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Meta Quest 3 headset gets new features for uninterrupted use

Pictured: Alap Naik Desai
By Alap Naik Desai
April 09, 2024
Featured image for Meta Quest 3 headset gets new features for uninterrupted use

Meta has started rolling out feature updates for the Meta Quest 3, Meta Quest Pro, and Meta Quest 2 Virtual Reality (VR) headsets, and tagged as the v64 update it unlocks “Lying Down” mode. This is in addition to external mic support, uninterrupted casting, improved passthrough, and much more.

Meta reintroduces Lying Down mode

Meta posted a detailed blog post confirming the Meta Quest 3 VR headset will start receiving the v64 feature update. One of the most anticipated features the latest generation of the headset has received in the update is the “Lying Down” mode.

Incidentally, Meta has already activated the Lying Down mode in the Meta Quest 2 and Quest Pro headsets via a previous feature update. The Lying Down mode allows Quest headset owners to relax in an inclined position.

Needless to say, the Lying Down feature would be truly useful mainly while watching a movie. However, several users have been requesting this feature as it allows them to relax and helps them take a load off their feet.

To activate the Lying Down feature, Meta Quest VR headset users should head to the Experimental tab in Settings and toggle the Use Apps While Lying Down setting. To use the feature, users will have to keep pressing the Menu button to reset their view while they are lying down with the VR headset on their head.

Every Meta Quest VR headset is way more affordable than the Apple Vision Pro. However, Apple managed to offer the Lying Down feature at the product’s launch.

Meta Quest 3 gets better passthrough, external mics, and more

In addition to the Lying Down mode, Meta claims it has improved the image quality and resolution of the Meta Quest 3. Part of the “Passthrough” feature set, these improvements will allow Quest VR headset users, to “comfortably view and interact with the physical world”.

The Passthrough video pipeline promises to make “perceived resolution” better. This means fine-grained text on a smartphone should be a little more legible. Additionally, Meta claims it has improved color, exposure, contrast, and dynamic range. This should help users get a realistic feel of real-world colors. Users should also experience a “less grainy” low-light passthrough, Meta indicated.

The Meta Quest 3 VR headset now supports an external mic. Meta has unlocked the ability to plug an external microphone directly into the headset’s USB-C port if the peripheral has USB-C connectivity. Alternatively, a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter should also work. To use an external mic, users should head to the Experimental tab in Settings and select the External Mic option.

One of the biggest improvements Meta has made to the Quest VR headset is ensuring the streaming continues irrespective of the headset’s location. Previously, the Quest headset would cut the output feed abruptly if the wearer removed the headset. Moving forward, the headset will let streamers, using the Meta Quest app, keep their streams going.

Meta is also trying to help players connect in the physical world. Also included in the update is a new experimental feature that lets users join friends directly from the People app in the universal menu. These people will need to share their location and be in a public world. Hence, moving forward, Quest headset users will have to be way more cautious with the location-sharing setting.