Tried Quest’s new panoramic import, here are my impressions

Image: Meta

Since the last Quest update, it is possible to view panoramic photos taken with the iPhone on the headset. I tried the new feature.

After introducing spatial video playback, Meta recently copied another feature from Apple Vision Pro with the import of panoramic photos. As of v65, panoramas can now be uploaded to Meta’s cloud server via the Meta Quest app and then viewed in Quest in large format.

Panorama Import works on all iPhones with iOS 17 or later installed. Since panoramas, unlike space videos, can be taken with any iPhone, this feature should appeal to many Quest users.

It took over two weeks for v65 to arrive on Quest 3, and surprisingly I still wasn’t able to load panoramas using the Meta Quest app. A manual update of the smartphone app finally gave me the feature, which I immediately tested with some of my panoramas taken with an iPhone 15 Pro.

Here’s how the import works

To load panoramas, open the Meta Quest app on your iPhone. Then go to Menu > Gallery and tap the Upload icon in the top right corner. You can then select and upload existing panoramas from your iPhone gallery.

Next, switch to Meta Quest and open the Files app. Here you will find the images under the category “Panorama”. When you open a panorama, the transition background is darkened and the image is displayed in the Meta Quest TV app. An odd solution, but Quest media playback is generally a disaster, so I wasn’t particularly surprised.

Panoramas more than fill the horizontal field of view, but only partially fill the vertical field of view. In my tests, I found that wide landscapes don’t look very good because the resolution of the panoramas is too low compared to the large format in which the panoramas are displayed. For the best effect in VR, subjects at medium or close distances are best suited. Please note that I have not yet had a chance to view panoramas on a Vision Pro.

This feature sparked my interest in panoramic photography

I couldn’t find an option to zoom in or out or anything like that. Meta’s panoramic playback seems to be a quick and inflexible solution.

The good thing about importing a panorama is that it’s relatively easy. I rarely take panoramas because I didn’t have a good output device to view them. Meta Quest changes this, so I’ll be experimenting more with panoramas in the future. In this regard, the new feature is a plus for me.

Note: Links to online stores in articles may be so-called affiliate links. If you purchase through this link, MIXED receives a commission from the provider. The price does not change for you.