Meta to let users customise avatars, unsend image messages on Quest devices

Meta has rolled out a new software update -- 'v57' (version 57) for its Quest headsets

San Francisco: Meta has rolled out a new software update — ‘v57’ (version 57) for its Quest headsets, which includes various features such as more avatar customisation options, unsend image messages, group links, free-form locomotion ability in Horizon Home and a rebranded Explore feed.

The tech giant has also made improvements to video recording, multitasking and more. “These features and enhancements will become available starting the week of September 11, 2023 and will be pushed to Meta Quest Pro and Meta Quest 2 headsets,” Meta said in a blogpost on Monday.

---

With the avatar customisation feature, users can now customise the colour of their avatar’s hair, eyebrows, skin tone and more, using the real-time avatar editor mirror available in select Home Environments. Moreover, users can now unsend image messages in VR and in the Meta Quest mobile app by hovering over or tapping on a message and selecting Unsend.

The feature is rolling out in selected countries, including — Australia, Canada, Iceland, New Zealand, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, and the US. Among the minor updates, Meta has launched group links, so users can invite friends to their group simply by sharing a link by generating it in VR or pasting it into social media platforms like Instagram or Facebook. A new capability is also being added to Horizon Home, where people can visit each other’s virtual homes.

According to Meta, users can now freely teleport within Home, in addition to being able to teleport in VR apps, allowing them to “explore every nook and cranny of their Home environment”.

To enable free-form locomotion, press the joystick forward on either controller. An arch will appear and show where users are currently aiming. Other minor changes include the ability to use multiple apps simultaneously and switch between views, as well as a new default option for users to turn off microphone audio when recording video.

In addition, Meta removed a casting feature from its Quest mobile app on iPhone which allowed users to simultaneously capture their VR experience and real-life experience using their phone camera.