Meta released a Quest software update via its public test channel (PTC), which lets users opt-in to try new features before they’re pushed out to everyone. Among the v57 PTC update is a feature that’s been notably missing from Meta avatars: legs.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg promised at Connect 2022 that its avatars would eventually be getting legs, putting an end to the platform’s characteristic floating torsos at some point in the not-too-distant future. At the time, Zuckerberg showed off his on-stage avatar jumping and kicking, although it was revealed later this was actually created using some fairly common external motion capture tech.

In short, Quest can’t track legs yet, which means the v57 PTC update is packing a pretty standard implementation of inverse kinematics (IK), resulting in the sort of body positioning guesswork you see in apps like VR Chat. Still, nice to see a full body in Quest Home for once, right?

X (formerly Twitter) user Lunayian shows off the new avatar legs after installing the v57 PTC update.

YouTuber and tech analyst Brad Lynch also tried out the new legs, showing off some of the limitations currently. Notably, you won’t see your avatar’s legs when looking down directly at them—they’re only viewable via the mirror, and ostensibly by other users—and the IK system still doesn’t account for crouching.

SEE ALSO
Interactive VR Film 'Human Within' Brings 'Black Mirror: Bandersnatch' Style User Choice to Quest in January

According to data mined by X user NyaVR, the v57 PTC update also includes the ability to enable and disable the avatar mirror, a new Horizon Worlds Portal in home, an Airplane Mode, and an Extended Battery Mode.

The comes alongside a wider push to attract more users to Horizon Worlds, as Meta recently took its first steps of ending Quest-exclusivity for the social VR app with the launch of a closed beta on Android mobile devices. It’s also set to arrive on standard PC browsers too at some point.

Additionally, Meta seems to also be investing more in first-party content for Horizon Worlds, having released Super Rumble late last month, a hero shooter which feels more in line with the sort of sticky content that ought to attract and bring users back more regularly.

We’re sure to learn more about Quest software features and Horizon Worlds stuff at the company’s annual Connect developer conference, which takes place September 27th.

Newsletter graphic

This article may contain affiliate links. If you click an affiliate link and buy a product we may receive a small commission which helps support the publication. More information.


Scott Hayden
Well before the first modern XR products hit the market, Scott recognized the potential of the technology and set out to understand and document its growth. He has been professionally reporting on the space for nearly a decade as Editor at Road to VR, authoring more than 4,000 articles on the topic. Scott brings that seasoned insight to his reporting from major industry events across the globe.
  • ViRGiN

    Since competition is always great (or so I’m told), this surely means valve steamvr will update their metaverse avatars too? Never seen anything as shitty as those, with floating separated limbs.

    • No legs is better than bad legs. And I’ve never seen an IK implementation that wasn’t firmly in the uncanny valley. I *like* the stylised floating torso thing. It works aesthetically and isn’t as distracting as wonky IK.

      • ViRGiN

        The only good existing use case of no legs is in cinema apps. What are you even playing thas has no legs?

    • kakek

      You’re inverting things.
      That competion is good does not mean it will automatiquely exists. It mean it would be good if it existed.
      Because then maybe Facebook would reconsider this piece of shit they dare call a metaverse, and stop wasting all their ressources in … this.
      Instead, here you are rejoicing that the competion failed and that the only company still pushing VR has zero incentive to do better. This look so bad that I DO prefer disembodied hands and head.
      and we’re not even seeing those avatar moves, the thing that always look so bad with inverted kinetics.

      Damn, this is so sad. The amount of ressource spent for that sad, sad result is so bad for VR.

      • ViRGiN

        A single feature got more resourced poured than whatever Valve has (not) done in ever since 2016.
        Gotta cope with that.

        • kakek

          And ? That automatically makes the feature good ?

          I don’t care that valve did not do anything in the meantime, it does not automatically makes whatever Meta is wasting it’s ressource on interresting shit.
          In fact they spent billion in making bad avatars of fat chick with glasses and colored hair. And legs. And if they had done nothing, like valve, it would have had exactly the same interrest.

          • ViRGiN

            Billion lol

    • CrusaderCaracal

      The ones you see when you go into the steamvr home? Hahaha yeah they suck

  • CrusaderCaracal

    Took zuckmeister long enough