At the end of 2023, Apple introduced an interesting but rather controversial feature. Some bloggers say how incredibly immersive it is, others claim that an evil corporation scammed everyone again… If none of that rings a bell, we’re talking about Apple Spatial Video.
What is Apple Spatial video? How to record it? Can I record it on my iPhone? We’ll answer all these questions below — keep reading to learn the answers.
What is Apple Spatial Video?
Apple Spatial Video is a video format that turns 3D if you watch it via Apple Vision Pro and looks 2D on other Apple devices. In the Apple VR headset, “spatial” videos appear with a hazy border around them, and you can turn your head to look at your memories from different angles.
Despite the fancy name, Apple Spatial Video is not a new technology — it’s just rebranded stereoscopic 3D. If you watch the video below on your regular laptop, you’ll see that each object has a multicolored “shadow”. It’s because this video is created from two videos shot at slightly different angles, and each of them is “encoded” with color filters. It’s called anaglyph 3D, which is also how 3D movies work.
All the “Apple Spatial” videos uploaded by this creator look like this — for comparison, their VR180 works don’t have the anaglyph effect.
This Reddit user agrees that Apple Spatial Video is overhyped. Absurdly enough, Apple prevents developers from using words like AR and VR to create the illusion of novelty.
How to create Apple Spatial Video?
This Apple feature may or may not be overrated — it’s up to you to decide. But if you want to dip your toes in 3D videography and you own the latest iPhone, Apple Spatial Video can be a decent starting point.
Here’s how to start creating spatial videos on iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max with iOS 17.2.
Read also: Is the Inverted Filter on TikTok How Others See You?
Enable Apple Spatial Video
To start recording spatial videos for Apple Vision Pro, you need to enable the feature first. Here’s how:
- Go to Camera in Settings.
- Select Formats.
- Enable Spatial Video for Apple Vision Pro.
Record Apple Spatial Video
Once you turn the feature on, you’ll be able to record spatial videos for Apple Vision Pro via your iPhone device. Here’s how:
- Go to Camera and switch to Video.
- Turn the phone horizontally to start shooting in landscape mode.
- Find the glasses icon button and click it.
- Start recording right away by pressing Record or volume controller buttons.
As you can see, recording spatial videos is not that different from regular videos — it has only one extra step.
Apple Spatial Video tips and best practices
The process of creating spatial videos on iPhone is pretty simple. However, with these tips, you can up your game instantly and create an outstanding 3D video:
- Keep your phone steady. If your camera keeps moving around, the 3D effect will be less noticeable in the video. Your hands may not be enough — a gimbal or a tripod will make the task easier.
- Pay attention to light. If the scene is too dark, your video will not be as 3D as you want it to be. Shoot spatial videos in broad daylight or in bright enough artificial light.
- Keep a good distance. According to this Reddit user, the best distance to shoot a spatial video is between 5 and 15 feet (1.5 and 4.5 meters). On farther distances, the 3D effect dissipates.
- Build an interesting scene. Regular photography is 2D, which means that you can reduce whatever you shoot to mere shapes and colors — and build the scene the same way you would when painting a picture. For 3D, it’s not the case. If you want the spatial effect to shine, build the scene so it has something in the sweet spot (see above), closer than that, and in the background.
This is a great example of a well-built scene for an Apple spatial video. As you can see, the still has three discernible plans. The foreground is the Broadway sign and a utility pole holding it. The middle ground includes the tree and some buildings on the left and right parts of the frame. In the background, you can see two towers. The point of view is also interesting — it creates perspective, which adds to the “spatial” effect.
How to watch Apple Spatial Video
The “spatial” format was originally made only for Apple Vision Pro VR headsets. If you have one, you can watch a spatial video using the Photo app. You can also watch spatial videos on your iPhone, and they’ll display as regular 2D videos.
This year’s Meta Quest update allows you to watch Apple spatial videos on Quest 3 VR headsets as well. To do this, you’ll need to upload spatial videos to your headset using the Meta Horizon mobile app. It will look quite similar to what you see in Apple Vision Pro headsets. However, compared to Apple Vision Pro demos, the Meta Quest rendering has a smaller “fuzzy” frame, and the video seems to take up less space in the VR screen. These features are quite noticeable in the demonstration below.
Good to know
Is Apple Spatial Video just 3D?
Yes, “spatial” videos are just stereoscopic 3D — they are called “spatial” because of Apple’s weird marketing policy.
What is Apple Immersive Video?
Apple Immersive Video is a new 180-degree 3D video format for VR headsets. It’s recorded in 8K and also has spatial audio for extra immersion.
How does the iPhone 15 Pro record spatial videos?
The iPhone 15 Pro uses the Main and Ultra Wide cameras to record spatial videos. Two cameras shoot the scene in slightly different angles, and, when combined, you get the 3D effect.
