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Meta’s Chief Technology Officer, Andrew Bosworth, has revealed that the company is undertaking a significant overhaul of the core user interface (UI) infrastructure for its Meta Quest headsets. Bosworth shared this update during his recent Ask Me Anything (AMA) session on Instagram, where he addressed user concerns about the complexity of the current UI and hinted at improvements to come.
While Bosworth refrained from providing a specific timeline for the release of this UI overhaul to the Quest devices, he acknowledged the widespread feedback from users across various platforms, including X (formerly Twitter), Reddit, and Meta’s own social platform, expressing confusion with the current UI. He emphasized the company’s commitment to delivering a better user experience and teased the possibility of a “richer environment” for users.
The Quest UI has received feedback for its complexity and perceived lack of user-friendliness when compared to devices like the Apple Vision Pro. Bosworth’s comment suggests that Meta is exploring ways to enhance the UI, potentially by integrating mixed reality elements more seamlessly. Currently, the Meta Quest 3 users can run up to three apps or windows simultaneously, but the company has limited the placement and manipulation of these elements.
Meta’s efforts regarding the UI overhaul extend to the development of Augments
Augments are mixed reality gadgets akin to widgets on the home screen of your Android or iOS handset. Meta has redirected resources from its augmented reality (AR) team to the virtual reality (VR) team to accelerate augment development and integrate mixed-reality experiences into the Quest UI, as reported by Android Central.
The UI overhaul could include features like the ability to place windows and apps anywhere in mixed reality, similar to Apple’s Vision Pro. Bosworth hinted at the possibility of removing the three-window limitation in Horizon Workrooms, Meta’s work software, citing initial performance concerns as the reason for the limitation.
In addressing comparisons between Apple‘s Vision Pro and Meta’s Quest 3, Bosworth echoed CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s statement that the Quest 3 offers better value and functionality for most users. While acknowledging the competition, Bosworth emphasized Meta’s commitment to innovation and improving the VR experience for its users.