Apple's 3D Spatial Video Might Be Coming to the Quest 3

Whether Apple wants to admit it or not, the Vision Pro is in direct competition with Meta’s Quest 3. All of the “spatial computer” talk in the world can’t change the fact that both are headsets meant to augment the real and physical world around you with virtual elements.

There are some key differences, of course, like resolution (that edge goes in a landslide to the Vision Pro), price (Quest 3 is one-seventh the cost), and exclusive features like Apple’s spatial video which... might not actually be exclusive as it turns out.

Is Spatial Video Coming to the Quest 3?

While nothing is official yet, big-time Vision Pro leaker @M1Astra on X posted strings of code found in the Quest’s iOS app that suggest a more official integration is on its way.

Among the very strong clues are snippets like “Immerse yourself in your favourite memories by uploading videos on the Meta Quest app” or “Enable spatial video in your camera settings. {link}” and “Upload spatial video.” Again, nothing is official, but the usage of the phrase “spatial video” is kind of a dead giveaway.

For the uninitiated, spatial video is Apple’s own 3D video format. What makes spatial video unique is the fact that you can capture it with an iPhone 15 Pro like pretty much any other form of video and then play it back in 3D on a Vision Pro headset. That’s to say that lots of people now have a way to capture 3D content that’s as easy as taking out your phone and pressing record. I’ve not tried it personally, but Inverse Deputy Editor Raymond Wong has, and (spoiler alert) was almost brought to tears by the results.

It’s worth noting that you can technically already watch spatial videos on a Quest 3, though the process isn’t enabled by Meta itself, but by third-party apps like Spatialify which converts spatial video into 3D formats that you can view on the Quest 3.

I can only assume that more official support should make the process easier and probably smoother, but I’m skeptical whether the actual act of watching a spatial video on a Quest 3 will be as enjoyable. Immersion is the name of the game when it comes to spatial video and on that front, Apple Vision Pro has the Quest 3 beat — resolution does in fact matter if you’re attempting to recreate a memory.

Not-So-Exclusive

On one hand, it makes sense for Apple to make spatial video an exclusive feature of the Vision Pro, but on the other, it’s a bit of a win-win. There’s only one way currently to capture spatial video, after all, and that’s with an iPhone 15 Pro.

Sure, it couldn’t hurt to make spatial video exclusive to the Vision Pro, but if the experience is really that much better on the Quest 3, the hardware may make Apple’s case for a Vision Pro either way.

And for Meta? Well, why not let people enjoy 3D spatial content on your headset? While some people may consider the lower resolution a dealbreaker, not everyone will. Plus, let’s be honest, $3,500 for a Vision Pro is downright prohibitive, and even if you do care about resolution, you may not care enough to break the bank for it.