Meta has announced the latest array of features coming to its Oculus – or Meta – Quest headsets and mobile app.
A mixed reality camera, Messenger voice calls, cloud backups and more have started rolling out as part of the platform’s v35 update.
The first new feature is a mixed reality camera coming to Apple smartphones that’ll allow you to record yourself immersed in a VR game surroundings instead of getting footage of you swinging your arms around in your living room.
You can see the feature in action in the video below:
Unlike the current Live Overlay feature, which allows you to superimpose yourself into footage from the headset, mobile mixed reality pulls back from the headset’s perspective, allowing you to see yourself inside the game.
Right now, you’ll need an iPhone XS or above running iOS 11 or higher and the Oculus mobile app updated to v139 to access this feature, but Meta plans on bringing the mixed reality camera to more devices in the future.
While the company didn’t state that the mixed reality camera is available on Android phones, “all models” are listed in the feature’s support page, where you can also find a full list of compatible games.
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Another new feature coming to Quest this week is Messenger Calling, which allows you to hop on to a voice call with friends on any Messenger-enabled platform to chat while in VR.
Multi-User, which allows users to create multiple accounts on their headsets, and App Sharing, which lets secondary accounts access games paid for by the primary account holder, are both becoming standard Quest settings instead of experimental features.
Cloud backups are also rolling out on Quest, allowing you to store your progress and settings off-headset. This makes it easier to replace and upgrade headsets without worrying about losing your progress.
Lastly, Meta is introducing the ability to customise your environment in Horizon Workrooms, allowing companies to change the look of their virtual office, add their logo and include custom posters.
The v35 update is rolling out now, but, as Zuckerberg notes in a recent Facebook post, it may take a few weeks for them to appear on your headset.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
