Quest developers now have the ability to roll back buggy apps
Meta Quest now supports app rollbacks. This allows developers to instantly roll back builds that are causing problems.
It can happen to even the best studios: A just-released new version of an app causes unforeseen issues or even crashes, despite extensive testing. The situation is even more precarious when the cause is unknown and there is no quick fix in sight.
Frustrated users may switch to other VR apps, stop coming back or, in the worst case, ask for a refund. This damages the ecosystem and the reputation of the platform.
Hard to believe: Until now, Quest developers could only upload and release a newer build when problems arose. If this is done hastily and in the heat of the moment, the hasty app update can cause a cascade of new issues.
App rollbacks in case of emergency
Meta has found a solution that will make life easier for developers: app rollbacks. In the Developer Dashboard or the Meta Quest Developer Hub, developers can now roll back buggy builds with just a few mouse clicks.
Studios can now select an older build that is known to be stable from a drop-down list and reactivate it. Users won't notice much: The old version of the app simply rolls out as an update.
It is surprising that such a feature is only coming now, especially since it has a clear benefit and is easy to implement. The late implementation may be due to the fact that app rollbacks are a double-edged sword: the new flexibility could lead to faster app iteration times, but it could also lead to more bugs, as developers can simply roll back bad builds.
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