Meta is set to release its v65 update to Quest, promising a number of improvements ostensibly spurred by its ongoing competition with Apple Vision Pro.

The company says in a recent blogpost that v65 will include updates to the spatial video playback feature introduced in v62, a new way to view panoramic stills in-headset, and improvements to how passthrough works on Quest 3.

In early April, Meta rolled its v64 update for Meta Quest 3, which included marked boost in passthrough quality, improving color, exposure, contrast, and dynamic range for a more realistic view in mixed reality. Now the company says it’s tweaking passthrough again, bringing more of its UI into mixed reality.

SEE ALSO
One of the First Oculus Rift Games is Currently One of Vision Pro's Best

When it starts rolling out gradually, users will notice that Quest 3’s lockscreen, power-off menu, and other panels will no longer appear in the previous gray void-like VR environment, but now allow you to continue seeing your environment until you take off the headset—basically like how it’s done on Vision Pro.

Other v65 updates include the ability to upload upload panoramic photos or spatial video to Quest headset using the Meta Quest mobile app, now available for users of iPhone on iOS 17 and later. Being able to view iPhone-captured spatial video was one of the big features touted by Apple Vision Pro, which Meta was quick to undercut with its v62 release in February, bringing native support for the MV-HVEC video codec.

Newsletter graphic

This article may contain affiliate links. If you click an affiliate link and buy a product we may receive a small commission which helps support the publication. More information.


Scott Hayden
Well before the first modern XR products hit the market, Scott recognized the potential of the technology and set out to understand and document its growth. He has been professionally reporting on the space for nearly a decade as Editor at Road to VR, authoring more than 3,500 articles on the topic. Scott brings that seasoned insight to his reporting from major industry events across the globe.
  • g-man

    Sounds good. Hopefully they’ll finally enable proper management of photos from the app, and upload from sub-15 iPhones. Even if we can’t take spatial photos we can still possess them and should be able to send them to the device. Preferably without going through the cloud where FB can datamine them.

    • Daca123

      What kind of valuable data do you think Meta is exploiting your dick pics for?

      • g-man

        I wouldn’t want to make Zuck feel inadequate and go back to viewing yours to make himself feel better

  • I still struggle to understand what are those “spatial videos” : are they just stereoscopic videos (something that’s been possible since Quest 1), or do they handle a bit of parallax too ? If not, why call them “spatial” ?

    • d0x360

      Because apple calls them spatial

      • Andrew Jakobs

        Actually it’s not Apple that coined the term.

        • Well they *are* AND Apple coined the word.

  • eadVrim

    When Meta will enable the Quest 3 to record 3D 180 videos from its front cameras.
    I tried it with the unofficial Sidequest and the quality is good enough.

  • Sinistar83

    When are they going to fix the nauseating passthrough distortion warp around your hands that shows up n the headset view but not on the passthrough recordings?

    • Arek A

      They won’t. Choose. Good controler tracking or fancy passtrough.

    • Ardra Diva

      get the update, everything about the passthru cameras is noticeably improved. Everything.

  • xyzs

    It’s not called HorizonOS updates now ?

    • Dude, softwarewise, they don’t know *what* the hell they’re doing over there ….

  • If that dummy Boz really *is* running the MR show at Meta,
    he should be shitcanned YESTERDAY-like ….
    What fucking bullshit nonsense *is* this??
    The UI is a toxic waste dump and this jerkoff is absolutely fixated on mimicking AVP ….
    Fuck this guy, I’m pissed-off beyond belief ….
    []^ (

  • Michael

    Finally I’ll be able to see my panorama pictures since Facebook ditched that feature on quest (I use to be able to see 360 pics I posted to Facebook and view them in 360⁰ view but that button is gone now)

  • Competition is good

  • herr_akkar

    I tested the Quest 3 against the Vision Pro, and I have to say I was disappointed in the Quest 3 especially because of jagged lines / aliasing effects on 3D objects. Better than the old 1500×1500 pixels-per-eye VR headsets, but not very impressive.

    The Vision Pro on the other hand, was absolutely impressive, with objects without flaws, perfectly rendered and sharp. A real feeling of presence. Only experience stopped me from buying a pair, knowing that the fun will wear off too quickly to defend the cost. Will buy when they release a version with similar resolution at 1/4 the price :)

    • Daenon Janis

      It’s almost like a device that costs 7x as much can have better cameras and displays.

      Who would have thunk.

    • Ardra Diva

      If you didn’t buy it for gaming, I’m sure it’s very nice. If you weren’t aiming for a roomscale Mac OS, though, well, there’s Netflix I guess.

  • Ardra Diva

    Passthru cameras are noticeably better now. If you haven’t touched the robot companion in your Home space, do that immediately. It launches an MR app called “First Encounters” that’s one of the most-fun games I’ve ever played. Cute little tribbles invading your home or bedroom, and paintball guns to shoot them with. LOVED It.