The v37 update for the Quest system software was announced a few weeks ago, but it’s slowly rolling out to headsets across the world. We’ve got our hands on the new update and found it marks a great improvement for user experience and general usability on the system.
Recently, I’ve made it clear that Meta needs to step up its game when it comes to the design of the system UI and user experiences on its headsets, particularly with Cambria around the corner and Apple, the leader in intuitive design, looming large over the industry and about to make an entrance. The Quest menu and user experience has been unnecessarily convoluted and unintuitive for a while now, but I’m happy to say that the v37 update makes some good ground on improvements.
The video above runs through the three biggest features in v37 — the new tablet-to-desktop UI system, tracked keyboard support for Apple’s Magic Keyboard and the new hand tracking menu.
We hope these latest changes form the basis for a stable, universal groundwork that will be kept largely the same and consistent for a while. My recent editorial suggested that solid design principles and gradual improvements in Apple’s iOS and iPadOS help foster familiarity that is important for engaging and connecting with casual users who aren’t part of the wider technology scene. This will also be key on Quest and future Meta headsets as the company’s audience becomes more mainstream.
The tablet-to-desktop system is a fantastic change and — somewhat ironically — includes gestures and actions that feel reminiscent of Apple’s return-to-home and swipe-up-for-multitasking gestures on iOS and iPad OS. The new hand tracking menu is also a huge improvement that adds functionality that’s been largely missing since hand tracking was added as a default option to the system. Likewise, it’s nice to see support for Apple’s Magic Keyboard, which should hopefully provide an easier way for more people to try out the feature and start working more in VR. With the Logitech K830 seemingly out of stock perpetually, it’s nice to have the option to use a keyboard model that comes shipped with all iMacs and is easily purchasable and in stock across most retailers.
Are you enjoying the K830 update and do you like the new features? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
