Facebook announced that the v25 software update for its Quest platform is set to include Facebook Messenger, which will be available to anyone who is logged into their Facebook account on either Quest or Quest 2.
This will allow users to chat with Facebook friends who own any device with Messenger. The company says in a blogpost that without taking off the headset you’ll be able to write messages by typing with a virtual keyboard, select from pre-written texts, or use Quest’s voice-to-text function.
Additionally, users can also send private Oculus Party invites to make jumping into multiplayer games more simple. Facebook says the v25 update is rolling out starting this week, however may take a few weeks to arrive to all users.
Whether for ill or good, finally having a cross-platform, system-wide messenger on Quest will hopefully make it easier to meet up with friends and maintain contact with the outside world without having to exit VR. Although slightly confusing, this effectively creates two messenger options in-headset: one using your public-facing Facebook account, and the Oculus Chats messenger which is used exclusively with people on your Oculus friends list.
Facebook says that using Messenger on Oculus doesn’t change your existing Oculus privacy settings, and that you can still message your Oculus friends using Oculus Chats with your existing Oculus username.