Meta Fixed Quest Automatic App Updates, Significantly Reducing Friction
Meta fixed automatic app updates on Quest.
Quest headsets had an option to update apps automatically in the smartphone app, but it didn’t work reliably. Even if you left your headset charging for hours you might put it on to find the app you wanted to use required a lengthy update. Waiting for an app to download is a terrible experience when you’re stuck in a headset. You could take the headset off, but then you’d have to guess when the update might finish or periodically put it on again to check. This could lead to shortened VR play sessions and turn some people away entirely until the next play session.
While not documented in the official changelog, I can confirm that the version 49 system update fixed this problem, as Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth had hinted. Quest system updates sometimes require your headset to reboot before fully applying and that’s what happened for me. Over the past month of testing when I’ve left my Quest Pro or Quest 2 charging they automatically downloaded app updates. So now VR is ready whenever I am. For Quest Pro owners, the update also means Meta delivers on the promise of its charging pad to keep VR ready anytime.
There are still other sources of friction to getting into a VR session but this one was arguably the most time-consuming and frustrating. With improvements like this and Direct Touch, Meta is smoothing out the experience of owning its headsets ahead of the planned launch of Quest 3 later this year.
