In January, Meta revealed its plans to develop a home theater environment for Horizon OS, allowing Quest users to immerse themselves in content on a large screen within a theater setting. A leaked prototype of the environment now indicates that Meta is also focusing on multiplayer capabilities, resembling VR’s popular shared viewing app, Bigscreen.
While Quest already offers some theater-style features, there is currently no first-party app that seamlessly facilitates social viewing experiences with friends. Meta has made several attempts in the past, but nothing has gained significant traction.
Prior to his departure from Meta, Mark Rabkin, the former VP of Horizon OS and Quest, announced that his team was working on a cinema environment that had been long-requested. The team was experimenting with lighting, effects, and immersive sound to enhance the user experience.
It was unclear how Meta intended to bridge the gap between the platform’s single-player ‘Theater View’ feature and its shared livestreams in Horizon Worlds, which include various events like concerts and sports. However, a leaked glimpse of the new theater environment on Quest suggests progress in this direction.
Recently, user ‘lukegotbored’ (via ‘Luna’) reportedly accessed a work-in-progress theater environment on Quest, revealing Meta’s efforts to incorporate features similar to those found in Bigscreen.
My pal @lukegotbored accidently got access to another Meta internal build.
Looks like Meta is working on a virtual theater environment, and it seems to built on top of the upcoming Horizon Worlds/Home ‘2.0’ overhaul, with the ability to invite users etc. This is still very WIP. pic.twitter.com/PwJKUBZCnH
— Luna (@Lunayian) July 1, 2025
Luna suggests that this feature could potentially be included in Horizon Worlds’ next major update, allowing users to invite others to shared viewing experiences. The leaked video demonstrates two users navigating through seats in a sci-fi auditorium and watching a Hot Ones interview.
It remains to be seen if Meta can replicate Bigscreen’s key features. While Bigscreen enables social viewing of various streaming channels and allows users to mirror their own content, the legal and technical challenges associated with enabling widespread content streaming on Meta’s platform may pose obstacles.
Unlike Bigscreen, Meta’s moderation policies in Horizon Worlds may restrict users from freely streaming unlicensed content. The balance between user freedom and legal compliance will be crucial for Meta to address in its theater environment.
Integrating basic social viewing functionality within Horizon Worlds is expected to enhance user engagement and retention without requiring the installation of additional apps. Meta has a history of incorporating features from third-party apps into its ecosystem, as seen with the adoption of functionalities from Virtual Desktop on Rift.
As Meta prepares for Connect 2025 in September, further details about the theater environment and other upcoming features may be revealed. Stay tuned for more updates as we monitor Meta’s developments closely.
