Oculus Quest is getting Oculus Rift’s Passthrough+ option, and a little extra.
Announced at the Oculus Connect 6 developer conference today, Passthrough+ will come to Quest next week. This is basically an improved version of the camera throughput you already see on Quest. When setting up a Quest Guardian boundary, the headset uses its four cameras to show you the real world. As it stands right now, it’s a little warped, but very usable.
Passthrough+ is a little different, though. It was available on Rift S at launch in May. It’s the same feature but used the headset’s extra camera for a better quality image. Facebook says it’s using “advanced 3D computation” to achieve a “similar” effect on Quest.
But that’s not all. Facebook also confirmed that Passthrough on Demand is coming this year. This is exactly what it sounds like; you can switch from your VR view to your real world view by simply toggling an option. As it stands right now, you’ll have to move outside of your Guardian boundary to see the real world. This will be a pretty nifty feature for those of us with pets or kids that like to put stray Lego bricks in your play space.
The company wasn’t specific as to if this was coming to Quest or Rift, but it’s likely both. Much more than this is on the way to Quest. Also at the keynote Facebook announced hand-tracking and Oculus Link, giving Quest players the ability to play Rift games with a wire.
We’re at OC6 and will be bringing you all of the latest news. Stay tuned.
