VR Video Converter: How to Turn Any Video into VR

Short answer: to turn an ordinary video into VR, convert it to a side-by-side (SBS) 3D video, copy the file to your headset, and play it in a video player with the side-by-side 3D mode on. Spatial Media Toolkit is a VR video converter for iPhone, iPad and Mac: it uses AI to work out the depth in every frame, on your device. For Apple Vision Pro, it makes a spatial video instead.

What "VR video" means for a regular video

A phone video has one viewpoint. To look 3D in a headset, each eye needs its own slightly different image. A side-by-side video stores both: the left half of every frame goes to your left eye and the right half to your right. Meta Quest video players can split it, which is why SBS is the format to aim for.

Converting a 2D video means creating that second view. The app estimates how far away everything in each frame is, then shifts near objects more than far ones to build the two eye views. It isn't the same as a video shot with two lenses, but on most home videos the depth is convincing.

3D VR video vs 360° video

"VR video" can mean two things. A 3D video plays on a big virtual screen in front of you, with real depth. A 360° or VR180 video surrounds you, and has to be filmed with a 360° or 180° camera. Spatial Media Toolkit makes the first kind: it adds depth to the video you already have, but it doesn't turn a normal video into a 360° one.

How to convert a video to VR

1. Add the video. Tap Photos or Files, or drag the file in. You can add several and convert them as a batch.
2. Trim it if you like. Only the part between the trim handles is converted, and the audio is trimmed to match.
3. Choose the output. Leave the input as Normal 2D and set the output to Side by side stereo.
4. Set the depth. The Depth slider controls how strong the 3D effect is. The default suits most videos.
5. Preview it. The Preview menu shows the result as Cross eye, Wiggle, Side-by-side or a Depth map, so you can check it before converting.
6. Convert and save. Tap Convert Video, then Save to Files. The file keeps the original sound and the source resolution for each eye.

Here's the same process as a video:

Getting the file onto your Quest

There's no Quest app: Spatial Media Toolkit makes the file, and moving it to the headset is up to you. Common ways:

• USB cable: connect the Quest to a computer and copy the video into its storage. On a Mac you'll need a file-transfer app, because macOS doesn't open the Quest's storage on its own.
• Cloud storage: upload the file to a cloud drive, then download it in the Quest's browser.

Then open it in a video player on the Quest and switch its 3D or stereo mode to side-by-side (sometimes labelled SBS or 3D left-right). Our batch conversion guide shows another route, through the Meta Horizon phone app.

Other headsets and Apple Vision Pro

Other headsets: side-by-side is a standard 3D format, so the same file is what you'd copy to headsets like Samsung Galaxy XR. Look for a side-by-side or 3D mode in the headset's video player. See converting for Galaxy XR.

Apple Vision Pro: choose Apple Spatial as the output instead. You get a spatial video that plays in 3D in the Photos app, and with iCloud Photos a video converted on your iPhone or Mac shows up on the headset by itself. The Vision Pro version of the app can also play an ordinary 2D video in 3D live, with no conversion step. More in what is spatial video.

Tips for the best 3D

• Videos with a clear subject and some distance behind it look best: people outdoors, pets, travel clips.
• Fast cuts and heavy motion blur have less depth to show.
• Long videos convert best on a Mac. On iPhone, keep the app open while it works: switching apps pauses the conversion until you come back.
• On a Mac, AI conversion needs Apple silicon.

Already have 3D video?

If a video is already side-by-side, half side-by-side or top-and-bottom, set that as the input and the app converts it between formats without the AI step. That includes turning spatial videos from your iPhone into side-by-side for a Quest: the app detects an Apple spatial video and suggests side-by-side output.

Other VR video converters

Desktop converters exist too. Owl3D, for example, runs on Windows and Apple silicon Macs and also handles 360° video. If you're choosing between them, see our Owl3D comparison. Spatial Media Toolkit's difference is that it runs on your iPhone and iPad as well as your Mac and Vision Pro.

FAQ

Can any video be converted to VR?

Any video your device can play can be converted to 3D side-by-side. It won't become a 360° video; you watch it as a large 3D screen in front of you.

Is there a Quest app?

No. Spatial Media Toolkit runs on iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Vision Pro. It creates side-by-side files that you copy to the Quest and play there.

Does it work on Windows or Android?

No. It runs on Apple devices only.

Is my video uploaded?

No. Depth estimation and conversion run on your iPhone, iPad, Mac or Vision Pro.

Can I use it for Apple Vision Pro too?

Yes. Choose Apple Spatial as the output and the video plays in 3D in the Photos app on Vision Pro. See our 2D to 3D video converter guide.

What about photos?

Photos work the same way. See how to convert a photo to a spatial photo.

Try it

Download Spatial Media Toolkit on the App Store, convert a video you love, and preview the 3D before you copy it to your headset.