Meta has improved its Meta Quest's hand tracking technology with the new v2.1 update and made it default for Quest applications. Hand Tracking 2.1 update features upgrades in reliability, accuracy and system pinch quality to improve the consistency and flexibility of hand inputs in users' virtual reality (VR) applications, Meta said in a Quest blogpost.
"With Hand Tracking 2.1, apps will be able to reduce tracking loss and predict future positions better than ever before." Recovery times have also been significantly shortened following a loss when hands go beyond the field of view (FOV).
Reducing recovery time will improve immersion and offer smoother interactions for users. "These improvements are useful across many VR experiences, but they're particularly valuable for apps that encourage quick movements, like fitness apps," the company said.
Moreover, the new upgrades in handling fast-motion movements will help reduce jitter and will improve the tracking continuity in the applications. As a result, users' hand positions will recover faster after exiting the FOV and returning.
"We first introduced hand tracking capabilities on Meta Quest back in 2019," Meta said. Meanwhile, the company also announced on Monday that it is expanding its partnership with the National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) to offer more than 50 live VR games on Meta Quest.