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This is our list of the seven must-have Gear VR apps and experiences. Whether you’re a new Gear VR owner or an early adopter looking to keep things fresh, there’s never been a better time to fire it up.
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The only thing that hasn’t changed about the Gear VR in the last four years is its status as the best mobile VR headset on the market. What began as a somewhat clunky chunk of luminescent white plastic has transformed into a sleek, dark headset packed with a surprising amount of features including touch panels, ergonomic head straps and an honest-to-goodness motion controller. Fortunately for all of us, the Gear VR have been much more successful. The mobile headset has gone through more redesigns and updates in the past four years than the LinkedIn homepage. Since then, Marvel has released not one but two Guardians of The Galaxy films that people actually love. During the transition, chatting might be a bit confusing, but it's nice to have the option to communicate with people using Facebook Messenger that are using a computer or phone without having to take off the Quest headset.It may be hard to believe but its been four years since Samsung and Oculus first announced their smartphone-powered Gear VR headset. The person on the other end of the Messenger chat still has to have a Meta headset to join the party, but this allows voice chat. At the top-right, look for the 'Create Party' button. The new feature is that users can start a party from within a Messenger chat. It's still possible to use 'Parties' with Meta Quest, and the feature works the same as before. In the meantime, 'Parties' with other Quest owners is the only solution to bypass typing or using the speech-to-text option. Meta is working on voice calls for Messenger, which will also allow verbal communication. So far, Messenger in VR is an option, not a replacement for Oculus communication methods. The notifications will still come to any devices that don't have them muted. However, this probably isn't necessary since notifications can be disabled to prevent interruptions. Messenger can be completely disabled in Quest by opening the Messenger windows, selecting settings, which looks like a gear in the lower-left corner, and then logging out. However, the keyboard is virtual, and it might be faster to choose the microphone icon to type by speaking. Messenger looks and works the same in VR. The Oculus profile is below that and can still be used also. To open Messenger, select the chat icon, then the Facebook profile image in the upper left. Pressing the Oculus button on the right controller will show the Universal Menu, which is the bar of icons at the bottom of the screen. Related: The Oculus Quest Is Dead - Facebook Confirms Rebrand To 'Meta Quest'Ī new addition to communication options, Facebook Messenger, opens up a chat with people using smartphones and computers while still wearing a Quest headset and gaming or using an app in VR. To receive a call, the other person must have a Meta headset, limiting this to strictly a virtual reality way to connect with someone else. Using the microphone built into the headset for communication, 'Parties' allow calls to coordinate plans with friends in VR, such as cooperative games or just hanging out in Horizon Worlds, watching a live event together, or relaxing in some other virtual venue. Meta Quest has offered a chat and voice calling option for quite some time. Being able to chat with friends and family in the real world without needing to leave VR, as well as catching up with those with a Quest headset, is a nice added feature, available to anyone with a headset with the latest update. Facebook Messenger can now be used in virtual reality while wearing Meta's Quest or Quest 2 headset.