Meta’s hand-tracking has improved by leaps and bounds since we first saw it on the original Quest in 2019, but as Apple serves up stiff competition with its upcoming Vision Pro mixed reality headset, Meta tossed out a new hand-tracking demo that shows off the benefits of its latest software update.

As a part of Quest’s v56 software update Meta unveiled Hand Tracking 2.2, something the company says focuses on hands responsiveness. If Meta wants to beat Apple at its own game—Vision Pro’s input relies primarily on hand-tracking—it really needs to make hand-tracking as a reliable as possible.

To boot, Meta says in a blogpost its Hand Tracking 2.2 update reduces hand-tracking latency by 40% “in typical usage” and “up to 75% during fast movement.”

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To show off its latest hand-tracking improvements, Meta released a first-party app called Move Fast, which is pretty similar to the company’s own block-slashing rhythm game Beat Saber, albeit tasking you with chopping, punching, and blocking incoming objects.

With only four songs to play through however, Move Fast isn’t meant to be a full game, as Meta says it’s more for demonstration purposes so developers can see how the company’s Interaction SDK can now handle fast-action fitness types of apps.

To try it out for yourself, download Move Fast for free on Quest App Lab, which supports both Quest 2 and Quest Pro. Meanwhile, check out a brief clip of the demo in action below:

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Well before the first modern XR products hit the market, Scott recognized the potential of the technology and set out to understand and document its growth. He has been professionally reporting on the space for nearly a decade as Editor at Road to VR, authoring more than 4,000 articles on the topic. Scott brings that seasoned insight to his reporting from major industry events across the globe.
  • Xron

    Seems interesting, sadly got only q1 here ~.~

    • kakek

      If you enjoyed your Q1 while it was supported, just skip Q2 and go right for Q3 in few months.
      I have a Q2 and I intend to do the same. Keep Q2 while it’s supported. When meta drops Q2 we should be close to Q4 release.

  • xyzs

    Nothing’s greater than competition to get stuff done better :)

    • ViRGiN

      Somehow that’s never how it worked with pcvr!
      I’m not even sure what competition you are talking about. Meta never had any and never will. Apple vision hasn’t released yet and it’s competitor. Nintendo sold more Labo than Valve index.

  • kakek

    Just had the v55 update.

  • wowgivemeabreak

    This is not like Beat Saber. Not everything that involves music and hitting something is “like Beat Saber”

    Really wish the VR sites and some users would realize that.

    • Rupert Jung

      Played it. It’s _exactly_ like Beat Saber. :)

  • Traph

    Tried this out this evening and damn, I’m pleasantly surprised. No issues with tracking (even when performing uppercuts and such) and the lack of haptic feedback wasn’t a big deal at all.

    Now I’m hoping hand tracking gets added to Thrill of the Fight 2, which is not a sentence I ever thought I’d say.