Oculus Quest 2 receives a major update starting today with the introduction of the v23 software, which brings a host of improvements to the headset, including the introduction of the Oculus Move fitness tracking feature. Many of the updates also benefit the original quest.
With the gradual rollout starting today, the Quest 2 v23 software update brings a number of improvements to the headset. Facebook is slowly delivering updates to users so not everyone sees the update right away. However, you can manually check for an update to see if it’s available for you. Here’s how:
How to update Quest and Quest 2
- On your headset, bring up the Quest menu by pressing the Oculus button on your right controller. Find the Settings section (gear icon).
- In the Settings section on the left, select Info from the list at the bottom
- Next to the Software Update label, check to see if a new version is available
- Check the Version label to see which version is currently installed
Note that some features of the update are experimental and will only be available to a subset of users for the time being.
What does the v23 Quest 2 update contain? A lot of. You can find the full release notes here. Below is a breakdown of the major additions as well as some additional details from Facebook.
Select 90 Hz refresh rate in menus and apps
Image courtesy of Facebook
First and foremost, Quest 2 is finally being updated to support an out-of-the-box 90Hz refresh rate for all system software and apps that choose to run at that refresh rate. With a higher refresh rate, everything in the headset looks smoother and feels a little more real.
Oculus had marketed Quest 2 with a refresh rate of 90 Hz (compared to 72 Hz of the original Quest) but was limited to an experimental opt-in mode at launch that only applied to the headset’s menus. The v23 update makes the 90Hz refresh rate the default in all system software and also allows developers to update their apps to run at 90Hz when needed (this depends on the apps being able to maintain a consistent 90 FPS ).
Oculus Move Fitness Tracking
Image courtesy of Facebook
Facebook is expanding Quest and Quest 2 with a new headset-wide fitness tracking function called Oculus Move. Using the tracked movement of your headset and controllers, the feature estimates the calories burned while gaming in VR and even allows you to set daily goals for fitness activities.
The company states that the feature requests basic information such as weight, height, and gender to better estimate your calorie consumption, and claims that this information is “stored locally on your headset and not shared with Facebook.” Providing the information is also optional. Users can skip the step and still use the Oculus Move feature with averages that are used for estimation instead.
Somewhat confusing, the release notes say: “These features and improvements will be available in the week of 11/13/20.” However, the “Oculus Move” section states, “Oculus Move will be phased out next week,” although v23 software is a requirement, it sounds like Oculus Move won’t be around for a week.
Reduced latency and improved quest resolution
The release notes also indicate that Facebook has reduced overall latency on both Quest and Quest 2 through “software improvements,” although few details are available. We asked Facebook for more details and shared the following:
We implemented a latency reduction technology that can reduce the latency of motion to photons by managing frame timing according to the actual workload of the application. In many cases, a significant latency reduction can be achieved when compared to the existing fixed latency mode. This is a mobile version of a technology that is already implemented in our PC software.
Especially for the original Quest, the v23 update brings an “improved image resolution” for the headset. Again, the details in the release notes are minimal, but Facebook gave us a bit more information:
In particular, we increased them [render resolution] for the home environment, including all system user interfaces. This has effectively increased the resolution there so you can see improved sharpness / clarity.
New onboarding tutorials
Image captured by Road to VR
To help users become familiar with their new VR headset, Facebook has “added a number of mini-tutorial experiences to introduce you to the basics of VR”. While the lovely experience of First Steps is a great introduction to VR, the new tutorials seem to focus on more specific use cases, such as: B. Navigating the system software, downloading new games, surfing the Internet, etc.
It is not yet clear whether these are comprehensive tutorials such as First Steps or rather step-by-step instructions with floating fields in the system menus. We’ll have to wait and see – Facebook says this particular feature is experimental and not available to all users.
Voice command improvements
Voice commands for Quest and Quest 2 are one of the best ways to quickly control your headset, e.g. B. starting apps, opening menus, changing settings or dictating text. The v23 update now adds automatic punctuation for the dictation:
- As you speak, the dictation automatically fills in periods, commas, question marks, and capitalization. Then you can give us thumbs up or thumbs down for feedback on your experience.
- Note: This experience will gradually become available to English-speaking users in the US and Canada.
The dictation button has now been integrated into the search bar to make it easier to search the store with your voice.
The Voice Commands feature will now also be available to English speakers in Canada.
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With such a big update to Quest and Quest 2, it is clear that Facebook continues to put a lot of energy into iterating its standalone headsets and improving the experience over time through software. Keep an eye out for the v23 update, but keep in mind that you may not be able to download it for a while.
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