Meta Quest is testing a virtual cinema that hides your other windows while you watch
Meta is testing a cinema-style viewing environment for Quest that puts video on a large virtual screen and hides other windows while it plays. The feature is part of Horizon OS 2.10's Public Test Channel release, so it is a preview rather than an update that every headset owner already has.
Meta says the feature, called Cinema in its UK release notes, can be opened from the control bar in a supported media app. Select it again to leave the environment and bring back the windows that were hidden.
The update is rolling out gradually to people enrolled in the Public Test Channel. Joining that channel means receiving unfinished software, and a feature shown in a preview may change before a public release.
Image: Meta
The cinema opens from a media window
In its release notes, Meta describes a cinema-scale screen inside a cinema environment. Instead of rearranging a set of floating panels for a film or video, the mode temporarily removes the other windows from view.
The company says to choose More options in a supported media app's control bar and then select Cinema. Its release notes do not give a complete list of supported apps or promise that every video service works with it.
UploadVR reports that its preview used the name Theater and that it could open the environment with the system media player, browser, YouTube, Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video. Those are the outlet's observations in its test; availability can differ while the feature rolls out.
UploadVR also reports a simplified version of Quest's Navigator interface appearing for some testers. It describes three main tabs for Search, Library and Notifications, with quick controls accessed from the clock, Wi-Fi and battery area. Meta's published 2.10 notes do not list that redesign, so it should be treated as a limited preview rather than a promised change for everyone.
Image: Meta
The update also tests avatar calls and website checks
Meta says the same 2.10 preview supports avatar video calls in Chats. During a call, the video control in the active call bar switches between an avatar video call and audio-only mode.
The company also lists changes intended to improve how Quest verifies websites and online services. Its brief notes do not specify exactly which browser or system components implement those checks.
Testers can encounter bugs or app crashes, and Meta advises caution if a preview causes discomfort or affects a safety feature such as the boundary. If the cinema control is missing after enrolling, that does not necessarily mean the headset is broken: Meta says the preview's features are being introduced gradually.
Owners who prefer a stable headset can wait for a public update. Meta has not given a general-release date for the cinema environment in these notes.
