Quest PTC Hints at Major Horizon Home & Social Upgrades
▼ Summary
– Meta is revamping Horizon Home and Worlds, as indicated by datamining findings from PTC versions v78 and v79, under an internal project called HSR.
– The Public Test Channel (PTC) is Meta Quest’s beta release channel, offering pre-release builds of Horizon OS, though features may change or not reach the stable version.
– A new Home World named Lookout Loft is in development, aiming to enhance social connectivity and functionality, including customizable locomotion and expanded app features.
– Meta is testing a revamped social hub and in-world UI for Horizon Worlds, featuring higher graphical detail and a system-level tablet-style interface in a standalone app.
– Meta is developing photorealistic scanned worlds (Horizon Photoreal) and a theater space (Events Arena) for events, leveraging cloud streaming and social features.
Meta’s Horizon platform appears poised for significant upgrades, with recent datamining from the Quest Public Test Channel (PTC) revealing upcoming changes to Home and social features. These findings suggest Meta is actively refining its vision for Horizon OS, focusing on deeper social integration and improved usability.
The Public Test Channel serves as Meta’s beta testing ground, offering early glimpses of features before they reach the stable release. While not all PTC additions make it to the final version, they provide valuable insight into Meta’s development priorities. Recent updates hint at a major overhaul of Horizon Home, internally referred to as “Home World” or “Personal World.”
One notable discovery is Lookout Loft, a new home environment found in v78 and v79 PTC builds. Horizon Home, the default space users see when booting up their headset, functions like a VR desktop, allowing multitasking, avatar interactions, and app launching. Meta seems to be modernizing this space, moving beyond static environments to something more dynamic and social.
Key upgrades may include expanded customization, such as pinning 2D apps, sharing windows, and placing custom portals. Datamined strings also suggest Meta is introducing smoother locomotion options, similar to those in Horizon Worlds, replacing the current restrictive teleportation system.
Beyond Home, Meta is revamping Horizon Central, the primary social hub for Horizon Worlds. A leaked version shows a higher-detail environment with a new tablet-style UI, offering better resolution and responsiveness. This interface provides quick access to system settings, comfort adjustments, and locomotion controls.
Interestingly, these changes appear in a separate app called Worlds (Standalone), distinct from the main Horizon Worlds application. This suggests Meta may be decoupling social features from the core app for better performance and modular updates.
Another exciting development is the Events Arena [Beta], a theater space designed for shared media experiences. Currently in testing, this environment allows users to watch events like Hot Ones in VR, complete with interactive seating arrangements. While still experimental, it highlights Meta’s push toward social entertainment.
Meta is also exploring photorealistic environments under the name Horizon Photoreal. Building on the Horizon Hyperscape Demo, which offers volumetric, cloud-streamed real-world scans, this feature could bring lifelike spaces into Horizon, further blurring the line between virtual and physical worlds.
With Meta Connect 2025 approaching, these updates signal a broader strategy to make Horizon OS a versatile platform for gaming, socializing, and media consumption. As Meta continues refining its vision, users can expect more seamless integration between Home, Worlds, and immersive apps, bringing the metaverse one step closer to reality.
(Source: Upload VR)
