Meta launches Hyperscape, technology to turn real-world spaces into VR

Although today’s Meta Connect developer conference was largely about new smart glasses, the social networking company did announce a handful of metaverse updates during Wednesday’s keynote. Of these, one of the largest was the introduction of Hyperscape, first demoed at last year’s event, which allows developers and creators to build more photorealistic spaces in virtual reality.

The company announced that Hyperscape Capture is now rolling out in Early Access, meaning Quest device owners will be able to scan a room in a few minutes, then turn it into an immersive and photorealistic world that’s like a digital replica of a real-world space.

The capture process itself only takes a few minutes, but the room’s rendering will actually take a few hours, Meta notes.

At launch, users won’t be able to invite others into their digital spaces, though that functionality will be supported in time, Meta says, through a private link.

However, the tech has already been used to render some featured Hyperscape worlds, including Gordon Ramsay’s home kitchen in L.A., Chance the Rapper’s House of Kicks, The Octagon at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, and Happy Kelli’s room filled with her Crocs shoe collection.

Meta first demoed Hyperscape last year at its Connect conference, showing how it used Gaussian Splatting, cloud rendering, and streaming to make the digital worlds appear on a Meta Quest 3 headset. Now, it’s rolling it out to users 18 years old and up, who have either a Quest 3 or Quest 3S.

The rollout will be gradual, starting today, so not all users may see it immediately.

Meta also introduced more metaverse updates at today’s events, including a new lineup of fall VR games, including Marvel’s Deadpool VR, ILM’s Star Wars: Beyond Victory, and Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons:Battlemarked, and Reach.

Its streaming app, Horizon TV, will add support for Disney+, ESPN, and Hulu, while a partnership with Universal Pictures and horror company Blumhouse will offer movies like “M3GAN” and “The Black Phone” with immersive special effects. A 3D clip of “Avatar: Fire and Ash” will also be available for a limited time.