Meta The Meta Quest v57 update expands avatar customization, changes the branding of the default user interface panels, disables guardians for some mixed reality apps, and more.
While July's v56 update was the most substantial feature update in a while, the v57 version appears to be more subtle.
Meta says that new features in v57 will be rolled out gradually and separately, so getting v57 doesn't mean you can use the following features right away.
Expanded avatar customization capabilities
Version v57 brings more detailed color customization capabilities through the improved Meta Avatar editor.
Meta says you'll now be able to "fine-tune hair and eyebrow color, adjust skin tones with more precision, add makeup and face graffiti, and make your VR avatar better reflect how you look in real life."
The v57 Public Test Channel (PTC) build also finally adds legs to Meta avatars in VR, but Meta's announcement for the v57 public build didn't mention whether legs would be included.
Horizon Feed
The Quest's default interface tab, what you see when you open the headset, was previously called Explore. It displays recommended apps, videos, in-app destinations, and online followers. In v55, the company added TikTok-style Reels for Facebook and Instagram.
In v57, Meta changed Explore to "Horizon Feed". While it still shows recommended popular apps and destinations, it seems more focused on promoting Horizon Worlds, such as the recently released first-party game Super Rumble FPS.
Meta also said that launching the helmet in v57 will display the contact list. It's unclear whether this will appear alongside Horizon Feed or instead.
Borderless in some mixed reality applications
Guardian boundaries are useful in VR so you don't leave the game space or bump into furniture and walls. But in most mixed reality applications, it's redundant because you can already see your surroundings.
In v57, Meta says that "some mixed reality applications" will no longer trigger guardian boundaries. While Meta didn't say which apps are included, among select developers, whether this is a switch feature in the closed beta SDK provided by Meta.
So why not just disable borders for all mixed reality apps? We asked Meta's head of VR this question in March. He noted that some apps quickly switch between VR and MR, blurring the boundaries between the two types of content. But he also agreed that Guardians should be "more relaxed and free" "if you're in a mode where you can fully see your surroundings."
This change seems to indicate that the release of Quest 3 is imminent. The new headset could make the current Guardian Frontier obsolete, potentially replacing its "smart guardians" with a 3D environment mesh generated by a depth sensor.
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