Okay, so Meta’s doing some new stuff again with Quest. They’re testing a new thing in Horizon OS, version 77 if you’re geeky about that sort of thing. It’s like they’re redoing the whole dock UI, now it’s this overlay thing. Also, oh boy—3D Instagram photos in your Quest feed? Yeah, they’re trying that out too. It’s kinda cool, I guess.
Remember Connect 2024? I barely do, but anyway, they talked about this Navigator thing there, and now it’s finally here for Quest. It’s basically this new hub for apps, quick actions, and stuff. Supposedly all about spatial, people-centered design or something. You can pin like 10 of your favorite apps now, which sounds… convenient? Must be nice for the multitaskers, I suppose.
If you’re used to a smartphone, this new UI should feel kinda familiar. Like, it’s laid out in a way that makes sense if you already spend too much time staring at your phone screen. Some YouTuber called ‘The Construct’ did a demo or something—haven’t seen it myself yet, but it might be worth a watch if you’re curious.
There’s this whole spiel from Meta about how Navigator is, like, non-intrusive and intuitive. Took them a decade of learning, so they say. You have to wonder what they’ve been up to all this time. Anyway, this Navigator thing is initially a limited test. You know, just for those in the Public Test Channel. Lucky them, I guess?
Oh, and Instagram—Meta’s giving it some updates on Quest. They’re playing with this idea of turning 2D photos into 3D. Meta’s AI apparently tweaks your regular photos into something more “immersive.” It’s all part of their big plan to make everything in 3D eventually. Exciting? Maybe. Depends.
If you want to try all this out early, you gotta do this thing: go into the Meta Horizon app on your phone, head to ‘Devices’ and then toggle on the Public Test Channel in advanced settings. A bit of a treasure hunt but hey, if you’re into being a test guinea pig, go for it.
