Currently, if you’re diving into virtual reality with a Quest, you have options to check out your own content, albeit through a somewhat cumbersome file system and a flat, windowed display. It’s not exactly like having your own movie theater at home. However, Meta is playing with the concept of enhancing this experience for users.
Mark Rabkin, who’s at the helm of Horizon OS and Quest, highlighted in a recent post on X that Meta is in the throes of developing a home theater setting for Horizon OS. This isn’t merely the operating system for Quest, it’s poised to power an array of third-party VR headsets soon.
When questioned about why such a feature isn’t already available, Rabkin responded by saying that the team is actively testing various lighting and other effects to determine what’s most effective. They’re also aiming to master the sound component for an impressive audio experience.
This isn’t Meta’s first rodeo with VR theater environments. Back in 2014, when it was still Facebook/Oculus, the company introduced Oculus Cinema for the Samsung Gear VR. This eventually evolved into Oculus Video, giving users a cohesive platform to not only enjoy their own content but also rent movies for an immersive viewing experience. By late 2015, Meta launched Oculus Social, enabling up to five people to watch Twitch and Vimeo streams together in a variety of virtual theaters.
Reflecting on these ventures, even though some of these apps are no longer active, Meta’s latest effort involves Horizon Home on Quest. Updated in 2021, this feature allowed multiple users to gather in a shared virtual space for activities like video watching and launching VR apps. However, it didn’t feature many elements you’d typically associate with a standalone home theater application, such as unique environments or advanced playback functionalities.
Throughout Meta’s forays into VR theater applications, one recurring theme was the difficulty users faced in seamlessly accessing traditional content. This minor hassle nudged users towards more open platforms like Bigscreen and Skybox, as well as the standalone apps of major streaming services like Prime Video, YouTube, Hulu, and Netflix.
While it’s unlikely that Meta’s forthcoming dedicated theater experience will consolidate all these disparate apps into one grand solution, having a built-in, intuitive way to immersively enjoy personal content could be a game-changer for VR media consumption.
