Oculus Quest 2 update brings Facebook Messenger to VR

Facebook Messenger logo
(Image credit: Facebook)

Ever wanted to message your Facebook friends, but in VR? Nor have we, but you’ll be able to give it a try anyway as the v25 software update brings Facebook Messenger to Oculus Quest and Oculus Quest 2.

The update will allow users logged in to their Facebook accounts on Oculus devices (which is most people, we’ll bet) to chat with Facebook friends who own any device with Messenger. 

That means, we think, you’ll be able to message your friends’ Messenger mobile apps in between sessions of Beat Saber or Racket Fury. Pretty neat.

In a blogpost, the company says you’ll be able to write messages without taking off the Oculus headset by either typing with a virtual keyboard, selecting from pre-written texts, or using Quest’s voice-to-text function.

Party time

What’s more, users will also be able to send private Oculus Party invites through the messaging app to others using the VR headset, making jumping into multiplayer games with your friends a more simple process.

Despite seeming like a trivial addition, then, the Messenger update looks to set to better improve the Quest’s ability to interact with the outside world without having to exit VR. 

While Oculus devices already have a messenger function in the Oculus Chats feature (used exclusively with people on your Oculus friends list), Facebook Messenger now offers a cross-platform, system-wide option to users wishing to engage with others without a Quest headset.

Facebook says your existing Oculus privacy settings won’t change by using Messenger on the device, and that the v25 update is set to roll out immediately, although some users can expect to wait a few weeks for it to arrive.

Via RoadToVR 

Axel Metz
Senior Staff Writer

Axel is a London-based Senior Staff Writer at TechRadar, reporting on everything from the latest Apple developments to newest movies as part of the site's daily news output. Having previously written for publications including Esquire and FourFourTwo, Axel is well-versed in the applications of technology beyond the desktop, and his coverage extends from general reporting and analysis to in-depth interviews and opinion. 


Axel studied for a degree in English Literature at the University of Warwick before joining TechRadar in 2020, where he then earned an NCTJ qualification as part of the company’s inaugural digital training scheme.