v.85 PTC Release Thread

Hello,
I am a long-time Meta Quest 3 user. I am a professional software developer as well as a UX/UI designer, and I am enrolled in your PTC program.

Yesterday my headset updated to version v85, and after the update the original “strip-style” navigation UI returned. Honestly, this was very disappointing, because I have considered this navigation approach problematic since the early days of Quest 3. It also surprised many people in our fairly large Czech community, and based on what I found on Reddit and other discussions, we are clearly not the only ones who are frustrated by this direction.

A similar situation happened last year (I believe around October, though I do not remember the exact date). At that time, the newer menu could still be enabled via the Experimental settings, so users at least had a way to switch back. This time, that option appears to be gone entirely, and the navigation is back to “how it was in the beginning.” I see this as a significant step backwards, and it has already upset a lot of users — myself included.

I fully understand that within PTC things are tested, changed, and sometimes temporarily broken. The newer navigation was not perfect and it certainly had room for improvement, but from a usability perspective it was clearly more user-friendly than the old strip UI. It was becoming genuinely pleasant to use, and many of my friends and I were getting used to it and expecting it to evolve further. That is why it is frustrating to see such a reversal without any clear explanation or communication about why this is happening and what the plan is.

I also understand that you are developing Horizon Worlds and that different elements come and go in the system UI. However, from the perspective of many users (including myself), Horizon Worlds currently does not provide enough value to justify being pushed into the interface “from all directions.” Personally, I would much rather see Meta focus on a smaller number of truly high-quality worlds with a clear standard (e.g., higher visual quality), and on a meaningful separation of environments for children and for adults. In practice, many worlds feel unfinished and it is often difficult to find other people there because the active population is low. I am mentioning this only as context — the main reason I am writing is the system navigation.

Back to the navigation UI: I would understand if you wanted to remove, reduce, or better “hide” elements like Horizon Worlds within navigation. What I do not understand is bringing back the old navigation UI, which from a modern UX/UI standpoint is, for many users, simply not usable. In our community, some people are already considering selling their headsets and switching to another manufacturer. We trusted that the system UI would steadily move forward — lately, however, it unfortunately feels like it is getting worse in some areas.

To be fair: my main complaint is not that there are fewer truly high-end titles targeting Quest 3 specifically. I understand that Quest 2 is still a major factor and that developers often prioritize platforms with larger user bases and better monetization opportunities. That is logical. What feels unacceptable, though, is stepping backwards on something as fundamental as system navigation — especially without explanation and without giving users a choice.

In many cases, it would “only” take a few core things to be done properly: a stable, modern navigation UI that matches today’s standards, a few strong flagship titles, and a handful of truly high-quality, meaningful worlds/environments. I speak from experience — we have built e-commerce systems for tens of thousands of users, and major UX changes like this, without communication and without an opt-in/opt-out option, typically lead to a rapid loss of user trust.

There is also the long-standing issue of mixing child and adult audiences. In my view, it would make sense to offer a clear separation between children’s and adults’ environments, even if that required optional age verification. Having the option to meet only verified adult users in certain parts of the system would significantly improve the experience for both groups.

Recently, using Quest 3 has been bringing me more frustration than enjoyment. And this is not just my personal opinion — I repeatedly hear similar feedback across our VR/MR community. I understand that nothing changes overnight, but the overall situation around Quest 3 has been difficult for many users for a long time, even though I gave it a lot of goodwill as a technology enthusiast. Lately, it also creates the impression that part of the focus may be shifting toward other product categories (such as smart glasses). I do not want to speculate — I am only describing how it looks from the outside.

I would appreciate a clear response at least regarding the navigation UI:

1. A) Is the return of the old “strip-style” navigation in v85 intentional, and is it meant to be permanent?
2. B) If this is a temporary change within PTC, do you plan to bring back the newer navigation (and if so, in which version or timeframe)?
3. C) Why was the toggle removed from Experimental settings (if it was previously available)?

I do not write like this often, but the current situation genuinely upset me. I would be grateful for a factual response and at least a basic explanation.