commands to perform basic tasks. You can, for instance, say, “Start recording”, “Show me my photos”, and “Find free games”. You can also ask simple questions like “Who’s online?”, “How much storage do I have left?”, and “How do I connect to WiFi?”
A full list of voice commands can be found here.
Image Credit: Facebook (Meta)
Finally, the company offered an update regarding its Passthrough technology. Earlier this year, Meta opened up access to Passthrough API Experimental, allowing developers to create their own mixed reality experiences for the Quest platform. Soon, the company will be releasing its Passthrough SDK out into the wild, allowing these same developers to publish their mixed reality content on the Oculus Store as well as the App Lab.
For more information on everything that v34 has to offer, check out the official announcement here.
Feature Image Credit: Facebook (Meta)
