The Quest 3 gets a personal assistant thanks to Meta AI
It was a big day for Meta. First, the tech giant rolled out various new features to Meta AI. And now the same AI model is coming to Quest headsets next month.
According to the company’s release video, Meta AI will function as a sort of personal assistant on the virtual reality headset. You can ask it all your burning questions and it will respond in real time with information gleaned from Bing. It can recite memorable lines from Shakespeare’s plays or give short lectures on American history.
Through Meta AI with Vision, the headset can detect objects, people, and more in front of the cameras, then provide contextual answers to those queries. For example, users can command the assistant to translate text into another language, offer summer fashion tips, or identify what’s in front of the headset. The AI can even detect dogs, as seen in the video.
Meta AI on Quest is experimental software that is getting a limited release in the United States and Canada. To try it out, you’ll need to open the settings menu on your headset and select “Experimental.” You should see and be able to ” [the] functions there.”
Because this is experimental, users won’t experience the full capabilities of Meta AI. The Vision feature will be available via Passthrough on the Quest 3 and Quest Pro headsets, but will not work in virtual reality mode. Meta states that “virtual objects are not currently recognized,” though judging from the wording, this could change.
A Meta spokesperson confirmed that the Quest 2 will not have Vision “because there is no color passthrough.”
To make room, the company also states that Meta AI will replace Voice Commands as the primary way users interact with the headset. Voice Commands will be widely deprecated going forward, though they will remain if you don’t try out the AI model.
Details on what will happen to Voice Commands are scarce at this time. The Meta spokesperson did not provide any additional information.
Also check out TechRadar’s list of the best VR headsets for 2024.
