Why Is Everything Grey or Why Am I in Passthrough Mode?

If your view suddenly turns grey/black-and-white and you can see your real room instead of the virtual world, your headset has switched to Passthrough mode. This is a safety feature of the Meta Quest 3 and can happen accidentally.

This is not a bug and is very easy to fix.

What Passthrough Mode Looks Like

You will notice:

• Your real room is visible in black and white / grey tones

• Virtual objects may disappear or fade

• It feels like you left the experience

The Most Common Cause

You likely double-tapped the side of the headset by accident.

Meta Quest 3 has a shortcut called Passthrough Shortcut:

Double-tap the side of the headset → toggles Passthrough on/off.

How to Return to the VR Experience

Step 1 — Double-Tap the Side of Your Headset

• Use your hand and firmly double-tap the side of the headset.

• This turns Passthrough off and returns you to the virtual world.

Step 2 — Wait 1–2 Seconds

The headset will fade from grey back into the VR environment.

Step 3 — If Nothing Happens, Use the Menu

If the double-tap didn’t work:

1. Press the Meta (Oculus) button on your right controller.

2. You will see the universal menu.

3. Look for the Passthrough icon.

4. Select it to turn Passthrough off.

If You Keep Entering Passthrough by Accident

You can disable the shortcut:

1. Open Quick Settings from the universal menu.

2. Go to Settings → Movement Tracking.

3. Turn Passthrough Shortcut off.

Why This Happens

Passthrough is designed as a safety feature so you can quickly see your surroundings. It’s very sensitive, so even adjusting the headset can trigger it accidentally.

Once you know the shortcut, it’s very quick to fix.