Meta Unveils Early Access to Hyperscape for Virtual Room Scanning and Photorealistic Metaverse Spaces

Meta’s latest developer conference focused primarily on the unveiling of advanced smart glasses; however, the tech giant also revealed several metaverse updates during the keynote. Among these, Hyperscape, initially showcased last year, emerged as a significant development. This innovative tool enables developers and creators to construct more lifelike virtual reality environments with heightened photorealism.

Now, Meta is making Hyperscape Capture available in Early Access, enabling Quest device owners to digitally replicate their real-world spaces within minutes. Although the room’s rendering may take several hours post-capture, users can soon convert their physical environments into immersive, photorealistic virtual worlds.

At launch, users won’t be able to share their digital spaces publicly but will have the option to do so through private links in the future. Notably, Hyperscape has already been employed to render various featured worlds, such as Gordon Ramsay’s LA kitchen, Chance the Rapper’s House of Kicks, The Octagon at UFC Apex, and Happy Kelli’s room adorned with her Crocs collection.

First demonstrated last year at Connect, Hyperscape leverages Gaussian Splatting, cloud rendering, and streaming technology to deliver digital worlds optimized for Meta Quest 3 headsets. As of now, the feature is accessible to users aged 18 or older who own either a Quest 3 or Quest 3S.

The rollout will occur gradually, starting today, so not all users may gain immediate access. In addition to Hyperscape’s introduction, Meta showcased other metaverse updates at the event, including an array of upcoming fall VR games like Marvel’s Deadpool VR, ILM’s Star Wars: Beyond Victory, Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked, and Reach.

Meta also announced that its streaming app, Horizon TV, will soon support Disney+, ESPN, and Hulu content, while a partnership with Universal Pictures and horror company Blumhouse is set to offer immersive special effects for movies like “M3GAN” and “The Black Phone.” Additionally, a 3D clip of “Avatar: Fire and Ash” will be available for a limited period.