Recent datamining shows that Meta’s Quest platform may soon allow users to share 2D windows with each other.
Dedicated VR enthusiast Luna routinely investigates the code behind Meta’s Horizon OS to unveil upcoming features and modifications. In her latest findings, Luna stumbled upon indications of “Share” and “Unshare” buttons appearing in the window menu bar, accompanied by a description stating, “Shares a panel so that other users in your world see it.”
Strings in Quest/Horizon OS v76 PTC suggest that Meta is working on the ability to share windows with other users in Horizon Home (and possibly Worlds).
This will likely work similarly to SharePlay on visionOS. pic.twitter.com/ZudymM05XJLuna (@Lunayian)
This feature could allow users to share their web browsers with other Quest users visiting their virtual homes. However, it is probable that it won’t be compatible with DRM-protected video content from streaming platforms.
At present, YouTube VR stands out as the only 2D application facilitating co-watching on Quest, thanks to a specialized integration developed in collaboration with Meta. Co-watching functionality is also offered in various immersive applications such as Bigscreen and VRChat.
It’s important to note that this new 2D window sharing capability is distinct from the existing first-person view sharing already available in Horizon OS for WhatsApp and Messenger video calls. The latter enables users to send their VR and mixed-reality views, whereas this innovative feature will focus on sharing the content from a specific 2D window, like a web browser.
Window sharing is a core feature of Apple Vision Pro’s visionOS, marketed as SharePlay. This capability is also accessible on other Apple devices through FaceTime, allowing users to view supported content together, even if one party does not yet possess a headset.