LUMENOIR3D movies on Meta Quest
A Meta Quest shows 3D movies with real depth, because each eye gets its own picture. Most 3D files are side-by-side (SBS) or over-under (OU), in half or full resolution: open them in a VR video player that sends each half to the right eye. iPhone spatial videos (MV-HEVC) play in 3D as well, but 3D Blu-ray discs store their depth as MVC, which Lumenoir plays in 2D only.
3D formats explained
A 3D film is two pictures, one per eye. The format says how they are packed into one video file.
| Format | How the two pictures are packed | Typical size | Lumenoir Format menu |
|---|---|---|---|
| Half SBS | Side by side, each squeezed to half width | 1920 × 1080 | 3D side by side |
| Full SBS | Side by side, each at full width | 3840 × 1080 | 3D side by side · Full |
| Half OU | One above the other, each at half height | 1920 × 1080 | 3D top and bottom |
| Full OU | One above the other, each at full height | 1920 × 2160 | 3D top and bottom · Full |
| MV-HEVC (iPhone spatial) | Two views inside one HEVC stream | Depends on the iPhone | Detected automatically |
| MVC (3D Blu-ray) | A 2D picture plus a second view | 1920 × 1080 | Plays in 2D only |
Watch an SBS or OU film, step by step
- Put the file where the player can reach it: on the headset, a USB-C drive, your Plex or Jellyfin server, or a NAS.
- Open it in Lumenoir. The 3D layout is read from the file's metadata (Matroska stereo mode, or st3d for MP4) or guessed from its name.
- If the picture shows two images side by side, open Format during playback and pick the right layout.
- If people look too thin or too wide, switch between the plain layout and its · Full version.
- Use Screen size to set how big the screen is. Depth is easier on the eyes at a comfortable distance than with a screen that fills your view.
File names that help
When a file carries no 3D metadata, its name does the job. Add SBS or OU to the name, for example Big.Trip.2011.SBS.mkv or Big.Trip.2011.OU.mkv, and Lumenoir picks the layout on its own. The same works with 180 and 360 for VR videos.
Keep the tags as separate words, with dots, spaces or hyphens around them, so they are not confused with the rest of the title.
Depth looks wrong? Swap the eyes
If close objects look far away, or your eyes hurt within seconds, the two pictures are in the wrong order. Some files are made for cross-eyed viewing, with the right picture on the left. During playback, open Eyes and choose Swapped (left and right exchanged).
To watch a 3D file flat, for example when you are tired, choose 2D (one eye, no relief). As in the file brings back the normal order.
iPhone spatial videos in true 3D
Spatial videos recorded on an iPhone 15 Pro or an iPhone 16 are stored as MV-HEVC: one HEVC stream that carries both eyes. Meta's own route is to upload them with the Meta Horizon app on the iPhone, then open them in the headset in Files or Gallery, under Spatial videos.
To keep the original file, copy it to the headset over the cable or a USB drive and open it in Lumenoir. Both views are decoded and shown in 3D. Tested on a Meta Quest 2 with a clip from an iPhone 16 Pro: 90 frames per second, no dropped frames.
3D Blu-ray and MVC: the honest answer
3D Blu-ray discs store depth as MVC: a normal 2D picture plus a second view that depends on it. Lumenoir does not decode that second view, so a 3D Blu-ray, as an ISO or a BDMV folder, plays in 2D, with all its languages and subtitles. Disc menus are not supported either. Among other Meta Quest players, 4XVR advertises MVC playback.
To watch your own 3D Blu-ray in 3D in Lumenoir, convert it once to SBS or OU. A common free route on Windows is MakeMKV, which copies the disc with its MVC stream into an MKV, followed by BD3D2MK3D, which turns it into a side-by-side or over-under file. Check what the law allows for copying discs where you live.
VR180 and 360°, briefly
A 3D film sits on a screen in front of you. VR180 and 360° videos are different: they wrap around you, and fisheye footage comes from lenses of 180° to 220°. Lumenoir reads their metadata (st3d and sv3d) and also offers them in the Format menu, for example 180° 3D side by side or 360° 3D over-under.
Free and Premium for 3D
In Lumenoir, stereoscopic 3D, VR180 and 360° are free for 20 minutes a day, counted only while a film plays. The preview refills every day. After that, Premium unlocks them without limit, with a one-time purchase: see Free and Premium. Not sure how to get your files onto the headset? Start with How to watch movies on Meta Quest.
Questions
Can the Meta Quest 3 play 3D movies?
Yes. Each eye gets its own picture, so SBS and OU 3D films show real depth without glasses. You need a VR video player that handles 3D, such as Lumenoir.
How do I watch 3D SBS movies on a Meta Quest 3?
Copy the file to the headset or a USB drive, or stream it from Plex or a NAS, and open it in a 3D player. In Lumenoir, SBS is detected from metadata or from SBS in the file name, or set by hand in the Format menu.
What is the difference between half SBS and full SBS?
Half SBS squeezes both pictures into one normal frame, so each eye gets half the horizontal resolution. Full SBS keeps each picture at full width, in a frame twice as wide.
Can I watch 3D Blu-ray on a Meta Quest 3?
In Lumenoir, a 3D Blu-ray image plays in 2D, because its depth is stored as MVC. Convert your own disc to SBS once, and it plays in 3D.
How do I watch iPhone spatial videos on a Meta Quest?
Upload them with the Meta Horizon app and open Spatial videos in Files or Gallery, or copy the original file to the headset and open it in Lumenoir, which shows MV-HEVC in true 3D.
Why does my 3D movie look wrong?
If you see two pictures, the layout is not set: choose it in Format. If depth looks inside out, swap the eyes. If faces look stretched, switch between half and Full.
Is 3D free in Lumenoir?
For 20 minutes a day, every day. Unlimited 3D, VR180 and 360° are part of Premium, a one-time purchase.