Meta Quest VR Headsets to Get Spatial Video Playback Support

Meta announced today that its lineup of Quest headsets will soon be able to play back videos captured on the iPhone 15 Pro series. This move comes just ahead of Apple's $3,499 Vision Pro mixed reality headset launch that goes on sale in the US today and supports spatial video playback out of the box.

Through an upcoming v62 software update, the Quest 2, Quest 3 and Quest Pro will be able to playback "spatial videos" - 3D stereoscopic videos recorded using the camera system on the iPhone 15 Pro models. This new update is expected to enable more affordable access to the spatial video format. By contrast, Meta's Quest headsets offer a much more accessible entry point into the world of virtual and augmented reality. The Quest 3 was released in September 2023 at $499, offering flagship-level specs at a fraction of the cost of the Vision Pro.

The v62 update lets Quest owners view spatial videos uploaded from an iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max via the Meta Quest mobile app. The videos will be converted and stored in the headset, allowing for an immersive 3D viewing experience through the portable and wireless Quest hardware.

While the Vision Pro delivers a sharper display suited for spatial video, Meta argues its more affordable Quest platform lowers the barrier to experiencing this new multimedia format. The v62 rollout will occur gradually over the coming weeks. In the meantime, Meta has included demos of spatial video content for all Quest users to sample the stereoscopic effect.