What you need to know
- Version 1.54 of Meta Quest’s official YouTube VR app now supports 8k (4320p) SDR video.
- HDR video is still limited to 4K, but Meta Quest 3’s display resolution is not fully 4K resolution.
- Google is presumably laying the groundwork for its YouTube VR app to run at 8K on high-resolution Android XR headsets, which is expected to be released later this year.
Google has been making good progress with updates to YouTube VR recently, and the company’s latest update to its Meta Quest platform now supports 8K SDR video in immersive mode. As long as you’re using version 1.54 or later of the YouTube VR app, non-HDR videos uploaded in 8K will have the option to play at full resolution when in immersive mode.
Below is a screenshot of the Avengers clip running in 8K in Meta Quest 3’s YouTube VR app.
To find 8K content, simply search for “8K video” within the YouTube VR app. When viewing video, tap the video settings icon in the bottom left and select 4320p from the list of available options. Please note that HDR videos only play at the maximum resolution of 4K at this time. Below is a screenshot of the player when you select 4320p resolution.
Note that while YouTube doesn’t have a ton of 8K content yet, the number of 8K videos on the platform is growing.
The update comes after Google updated YouTube VR to coincide with the release of Meta Quest 3, adding support for “tablet” mode and the ability to see the real world around you thanks to the headset’s upgraded mixed reality camera. You can now watch videos while To switch between immersive and tablet mode, simply click on the icon at the top of the YouTube player that looks like his two arrows pointing towards each other.
Have 8K video but no 8K headset?
But this latest update begs the question, “Why?” The Meta Quest 3’s display looks great, but it doesn’t even reach 4K resolution, let alone 8K. I checked out some videos myself and found that there is a noticeable quality difference between 4K and 8K when viewed with a headset.
As with switching between 720p, 1080p, and 4K, each increase in resolution also increases the bitrate, reducing compression artifacts and making your video look sharper. Still, watching 8K video on the Meta Quest 3’s fairly limited resolution won’t wow you as much as it would on a full 8K resolution TV of the same size.
But I don’t think this update is Really No problem at all for the Metaquest platform. Instead, it is rumored that Google will show off Android XR at Google I/O 2024. This is a special version of Android developed for the company’s upcoming mixed reality headsets. And 8K YouTube VR could be central to Apple’s plans to launch new products. It will become a Vision Pro competitor to Samsung later this year.
The Samsung XR headset is said to be launching later this year and features a very high-resolution OLED display, which could potentially take advantage of YouTube VR’s newfound resolution improvements. This, along with the reportedly included Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2, could help Samsung differentiate itself from Meta’s gaming-focused headset.
It might not have an 8K display, but there are thousands of great games to play right now, and it could be more affordable than the rumored price of the upcoming Samsung headset.
