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Meta Quest's latest update delivers 3 big upgrades and 1 downgrade
On the heels of a successful Cyber Week, Meta announced new upgrades to the Meta Quest software, which powers the company's VR headset. The upgrades include three new virtual environments, profile updates, boundary improvements, and Quest Pro performance upgrades. But the update also does away with phone notifications in the Meta Quest headset.
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Whether you love using your Meta Quest already or are expecting one under the Christmas tree this holiday season, here's how the new Meta Quest v60 build differs from previous versions:
What's included in the Meta Quest v60 update
- Notable upgrades: Quest Pro performance boost, new Horizon Home environments, and boundary improvements.
- Removed: Phone notifications in Meta Quest headset.
- Compatibility: Meta Quest Pro, Meta Quest 3, Meta Quest 2.
- Timing: The update is rolling out gradually as of this week.
- Other updates: Profile updates to display shared apps and friends, Bluetooth improvements, Quest 3 PTC comes to Quest 3, passthrough while an app is loading, PIN-protected end-to-end encrypted cloud backups, safe browsing enhancements, and a new layout utility app.
1. Quest Pro performance boost
Meta announced that the Quest Pro is getting a power boost through the v60 update that will deliver a smoother experience with up to 45% more CPU and 19% more GPU power. This will result in more responsive interactions in mixed reality (MR) applications and a more fluid experience with less lag and staggering.
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Meta explains in its blog post that this will open the door for developers to make more complex and powerful apps.
2. Three new Horizon Home environments
The three new Horizon Home Environments are included in the v60 update.
Don't have a Quest Pro? No problem -- the v60 update also brings improvements to all Meta Quest headsets, including the Meta Quest 3, Meta Quest 2, and Meta Quest Pro. Meta Quest v60 includes three new Horizon Home environments to choose from.
Think of the Horizon Home feature as the virtual reality (VR) space you see when you put on the headset. Meta makes it easy to fashion this space into your virtual home -- where you can watch content and jump into multiplayer games with others, for example.
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The new environments include a cowboy-themed Blue Hill Gold Mine, a whimsical fantasy-themed Storybook, and a serene and natural-themed Lakeside Peak.
3. Boundary improvements
The Meta Quest v60 makes your VR headset smarter about your boundaries by remembering where they've been set up in different rooms. This means that you won't have to redraw the boundaries each time you move to a different room, as the headset will be able to store this data on cloud servers.
To use this feature, you must agree to share your point cloud data with Meta, a set of data points that the Meta Quest headset uses to map your physical space when you draw your boundaries. Users can stop sharing and delete this data anytime by accessing their Privacy Settings.
No more Phone notifications
The ability for users to view their phone notifications on their Meta Quest headset is one feature being removed with the Meta Quest v60 build. This feature had only been introduced in 2021 for iOS and Android and there's no word from Meta as to why it's being removed.