Meta is making its Quest 2 and 3 virtual reality headsets more travel-friendly, as the tech giant announced a new Travel Mode for both devices.
In a blog post, Meta revealed that Travel Mode is available as an experimental feature on Quest 2 and 3 headsets. Users who want to try the feature need to go to their headset’s settings, then the Experimental Features section, to enable the feature.
As you’d expect from an experimental feature, Meta confirms that Travel Mode is currently “optimized for use on planes,” but it plans to add support for other modes of transportation like trains. Any app or video game that requires an internet connection, like Xbox Cloud Gaming or Rec Room, needs the user to connect to the plane’s Wi-Fi. More interestingly, Meta notes that if you use your headset before enabling Travel Mode, the device may automatically detect you are on a plane. It is recommended that you allow Travel Mode before use.
As UploadVR pointed out previously, users who wished to use their Meta Quest VR headset on a flight had to turn off positional tracking.
While the concept might seem silly to some, using Travel Mode on a VR headset, particularly the Meta Quest, isn’t that farfetched of a concept. The Meta Quest 2 and 3 specifically offer native apps for streaming and video services such as Netflix, Peacock, and YouTube, not to mention the ever-growing list of VR games that are released regularly on both devices and do not require a ton of movement such as Real VR Fishing and Moss: Book 2.
Travel Mode may sound familiar, as this feature was previously available in the Vision Pro, Apple’s pricey spatial computer released earlier this year. In recent months, Meta has been rolling out new features previously found on Vision Pro onto its VR headset. Additionally, Vision Pro-esuqe features Meta has introduced to the Quest line, such as Laying Down Mode.
Taylor is a Reporter at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.