Both the Oculus Quest and Oculus Quest 2 are getting a trio of upgrades to make using the all-in-one Virtual reality headsets that bit more fun and easy.
The upgrades include an improved Guardian mode, wireless streaming from computers, and new voice command support. Combined these should make the headsets even more appealing as your best way to get into VR.
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Thankfully, very little is needed to access these upgrades, so read on for what you can expect to see if you have a Quest or Quest 2.
Upgraded Guardian mode
The Oculus Quest and Oculus Quest 2’s Guardian mode is a good way to “paint” out a virtual space to prevent yourself from walking face-first into a wall. But until now, it was a little limited.
But the good news, as reported by UploadVR, is that the Quest headset is getting an upgrade that lets you mark out a chair or couch as part of your virtual environment.
This means rather than appear as a VR space boundary, the Guardian system will trigger a couch mode (basically seated VR mode) when you sit down in it without removing your Quest headset.
Currently, you have to draw a VR boundary onto a sofa or seat, meaning it marks the edge of your VR area and thus the headset won’t register it as a usable space. But with this upgrade, you’ll be able to mark out a couch by dragging a virtual rectangle across it to get its correct dimensions, in a similar fashion to how you’d mark out your VR space.
Once you're done, the couch or chair will appear as a 3D model in the Oculus Home virtual menu environment. That means the chair will be recognized and you can sit on it, triggering the seated VR mode.
Just bear in mind that this upgrade is currently in an experimental process, so it may not have rolled out to your Quest or Quest 2 yet.
On the surface, this incoming upgrade might seem like a small one. But anything that makes the experience of using VR more seamless is definitely significant. Setting up a VR headset and measuring out the space you need, especially in a small room or apartment, can be a tricky process. So having the tools to simplify that is much appreciated.
Virtual Desktop streaming
Another Oculus Quest upgrade comes courtesy of the Virtual Desktop app, which has finally received Oculus store approval. That means you can now buy it in the main Oculus Quest store for $19.99, meaning there's no need to go through the process of sideloading it.
Virtual Desktop means you can stream PC-only VR games to a Quest headset, as well as run other apps on your PC. And all this can be done wirelessly.
Furthermore, there's support for Bluetooth mice and keyboards, as well as other peripherals. And you can even connect up to four computers to the Quest and switch between them on-the-fly.
'Hey Facebook' voice control
Another feature is also rolling out ot the Oculus Quest and Quest 2, in the form of "Hey Facebook" voice commands.
This opt-in feature basically brings in a raft of Facebook's existing voice commands to the Quest headsets when the microphone is turned on. When the mic is off Facebook can't listen in.
The voice commands allow you to reset your headset's viewpoint, navigate settings, and launch apps all with the power of your voice providing you utter the "Hey Facebook" activation phrase.
Combined, these upgrades demonstrate Facebook's commitment to building out VR and show why a headset like the Oculus Quest 2 is our top pick for the best VR headsets. If you want one, check out our where to buy Oculus Quest 2 article for a suite of U.S. and U.K. retailers selling the headset.
