Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently took to Instagram to preview a possible virtual keyboard feature for Quest headsets.
Posted on his official account, the short clip shows Zuckerberg and Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth typing on a VR keyboard while wearing a Quest 2 headset. The device could accurately track their finger movements and display what they wrote on the screen, without the need for additional peripherals. According to Zuckerberg, he could hit 100 wpm (words per minute), while Bosworth hit 120 wpm. To put that in perspective, the average typing speed of an adult is 40 wpm, so it’s a good performer.
If the development bears fruit, it could solve a long-standing problem with virtual reality.
Typing in VR is a slow process. You are forced to enter the input one by one because floating VR keyboards can’t match the speed of a physical device. Of course you can buy one best physical keyboards there to get the speed you want. But then you force yourself to carry an extra peripheral in addition to the VR headset, just to get the desired user experience. Things can get cumbersome.
A work in progress
There is still work to be done at Meta’s Reality Labs research unit where this technology was developed.
News site UploadVR points this out in their report the headset needs “reference marks” to function properly. Reference marks are those black and white squares you see in the Instagram video. They help the hardware calibrate itself so it knows where to place the virtual keyboard. The end goal here would be to one day stop needing those squares so that the VR helmet can project the keeb onto any flat enough surface.
Personally, we’re concerned about the typing feel. This technology already exists in laser keyboards that can project the keys onto a flat surface. The problem with these projections is that typing feels terrible since all you’re doing is pressing your fingers against a table, and we’re afraid Meta’s function will be essentially the same. This might be fine for the occasional email, but we can’t imagine using a VR keyboard for a full day of work.
VR peripherals
It’s important to mention that Meta is holding a two-day run Connect virtual event from September 27 to 28. The Quest 3 headset has been confirmed to debut on Connect, and a beta test for the VR keyboard may be announced then. An official launch date seems unlikely. As indicated earlier, there is still work to be done.
We’re also curious to see if the company will finally show off its wristband at the event.
If you don’t already know: Meta has been working on it a wristband gadget that can read the electrical signals in a person’s arm to register input. The latest trailer for this gadget shows that it can be used for simple gestures, such as swiping your finger to control a video game avatar. However, in 2021, a earlier prototype showed the ability to function as a virtual keyboard by using the same electrical signals. It’s unknown at this time if Meta has dropped the wristband feature in favor of the headset keyboard or if it’s still in the works.
Be sure to check out TechRadar’s list of the best wireless keyboards if you’re looking for a keeb to pair with your Quest headset.