Meta’s new release of Horizon OS is generating excitement by incorporating some of the Vision Pro’s standout features into the Quest platform. Among these updates, users can look forward to a video chatting feature complete with a selfie cam for avatars. There’s also speculation about a new functionality allowing window-sharing among users in their Horizon Home space.
This latest development was unearthed by Luna, a well-known dataminer, who got a sneak peek at the Horizon OS v76 beta. This version includes the avatar selfie cam, which takes clear inspiration from Facetime, specifically designed for video chat applications. Currently, the Quest’s v76 update is accessible through the Public Test Channel (PTC), but Luna has taken it a step further by integrating the selfie cam into a Discord version that was sideloaded.
In a tweet, Luna mentioned, “Meta Quest/Horizon OS v76 PTC – Avatar Selfie Cam running in sideloaded Discord. The call backgrounds aren’t enabled yet though.” It’s thanks to a helpful nudge from a fellow user, Phene420, that Luna decided to test this feature in other apps, showcasing it with a snapshot on Twitter.
Although the backgrounds aren’t activated yet, Luna has highlighted that users will soon have multiple default options to choose from. These include varied themes like Abstract, Beach, Greenhouse, and several others such as Home Office and Loft.
Another intriguing find by Luna was a hidden tutorial for a future overhaul of the system UI, dubbed the ‘Navigator’. Initially introduced at Meta Connect in September 2024, this update shifts away from the current dock-based UI to a more contemporary icon-based app launcher, akin to what Vision Pro and modern mobile devices offer.
Luna shared in another tweet, “NEW: I’ve datamined a tutorial for the upcoming “Navigator” system UI overhaul on Meta Horizon OS,” indicating that while the tutorial was found in v76 PTC, this feature might debut in v77 or later as an Experimental addition.
Moreover, Luna’s findings reveal that Horizon OS v76 PTC suggests Meta is developing the capability for users to share windows with each other in Horizon Home, similar to SharePlay on visionOS. The string in the code suggests a feature that “[s]hares a panel so that other users in your world can see it”.
These advancements seem to answer long-standing requests from Quest users for features inspired by Vision Pro. Although Meta’s high-end Vision Pro, priced at $3,500, has spearheaded this drive, Quest continues to evolve towards being a versatile computing device rather than just a console.
Since Vision Pro’s 2024 debut, Meta has rolled out several features to bridge the gap with visionOS, tooling Quest with enhancements such as spatial video playback and gesture controls. However, Meta’s promised photorealistic Codec Avatars, first hinted at back in 2019, are still eagerly awaited. These avatars could potentially offer the same level of facial detail as Vision Pro’s, but the current Quest 3 lacks the necessary eye or facial tracking technology to support them.
Ultimately, we might have to wait for an unconfirmed future headset, perhaps a Quest Pro 2, before seeing these Codec Avatars in action—along with potentially more Vision Pro-inspired innovations.
