Milestone week for mixed reality: discover what’s been going on!

This week has been revolutionary for mixed reality with the launch of the Meta Quest 3S, making this technology accessible to a broader audience. Additionally, we debuted Make It Stable, our first casual MR game, available for free download on the Meta Quest Store ??.

Furthermore, Skydance's Behemoth has unveiled its first standalone gameplay footage on Meta Quest 3, and researchers at Meta Reality Labs and ETH Zurich have developed software that transforms any surface into a virtual keyboard, redefining user interaction with devices and their surroundings.

Let's take a closer look at these news in detail:

?? Make It Stable, the First MR Casual Game from Odders Lab is Out Now!

• Players have to stack real-sized objects to create the most stable towers, featuring playful animated items and realistic physics for a unique experience. Make It Stable supports both controllers and hand-tracking.
• MIS offers a sneak peek of Campaign Mode and Daily Challenges with new tasks daily. The Full First Campaign costs $4.99 and includes 30 levels across three worlds, unlimited attempts, and access to Challenge Modes.
• Designed for casual gamers, Make It Stable provides an engaging experience for all players, reflecting current trends in the XR gaming landscape.
• Available on Meta Quest 3 and Meta Quest 3S

?? More info about this exciting launch on https://odderslab.com/make-it-stable-out-now/

?? Meta Quest 3S: Redefining Affordable Mixed Reality

• Meta Quest 3S is available in two storage options: 128GB for $300 and 256GB for $400, both including the Touch Plus controllers, making this headset's price hard to beat.
• Lenses and Refresh Rate: While the Quest 3S shares the Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chipset and color passthrough MR capabilities with the Quest 3, it uses older Fresnel lenses and a single display panel, which results in lower lens clarity and a thicker design. Despite these limitations, the Quest 3S offers a similar field of view and per-eye resolution to the Quest 2, with a refresh rate of up to 120Hz.
• Superior Low-Light Tracking: Even though its lower price and less advanced lenses, the Quest 3S provides superior head and hand tracking in low-light conditions compared to the Quest 3. Its ability to track hands accurately even in near darkness marks a significant improvement.
• Enhanced Controller Tracking: Thanks to the continuous hand-tracking feature on the Quest 3S, the headset maintains better controller accuracy in low-light conditions, even when infrared LEDs are blocked. This subtle enhancement gives it an advantage over its sibling headset in specific scenarios.
• Also, Meta Quest 3S is currently the best-selling console on Amazon, surpassing the PS5 PRO and the Quest 3

?? More on https://www.meta.com/quest/quest-3s/ and https://www.uploadvr.com/meta-explains-quest-3-controller-tracking/

?? Skydance's Behemoth Debuts Standalone Quest 3 Gameplay

• Skydance's Behemoth has released its first standalone gameplay footage on Meta Quest 3, showcasing combat, exploration, and boss battles, following its previous releases on PlayStation VR2 and PC VR.
• Behemoth's release has been delayed from its initial 2023 target, now aiming for a December launch to allow for additional polishing.
• Early previews of Behemoth praised its immersive combat, VR-focused design, and compelling presentation, indicating strong potential for the game's final release.

More on https://www.uploadvr.com/skydances-behemoth-quest-3-standalone-gameplay/

??Researchers demonstrate fast typing on any surfaces with Quest 3

• Researchers at Meta Reality Labs, in collaboration with ETH Zurich, have developed TouchInsight, an innovative software for the Meta Quest 3 that transforms any surface into a virtual keyboard. Leveraging egocentric hand tracking and a sophisticated neural network, this software accurately detects touch input from all ten fingers, predicting touch events, identifying the contacting finger, and pinpointing the touch location.
• In this study, participants demonstrated impressive performance, achieving an average typing speed of 37 words per minute (WPM) with a remarkably low error rate of just 2.9%. This marks a significant improvement over the existing floating virtual keyboard available on the Quest.
• The software's performance rivals that of smartphone typing, which averages 36 WPM with a 2.3% error rate, and is competitive with physical keyboards, typically ranging from 40 to 60 WPM with an error rate of 2 to 3%. These findings underscore the potential of MR technologies and headsets like the Meta Quest 3 and Meta Quest 3S to enhance our interactions with devices and the surrounding environment.

More on https://mixed-news.com/en/quest-3-touchinsight/

And that wraps up this week’s highlights ??

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