As we come to the end of March, some of us who got the update late on their Quest will find that we are seeing another update release this month under the guise of version 15.0.
Rolling out now on Oculus Quest devices, the update features a number of important updates, the most important is a whole new user interface that will be coming to the Quest.
Along with this UI update, there is improved user experiences in that users in update 15.0 will be able to toggle the menu without leaving the app you are currently in. This is classed as an experimental feature, so you may have to turn this on once your Quest has updated to version 15.0.
Other improvements can be found below:
Guardian
- Guardian setup has been updated with new animated instructional clips to help you create safer playspaces.
Oculus Link
You can now test your connection during Oculus Link setup. During setup, clicking Test Cable will tell you:
- Whether or not your connection is compatible
- The available bandwidth
- The connection type
You can access your Link setup at any time by selecting Quest and Touch from the Devices menu when your headset is hooked up to your PC.
- Please note: This feature requires both your Quest headset and your PC software to be on software version 15 to work properly.
Fixes
- Fixed an issue that sometimes caused the experience to become stuck in a black screen on launch where audio and tracking is still functional.
- Link now detects your headphones and Mic separately. This means that if you run into any issues, you’ll see more specific error messaging to help solve it.
- Fixed an issue that impacted volume controls when certain connected devices were disabled.
- Additional fixes and updates for stability and reliability.
Social
- You can now remotely join a Party through party invitation notifications on the Oculus mobile app. Once you put on your headset, you’ll be able to confirm that you wish to join the party and immediately begin socializing in VR.
- You’ll now be notified if you are joining a party which includes a user who you’ve blocked or who has blocked you.
- If a user you’ve blocked is added to your party, they will automatically be muted for you by default.
- Some pop-up dialog messages have been brought slightly closer to the user to improve design consistency.
- Chats have received updated icons and labeling to improve consistency and clarity.
System Software
- In-VR notifications now have an updated look and are no longer head-locked.
- A speech-to-text option has been added to the in-VR keyboard, allowing you to enter text via voice instead of typing. Please note that this feature is only available to a percentage of users at this time.
Experimental Features
- Passthrough Shortcut – You can now enter Passthrough to see your real world surroundings at any time. Once you’ve enabled the feature, double tap the side of your headset to enter Passthrough. When you’re finished, double tap again to return to VR.
- Redesigned Universal Menu – We’ve redesigned the universal menu to be more efficient and effective when navigating in VR. Highlights include:
- Allowing you to access your universal menu without leaving the app you’re using, if the developer of the app has enabled this option
- Surfacing your most used apps and experiences first
- Putting system apps like Explore, Store, Browser, and TV in one central location
- Adding “Quick Actions” to your settings panel for easy access to key system settings like volume and brightness
- Multiple Window Support for Oculus Browser – Multitask to get more done and stay connected. Watch a video to crib gameplay tips in one window, check out your friends’ latest Facebook updates in another, and catch up on the day’s news in a third. You can open, close, and rearrange windows from a new control box above the window. Support for multiple windows will first come to Oculus Browser, with support for more 2D apps like Chats and Store coming later.
Additional Bug Fixes
- Fixed an intermittent bug that prevented all items from displaying in Storage Manager when more than 40 items were present
- Fixed a Chats bug that would sometimes cause the ‘Start Chat’ button to move locations
- Additional bug fixes and stability improvements
