Oculus Quest connects to a PC and sees hands
On September 25th, the big annual presentation from Facebook, Oculus Connect, began, and it began with bombing announcements for everyone who already owns or is just looking at the Oculus Quest helmet! Let's go in order:
On the Oculus Quest helmet you can see 4 cameras that until recently were used to “scan” a room and track the position of the helmet and controllers in space. That is, in order to move and move hands in the virtual world. But as you understand from the title, now they will also follow each finger individually, breaking the barrier between virtual reality and beginners who are far from being controlled by controllers.
The task before the engineers was not an easy one. It was necessary to develop a tracking system of hands in 26 degrees of freedom for virtual reality based on data obtained from four monochrome cameras on a helmet. No changes in hardware are required, so the function will be available after updating the software for all Oculus Quest users in early 2020.
Already this November, any quest owner can use the USB 3 Type C cable (the one in the kit - USB 2 - does not work) to connect it to the computer and run games using the computing resources of the PC. Thus, Oculus Quest becomes the first "hybrid" helmet like the Nintendo Switch from the world of virtual reality. You can use any cable suitable for bandwidth, but for the best experience, the company offers its five-meter fiber optic version. Most USB 3 ports on motherboards should also work.
It is still unknown whether an increased screen refresh rate will be available in this case instead of the standard for the quest 72 Hz. And yes, Steam VR will work in this mode.
For many people, the Oculus Go helmet was the first step into the world of virtual reality. Many of these people switched to Quest, and soon they will be able to bring with themselves the excellent applications that they bought for the Oculus Go helmet or Gear VR.
Starting next week, stereo correction for camera images will be available on all Oculus Quest. Previously, this feature was available only to owners of Rift S, and quests showed a deformed unadjusted picture. Also, a little later will be added the ability to call up the camera image at the touch of a button, without going beyond the designated gaming area.
For a large number of people, Oculus Quest is not only a game console, but also a way to view your favorite content while relaxing. Previously, due to the nature of tracking, it was impossible to do this in the dark, but now it’s enough to switch the tracking to 3DoF mode, which does not rely on the helmet’s cameras and continue to use virtual reality even in a dimly lit room.
The news certainly pleased all existing owners of Oculus Quest helmets, but the owners of another flagship helmet from Facebook - Oculus Rift S - now feel cheated and forgotten. The quest begins to attract the audience of PC users and the love of the company's engineers. Will the line of rifts end on this, or are the fears premature, and the wired connection of the quest will not give the desired performance and picture quality? We will find out with you very soon! Viar really never ceases to amaze!
Hand tracking
On the Oculus Quest helmet you can see 4 cameras that until recently were used to “scan” a room and track the position of the helmet and controllers in space. That is, in order to move and move hands in the virtual world. But as you understand from the title, now they will also follow each finger individually, breaking the barrier between virtual reality and beginners who are far from being controlled by controllers.
The task before the engineers was not an easy one. It was necessary to develop a tracking system of hands in 26 degrees of freedom for virtual reality based on data obtained from four monochrome cameras on a helmet. No changes in hardware are required, so the function will be available after updating the software for all Oculus Quest users in early 2020.
Oculus Link. Running games from a computer on a standalone helmet Quest
Already this November, any quest owner can use the USB 3 Type C cable (the one in the kit - USB 2 - does not work) to connect it to the computer and run games using the computing resources of the PC. Thus, Oculus Quest becomes the first "hybrid" helmet like the Nintendo Switch from the world of virtual reality. You can use any cable suitable for bandwidth, but for the best experience, the company offers its five-meter fiber optic version. Most USB 3 ports on motherboards should also work.
It is still unknown whether an increased screen refresh rate will be available in this case instead of the standard for the quest 72 Hz. And yes, Steam VR will work in this mode.
Oculus Go apps will be available on Quest
For many people, the Oculus Go helmet was the first step into the world of virtual reality. Many of these people switched to Quest, and soon they will be able to bring with themselves the excellent applications that they bought for the Oculus Go helmet or Gear VR.
Passthrough + like on Oculus Rift S
Starting next week, stereo correction for camera images will be available on all Oculus Quest. Previously, this feature was available only to owners of Rift S, and quests showed a deformed unadjusted picture. Also, a little later will be added the ability to call up the camera image at the touch of a button, without going beyond the designated gaming area.
Will work in the dark in 3DoF
For a large number of people, Oculus Quest is not only a game console, but also a way to view your favorite content while relaxing. Previously, due to the nature of tracking, it was impossible to do this in the dark, but now it’s enough to switch the tracking to 3DoF mode, which does not rely on the helmet’s cameras and continue to use virtual reality even in a dimly lit room.
The news certainly pleased all existing owners of Oculus Quest helmets, but the owners of another flagship helmet from Facebook - Oculus Rift S - now feel cheated and forgotten. The quest begins to attract the audience of PC users and the love of the company's engineers. Will the line of rifts end on this, or are the fears premature, and the wired connection of the quest will not give the desired performance and picture quality? We will find out with you very soon! Viar really never ceases to amaze!
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