Meta wants you to physically feel your VR keyboard
Still not sold on VR? Don’t expect Meta to give up anytime soon. The company has spent billions trying to usher in what it believes to be the future of computing. And now it seems like Meta is trying to make you feel your actions in Virtual Reality. Something that might just convince a few more folks to get a Meta Quest 3.
The idea is only a patent for now but I’d honestly be surprised if Meta didn’t release something like this in the near future. In patent ‘12073024’ Meta describes a portion of a wearable glove that will deliver haptic feedback to your fingers.
It won’t just be simple vibrations either. The patent details how the glove can simulate the force needed to press a key or even the feeling of a light switch. Basically, when you’re working in VR, Meta wants you to still feel those satisfying clicks of physical buttons.
It won’t just be simple vibrations either. The patent details how the glove can simulate the force needed to press a key or even the feeling of a light switch. Basically, when you’re working in VR, Meta wants you to still feel those satisfying clicks of physical buttons.
This product might not see the light of day during Quest 3’s lifetime. | Video credit — Meta
Haptic feedback, if we ever get it, can be crucial in making VR feel even more real. I want VR treadmills and full-body haptic suits with my Quest headsets. These products already exist but I’m hoping for super refined variants made by Meta itself.
Of course, a patent is just a patent. Apple and Meta recently filed patents to improve the comfort of their headsets but that doesn’t necessarily mean we’re going to see those proposed solutions become reality. Vision Pro might even get tunable lenses if patents are to be believed.
Meta is committed to making affordable VR products so it can capitalize on this burgeoning industry. We’re probably going to see the company’s AI-powered AR smart glasses this month at Meta Connect, something I am very excited about.
Ultimately, however, I don’t think it’s haptics that are going to make VR mainstream. People’s biggest issue with current headsets is the fact that they’re bulky and uncomfortable. So those patents for better head straps, though perhaps less exciting, are more important for the industry than haptic feedback gloves.
I would still love the latter, though.
Of course, a patent is just a patent. Apple and Meta recently filed patents to improve the comfort of their headsets but that doesn’t necessarily mean we’re going to see those proposed solutions become reality. Vision Pro might even get tunable lenses if patents are to be believed.
Meta is committed to making affordable VR products so it can capitalize on this burgeoning industry. We’re probably going to see the company’s AI-powered AR smart glasses this month at Meta Connect, something I am very excited about.
I would still love the latter, though.
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