Meta Quest v71 Update: A New Look for Horizon OS, Train Travel, A Calendar App, and More
At Meta Connect in September, we mentioned how many features we’ve added to Meta Quest 3 post-launch: Travel Mode, improved contrast and color on Passthrough, more (and better) 2D app support, plus the ability to rearrange those 2D apps as needed and multitask in mixed reality.
It’s been a whirlwind year, and with Meta Quest 3S now in people’s hands as well, we’re excited to build on that momentum and keep improving the experience—starting with our Meta Quest v71 software update.
The v71 update is enormous, and includes a redesign of Meta Horizon OS (including a reorganized Settings menu), train support for Travel Mode, expanded capabilities for the Link app on PC, a new Calendar app for keeping track of your to-do list, and more.
Read on for details—and if you’re new here, just know that we roll our software updates out gradually to make sure there are no surprises. The rollout will begin next week, and should arrive on your headset shortly!
A New Look
The release of Meta Quest 3S is a perfect opportunity to refresh the software side of the entire Meta Quest platform as well. With v71, we’re tweaking the look and feel of Horizon OS. Both Dark and Light Themes have been optimized for clarity viewing and reading contrast. You'll notice other improvements to the way panels look and behave, where the control bar resides, the colors of various UI elements, and so on. It’s a significant overhaul, and we’re excited to get it into your hands and hear your feedback.
We’ve also added a lot of new settings to Quest since the first headset debuted in 2019. It’s high time we redesigned the Settings menu as well to make it easier to find what you need.
With v71, we’re giving the Settings menu a new look and layout. Everything is now more intuitively organized—and there’s room to expand in the future as we continue to add more ways to adjust headset features. We’ve also improved search within Settings, so you can quickly find exactly what you’re looking for.
Train Travel
As mentioned recently during Meta Connect, we’re extending support for Travel Mode so you can use Meta Quest 2, 3, and 3S on a train—whether the Bernina Express, the Shinkansen, or something a bit less spectacular.
Kick back, relax, and watch movies in Theater Mode, listen to music, or get a spot of work done, all in the privacy of your own headset. To get started, just look for Travel Mode in your Quest’s Quick Settings menu.
Do More With Link
With v71, we’re enabling the Link feature by default, making it easier to connect your Meta Quest headset to a compatible PC.
We’re also expanding the capabilities of the Meta Quest Link app on PC. While you can still use the Meta Quest Remote Desktop app to access your full PC desktop, we’re also making it possible to do so directly through the Meta Quest Link app on PC, streamlining that process a bit if you’ve already been using the latter to play PC VR games like Asgard’s Wrath. And we’re moving Remote Desktop to Quick Settings on the Quest side, so it’s on-hand whenever you need it.
You’ll also be able to cast a high-quality view from your headset to your PC, if you want to capture footage or easily stream that Expert+ clear of Camellia’s Beat Sabertracks.
Calendar Integration
Meta Quest is great for getting work done. Get some space to yourself, lock in, and knock out that report you’ve been meaning to write, zero distractions.
But the world keeps moving, so later this month we’re introducing a new Calendar app that will make it easier to keep track of everything, even as you carve out some time for yourself. The Meta Quest Calendar integrates with Google and Outlook Calendars, so you can easily check your schedule and ensure you make that next meeting.
It also includes any Meta Horizon Worlds events you subscribe to or Workrooms meetings you’re invited to, so you can easily jump from your Calendar straight into your next virtual rendezvous.
Video Sharing
Earlier this year, we introduced spatial video playback on Meta Quest—but you had to first upload spatial videos to your headset using the Meta Horizon mobile app, which was a bit cumbersome.
With v71, we’re making it easy to share videos—spatial and otherwise—right in Horizon Chat. Easily send and play back videos from the Meta Horizon mobile app to your friends in-headset, and vice versa. With this update, it should be easier than ever to share funny clips while chatting, or send someone an incredible spatial (i.e. stereoscopic) video so it’s like they’re right there with you, even if you’re miles apart.
Volume Mixer
Lastly, we’re giving multitaskers a bit more control over their environment by adding a Volume Mixer to Meta Quest.
With v71, you can adjust your Call Volume and App & Media Volume separately—making it easier to, for instance, listen to music and chat with friends at the same time.
Check out the v71 Release Notes for a more in-depth look at these features and more, and we’ll be back soon with another Meta Quest software update.
