Your Real Room, Now in the Metaverse: Hanging Out with Friends in Hyperscape Worlds
- CA Bhavesh Jhalawadia
- 0
- Posted on
Imagine you could invite your friends to hang out in your actual living room, even if they live miles away. Meta’s Hyperscape Worlds makes this possible! It’s a new feature that lets you turn your real-life space into an incredibly realistic virtual one.
Here is a simple breakdown of how it works:
1. What is a “Digital Replica”?
A digital replica is a super accurate virtual copy of a real place.
- Simple Idea: Think of it like a 3D photo of your room that you can walk around inside of.
- How you make it: You use your Meta Quest 3 or Quest 3S headset and an app called Hyperscape Capture. You simply walk around your room, and the headset’s cameras scan everything—your sofa, your coffee table, the scratch on your wall, and how the light hits the floor.
- The result: The system creates a photorealistic digital version of that space, which is so detailed it feels like you’re standing right there.
2. The New Feature: Sharing and Hanging Out
Before, only you could visit your digital replica. Now, Meta is rolling out the ability for you to invite your friends to join you!
- How to Invite: When your digital replica is ready, you get a special link (like a video call link) that you can send to friends via WhatsApp, Messenger, or any chat app.
- The Hangout: Up to eight people can join the space at the same time. You all appear as avatars and can talk to each other using spatial audio (meaning voices sound louder when they are closer to you in the virtual room).
- Access for Everyone: Your friends don’t all need a VR headset. They can join the hangout using a Meta Quest 3/3S or just the Meta Horizon app on their phone (iOS or Android).
3. Simple Examples of How You Can Use This
This feature is designed to make hanging out in the metaverse feel more personal and real.
| Activity | Simple Example |
| Virtual Family Visit | Example: Your grandma couldn’t fly home for the holidays. You scan your dining room, send her the link, and she can join from her phone to feel like she’s sitting right at the table with the family. |
| Study Group / Remote Work | Example: You and your study partner live in different cities. You scan your cozy home office and invite them to meet there to discuss a project. It feels more focused than a regular video call because you are both “in” the same space. |
| Tour a Cool Place | Example: You can explore famous spaces, too. You and your friends could get a private tour of a celebrity’s virtual replica, like Gordon Ramsay’s kitchen or Chance the Rapper’s living room, and wander around together. |
Key Facts to Know:
- Group Size: Currently, up to 8 people can join one world at a time.
- Security: Only people who are 18 or older and have the private invitation link can enter your world. You have control over who can access it.
- Goal: This update is about creating a “closer to home” feel in the metaverse, where you can spend quality time with friends in realistic, familiar settings.
Tools
Based on the article’s topic, here is a list of the key technologies and features discussed. Since they are all part of the same announcement and Meta’s ecosystem, the provided link leads back to the official blog post where this information was introduced.
| Tool / Technology | Purpose | Link to Article |
| Hyperscape Worlds | The name for the realistic, shareable virtual spaces you create. | Meta Quest Blog Post |
| Hyperscape Capture (Beta) | The application used with the headset to scan a physical space and create a “digital replica.” | Meta Quest Blog Post |
| Meta Quest 3 / 3S Headsets | The required hardware device (VR headset) used to perform the scan and view the virtual world. | Meta Quest Blog Post |
| Meta Horizon App | The mobile application (on iOS or Android) that allows friends without a VR headset to join the Hyperscape Worlds. | Meta Quest Blog Post |
| Meta Horizon Engine | The underlying technology platform that powers these shared experiences and social features. | Meta Quest Blog Post |