Meta Platforms has officially launched its Horizon Worlds v174, the company announced on Tuesday.

In the new release, it has rolled out several improvements such as bug fixes, microphone options, and others.

For example, users can note whether they have muted or unmuted their microphone when speaking with others in Worlds, with the option to toggle the functionality in the Sounds settings tab.

The mixed reality company also resolved several bugs in the platform, including improperly displayed confirmation screens for “profile, name, or bio” user reports.

Meta has also sorted other issues like entering and exiting users causing menu disruptions for world managers, and sizing issues with the Create menu.

DJ Alesso Explores ‘New Worlds’ with Red Rocks Live in VR

As the Menlo Park-based firm continues to refine its Worlds platform, it has also launched a major collaboration with Swedish DJ Alesso.

The iconic artist’s foray into the Red Rocks Live in VR event had digitally recreated his April show at the massive ampitheatre in Morrison, Colorado.

Performing some of his top hits, DJ Alesso’s performance officially premieres Meta’s Red Rocks Live in VR series, which has been nominated this year for an Emmy for Most Outstanding Emerging Media Program.

Similar awards ceremonies have launched in recent years, including the Cannes Lions Festival and the MTV Music Awards, with the latter showcasing a first-ever digital duet between Eminem and Snoop Dogg.

According to an interview with the Swedish artist, he had previously worked with XR firms after releasing songs for VR blockbuster Payday 2, and promoting a collaboration with Fortnite gaming legend Ninja via a livestreamed play session.

Explaining further, he said,

“I’ve always been a big fan of technology and gaming, so when the opportunity to mix those plus my love for music came up, I couldn’t pass. VR is the next step in that progression for tech-forward people. I was an early adopter, and it’s cool to see the progress the platform has made over the last few years.”

When asked about the outcome of the VR iteration of his performance, DJ Alesso noted that the final production allowed users to “feel like you’re really at the show” and experience the music “live for the first time.”

He noted: “There are so many angles that even [fans attending the real concert] wouldn’t have been able to see!”

The news comes as artists around the world adopt spatial computing technologies, including motion capturing (mocap), metaverse platforms like Decentraland, Horizon Worlds, ENGAGE XR and The Sandbox, and world-building platforms like Unity and Unreal Engine, among others.

Artists such as Fatboy Slim, Avenged Sevenfold, Bebe Rexha, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, VNCCII, and many others have leveraged these tools to connect to their audiences in unprecedented ways, boosting the music industry with next-generational socialisation and participation.