One thing I always knew while playing on my Meta Quest 3 is that the headset would be perfect for inflight entertainment, but the capability was not yet available on any headset.
For example, I tried the Apple Vision Pro in travel mode for a while and then, frustrated, immediately took it off when the settings screen disappeared behind me as the plane headed toward the runway.
But Meta brings his own Travel mode to Quest 2 and 3which aims to solve tracking problems on long-haul flights, and the company has even worked with Lufthansa to bring you new mixed reality (MR) content experiences.
Improving your time on the coach
First of all, I’m excited to test this properly when I head to Computex 2024, as there are big changes happening under the surface. To activate it, go to Experimental functions in your Settings menuscroll down and toggle Travel mode activated.
At that moment two important things happen. First, if you’re on a flight with free Wi-Fi that offers movies and TV shows you’d normally enjoy on your tablet, your Quest can detect that same network and display that content on a much larger virtual screen in front of you. .
Secondly, if you have MR games and apps downloaded for offline use, the tracking algorithms have been specifically adjusted to take into account the movement of an aircraft. Meta also claims that you can’t even fool tracking when looking out a window. For now, this is limited only to airplanes, but the company plans to add more modes of transportation in the future.
Business class only
In addition to this, as we mentioned above, Meta has partnered with Lufthansa to prove that it offers a lot of entertainment, games and more in an RM environment. As part of this program, Business Class Suite customers will have access to the Quest 3 headset this summer to experience the following:
- Immersive viewing of selected movies and TV shows.
- Travel podcasts with spatial content and 360-degree video of places.
- Virtual sightseeing previews of the destination you are flying to
- Interactive games like Connect Four and Chess
- Wellness experiences such as meditation
This is a first for virtual reality headsets and a direction I hope other travel companies take. Not only for business class, but also for any headset user who connects to the onboard Wi-Fi. We all deserve better than the horrible back-of-seat displays we receive!
- Apple Vision Pro was created for Star Wars fans, and you can’t convince me it’s not worth $3,500
- Batman returns in virtual reality in a new title for Meta Quest 3
- Apple Vision Pro 2 to launch in 2026, but cheaper headphones planned before then
