Meta has released a new free update for its Meta Quest 3 VR headset in the form of update v68and that brings with it some minor tweaks to graphics and download speeds, as well as a new essential app for people who need help decorating their homes.
Your Meta Quest 3 can already help you build furniture, as seen in a Meta Quest 3 advertisement that I can’t escape right now – and now Meta’s new Layout app can help you organize it, too. You can use it to measure existing furniture or spaces in your home, place virtual approximations of new furniture or gadgets you’re thinking of buying (so you can double-check that that 65-inch TV will actually fit where you want it), and even access handy features like a level tool to make sure your pictures are hanging straight.
When I moved into a new apartment a few months ago, this app would have been incredibly useful. I spent hours painstakingly drawing out 2D layouts—and Meta’s new Layout app helps you organize that, too. You can use it to measure your existing furniture or spaces in your home, place virtual approximations of new furniture or gadgets you’re thinking of buying (so you can double-check that you like them), and it might have saved us a few moments of panic when we discovered that some items fit “snugly” than we expected.
Once you update Meta Quest 3 to v68, Layout will appear in your App Library. While it may not be a tool I use every day, I know it will be useful and I’m excited to see what other apps and features Meta adds next.
Other v68 tweaks coming soon
For now I’ll have to make do with two more minor tweaks in v68.
First, Meta says it’s made some “behind-the-scenes improvements” to app downloads. You can now install multiple apps at once, and it’s added a new Downloads tab to your app library so you can more easily manage your installs.
Lastly for this month is a new “frame timing algorithm for OpenXR” that it says will improve frame rate stability and prediction latency on your Meta Quest 3, provided it’s an OpenXR app. OpenXR is a free, open-standard VR development tool that’s used by many creators for their VR games and apps, including Beat Saber, Moss, and The Last Clockwinder, so expect to see improvements in a fair number of your favorite titles.
Remember, if you don’t see the update today, don’t worry. These software improvements are rolling out gradually, so you may have to wait a few days for it to show up on your Quest 3.