The beta version of the next Quest update seems to improve the passthrough quality, according to some early testers.
The beta version of update v64 has recently been released to users of the Public Test Channel, Meta’s early access program for upcoming Quest system software.
According to early user reports, the update improves the dynamic range and contrast adjustment of Quest 3’s passthrough, making brightly lit smartphone displays and monitors more visible in areas with less than ideal lighting. A video posted on X confirms this impression.
Meta has not announced anything like this yet, and keep in mind that features tested in a beta do not necessarily make it into the final update.
Quest 3 passthrough has potential for improvement
Quest 3 is the second Quest headset to support color passthrough, after Meta Quest Pro. Meta has significantly improved the passthrough quality over the Quest Pro, but it is still far from perfect: The image gets grainy in low light, and distortion around hands and other close objects can be distracting.
Last October, Meta’s CTO Andrew Bosworth, held out the prospect of a modest improvement in passthrough quality over time.
“As we continue to get real-world lighting conditions and information from the headsets that have been picked up, we start to tune the algorithms that drive it more effectively. And so I do think it will continue to improve modestly from here for a little while, as we do a better job of depth estimating where your hands are and working with distortion around that, and things like that,” Bosworth said.
It appears that update v64 may bring the first passthrough upgrade, hopefully in April.
Source: Mixed News
