3D spatial video is stereoscopic video: it gives each eye a slightly different view, and the brain interprets the difference as depth. Apple Spatial Video is a specific version of stereo video with extra metadata that lets compatible Apple devices present it in windowed or immersive modes. It is not a freely navigable 3D scene.
How does 3D video create depth?
A stereoscopic video supplies one view for the left eye and a similar view, captured from a slightly different perspective, for the right eye. The small difference between those views—parallax—helps the brain perceive depth. Apple’s WWDC23 Developer session uses “3D video” interchangeably with “stereoscopic” for this two-view approach: Apple Developer, WWDC23.
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The recording still represents a scene from the camera’s viewpoint. Stereo gives the viewer two related views; it does not let them move freely around the recorded subject or reveal what was outside the camera’s view.
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What makes Apple Spatial Video different?
Apple Spatial Video is stereoscopic media with additional spatial metadata. Apple describes its spatial-video file as a QuickTime movie containing a stereo MV-HEVC video track and spatial metadata. The two eye views are represented in related layers; compatible playback can use them to show the left view to the left eye and the right view to the right eye. The metadata identifies the content as spatial media and supports Apple’s spatial presentation behavior. See Apple Developer, WWDC24.
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That metadata affects how a compatible system presents the stereo content; it does not turn the footage into a volumetric capture. Apple’s WWDC24 session describes spatial video at the file level as stereo MV-HEVC video with extra spatial metadata: Apple Developer, WWDC24.
What is MV-HEVC?
MV-HEVC is a multiview use of High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC). In Apple’s spatial-video workflow, it carries the related views for the two eyes in one video track. A compatible player must understand the track and its associated metadata to present the stereo experience as intended.
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Is spatial video the same as 3D video?
Not exactly. “3D video” commonly refers to stereoscopic video in general, which can be delivered in different formats and layouts. Apple Spatial Video is a particular stereo-media workflow that adds spatial metadata for supported presentation on compatible Apple platforms. So Apple Spatial Video is a kind of stereoscopic 3D video, but not every 3D video is Apple Spatial Video.
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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →| Format or term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Stereoscopic or 3D video | Separate left- and right-eye views create a perception of depth. |
| Apple Spatial Video | Stereo video with spatial metadata for supported windowed or immersive presentation. |
| Apple Immersive Video | A distinct Apple format for stereoscopic experiences with a large field of view. Apple describes it as 90 frames per second and greater than 50 megapixels per eye; those specifications apply to Immersive Video, not ordinary Spatial Video. Apple Immersive Video overview. |
| 180° or 360° video | Panoramic video maps a broad field of view onto a viewing surface; it is not simply windowed stereo video. Apple Developer, WWDC24. |
| Volumetric or freely navigable capture | A representation that supports changing viewpoint. Do not treat ordinary stereo spatial video as this: its two views do not establish free viewpoint movement. |
How is spatial video captured and viewed?
Capture and playback depend on the device, software, and app. Apple Support documents spatial-video recording with Apple Vision Pro or iPhone 15 Pro or later subject to the stated iOS requirement, and describes the stereo views as separate layers in MV-HEVC. Apple’s WWDC25 material also names iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro and says certain third-party cameras support the format. Because device and software support can change, check Apple’s current spatial-video support page for the latest compatibility details.
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Apple presents Spatial Video as a point-and-shoot stereo format intended to be easier to capture than high-end professional stereoscopic production. On Vision Pro, compatible footage can appear in a window or expand into an immersive presentation that scales the image to suggest the real size of objects. Apple also describes 2D fallback on other Apple platforms, but that behavior should not be assumed for every non-Apple device or player. See Apple Developer, WWDC24.
A headset is not required to understand the basic stereo principle, but the intended spatial presentation depends on compatible playback. A regular screen may show a file in 2D or handle it differently depending on the platform and app; there is no universal fallback behavior.
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What should you check when comparing 3D or spatial video?
- View format: Does it provide left- and right-eye stereo views, or map a panoramic 180°/360° field of view?
- File support: Does the container, video codec, multiview track, and any required spatial metadata work with the intended player?
- Capture method: Which camera and software versions can record the format? Verify current compatibility rather than relying on an old device list.
- Playback compatibility: Which device and app can decode and present the footage, and what happens on unsupported platforms?
- Presentation mode: Is the result shown on a flat screen, as windowed stereo, or as a more immersive experience?
- Production specifications: Compare field of view, resolution, and frame rate only when they are documented for the specific format. Apple’s Immersive Video specifications should not be attributed to ordinary Spatial Video.
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