Tongue tracking was introduced in the quest pro, In our previous evaluation of the Quest Pro last year, we highlighted a notable drawback: sticking out one’s tongue disrupted the immersive experience when using a virtual mirror to observe facial expressions. This absence also restricted expressiveness in social virtual reality (VR) interactions. In the latest version 60 of its Software Development Kits (SDKs) for Unity and native code, Meta, formerly known as Facebook, has unveiled an updated face tracking OpenXR extension. This upgraded version now incorporates tongue tracking, allowing for a more comprehensive representation of facial movements.
Tongue Tracking: New Avatars all Over
While the Meta Avatars SDK has not yet incorporated this enhancement, third-party avatar solutions can adopt it by updating their SDK version to 60. A developer named korejan has already modified their VRFCT (VRCFaceTracking) module for ALXR, an open-source alternative for PC VR streaming, to support tongue tracking in VRChat.
Although Steam Link and Virtual Desktop currently support the Quest Pro’s earlier face tracking, an update to the v60 SDK is necessary for them to include tongue tracking in VRChat. Despite these advancements, the article notes that third-party adoption of Quest Pro’s face tracking on the Quest Store has been minimal, possibly due to reportedly poor sales. Nevertheless, ongoing software support and recent feature additions, such as improved mixed reality performance and the introduction of tongue tracking, indicate Meta’s commitment to enhancing the Quest Pro’s capabilities.
Real life Gets a Virtual Avatar
The Meta Quest Pro’s unique features, including face and eye tracking, allow the headset to capture users’ facial expressions and translate real-life movements onto virtual avatars. Despite occasional tracking imperfections, this technology contributes to a more immersive experience. The latest update to the SDK, introducing tongue tracking, addresses a previous limitation and extends the headset’s capabilities. While not yet fully integrated into Meta avatars, third-party developers are already incorporating this feature into their applications. The article suggests that widespread adoption and utilization of face tracking features in software will be crucial for maximizing the potential of these technological advancements.
The Meta Quest Pro’s unique features, including face and eye tracking, enable the headset to capture users’ facial expressions and translate real-life movements onto virtual avatars. Despite occasional tracking imperfections, this technology contributes to a more immersive experience. The latest update to the SDK, introducing tongue tracking, addresses a previous limitation and extends the headset’s capabilities. While not yet fully integrated into Meta avatars, third-party developers are already incorporating this feature into their applications.
