How to Disable Gaze Tracking on Quest: Request for Improved User Experience

[LukeLotus]

Hello,

When the controllers or hand tracking aren't detected, Gaze tracking becomes particularly disruptive on the Quest, especially during video playback when the constant presence of the pointer becomes uncomfortable. While it may have its uses in specific situations for some users, it doesn't seem beneficial for the majority of use cases.

Therefore, I kindly request an option to disable these features or consider their removal, as they seem to hinder rather than enhance the user experience for many. Thank you

[slachz]

I concurred one hundred percent on this. The idea to have a fallback that works à la "Google Cardboard" is sound, but nowadays we have hand-tracking if for any reasons the controllers are missing or their battery runs out. I believe we've passed the time to keep this feature by default as a safe guard, and are ready to retire it in deep hidden settings.

As it is, it just breaks a lot of cool emergent use of the headset that make it a pain more than anything else.

[H_i_R_e_Z]

 The Quest 3 is such a great headset and I use it to stream TV Services in the UK - BBC and Channel 4 in particular. Once I'm streaming, I don't want to interact with the screens. All is well for a while, but after a short time, this Gaze mode is activated, giving me not only a white dot in the centre of my vision, but it also activates all the Video controls for the stream I'm watching like a massive pause button in the centre. It makes it near unusable.

I really think we need to be able to disable this feature. Please queeze this into an update soon.

[slachz]

To be fair I understand the ultimate need for this to not brick the headset if say, paired controller are broken, wifi has changed its password and hand tracking is disabled (or something), but I'm sure something can be figure out like a Konami Code with the VolumeDown & PowerIn buttons.

Better yet, If you enable HID over USB it would be even more elegant : as is I can plug a wireless mouse to my 5 years old Android 8.0 phone and it would be recognised instantly as a pointer, which help numerous of people when the broken screen disable touch detection. Something akin to this will surely make everyone happy, and add an extra feature with it.

OK I just tried using my mouse on the headset and it works natively as a charm ! So really this is a feature that could be let for the user to be disabled system-wise when required.

[Twiggy_110]

Jumping on to ask a question here: What does "gaze tracking" even do? Whenever I see it activate it's just a pointer with no interactivity with the menu interface.. is it (or can it) interact via "looking" at something and interacting that way like looking at a next button to scroll etc.?

I can imagine Apple's Vision Pro will implement this the way we expect so confused Gaze tracking doesn't do this