Media requirements and guidelines for streaming apps

Updated: Jun 11, 2025

Most Quest viewers will be viewing content on theater-sized screens and so the image quality on Quest needs to meet certain thresholds in order to deliver a suitable user experience. At a high level, Adaptive Bitrate streaming profiles should be configured on Quest in a way similar to how they are for delivering video content on SmartTVs.

Category	Details	Guidance level
General Per Device Capabilities	Different devices have different capabilities. Use MediaCodecInfo.CodecCapabilities to determine the best possible configuration. The guidelines aim towards the latest device.	Requirement
Video playback configuration & resolution	Bitrate/ABR settings should align with Smart TV streaming, with a minimum threshold of 8 mbps. Max available quality should match that of TV platforms.	Requirement
Video Resolution	Time to 1080p is <= 5 seconds	Requirement
Video encoding	For 2D streaming use one of the supported codecs: * AV1 (will work on Quest 3 and above only) * HEVC (H.265) * VP9 * AVC (H.264)	Requirement
Orientation of app panel	Landscape panel	Requirement
DRM options	If required, the following DRM implementation options are available: L1 DRM and L3 DRM.	Requirement (if streaming service has DRM obligations to third-parties)
Login experience (device code login)	Offer a device code login flow (a user-friendly authentication flow where a device displays a code in VR/MR/AR, which the user enters on another authorized device (mobile app/browser) to grant access). Recommended in preferred order: DIAL/mDNS: protocol login flow: Review secondary device login flow options that reduce friction when logging in on MR devices, such as authorizing login from a device on the same network. Passkey login flow (available Dec 2025): Add support for passkey based login. This will enable users to use passkeys cross-device for 1st time login and create local passkeys on device for repeat time login. Cross-device URL Login Flow: Implement a URL that users can access on a secondary device for login. This URL will contain a nonce (e.g. device code) which is opened on a secondary device in order to log in the user on the headset. To reduce friction, use our libraries to forward the URL from the headset to the secondary device via the Meta Horizon App.	Requirement
Offline downloads	Enable offline downloads (if offered on other third-party platforms).	Requirement
Input support	Support gesture based input for controllerless interactions (e.g. hand tracking).	Requirement
In app purchase	If the app offers any in-app purchase,either: (i) use Meta Pay; or (ii) remove in-app purchasing from the app; or (iii) redirect the user to the Quest Browser to complete the transaction.	Requirement
Video resolution	Use DisplayMetrics rounded up to the next higher resolution. Typically 1440p (minimum 1080p or source) for a large Panel, up to 4K+.	Recommended
Video quality	Video Multimethod Assessment Fusion (VMAF) score at 1080p source resolution should target minimum quality of 60 and high end quality of 85 when streaming over mobile networks, and 95 when streaming over WiFi. SSIM at 1080p source resolution should target minimum quality of 0.92 and high end quality of 0.96 when streaming over mobile networks, and 0.98-1 when streaming over WiFi.	Recommended
Size of app panel	1280px or larger width (see here for further detail).	Recommended
Audio	Dolby Digital or Dolby Atmos (to the extent available on other third-party platforms).	Recommended
Errors, Failures and Debugging	Service to share common points of failure for Platform debugging purposes.	Recommended

Category	Details	Guidance level
Video Resolution	When using side by side format, the horizontal resolution should be doubled.	Requirement
Bitrate	When using side by side format, the bitrate should be doubled.	Requirement
3D layout	* Side by side (Left / Right): Use square aspect ratio i.e. a 16:9 media becomes 32:9 in 3D. * Top / Bottom	Recommended

Category	Details	Guidance level
Video Resolution	Aim for 30 to 60 pixels per degree (PPD), capped by the max decode resolution of the device and camera hardware. For equirectangular projection at 30 PPD, this computes to 5400x5400. Note that future Meta headset displays may exceed 40 PPD, in which case that would be the desired angular resolution. Realistically, most services may only be able to achieve: 4320x4320 / 60fps	Recommended
Video encoding	h.265 or AV1 (AV1 will work on Quest 3 and above only)	Recommended
Bitrate	Refer to our VMAF and SSIM guidelines to determine the bitrate that achieves the recommended quality bar. Typically we would expect a commensurate bitrate higher than 35 mbps.	Recommended
Audio	Dolby Digital or Dolby Atmos (to the extent available on other third-party platforms).	Recommended

Category	Details	Guidance level
Video Resolution	Same guidelines as 180 2D category above, but with a 2x multiplier dependent 3D layout. e.g. Left-Right layout content should use 2x the horizontal resolution. Similarly Top-bottom layout content should use 2x the vertical resolution. Realistically, most services may only be able to achieve: Side-by-side: 7680x3840 / 60fps	Recommended
Video encoding	h.265 or AV1 (AV1 will work on Quest 3 and above only)	Recommended
Bitrate	Refer to our VMAF and SSIM guidelines to determine the bitrate that achieves the recommended quality bar. Typically we would expect a commensurate bitrate higher than 35 Mbps for the highest quality	Recommended
Audio	Dolby Digital or Dolby Atmos (to the extent available on other third-party platforms).	Recommended

Media requirements and guidelines for streaming apps

Rectilinear 2D content

Rectilinear 3D content (only applicable if the service hosts 3D content)

180 2D content (only applicable if the service hosts 180 content)

180 3D content (only applicable if the service hosts 180 3D content)

360 2D content (only applicable if the service hosts 360 content)

360 3D content (only applicable if the service hosts 360 content)

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