Augmented reality is taking to the skies as Meta is rolling out an experimental travel mode to its Quest 2 and Quest 3 headsets. Once enabled, users can enjoy content while on a plane, a feature that wasn't possible due to certain components.
Sitting in a moving vehicle, such as a car or airplane, can confuse the internal measurement units (or IMUs for short) and, as a result, cause the headphones to have difficulty tracking your position.
But thanks to Travel Mode you won't have this problem. Meta says he adjusted the Quest headset's “algorithms” to account for the motion of an airplane, offering a much more stable experience while flying. It will also level the playing field against the Apple Vision Pro, which has offered a travel mode since its launch.
Connect Quest 2 or 3 to an airplane's Wi-Fi connection and access content from an external tablet or laptop or one stored in the Quest library. Meta recommends double checking whether an app needs an internet connection to work, as onboard Wi-Fi can be quite spotty. This means that certain video games, among other content, can play worse.
When it comes to inflight infotainment systems, most will not be accessible, except for Lufthansa, thanks to a partnership between Meta and the Germany-based airline.
New content
Meta's partnership with Lufthansa will provide unique content that is “designed to run on Quest 3 in travel mode.” These include interactive games like chess, meditation exercises, travel podcasts and “virtual tour previews.” The latter allows you to see what your destination is like just before you get there. However, this content will only be offered to people seated on Lufthansa's Allegris. Business Class Suite on selected flights.
If you want to try travel mode, you can activate it by going to the Experimental section in the settings menu of your Quest headset. Enable the feature and you are ready to use it. Once enabled, you can turn Travel Mode on or off at any time in Quick Settings. Meta plans to offer Travel Mode for additional transportation modes like trains at some point, but no specific release date has been announced.
A company representative told us that Travel Mode is available to all users worldwide, although it is unknown when it will leave its experimental state and become a standard feature. We asked if there are plans to expand Lufthansa content to other airlines and travel classes such as Economy. But they have nothing to share at the moment. Meta wants to maintain its pilot program with Lufthansa for now, but is interested in expanding it.
If you're looking for recommendations on what to play on your next flight, check out TechRadar's list of the best Quest 2 games for 2024.
