[UNRESOLVED as of May 30, 2024] - Quest 3 Controller Tracking Issues

[NotDream]

update May 30, 2024: There have been no updates/improvements to controller tracking since Meta Support marked this as solved! Community consensus seems to be that this issue stems from hardware/software limitations with the controllers, specifically the method of tracking (as a software developer working specifically in the machine learning and computer vision space, I agree that this technology is not particularly robust enough to handle some types of movement). If you play games that require fast hand movements and/or dynamic hand positioning, I would recommend not buying a Quest 3, unfortunately. I've heard some anecdotes regarding improved tracking with the Quest Pro controllers, but the improvements are marginal at best - not worth the additional ~$300 for minimal performance gains IMO. My personal recommendation is to stick to Quest 2. Not to detract from the various improvements that the Quest 3 has brought (e.g., color passthrough w/higher resolution, better hand tracking, higher overall hardware specs compared to Quest 2, etc.), but Quest 2 controller tracking is significantly better than the Quest 3's. Ideally, my hope is that Meta will push an update that allows for pairing Quest 2 controllers with the Quest 3, but as of right now, that's just a pipe dream as Meta has given no indication of making these headsets/controllers backwards compatible. While I'm (naively) hopeful that things will change, realistically speaking, I have 0 expectations and a lot of disappointment.

tl;dr: I've had a Quest 2 for almost 3 years. I received my Quest 3 today and was very excited to use it. Controller tracking performance is much worse than the Quest 2, at least in the context of games where you swing your arms as fast as you can. This was not a problem for the Quest 2 (unless controllers were physically damaged, e.g., hitting a wall, dropping them, etc.). Don't buy if you play games like Gorilla Tag, Beat Saber, Synth Riders, or any of the other games mentioned throughout this thread!!!

Question:
Are there ways to modify the Quest 3's controller tracking such that fast hand movements won't be affected by the prediction-like behavior where the in-game hand moves farther than you swing? When I perform a baseball throwing movement with my hand/arm, the tracking will not keep up and it ends up losing my hand's position for a fraction of a second, causing my in-game hand to be positioned farther away than my hand actually is (this is not an issue with Quest 2 controller tracking).

Details/Context:
I primarily use VR for exercise, and I mostly play Gorilla Tag. Gorilla Tag is a game where you play as the upper half of a gorilla, using your arms as your means of locomotion. Basically, you use your arms as if they were your legs, and you can run, climb trees, wall-run, etc. It's an infection-based tagging game where you join a lobby of up to 9 other people, and the game will randomly select a player to be the first tagger. The tagger(s) will continue tagging until everyone in the lobby has been tagged (infection-style), and then a random player will be selected as first tagger; this pattern just continuously repeats.

While the learning curve is pretty steep to play at a high level, there is a growing community of players who are very competitive (approx. 10-20k players based on the communities I participate in - Competitive Gorilla Tag on Discord and Gorilla Tag Competitive on Discord). As a prominent member of this community, people have been seeking my feedback on whether or not the Quest 3 is worth it. While I feel that a majority of the new features are amazing, I have had issues with the controller tracking.

Gorilla Tag is an active game where you're constantly swinging your arms as fast as you can to travel around the map(s) to avoid being tagged. The primary player base for the game is Quest 2 users. Aside from physical damage, most players have not had any problems with controller tracking on the Quest 2, aside from when the controller goes out of the tracking range of the headset (as expected). 

However, the Quest 3 controllers lose tracking during medium-fast to fast hand movement (medium-fast: like playing catch with a friend; fast: throwing a baseball as hard as you can). The consequence of this in the context of Gorilla Tag is that your in-game arm extends to the game's max arm length frequently, causing your hand to collide with the wall/tree/ground and launch you away from the surface. This is a big issue for games/activities involving fast-paced hand movement as it's not nearly as reliable as the Quest 2 controller tracking performance. 

[SkulllFace]

I reached out to their support hoping for some kind of an update and I shared this active issue and the community post thread details. Look at the last few msgs, they dont give a f**k.

If any of guys popular in twitter, you should post the issue and lets give it a try there guys! 

[007x007]

I wrote some positive comments here about tracking in Quest 3. I was very happy until the meta ITSELF updated my Quest 3 from V62 to V65. I have had the auto-update option (including critical fixes) disabled for several months. The update happened by itself after updating the Meta Quest Link PC software to version 65.0.0.499.343 (65.0.0.499.343). Meta quest link does not have an option to disable updates.

With the quest 3 update, the controllers were updated and problems started:

- Within an hour while playing Beat Saber via link cable (90Hz or 120Hz), the glasses crash out of the game and report a tracking problem. Of course, the beat saber game is already lost. I didn't change anything in the room. Additionally, I play with an IR-flood lamp, which I tested and can see my hands in complete darkness (without normal lighting). Everything worked PERFECTLY on the V62
- Tracking is changed. It's hard to explain, but in beat saber, where milliseconds and muscle memory count, it's VERY noticeable. Of course, on the downside. I don't know if changing the FW in the controllers improves tracking and my muscle memory needs adaptation, or maybe you ruined the tracking.

Let me mention once again that nothing has changed in my room except: updating without my consent from V62 to V65, the time that has passed, and the Earth's rotation angle. So please do not write advice like "hard reset" etc.

I want to decide whether I want a new update or not. That's why I have them turned off, because when something works, it can only break it. I'm +18, I'm not mentally disabled, I'm an independent thinking being, so the meta knows what's better for me and decides about it. Unless that's how you treat your customers and think about them?

I understand that you can break something in the code unintentionally, but doing something without my consent is not mean. You ruined my gameplay of the game that is your trademark. Game is playable, but for kids maybe.

Thank you.

[motdotnet]

Wow Meta, that's some nerve to mark this thread 'Solved' because someone has 'connected with the team and they are investigating'.  That is commendable!

Btw it's been 7 months. Have they completed the investigation? 

Btw I am back to my Q2 to play IB Cricket. Subpar graphics and causes more eye strain compared to Q3. But it works, which is more important, right? 

Thanks for the impeccable quality in your customer service.

[xeiter]

Yeah I mentioned the same thing earlier in the thread and event said it should be marked as not Solved again to no avail.

I feel you re: going back to Q2. Precise tracking is so important to some of us that we are forced to downgrade back to Q2  😞

[SkulllFace]

This needs to be marked as "not solved"

[DeeX0]

It seems the only thing they could do easily, without redesigning the unit itself would be to allow the usage of the Q2 controllers with the ring. Else I fear people are just going to have to wait for a redesign of some sort. Quest 4? Quest 3 Max Pro? Lol. 

This sucks Meta!

[007x007]

I did the update from the PTC channel because I have nothing to lose and after the update, my left controller started updating (the right one didn't). I checked the software version of the controllers and both are 1.19.1. This proves that the V65 update only updated the right controller that I saw. I didn't see the left one and I thought she was the first one to do it.
I don't know how you test it there, or how much you pay testers, but you're definitely doing it wrong.

[007x007]

Hey Meta. Thank You!

After update to V66 (PTC). Link connection have huge lag, 60fps and -116% of perf. headrom and all is slow (screen tearing effect). Device is unplayable by link because of screen tearing. Even after disable PTC and back to V65 meta quest link app the problem remains. So it's quest V66 firmware. It half brick device.

EDIT: Same with airlink. I also noticed that the device heats up quickly and intensely when PC link or airlink is active.

Time to find new HMD with HDMI from more serious company.

[FlipperPA]

I'm just checking back after a few months... still no progress at all. I guess we're not getting any more updates from @TheAntiSocializer? They had at least been good communicating with us about this issue. We're coming up on nine months since this issues was opened and a bunch of us started providing detailed information and solid reproductions. Still nothing? Could we at least get an update like, "The hardware doesn't support your needs, wait until the Quest 4?" Could we at least get an answer about using the Quest 2 controllers with the Quest 3 headset - is it possible? I understand it might not be possible because of the poor camera choices, but don't know for sure. A little information would go a long way.

[SkulllFace]

Despite us being sensible about this issue and we're understanding that they've made a blunder and its difficult to fix it, we still love the quest headset and finding ways to enjoy it with workarounds. Its unfair that there's no updates from the community managers. Gotta admire their audacity for marking this as solved and pretend nothing happenend