Elixir: Hand Tracking Experience on Meta Quest

The evolution of presence: hand-tracking in VR

Meta wanted a first-of-its-kind experience to showcase the hand-tracking technology being debuted on its Quest 2 model.

So we created Elixir, a narrative-driven virtual reality experience using integrated finger and hand tracking. We combined the sense of safety provided by the virtual medium – and the new sense of presence afforded by finger tracking – to draw users in and allow them to cast spells, mix suspicious chemicals, and transform their fingers into unnatural things.

As the driving force behind the development of hand-tracking technology, Elixir perfectly replicates the user’s nuanced hand movements and renders them within the virtual world. No game controllers required. Players use their real fingers to poke a monster in the eye, rub a dragon’s belly, snuff out candle flames, and punch giant fireflies out of the sky.

A mystical sorceress provides guidance throughout the surreal experience of interviewing for a job in a magical laboratory. She asks the user to sign a “totally industry-standard” and “definitely legally binding” non-disclosure agreement to avoid being sued for, well, unexpected outcomes.

The sorceress’s commands introduce a series of unsafe situations which push to suspend any sense of self-preservation. As the danger increases, so does the magic. Users will light their own fingertips on fire, electrocute themselves, and develop warts that fly away and pop like bubbles. Experimenting further will ultimately transfigure their hands into 3-fingered robot claws, writhing tentacles, or molten demon mitts with armored cuticles.