Helping ensure visual and physical comfort is crucial since users rely on the headset’s cameras to see their physical and virtual environment. And even when the headset is put on and fits properly, experiences can affect how a headset impacts a user’s comfort in the headset. For immersive experiences it is important to dynamically adjust content based on the user’s head position and depending if the user is standing, sitting down, laying down, or riding in a moving vehicle. We want to allow the user to comfortably interact with the range of core experiences, and seamlessly transition between them, without the need to adjust their headset or behavior , for a more natural experience.

Keep important content in the person’s field-of-view: Field-of-view (FoV) is what the user can see without moving their head. The in-headset FoV is smaller than a user’s natural FoV. Meta Quest will launch content in the same position and rotation relative to the user’s head as it was placed in the game engine. In experiences where no scene queries are involved, the user additionally has the option to recenter the experience by holding down the Meta button on the right controller.

Give content freedom of movement: Avoid anchoring content statically in front of the user’s camera, especially if it obscures a large part of passthrough, as it decreases the user’s awareness of their surroundings. Content that is anchored at the peripheral FoV or to the sides of the user, might require a large range of quick head and neck motion for interaction. Constant head and neck movement can increase visual and physical discomfort especially over longer durations of use.

Depth: Depth affects how we relate to objects in space. Content far away can be nice and large and encourages people to interact at a distance. Nearby objects invite interaction and are easier to inspect at different angles. A small head movement or a few steps should allow users to see the object from all sides. A great use of depth is to create hierarchy. Depth needs to be reinforced with visual cues like light and shadow. Some objects emit light. The light shines onto the floor and ceiling, highlighting its position in the room.

Using depth to communicate feedback: Depth helps create visual feedback and make an object stand out from its surroundings. An example for this would be a button that stands out and moves slightly back when pressed.

Use depth sparingly: Adding depth to every object in a scene can feel unnecessary and tiring to the user’s eye. Consider the size and importance of objects when adding depth, as it can be effective for highlighting large, or important elements like UI panels. However, avoid using depth on text components as it can make them harder to read.

Scale: Like depth, scale is a new way to emphasize content. Small objects feel personal and lightweight. Large objects feel impressive, like a spaceship hovering in a room. Increasing the scale completely changes the feeling of the object we are interacting with. Some objects are best viewed at their real-life scale. For example, a car showroom app may want to display cars as they appear in the physical world. Remember that if a user is expected to interact with physical objects in their environment, avoid placing virtual content in places that may cover these physical interactions.

Avoid making people move too much: MR has the ability to populate the user’s space with a range of virtual content, and might encourage the user to move around their physical space.If dynamic user movement is not a core feature of the experience, e.g., for a fitness or fighting game, ensure that the experience can be inclusively enjoyed by a range of users and spaces, and leverage the safety features that educate or keep users within a safe area during dynamic movement. Repetitive motions can tire users, reduce their enjoyment, and could lead to impairment.

Avoid displaying too many objects at once: Make sure to not overwhelm users by displaying too many objects in the scene at once, which can obscure people’s surroundings, be confusing and potentially even a safety hazard. E.g. try to keep the main controls in a single UI panel, as opposed to having multiple windows floating around.

Incorporate distance interactions: By offering the user a way to interact with objects from a distance, they can enjoy the experience without having to move around too much. Avoid requiring the user to perform a direct interaction on objects that are far away or where an interaction over an extended amount of time is required, since this can be tiring. Conversely, items requiring direct touch should not be placed too close to the user as this can cause visual discomfort.