Meta’s looking to make its VR experiences more readily available, with a new “Travel Mode” option for its Quest 2 and 3 headsets.
As you can see in this example, Travel Mode for Quest will enable you to dive into VR experiences, no matter where you are, expanding the usage capacity of Meta’s VR environment.
One of the limitations of VR right now is the need for dedicated space to generate the VR experience. When setting up your Quest unit, you need to define a clear, or mostly clear area in which the experience can be displayed. That ensures that users are safe when interacting with simulated elements, though Meta has been working to provide more options on this front in order to reduce such requirements, so you can watch, for example, movies in VR without the need for a full field of motion.
Which is where Travel mode comes in.
As explained by Meta:
“Travel Mode turns Quest into the ultimate in-flight entertainment device, so you can watch movies on a massive virtual screen, kick back with a game or meditation app, and even get some work done in private. And thanks to our headsets’ balanced, ergonomic design, you can enjoy it all comfortably, no neck pillow required.”
Yes, despite the field limitations, you will still be able to play games in Travel Mode, while the new processes will also account for the motion of the vehicle you’re in, reducing impacts on the experience.
On that specific front, Meta says that Travel Mode is currently optimized for use on planes, though Meta plans to add support for other modes of transportation, like trains, in future.
In addition to this, when Travel Mode is activated, it’ll automatically detect in-flight Wi-Fi when available, while Meta’s also working with Lufthansa on a new initiative that will see dedicated Quest 3 offerings provided to Lufthansa Allegris Business Class Suite customers.
“Meta Business Partner MSM.digital will create content and provide device setup, distribution, management, and technical support, in close collaboration with Meta and Lufthansa. This is a watershed moment for the broader industry: the first time an airline will offer access to Quest 3 headsets in a commercial in-flight setting.”
It’s an important development, which will significantly expand the value of the VR experience. If you can use VR on the go, in any environment, that will make it a more useful and valuable tool for interacting, in a range of ways, with the VR experience providing a more immersive, personalized environment, away from the real world.
Which could mean that certain creature comforts on transport lose their value, because who cares how good the real world experience is if you can transport yourself to a wholly different scenario via the headset?
I mean, the comfort of your seat will still be relevant, but you’ll be able to detach yourself from other elements, like crying babies, snoring passengers, etc.
Though that could also lead to its own issues. I can imagine that criminals could look to target people distracted within VR worlds, and if there’s an incident on board, and you’re off in another world, that could also be problematic.
Though these are all concerns to be addressed in the broader expansion of VR use, and this is another step towards making the metaverse experience a thing.
Travel Mode is now available under the “Experimental Features” section in the “Settings” menu of your Quest device.
