Meta to Unveil Ultra-Realistic and Ultrawide VR Headsets at SIGGRAPH 2025

• Meta’s Reality Labs Research will debut two advanced VR prototypes—Tiramisu and Boba 3—offering major leaps in image quality and field of view.
• Attendees can test the devices at the SIGGRAPH 2025 Emerging Technologies program in Vancouver from August 11–14.

For more than a decade, Meta’s Display Systems Research (DSR) and Optics, Photonics, and Light Systems (OPALS) teams have pursued the “visual Turing test,” aiming for virtual experiences that rival the physical world. Next week at SIGGRAPH 2025, they will present two research headsets, Tiramisu and Boba 3, each pushing VR realism in different directions.

Tiramisu delivers above-retinal resolution at 90 pixels per degree, brightness up to 1,400 nits, and contrast three times greater than Meta Quest 3. Built with dual micro-OLED displays and custom glass optics, it offers exceptional clarity but a limited 33° x 33° field of view. OPALS researchers describe it as the closest yet to matching real-world visual fidelity, though it remains bulky and purely experimental.

“Our mission for this project was to provide the best image quality possible,” explains OPALS Optical Research Scientist Xuan Wang, on the Meta blog. “We deprioritized the form factor and used glass instead of plastic lenses that you find in most consumer headsets. This provides much better image quality—albeit at a heavier weight—and minimizes any aberrations and pupil swim across the FOV.”

Boba 3, developed by DSR, tackles immersion from the other angle, expanding the field of view to 180° horizontal and 120° vertical, covering about 90% of human vision. With 4K-by-4K resolution per eye and a form factor similar to consumer VR headsets, it relies on mass-produced displays, pancake lenses, and high-end GPUs. While not intended for mass-market pricing, it showcases what’s now possible with current technology and supply chains.

Both devices will be featured at the SIGGRAPH 2025 Emerging Technologies program in Vancouver from August 11–14.

🌀 Tom’s Take:

Meta's research projects show just how far we can push the limits of realism for VR. At the same time, it shows how difficult it is to combine human-level resolution and FOV into a wearable device fit for the mass market.

Disclosure: Tom Emrich has previously worked with or holds interests in companies mentioned. His commentary is based solely on public information and reflects his personal views.

Source: Meta