Understanding VR and MR boundaries
How much space do you need for virtual reality (VR)? In short, there's no single answer. VR and mixed reality (MR) can be so immersive that you might lose track of your real-world surroundings, regardless of the size of your space. Creating VR and MR boundaries, lets you work safely and comfortably in immersive experiences.
VR/MR boundaries explained
VR and MR boundaries serve two essential functions. First, they protect you from physical hazards. When immersed in virtual environments, you can't see real-world obstacles – such as walls, doors, ceilings and furniture, which could pose injury risks. VR boundaries mark out space where you can move safely, letting you use your headset without being tethered to your computer.
Beyond physical safety, boundaries protect your personal space, helping you interact comfortably while you're in VR. Let's explore how these two VR boundaries work:
Guardian boundaries
Guardian boundaries help you avoid tripping over or bumping into people or objects while enjoying your Meta Quest immersive experience. You can create boundaries for walking around or enjoying VR in a stationary position.
Before starting your VR session, remove any obstacles and set up Guardian boundaries in the Meta Quest. Define your desired movement area – your "work area" – with just a few steps.
The system displays these boundaries as visible lines – you can customise their colour using your controllers. The system warns you when you approach or cross these boundaries.
Personal boundaries
Personal boundaries enhance your Horizon Worlds experience by creating space between avatars, preventing others from coming too close. This protects you from unwanted interactions while you enjoy your immersive experience.
Unlike Guardian boundaries, personal boundaries remain invisible but effectively prevent other avatars from invading your personal space. When another avatar approaches, the boundary halts their forwards movement.
You have a choice of settings for your personal boundaries:
- On for people you don't know – This default setting creates a few feet of distance for people you don't follow.
- On for everyone – This maintains a few feet of separation between your avatar and people you don't follow.
- Off – This removes the personal boundary, but two avatars still can't occupy the same place.
Stationary boundaries vs roomscale boundaries
VR boundaries let you move around safely while enjoying immersive experiences. But they're also useful if you're staying in one place, whether sitting or standing.
Stationary boundaries
Stationary boundaries are designed for using your Meta Quest headset when you're seated or standing. The default stationary boundary is set at 1 by 1 metre, centred on you.
Roomscale boundaries
You can use your controllers to draw your own Roomscale boundary and mark out the area where you want to move. When setting up Guardian boundaries, Pass-through helps you orient yourself to define your VR perimeter. We recommend a space of at least 2 by 2 metres. Before you start, make sure that you've moved any furniture or other obstacles out of the way.
You can adjust and redraw both roomscale and stationary boundaries using your right controller.
Other spatial safety features
VR boundaries work with other spatial safety features to help you get the most out of your VR experience. You can access guardian safety features using your right controller, including:
- Floor level – You'll need to set the floor level before you set your boundary. It's essential to have the floor level set correctly, as this will align the physical and virtual environment, reducing the risk of motion sickness or falling over and providing a more immersive experience.
- Glanceable boundary – Enable this feature, and you can glance down to quickly check where you are in your workspace while in VR.
- Boundary sensitivity – This feature controls your boundary alerts. You have the option to make your boundaries less sensitive, or you can use Advanced settings to adjust sensitivity by headset or controller distance, so you only get alerted when you're close to the boundary. You can also lower your headset speed or controller speed sensitivity, or both, to get less alerts when you make fast movements near the boundary.
- Boundary Space Sense – If you're worried about stumbling into something while you're in VR, enable this feature. It allows you to see the outlines of people or pets who cross your roomscale boundary.
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