Okay, so here’s the deal. Meta’s been up to some shenanigans again with the Quest. You see, they’re testing out this fresh feature in the Horizon OS thingy (v77, for the nerds keeping count). They’ve tossed the whole dock-based UI into the bin and slapped on a new launcher overlay. Fancy, huh? Oh, and apparently some folks will now see 3D Instagram pics on their Quest feeds. Not sure who asked for that, but hey, why not?
So, they gave a teaser back at some Connect 2024 event — didn’t catch the live stream, though. They’re calling it Navigator. Sounds like something out of Star Trek, right? Anyway, it’s meant to be this one-stop-shop, or centralized… uh, hub thing for apps and quick doodads. Meta’s saying it’s all about “connecting with the stuff you love” or something market-y like that. You can pin, like, 10 things in your library. Handy for those of us who can’t remember where we last left off in our virtual multitasking adventures.
Oh, and shoutout to ‘The Construct’, that YouTuber who’s got the whole breakdown, with videos and all. Seriously, go check him out if you want a detailed scoop. It’s DIY for your VR UI confusion.
To me, Navigator seems like Meta’s brainchild after scrapping through smartphone vibes with a more, um, intuitive layout. Maybe they’re banking on that familiarity. Or maybe it’s just… whatever, some usability thing. They claim to have “built it from the ground up” but who knows? Haven’t we all heard that before?
Anyway, so they’re rolling this Navigator thing to a selected group in the Public Test Channel (PTC). Translation: some get to play early while the rest of us wait. Typical, right? Over the months, everyone else will join the club. Patience, folks.
Ah, Instagram addicts! This one’s for you. Meta’s tinkering with turning your average 2D Instagram photos into, get this, 3D wonders. It’s only on the PTC v77, so you might have to sit tight unless you hop on that train. They’re promising a more immersive future but I just hope it doesn’t make my head spin.
Oh, p.s., if you’re clueless on how to join the Public Test Channel — something about toggling stuff in Meta Horizon app settings — I’d check out their help page. Or just wing it.
And there you have it, the chaotic, mildly organized spiel on Meta’s Quest updates. Who knew tech updates could leave your head a bit scrambled, right?