Meta has unveiled its newest virtual reality prototypes ahead of SIGGRAPH 2025, signaling a radical evolution in VR display technology and immersion. The standout, dubbed the Tiramisu, is designed to push visual quality toward “hyperrealistic VR,” seeking to make digital experiences nearly indistinguishable from reality.
Tiramisu: Chasing Hyperrealism
- Resolution and Brightness: Tiramisu achieves an ultra-sharp 90 pixels per degree (PPD), surpassing Meta Quest 3’s 25 PPD and easily crossing the 60 PPD “retinal resolution” threshold, which is considered equivalent to the sharpness the human eye can see. Its displays can reach up to 1,400 nits of brightness, making it 14 times brighter than Quest 3. This is coupled with a contrast ratio three times greater than Quest 3.
- Goal: The project aims for a “visual Turing test,” creating VR visuals so lifelike that users can’t distinguish them from real-world vision.
- Trade-offs: These advances come at the cost of usability. The Tiramisu has a narrow field of view (FOV) of just 33° × 33° (compared to Quest 3’s 110° horizontal and 96° vertical), and a bulky, heavy form factor due to the use of glass lenses and µOLED panels. It is considered a research showcase rather than a consumer-ready device.
- Technological Purpose: Tiramisu’s combination of above-retinal resolution, high brightness, and high contrast sets a benchmark for realism in VR, offering a preview of what future Meta headsets could eventually deliver as VR hardware matures.
Boba 3: Ultrabroad Immersion
- FOV Benchmark: The Boba 3 headsets, also previewed, offer a 180° horizontal and 120° vertical field of view, matching approximately 90% of human natural FOV. This marks a huge jump from the Quest 3.
- Resolution and Design: Boba 3 achieves about 30 PPD, features 4K × 4K resolution per eye, and uses pancake lenses for improved manageability at 660 grams. However, powering such a wide, high-res display requires a high-end PC GPU.
- Purpose: While still a prototype, Boba 3 demonstrates the technical path toward fully immersive, unobstructed VR and XR experiences. Its breadth of vision removes the “binocular” feel present in most current consumer headsets.
The Future of VR: Research Today, Reality Tomorrow
Both Tiramisu and Boba 3 are research prototypes, not intended for mass production in their current forms. Tiramisu shows the potential of future VR to pass the ultimate “visual Turing test” by combining display technologies in new ways, even if compromises in field of view and form factor are required today. Boba 3, meanwhile, pushes the envelope on peripheral vision and immersive field of view, bringing VR closer to matching how our eyes naturally perceive the world.
These innovations from Meta Reality Labs point toward a future where virtual reality could meet—or even exceed—natural human sight, paving the way for more immersive and realistic digital experiences.