Meta’s Horizon Hyperscape: a photorealistic immersion for Meta Quest 3 available to everyone (soon)

Meta continues to push the boundaries of virtual reality with the launch of Horizon Hyperscapea new application designed exclusively for users of the Quest 3 headset. This application promises a unique experience by allowing the exploration of photorealistic virtual environments, with an unprecedented level of detail and freedom of movement.

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Unlike simple panoramic photos or 360° environments, Horizon Hyperscape immerses users in interactive 3D scenes where it is possible to move as if we were really there. This application, currently available free to Quest 3 and Quest 3S users in the United States, marks a significant step forward for Meta in its quest to make virtual reality more accessible and immersive.

Photorealism and immersion

One of the great strengths ofHorizon Hyperscape lies in the photorealism of the environments it offers. Thanks to advanced technology, Meta manages to reproduce physical spaces with striking fidelity. To do this, the application uses scans taken from mobile phones, then processed via a powerful cloud (Avalanche ?), which allows you to create detailed and interactive three-dimensional environments.

Currently, the application is presented as a demonstration of what is possible in photorealistic rendering. Meta thus wishes to offer a glimpse of what the future of virtual reality could be in terms of immersion. However, these environments are not yet open to creation by users themselves. During the conference Meta ConnectMark Zuckerberg, CEO of Metahowever, suggested that this feature could arrive soon, allowing everyone to recreate personal or shared spaces from simple mobile scans.

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Cutting-edge technology for simple experiences

To make this experience possible, Meta relies on an advanced technique called Gaussian Splattinga 3D volumetric rendering that allows, thanks to the cloud and streaming, to display extremely detailed environments on a standalone headset like the Quest 3. This technology offers a perfect balance between visual quality and performance, allowing the application to work fluidly without requiring too powerful hardware.

Meta also plans to expand the creative possibilities offered by Hyperscape. Eventually, creators will be able to capture and recreate their own worlds by scanning physical rooms with their smartphone, making creating virtual environments as easy as taking a photo.

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Iconic spaces to explore

In its current version, Horizon Hyperscape offers several life-size environments to discover. Among them, iconic locations like EastWest Studios in Hollywood, known for their history in the music industry, as well as studios of recognized artists like Daniel Arsham, Rebecca Fox and Gil Bruvel. These spaces, rich in details, offer a fascinating dive into cultural and artistic places.

The experience evokes certain photogrammetry tools already seen in the past, such as those of Valve’s Destinations Workshop, but with a clear desire to Meta to make this process simpler and more intuitive for the general public.

A vision of the future of virtual reality

With Horizon Hyperscape, Meta does not just offer a simple application, but paves the way towards a new era of photorealistic virtual reality. The idea of ​​being able to capture physical spaces and explore them in a digital environment marks an important step in the convergence between the real and virtual world.

By offering users the ability to move through virtual spaces with such a high level of realism, Meta lays the foundations for total immersion, where the user will not only be able to observe but fully interact with their environment. In the future, this application could become a key tool for creators, artists, or simply for users wishing to share and explore worlds recreated from their own environment.

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Horizon Hyperscape is currently only a showcase of this technology, but it clearly shows the future potential of virtual reality as an immersive, creative and personal medium.

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