Meta Quest has unveiled its latest software update, v57, offering an array of exciting new features for Meta Quest Pro and Meta Quest 2 headset owners. This update includes enhancements such as expanded avatar customization options, an unsend message feature, group links, and improved locomotion abilities in Horizon Home. Additionally, Meta has made improvements to video recording, multitasking, and more.
Key Takeaway
The v57 update for Meta Quest headsets brings significant improvements and new features, including enhanced avatar customization, the ability to unsend messages, and improved locomotion in Horizon Home.
Enhanced Avatar Customization Options
One of the most notable additions in the v57 update is the expanded avatar customization options. Users now have access to color sliders, allowing them to customize their skin tone, hair color, and eyebrow color. Additionally, Meta has introduced new makeup and face paint options, enabling users to create avatars that more accurately represent their real-life appearance. These recent enhancements build upon previous updates, which included new body shapes and improved textures for hair and clothing.
Unsend Message Feature
The v57 update also includes the highly-requested unsend message feature. Users can now easily unsend image messages while in VR or using the Meta Quest mobile app. By simply hovering over a message and selecting “unsend message,” both the sender and recipient will receive a notification that the message has been unsent. This feature is currently available in select countries, including the U.S., Australia, Canada, Iceland, New Zealand, South Korea, Switzerland, and Taiwan.
Group Links and Improved Social Features
Meta has introduced group links, allowing users to invite friends to join their group by generating a link and sharing it within VR or on messaging platforms such as Instagram or Facebook. Meeting up with friends has also been made easier, as users can now invite a group to an app directly from the People tab. The invite will be displayed in the group chat, making it convenient for everyone to see and join. Additionally, the contacts list now automatically opens when the headset is turned on, eliminating the need to navigate to find it.
Enhanced Locomotion in Horizon Home
Horizon Home, the virtual home where users interact with each other, now offers improved locomotion capabilities. In addition to teleporting within VR apps, users can now freely teleport within Home, allowing them to explore every nook and cranny of their virtual environment. By pressing the controller thumbstick forward and aiming at a spot in their Home, users can utilize the new free-form locomotion functionality.
Horizon Feed and Other Updates
The Explore feed, which suggests apps to users, has been rebranded as “Horizon Feed” to align with the Horizon Worlds branding. Other updates include a new default option for users to turn off microphone audio when recording videos, the ability to utilize multiple apps simultaneously and switch between views, and the removal of a boundary warning in some apps with mixed reality experiences, ensuring uninterrupted immersion.
With the release of the v57 software update, Meta Quest continues to enhance the user experience by providing more customization options, improved social features, and enhanced locomotion capabilities. Meta is set to unveil additional features at its upcoming Connect event, generating even more excitement for the future of VR.
