When we released Oculus Quest last May, it delivered a groundbreaking VR experience, all within a wireless and portable form factor. Since then, we’ve updated the headset through a series of monthly software updates, steadily improving the overall experience to deliver additional value to Quest owners. And we’re not stopping there. Today at OC6, we announced a lineup of new features—with more coming soon—that will unlock Quest’s potential even further and expand the way people will interact with their favorite content.

All Hands on Deck: A More Natural Way to Experience VR

Bring your real hands into VR like never before with hand tracking on Oculus Quest—no controller, external sensors, gloves, or PC required. Launching in early 2020, this breakthrough technology enables natural interaction by simply using your hands like you normally would to gesture, interact with virtual objects, and communicate with friends in VR. It works by using deep learning to understand the position of your hands and fingers using Quest’s onboard cameras, then translating this into VR. For more information, check out our full write-up about hand tracking on Quest here.

Oculus Link: The Best of Both VR Worlds

One feature we’re definitely excited about is Oculus Link, a new way for people who own a Quest headset to access Rift content and experiences from their gaming PC. Starting this November, anyone who owns Quest and a gaming PC will have access to popular Rift games with Oculus Link software, which can be used with most high-quality USB 3 cables. Later this year, we’ll release a premium optical fiber cable to provide a best-in-class experience with maximum throughput and comfortable ergonomics. For developers, this means it’s now possible to build high-end PC games and experiences while taking advantage of the biggest possible market and connecting with new audiences as the Quest community grows. Oculus Link is truly the best of both worlds: the high-end gaming of Rift when connected to a PC, with the ease and portability of Quest on-the-go.

Go on a Quest: Even More to See and Do

Experience a variety of popular apps from Oculus Go on Quest. For many people, Oculus Go was the first step into the world of VR. In the short time since it launched, we’ve seen fantastic apps released on the platform, offering new ways to watch TV, play games, and connect with friends. Now you can use compatible Oculus Go apps on Quest. Starting next week, there will be more than 50 popular Oculus Go apps available to Quest users, so get ready for a virtual, fun-filled weekend. And if you own an app on Oculus Go and it’s available on Quest, you’ll get the Quest version for free between now and the end of the year. Click here to learn more.

Passthrough+: A Whole New View in VR

Coming next week to Quest, Passthrough+ is a breakthrough feature originally launched on Rift S that gives people a stereo-correct, real-time view of their surroundings while in VR. Now possible on Quest thanks to advancements in high-performance image processing and 3D computation, Passthrough+ makes experiences on Quest more comfortable when stepping out of your play space. And with Passthrough “on demand” shipping later this year, you’ll be able to check your surroundings without removing the headset any time you want.

Watching Your Favorites on Quest Now Easier than Ever

We know people like to use Quest to watch their favorite movies and TV shows. To make this easier, we’ve introduced updates to tracking that allow people to use Quest in environments that won’t work with the standard inside-out tracking, like in dark or dimly-lit rooms. Now, people can manually turn off tracking on Quest from the Settings menu, to make casual viewing of media apps easier and more comfortable from anywhere. Remember that Guardian boundaries—and some apps—require tracking, so neither will work if tracking is off. You should only use your Quest in a stationary standing or seated position when tracking is turned off.

These are just some of the features and improvements we’re adding to Quest. Stay tuned for more updates!