An update just fixed the biggest Quest 3 mixed reality problem

What you need to know

• The Meta Quest 3 June v66 update addresses issues with mixed reality motion capture.
• Moving objects using the headset’s cameras no longer “warp” the environment around them.
• This builds on the recent HDR improvements in mixed reality vision, bringing the Quest 3’s mixed reality quality closer to Apple Vision Pro standards.

One of the hallmark features of the Meta Quest 3 is its color passthrough vision which allows users to see the room around them even while wearing the headset. While Meta substantially improved the passthrough quality compared to the Quest 2 and Quest Pro, moving objects still featured a near-nausea-inducing warp around them.

Thankfully, Meta Quest 3 update v66 addresses this issue by nearly completely removing the warping that plagued prior firmware versions. Moving objects, like hands or even your smartphone, will no longer warp the area around them as they did before. Meta previously upgraded the passthrough capture quality in the April v64 update and this builds upon that update.

It’s a huge step in the right direction and brings the Meta Quest 3’s passthrough quality up to par with Apple Vision Pro standards, a headset that costs seven times as much as Meta’s flagship standalone mixed reality headset.

My video above showcases the substantial difference in passthrough quality between the previous v65 May update and the new v66 June update, closing that all-important mixed reality quality gap between Meta and Apple’s headsets. Meta announced that the update would be available for all earlier this week, but it took a few days for my Quest 3 to get the new feature.

If your headset doesn’t look as good just yet, give it a restart by holding down the power button and tapping restart. Once you’ve got the v66 June update, things will start looking substantially better.

Now that mixed reality games have gotten really good and this new update improves quality so much, that upcoming mixed reality yoga game by Alo Moves makes a lot more sense now.

Given that we’re expecting to see the Meta Quest 3s at Meta Connect 2024 — a cheaper headset that’s rumored to still feature color passthrough like the more expensive Quest 3 — this update should help Meta further build out on its mantra that Quest headsets are now mixed reality instead of virtual reality.