How to watch your 360 and 3D videos on Meta Quest 2
The Meta Quest 2 is a great VR headset for watching 360 or 3D videos, either ones you have shot yourself with your own camera or on Youtube or other site for other peoples videos.
Although there are better VR headsets, this one is the most affordable with very decent specs for watching your videos. In fact, it’s the one I use.
Below I’ll go through:
- the specs that are important in this headset to watch 360 and 3D
- tips on watching 360 and 3D videos on a VR headset.
I have shot multiple of my own 360 videos with a 360 camera as I have travelled the world, and watch my own videos on a VR headset.
I also started with 3D videos that are ideal to watch on a VR headset rather than a flat screen like phone or TV where you usually need special glasses to watch in 3D.
Here is an example of mine of a 360 video on my travels.
Specs of Meta Quest 2
I’ll go through the specs in the chart and explain why each is useful for watching 360 and 3D videos.
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Display | 1832 x 1920 pixels per eye, Fast-switch LCD |
| Refresh Rate | 72 Hz (can be upgraded to 90 Hz) |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen 1 |
| Storage | 256GB |
| Memory | 6GB RAM |
| Tracking | 6DoF head and hand tracking with integrated cameras |
| Controllers | Oculus Touch Controllers |
| Battery Life | Up to 3 hours (2-3 hours for gaming, 2-3 hours for video watching) |
| Audio | Integrated speakers |
- The better the resolution per eye, the better it looks.
- The resolution per eye is especially important for 3D videos since each eye sees a different view, just like your real eyes do in real life, and which gives it the depth of field effect.
- The refresh rate is important to prevent any visual discomfort when the scene moves quickly, as it is much more natural with a high refresh rate and smoother view if you turn your head or if view moves in any direction.
- Processor and RAM memory are important but those sort of tie in to the display resolution and refresh rate, since you need high processor speed and RAM to have a high resolution and refresh.
- Battery life is important in general, however I doubt many people will stay immersed in a 360 or 3D movie for that long. I take frequent breaks so get nowhere near battery depletion.
- Audio integration in the headstrap is nice, but I would recommend add on earbuds for better immersion, but not needed. ( most of the time I am just using the build in sound )
- Storage makes a difference if you are watching 360 or 3D movies that are directly downloaded from the headset rather than streamed, but unless you plan on rewatching the same video multiple times, its best to just remove it from headset to save space after you watch it.
Meta Quest headset to watch 360 videos
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to watch a 360 video on your Meta Quest 2.
Step 1: Set up Your Device
Follow the instructions provided by Meta to connect your VR headset to your smartphone or computer. Ensure that your device has enough battery life and that it’s connected to a stable Wi-Fi network.
Step 2: Download a Compatible Video Player App
You’ll need a compatible video player app to watch 360 videos.
The Meta Quest 2 supports several video players, such as YouTube VR and Oculus Video. You can download these apps directly from the Oculus Store, which is accessible once you’ve set up your Meta Quest 2 device.
Step 3: Choose Your Video
If using Youtube VR app then its easy. You can upload your 360 video to Youtube like you would any other video.
You can also download your video directly to your headset, or have the video on your PC and then link Meta Quest 2 to PC to watch it.
Step 4: Navigate the Video
With the Meta Quest 2 headset, you can navigate the video by turning your head or using the hand controllers. Look up, down, left, or right to explore the 360-degree environment. The video follows your gaze, giving you a realistic and immersive experience.
Here is a related videos for more details for how to use a VR headset for watching 360 videos that goes into more general details than this article you are reading now.
- downloading content to device or app
- adjusting settings on headset
- choosing the right app to use
- tethered or PC linked VR headset for optimal quality
How to use VR headset for watching 360 videos
Difference between a 360 video and VR virtual reality.
Watch 360 videos even without a VR headset
Check out my articles about 360 cameras, which I use to film 360 videos.
Insta360 X3: 360 camera for travel
Meta Quest VR headset to watch 3D videos
Follow the same steps as above to watch 3D videos.
Perks of watching 3D videos:
- sense of depth perception, since each eye has slight different angle like real life
- You can move your head around to see different angles if the video was shot with 180 or 360 3D.
- the 3D effect is more pronounced when using a headset than if wearing 3D glasses on a movie screen, making the visuals pop even more.
If you watch a 3D video on Youtube in your headset, it will give the 3D effect automatically.
There are not many affordable consumer grade 3D cameras on the market, but given the hype associated with the Apple Vision Pro and spatial video, I think a lot more will be released in the near future.
This article explains the difference between a monoscopic 360 video vs a stereoscopic 3D video.
Check out my Youtube channel which has 360 travel videos and remember to watch in your Meta Quest 2 headset!
