Update 12/7 10 am: Added info about Quest Pro passthrough and Wi-Fi enhancements.
What you need to know
- The Meta Quest 2 and Quest Pro are receiving the latest firmware update, v47, starting December 2, 2022.
- The Meta Quest smartphone is also seeing some UI changes and now features sharable public wishlists.
- Meta Quest Pro gets two new exclusive features: mixed-reality capture and background music playback.
- Additional changes include an avatar mirror in Horizon Home, universal menu and library changes, and controller shortcuts to take screenshots and video.
As always, a new month means a new update for the Meta Quest ecosystem. This time around, we're seeing changes for both headsets and updates for the Meta Quest app on your smartphone, including one big feature that couldn't have better timing: publicly-sharable wishlists. Just set your existing wishlist to public in the app and you'll have a nifty new "share link" option.
The app itself is also seeing some notable UI changes, including more glanceable information and settings for your headset, as well as a friends list front-and-center so you can quickly jump into a game with your pals.
The December v47 software update for both the Quest 2 and Quest Pro ushers in the first update since the Meta Quest Pro launched. Being the new kid on the block means the Quest Pro gets the bulk of the exclusive new updates, including background music playback and mixed reality capture. Background music playback lets you listen to your favorite tunes or podcast while working or playing in VR, a feature that's only possible thanks to Quest Pro's 50% additional RAM over Quest 2.
Apps can now be pinned (or unpinned) from the universal menu bar that appears when you press the Oculus button on the controller. Additionally, users can finally take screenshots or record videos via controller shortcuts. Just hold the Oculus button and press the right trigger to take a photo, or hold the trigger for longer to record a video.
Second, mixed reality capture (like that you see in the video below) means you can now natively capture virtual and real-world video in one fell swoop without having to use the SideQuest app. That's great when you're trying to capture the full range of media possibilities on Quest Pro since you'll be able to see virtual objects overlayed on top of footage from the Quest Pro's cameras.
A new mirror can now appear in Horizon Home — that's the environment you're in when you first put on your Quest headset — letting you better see your avatar for quick customization with the new avatar panel.
Lastly, it looks like Meta has also improved passthrough quality and looks to have fixed some of the Wi-Fi issues on the Quest Pro. Since launch, the Quest Pro has had issues with DFS channels on routers that broadcast multiple channels (read: basically all routers). This update looks to have resolved those issues and should make playing PCVR content wirelessly a much better experience.
Passthrough quality has also improved, bringing about added clarity and overall image quality enhancements compared to previous versions. This is great news if you use a Quest Pro and regularly utilize the color passthrough feature to walk around without taking the headset off.
Get the Meta Quest 2, the VR console that gets better every single month, has thousands of games, and millions of friends for you to play with.
