At the Connect 2025 launch event, Meta announced the release of the beta version of Hyperscape Capture, a groundbreaking technology that enables Quest 3 and Quest 3S users to scan their real environments and create realistic virtual reality replicas. This marks a significant leap forward for the company in the metaverse space. Users can transform their physical spaces into digital environments ready for exploration in just a few minutes.
Hyperscape Capture operates in three easy steps. First, users need to put on the Quest headset and rotate their heads to look around the room, creating a grid of the scene. This process is similar to setting up room awareness in mixed reality and takes about 10 to 30 seconds. Second, the most time-consuming part involves users covering every corner of the room, bringing their heads close to the 3D grid for detailed scanning, which takes a few minutes.
Once the scan is complete, the data will be uploaded to Meta's servers and you will need to wait 2 to 4 hours for processing before receiving a notification that the scan is finished. The entire rendering process utilizes Gaussian splatting technology and employs Meta's internal Project Avalanche cloud streaming technology to achieve this.
During the hands-on experience at Meta Connect 2025, media outlets explored several pre-scanned environments, including Gordon Ramsay's kitchen and the UFC octagon. While the resolution doesn't yet reach Meta's highest standards, the image quality is impressively realistic, allowing users to clearly observe details like food and books on the table. However, when users get too close to certain objects, such as the text on newspapers, slight blurriness may occur.
Currently, users can only explore the rooms they've scanned, but Meta has announced that a sharing feature will soon be released, allowing users to invite others into their digital spaces via private links. Hyperscape Capture is currently limited to Quest 3 and Quest 3S users who are 18 years and older.
While Meta has recently shifted its focus towards artificial intelligence technologies, the launch of Hyperscape shows that the company still sees virtual reality and the metaverse as vital areas for development. During the Connect 2025 event, Meta also unveiled a range of smart glasses products, including the new Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses and the first pair of Ray-Ban Display glasses featuring a screen, highlighting the company's diverse expansion in the augmented reality product line.
