System-level features like Hand Tracking, the System Keyboard, a System Splash Screen, and Passthrough layers may be enabled by developers under the Oculus Unity Integration’s ‘Quest Features’ settings area.
Oculus Quest 2 and future Oculus headsets may eventually be able to monitor more than just head and hand motions, unlike most other top VR headsets.
According to Upload VR, the most recent SDK version contains an option for ‘body tracking support,’ which is a suite of tools aimed to assist the platform’s game and app creators.
It’s unclear how this feature will be implemented since neither Meta (previously Facebook, the business that owns Oculus) nor the firm refused to comment when questioned by Upload VR.
As of the most recent Oculus Unity Integration release, here is how it appears:
In the ‘Getting Started’ documentation page for the Quest 2 Tracked Keyboard SDK, you’ll see a similar screenshot:
Meta added the red outlines, not us. ‘Body Tracking Support’ is a new option that sits between Hand Tracking Frequency and Tracked Keyboard Support. We’re not aware of any further announcements, teases, or references to this functionality.
In late 2019, the Oculus Quest received a software upgrade that included the ability to monitor a user’s hands, so it’s feasible that the Oculus Quest 2 may get the same treatment.
How the body tracking would work if such were the case is unknown. The front and legs of the user’s torso and legs would only be visible while gazing down at the Quest 2’s wide-angle, downward-facing cameras.
If the functionality is planned for the Oculus Quest Pro (also known as Project Cambria), Meta has said that the headset would be released in 2022, it is possible.
It’s unclear whether device will get body tracking, or when, but this recent leak strongly implies that Oculus devices will get it first.
Full body motion tracking in VR would enable for a wide range of applications, from health apps that can measure specific motions to more precise avatar movement in the virtual environment.