Meta has long offered a way to enjoy your personal content on the Quest headset, though let’s be honest, scrolling through files and watching via a basic windowed panel isn’t exactly the peak of immersive experiences. Recognizing the need for a more engaging setup, Meta has announced that improvements are on the way.
Mark Rabkin, who heads up Horizon OS and Quest, made waves with a recent post on X. He revealed that Meta is tinkering with a new home theater experience specifically for Horizon OS, which is the backbone not just for Quest but will soon power a range of third-party VR headsets as well.
Curiosity is natural—many have wondered why Meta hasn’t rolled out this kind of experience sooner. Rabkin responded that they’re experimenting with elements like lighting and other visual effects to find the ideal setup. They’re also on a quest to nail the sound aspect to enhance this virtual experience.
Interestingly, this isn’t Meta’s first rodeo in crafting a VR cinema environment. Back in 2014, when we knew them as Facebook/Oculus, they launched Oculus Cinema for Samsung Gear VR. This evolved into Oculus Video, offering a unified platform for viewing personal content and renting movies right on the device. Later on, in the fall of 2015, they introduced Oculus Social. This early venture allowed up to five users to connect and enjoy Twitch and Vimeo streams within assorted virtual theaters.
While we don’t want to dwell too much on the past and the many abandoned theater apps, Meta’s latest approach lies in the Horizon Home on Quest. This was a 2021 update enabling multiple users to gather in your virtual home space, watch videos, and dive into VR apps together. However, it lacked the depth and richness of a dedicated home theater app, missing out on features like customizable environments and advanced playback options.
Throughout Meta’s various efforts, user experience varied, prompting many to seek alternatives. Each app, at some point, encountered enough hurdles that users gravitated towards more open-ended options like Bigscreen and Skybox, or favored specific apps for streaming services like Prime Video, YouTube, Hulu, and Netflix.
Looking ahead, while Meta’s new endeavor might not merge all the disparate apps into one ultimate theater hub, having a built-in and readily accessible means to enjoy your own content in an immersive way might just hit the sweet spot for VR enthusiasts.
