Meta Quest 3: Users Wear the Mixed-Reality Headset in Public Thanks to Passthrough Feature

One of the main advantages of mixed-reality and augmented reality is how it allows users to see the real world through the wearable, and that is something that Meta Quest 3 users are doing now. As the Quest 3 was made widely available, users are trying out the extent to which they can bring the headset and still see the outside world while wearing it, thanks to its Passthrough feature.

The new Quest 3 from Meta does not have transparent lenses like Apple's Vision Pro, but its camera provides the feed from outside the glasses for the user to see.

Meta Quest 3: Users Are Now Wearing It in Public

Various users have been taking their Meta Quest 3 headsets with them to various places, and social media platforms witness their experiences and stories in using the wearable. One user called Jay Mayo has shared on Meta's Threads that he brought the Quest 3 to the recently concluded New York Comic Con in the Javits Center, wearing the XR headset using passthrough mode.

He detailed that there was warping in the video feed, but the bad experience happened when Quest 3's HMD could not find an anchor for tracking, leading to the headset bringing it back to the virtual environment.

Cix Liv, on the other hand, posted his experience with the Quest 3 via X, and here, sharing a video recording from the headset where he brought it to a cafe, showing a virtual webpage while walking into the establishment. Here, Cix Liv ordered coffee and sat inside the shop.

Quest 3's Passthrough Feature for XR

Meta introduced the Passthrough feature initially for the VR, but this is also something that the new Quest 3 XR headset uses, centering on allowing users to see a real-time view of the outside world outside the virtual experience. And since Quest 3 has no see-through lenses, this is the gateway to the XR experience.

The Verge regards this as the "Meta Glasshole," which offers a view from the outside.

Mixed-Reality Headset Domination

Mixed reality is no longer a technology that is only talked about or available via presentations from companies, as its domination is now seen by the public coming to the streets. Meta's Quest 3 is the first to offer this full-fledged mixed-reality headset, with the company making it available earlier this month at an affordable price of $500 to experience the best of both realities.

Still, the world awaits the next XR headset coming from the renowned Cupertino giant Apple, which unveiled the Vision Pro back in June 2023 during its WWDC event. This headset is seven times more expensive than Meta's, available for $3,500 when it launches by early 2024.

Google and Samsung also announced their joint venture to bring its version of a mixed-reality wearable, but in their case, there is a setback that is now challenging the company.

Mixed reality is the future of VR, and it is now here, with people given the chance to use it in public thanks to its window to the real world available in various experiences, including the closed-headset of Meta Quest 3. Through the Passthrough feature, the XR experience is achievable on the Quest 3, with users now enjoying it as they venture into public places in the real world.