Valve has updated SteamVR with quality-of-life improvements that make exploring virtual worlds a little easier; SteamVR 1.17 contains enough bug fixes and tweaks that it's worth tracking down on its own, but three new features stand out.

The most obvious use for the window docking feature is to attach Steam chat to one of the controllers.

While this is not necessarily an essential update, it could be useful for those who spend a lot of time immersed in a game like "No Man's Sky". Other windows could be installed, but you would need to experiment to find the best fit for you.

The other two options affect how you perceive the world and have fairly specific uses; the Field of View slider doesn't suddenly allow you to see more of the world than the developers intended, but if you want to focus a bit more on what's in front of you to narrow the FoV.

The Override World Scale slider has several potential uses, the obvious benefit being that shorter gamers will be able to reach taller items. Alternatively, taller VR gamers may want to effectively shrink themselves a bit to make the experience more in line with the developer's intent. This could also be used to make the scale of an aircraft cockpit just right for you.

It is good to see Valve continuing to think outside the VR box, and it will be interesting to see what they add in future patches.