Firmware released for the Oculus Quest highlights several upgrades that could be headed to the next Oculus 'Jedi' controller, including improvements to motion tracking and haptic feedback.

These next-generation controllers will be the third iteration of the Oculus Touch; after debuting in 2015 with a "half-moon" design, Oculus announced a revised model last year that moved the IR tracking ring to the top. In the first generation of controllers, the ring ran under the hand.

However, the Jedi controller represents a more substantial feature upgrade if the firmware works well, as discovered by Gerald McAlister of RGB Schemes and analyzed by UploadVR, and mentioned in the firmware As discovered by Gerald McAlister of RGB Schemes and analyzed by UploadVR, there are several specific and notable changes mentioned in the firmware.

One of them is the reference to a 60Hz IR LED mode. Like the current Touch controllers, Jedi's upgrade appears to feature optical tracking with a camera built into the VR headset, but set to be faster than the current Touch controllers, which refresh at 30Hz.

The Jedi controller will essentially double the number of times per second it detects and relays position data. In theory, this would allow the controller to be detected more quickly by the headset when it moves out of view and back into view.

Other potential improvements are provided by firmware that references a new inertial measurement unit (IMU) chip, labeled the TDK ICM-426 series. Compared to the IMUs in current controllers, the chips in Jedi's controllers have accelerometers with more than a fivefold reduction in noise (interference) and gyroscopes with a twofold reduction in noise.

These improvements may benefit users when performing fast movements, including movements that move the controller out of the camera's view.

The firmware further suggests that Oculus may upgrade the haptics and add analog capacitive touch sensors for more accurate finger tracking, similar to Valve's Index SteamVR controller.

Whether these upgrades will actually happen remains to be seen. Another question is whether the Jedi controllers will work with Quest. Mention of firmware suggests that they will work, assuming they are not accidentally included.