Following hot on the heels of the release of Apple’s Vision Pro in January, many first-wave buyers were upset to discover that they couldn’t access their favourite NSFW content using apps on the three-thousand-dollar device. Spotting a gap in the s*x-obsessed market, Meta has announced a timely update to their counterpart product…
Apple has always banned pornographic apps from being released into the App Store since the store’s very foundation, with former head honcho Steve Jobs making it clear that this was a moral issue for the company on which they would not budge; Business Insider has more detail on this.
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While current CEO Tim Cook has been less outwardly vocal about Apple’s stance on the issue, the ban still remains very much in place, and a quick skim of Apple’s guidelines for app developers makes it clear that “objectionable content” has no place on the App Store and that pornography falls clearly under this umbrella.
Meta has stepped in to fulfil this unspoken desire of early-adopting virtual reality headset users. Having recently unveiled its v63 software update, a new feature for the Quest 2 and Quest Pro headsets allows users to wear their devices more comfortably and easily while lying down.
Although Meta’s press release suggests this is helpful for activities like watching documentaries, attending virtual concerts, and meditation, there’s another much clearer (if simultaneously dirtier) subtext: they’ve thrown a bone to the VR porn enthusiasts who have long sought a better way to enjoy their favourite ‘content’ while fully reclined.
However, the update is yet to be extended to the Quest 3, Meta’s most advanced and newest headset. During an ‘Ask Me Anything’ session on Instagram, Meta’s Chief Technology Officer Andrew “Boz” Bosworth said that this apparent delay is due to the Quest 3’s “Smart Guardian” interface, which requires a lot more technical adjustments to adapt to the lying down mode.
Boz confirmed that Lying Down Mode will also come to Meta Quest 3 in a future OS update, says it needed more work due to concerns with safety in relation to Smart Guardian and Mixed Reality. pic.twitter.com/vnqkbBqQp0
— Luna (@Lunayian) March 12, 2024
While the “lying down mode” has quickly been dubbed as ‘Masturbation Mode’ by many online, it’s important to note that this update has a lot more to do with accessibility than adult entertainment, which Bosworth also called out during his AMA. The ability to use the headset comfortably while lying down can massively enhance the experience for users with mobility issues and is set to roll out to the Quest3 as soon as possible.
Despite these more noble applications, the conversation around the update has been dominated by its pornographic potential; “It’s for porn, right?“, quipped one Redditor, receiving swathes of ‘upvotes’ from others. While accessibility may be Mea’s reason for rolling this out, consumer concerns are clear, and we suspect this may leave many die-hard Apple fans a little less than pleased…