Quest 2 VR headset owners in the UK will finally have access to Horizon Worlds starting today, and an update to the headset this week will make socializing in VR that much easier for everyone.
Horizon Worlds is Meta's burgeoning metaverse platform and is now free for Quest 2 users in the UK (18+) to download and access. They will join users who already access the service in the United States and Canada.
Like other VR social spaces, such as the thriving VR chat platform, Horizon Worlds acts as a kind of audio chat room. Think Reddit crossed with Clubhouse or Discord.
Instead of sitting at your desk, you and the people you chat with will be transported to a remote location, whether it's a snowy peak, a sandy island, or a simple tree house.
(*two*)
Friends collaborating on a world in Horizon Worlds (Image credit: Meta)If you can't find the right meeting place, you can also try creating your own. You can even collaborate with your friends and use community-created assets and objects to add flair to your VR space.
This UK update marks the first major expansion for Horizon Worlds since launch. Meta is likely hoping that this influx of new players will help its metaverse platform continue to grow and prosper, but we'll have to wait and see how UK players react.
Stay tuned for our thoughts and reactions to Horizon Worlds later this week as new members of our team try it out for themselves.
The Quest 2 is getting a multiplayer update
Whether you're in the UK or not, Meta will also be rolling out its v41 update to all Quest 2 users later this week.
As Mark Zuckerberg (CEO of Meta) revealed on his Facebook page, the update aims to improve multiplayer experiences in Quest 2. Once installed, friends will be able to meet in the same virtual home environment: the idyllic spaces you start with. first time. when you turn on your VR headset.
Once together, they can travel through various apps and video experiences so they can be enjoyed as a group. At his demo, Zuckerberg was joined by Alex Honnold (the subject of the Oscar-winning documentary Free Solo) and the pair viewed Honnold's 360-degree film The Soloist VR.
As his VR avatars watched the film, Honnold explained to Zuckerberg how he approaches free solo climbing (climbing alone without ropes) and how the climbs in his film compare to those he's attempted in the past. If he has a bit of a fear of heights, he may want to avoid watching this particular video.
When the update rolls out, we'll likely discover more apps and videos that will support group viewing. VR multiplayer is one of the best features in Quest 2, so we hope that Meta will continue to develop it further in future updates.