Skipping the v45 system update and going straight to v46, Meta’s latest Oculus Quest 2 patch introduces several quality-of-life additions, such as improved privacy settings. However, few would have predicted this surprise collaboration with Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power series.
Staking its claim to remain the best VR headset, Quest 2’s v46 update introduces a free new Home environment that takes us beneath the Misty Mountains, based upon the legendary Khazad-dûm, a famed Dwarven underground kingdom more commonly known as Moria. Rather than drawing directly from the book or sourcing inspiration from Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy, this version takes from the location’s appearance in Amazon’s The Rings of Power.
However, we’d suggest acting quickly if you’re interested in exploring the kingdom. Meta confirmed in an Oculus Blog post that Khazad-dûm’s a limited time Home environment and unfortunately, no end date was provided, so it’s unclear when this will disappear. To download it, go into the Quest ‘Settings’ menu, click ‘Personalisation,’ choose the ‘Virtual Environment’ tab, and you can swap between different home themes.
That’s not all v46 provides. Alongside a recent apps tab in the main menu and search setting improvements, Meta confirmed its “reworking and streamlining your Privacy Settings on the Quest Platform.” Prompting you to double check your privacy settings once installed, this offers control over individual aspects. You can now choose which friends see you’re online, what you’re playing, alongside settings for individual apps. So, if you really don’t want someone knowing you’re on Beat Saber for whatever reason, you can hide that activity but not others.
It’s a nice update while we’re waiting for news on the Meta Quest Pro (Project Cambria), which should be formally unveiled at Meta Connect 2022. If you’re interested in watching, that’s being streamed through the Reality Labs Facebook Page, going live with the keynote speech at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm BST.