At Meta’s Quest 3S launch event yesterday, the company publicly showcased its $300 headset for the first time, unveiling a new app designed exclusively for Quest 3, which enables users to explore photorealistic environments. Typically, these immersive experiences are more than just panoramic views like those found on Google’s Avenue View platform – they’re fully realized three-dimensional environments that allow users to explore and wander freely.
Meta has introduced an app that is now available to Quest 3 and Quest 3S users in the US, free of charge.
The corporation emphasizes that its photorealistic environments were developed using cell phone scans and cloud-based processing, noting however that this is a “proof-of-concept demonstration showcasing our vision for photorealism as a groundbreaking approach to make users feel as though they are physically present.”
While customers cannot currently add their own photo scans, CEO Mark Zuckerberg emphasized during his stage appearance the potential for future functionality, where users can “scan a room” using their phone, recreating the space, or step into a room shared by someone else, implying that such capabilities may be developed at some point.
“With the implementation of Gaussian Splatting, a cutting-edge 3D visualization technique, Meta enables seamless cloud rendering and streaming capabilities, effectively making these immersive experiences accessible on the standalone Quest 3 headset.” “As Horizon continues to evolve, creators can expect seamless integration with their smartphones, allowing them to harness AR technology and transform physical spaces into immersive virtual environments at will.”
The app features a selection of expansive, immersive scenes that evoke the grandeur of iconic locations like EastWest Studios in Hollywood, as well as densely populated artistic spaces inspired by renowned artists such as Daniel Arsham, Rebecca Fox, and Gil Bruvel.
Valve’s erstwhile instruments for PC VR, launched in 2016, bear an uncanny resemblance to the proposed feature set, permitting users to seamlessly uncover and integrate photogrammetry scenes with equal facility. Meta likely aims to simplify the process for users when capturing and processing the vast array of images needed to craft a rich, immersive atmosphere.
An earlier iteration of this statement mistakenly asserted that Hyperspace relied on photogrammetry, when in fact it leverages the capabilities of Gaussian splatting. The corrections have been integrated seamlessly into the article’s narrative, with supplementary insights garnered from Meta providing a richer understanding of the topic.
