Datamining and findings across v78 and v79 PTC (Public Test Channel) suggest that Meta has begun the process of revamping the Home and Worlds components of the Horizon platform. What Is the Public Test Channel (PTC)? The Public Test Channel (PTC) is Meta Quest's beta release channel. If you opt in, your headset receives a pre-release build of each Quest system software, now technically called Horizon OS, version.Note that there are often features in the eventual stable version not present in the PTC, and occasionally (but rarely) features or changes in the PTC don't make it to the stable version. Each month, when the PTC is released, I analyze system files and apps to look for potential changes that might hint at what Meta is working on.Many of the features discovered are still in development and may change significantly or never launch. Meta uses server-based rollouts as well. Even if an update supports a feature, individual headset owners may not gain access for weeks or months after it’s announced. In some cases, Meta may not announce a feature at all, and instead wait until a future version to both announce it and begin rolling it out.Further, some features are announced but then delayed without notice, only to reappear in later announcements. Others quietly roll out to select users as experiments, without ever being officially mentioned.When Meta announced its new Horizon OS initiative last year, the company stated it would feature "a suite of features that put social presence at the center of the platform." One key effort to realize that vision appears to be an upgrade of the Home and Worlds systems, as part of an internal project known as HSR.Lookout Loft Home EnvironmentThumbnail images for the Home World, found in the Horizon OS v78 files.Horizon OS v78 and v79 PTC contain assets for a new home environment named Lookout Loft, associated with the development codenames Home World and Personal World.Horizon Home is the public name for Quest’s base-level OS space, known internally as vrshell. This is the space users first enter upon booting a mixed reality headset running Meta’s Horizon OS. Functionally similar to a desktop on a computer, it offers multiple virtual environment options, supports 2D window multitasking, co-present avatar calls, and serves as a staging area for immersive applications.Debug menu for the Home World, found in Horizon OS v78.Meta appears to be rebuilding this space, seemingly moving away from the aging, mostly static virtual environments on Quest headsets, aiming to make it easier to connect with others and transition smoothly into Horizon Worlds and immersive apps.The new Home World will retain existing Horizon Home features, such as the Avatar Mirror and Worlds Portal, while possibly expanding functionality to include pinning 2D apps, sharing 2D windows, and placing custom portals.Strings that describe World locomotion in the Home World, found in the Horizon OS v78 files.New strings also suggest that Meta is looking to introduce customizable turning and locomotion in the Home World, similar to what's available in Horizon Worlds today. This marks a sharp contrast to the current system, which limits users to snap turning and teleportation within a confined area.New Social Hub And In-World UI 0:00 /0:57 1× Footage of an in-development version of the new social hub and in-world UI, provided by X user Nori. In addition to rebuilding Horizon Home, Meta seems to be working on a revamp of the Horizon Worlds social hub, along with an overhaul of the UI systems specific to Worlds.Horizon Central serves as the primary social hub for Horizon Worlds. It features numerous portals and doors leading to events and other worlds, and is accessible through the Worlds Portal found in most of Horizon Home's virtual environments. X user Nori, who has a history of accidentally receiving entitlements to in-development Horizon OS features, recently gained access to a new version of Horizon Central that features a new in-world UI.An image of an in-development version of the new social hub (left) alongside a portal image showing a more finished version of the same area (right).This new social hub features significantly higher graphical detail than the current version of Horizon Central, with multiple levels and portals to other popular worlds. In the in-development version of this social hub, Nori was able to use a new tablet-style UI. Unlike the current interface in Horizon Worlds, this UI is rendered at the system level, resulting in much higher resolution and improved responsiveness. It provides access to system panels, along with features like comfort settings and locomotion controls.The Horizon Worlds app (top) and the Worlds (Standalone) app (bottom). Note that the install sizes vary based on cached content.This version also runs in a new app separate from the main Horizon Worlds application. Introduced in v78 PTC, the package is named com.meta.worlds and labeled Worlds (Standalone) in system interfaces — contrasting with the main app, com.facebook.horizon.It’s also worth noting that from the new social hub, users can even see a low poly model of the new Home World, Lookout Loft, in the distance. This seems to be an attempt by Meta to create the visual impression of an interconnected online space.Events Arena Theater EnvironmentAlongside its other efforts, Meta is developing a theater space for events within the Horizon platform, which may eventually include a version for personal use.Back in January, then–VP of VR/MR at Meta, Mark Rabkin, responded to feedback posted on X, confirming that they were working on a theater environment designed for viewing screen content.Working on all that, experimenting with lighting and other effects to see what’s best. Also trying to figure out awesome sound. Let us know what you’d want to see from in an environment / mode like that!— Mark Rabkin (@mrabkin) January 20, 2025Over the past few months, Meta appears to have been testing a version of this theater space within Horizon Worlds, called Events Arena [Beta].The environment builds on Horizon OS’s existing social features but, as of v78, runs on the new Worlds (Standalone) app and leverages the updated tablet-style UI, including a unique interface for changing seats around the theater screen.X user Nori was once again the first to spot this, having been taken to an active event after launching an internal version of the Worlds (Standalone) app following an update. 0:00 /0:24 1× Footage of the Events Arena [Beta] environment during the Hot Ones event, provided by X user Nori. This space appears to be in-development, but it's already accessible by joining events currently testing it, such as Hot Ones or Fail Army.However, joining from a headset doesn’t always work, as you might encounter an “Unable to Travel” message without being prompted to install the new Worlds (Standalone) app, or the new UI may not open correctly once you are in the environment.Events Arena [Beta] as it appears on the Horizon website.Horizon PhotorealMeta may also be preparing to integrate photorealistic scanned worlds into the Horizon platform, under the name Horizon Photoreal.At Meta Connect 2024, Meta announced and simultaneously released the Horizon Hyperscape Demo. It offers six photorealistic scenes. These scenes are fully volumetric, allowing users to move around them with positional tracking. Meta describes them as "digital replicas" created by scanning spaces using mobile phones, and uses cloud streamed rendering.Now, internal versions of the app are named Horizon Photoreal Beta, and the new Worlds (Standalone) app includes an activity that uses the same cloud streaming technology found in the Horizon Hyperscape Demo.Additionally, various strings and pages added to both the Horizon Hyperscape Demo and the Horizon mobile app over the past few months suggest that Meta has been testing this technology internally — allowing employees not only to capture real world spaces, but also to visit those scanned scenes as avatars.An option to capture Hyperscapes as it appears in an internal version of the Horizon mobile app.Strings found in the Horizon mobile app describe the Hyperscape capture process for employees testing the system.The Metaverse In Focus?The Worlds menu within the Navigator on Horizon OS, as shown at Meta Connect 2024.With the recent launch of Navigator in Horizon OS v77 PTC, Meta is pushing toward a vision for the platform that could make it incredibly versatile for today’s headsets while also preparing it for those of tomorrow — supporting everything from 2D window multitasking and movie watching to dynamic social spaces and standard VR gaming.In the words of Reality Labs Director of Games Chris Pruett, the goal is a platform “where core gamers, teens, and people who just want a private theater with a massive screen can all engage, spend money, and participate in the ecosystem.”With Meta Connect 2025 set for September 17 and 18, the company is likely to offer a closer look at how they plan to deliver on this vision, showcasing the latest innovations in “metaverse technologies and beyond.”