New Meta Quest 3 update adds Facebook-like social features and a productivity boost
Horizon OS v67 is here
Meta is continuing its monthly cadence of Meta Quest 3 updates with Horizon OS v67 which is beginning to roll out now. Following the comprehensive mixed reality improvements we've seen in recent months this latest batch of upgrades is a little more modest, but does bring one big productivity enhancement.
As we reported previously following its appearance in the v67 beta, all users will soon be able to rearrange 2D app windows in a more free flow manner. You can have three app windows grouped in the classic hinged grouping, and a further three that you can move around and leave suspended in convenient places – you can see an example of this in the trailer below.
There's also a new Theater View mode. Clicking a button on the panel’s control bar will automatically expand its size, bring it closer to you, and dim your surroundings and other windows so you can focus on that one particular screen.
To turn this feature on you’ll need to head into your headset’s experimental menu in your settings.
Beyond this, the Horizon Feed on your headset and in the Quest app will soon feel a little more like a social media feed that you'd see on Threads or Facebook. You’ll be able to like and share posts from content creators like images and VR experiences.
As usual these improvements won’t reach everyone instantly, so keep an eye on the updates page to know when v67 is available to download.
Video capture to get an unofficial boost
If v67 hasn’t impressed you then you might be excited to hear that Meta did announce a more interesting software update recently – a partnership with LIV. LIV creates a VR capture tool for PCs that allows you to record third-person video of VR apps.
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LIV’s software already allows developers to record VR games using a PC and an external camera. But with Meta’s help it should be adding support for mixed reality experiences, as well as support for advanced features like hand-tracking and dynamic occlusion – where virtual objects use depth sensors to know if they should appear behind or in front of real-world items.
Lastly, it wants to launch a creator kit in the coming weeks that will allow for improved first person and for third-person video capture without a PC.
There's no precise release date for that last one, but if you're wanting to capture VR video it sounds like it might be a serious upgrade on existing Quest tools, so definitely keep an eye out for it.
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Hamish is a Senior Staff Writer for TechRadar and you’ll see his name appearing on articles across nearly every topic on the site from smart home deals to speaker reviews to graphics card news and everything in between. He uses his broad range of knowledge to help explain the latest gadgets and if they’re a must-buy or a fad fueled by hype. Though his specialty is writing about everything going on in the world of virtual reality and augmented reality.