Meta Tests 3D Instagram Photos, Virtual Desktop for AR/VR Headsets

Meta is stepping up its spatial computing ambitions, even as interest in Apple’s Vision Pro continues to be lackluster.

Meta is testing artificial intelligence-generated 3D photos on Instagram within the Meta Quest augmented reality/virtual reality headset, according to a May 22 company blog post. It’s a step in the company’s long-term effort to make immersive computing mainstream.

“Reality Labs is teaming up with Instagram to make the moments you share a little more magical,” the post said. The feature uses “AI view synthesis algorithms” to transform ordinary 2D photos “pixel by pixel — no fancy 3D cameras required.”

Standard Instagram images can now be viewed with more depth inside a Quest headset.

“That means flat photos that weren’t originally captured in 3D will automatically be converted into an immersive format that gives 2D images a sense of depth when you view them on Quest,” the post said.

The update points to Meta’s broader vision of bringing everyday social media experiences into virtual environments powered by the company’s Horizon operating system.

Lindsey Gamble, a marketing consultant, said in his own blog post May 23 that this is part of Meta’s early steps toward bringing more social and entertainment experiences into a spatial, 3D environment on Quest.

“Converting 2D photos into 3D makes Instagram content more immersive and better suited to the spatial capabilities of Meta’s headset, all without creators needing to shoot their content in 3D,” Gamble wrote in the post. “This more engaging format could encourage consumption of Instagram on their headsets.”

The move comes as Apple’s Vision Pro — heralded at launch as a revolution in spatial computing — has reportedly faced slower-than-expected demand. News reports have indicated that Apple has scaled back production forecasts for the mixed-reality headset.

Meta Targets Existing Base

In contrast, Meta is targeting its existing user base and using AI to reimagine everyday content in spatial form, rather than betting on high-end use cases.

The Instagram 3D photo test is part of a wider software update to Quest’s operating system, Horizon OS, which also includes the rollout of a new virtual desktop called Navigator, per the company’s blog post.

Navigator is “a new home for your games and apps, friends, notifications, essential system settings, and more on Quest,” according to the post. The interface is designed to function like a PC, allowing users to multitask and pin up to 10 items for quick access.

“We designed Navigator based on everything we’ve learned over the last decade,” the post said. “And this is just the beginning of a broader evolution of Horizon OS.”

The updates come as Meta continues to position itself at the intersection of social media and spatial computing.

However, the company’s metaverse ambitions continue to bleed red ink. Meta’s Reality Labs division, which oversees Quest and smart glasses, had an operating loss of $17.7 billion in 2024.

Meta is not letting up. CEO Mark Zuckerberg told The Verge that advances in AI and mixed reality will make headsets more useful in everyday life.

Plus, the company’s Llama 4 large multimodal model is part of a broader strategy to unify its social, AI and immersive computing efforts.

“We’ve got much more planned for the future of spatial computing, so stay tuned,” the company blog post said.

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Read more:

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