Meta has rolled out its v47 update for both the $1,500 Quest Pro and the (comparatively) cheap and cheerful Quest 2. The most game-changing ones, however, are reserved for Meta’s flagship virtual reality headset.
There are two big updates for the Quest Pro which further cement its status as the best VR headset Meta sells.
The first of these will hopefully filter down to the entry-level headsets eventually, as it could make a big difference for those who just like to enjoy relaxing experiences in VR.
Background audio playback lets you play sound from the headset’s browser or any 2D panel app. That means you could enjoy some relaxing VR golf or fishing, while catching up on your favorite podcast in the background.
There’s no technical reason why this couldn’t be done on the Quest 2, though perhaps Meta is cautious about enabling it on a headset with less raw processing power. The Quest 2 (and Quest 1) might simply not have the grunt for multitasking.
The second change will always be a Quest Pro exclusive as it takes advantage of its mixed reality credentials. You can now record your real-world surroundings alongside whatever’s happening in the virtual environment. Previously, your real-world environment would appear as a black background in recordings.
The remaining changes come to every Quest out there, though they’re considerably less remarkable. That’s perhaps unsurprising, given the two basic Quest headsets are two and three years old respectively and have had their fair share of game-changing updates over the years.
This time around, Meta has added the ability to make your store wish list public to encourage gifting alongside changes to the mobile app. It’s easier to see what your friends are up to, and there’s now a widget to show headset and controller battery status.
Finally, Horizon Home — the hub that you appear in when booting up your headset — has an added a mirror for easy changes to your virtual avatar.
Minor enhancements, but at least updates are still coming. For more significant improvements, we might have to wait for the Meta Quest 3 — something that the company says will likely arrive in 2023.
