Rows of colourful seats in an empty IMAX cinema — A physical IMAX cinema in an archival photograph. | Photo: Gamerscore Blog / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.

IMAX plans to bring a virtual cinema app to Meta VR Glasses in spring 2027. Some films will be available in IMAX’s taller aspect ratio.

Meta listed IMAX Enhanced certification when it introduced the glasses in September. The November 10 announcement explains what that will mean for viewers: IMAX is updating its app to let them watch films in a virtual cinema.

A taller picture in selected films

The virtual theatre is where you watch the film. How much of the picture you see depends on the title and the version available. In some scenes, an IMAX edition can reveal more of the image above and below the standard widescreen frame. The announcement gives no specific aspect ratios for the app or list of films that will use them.

An IMAX 15/70 mm film projector on display in Paris — An IMAX 15/70 mm film projector at the Jeu de Paume in Paris. Archival photograph. | Photo: DiscoA340 / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0.

The app is due alongside the glasses

Meta is still targeting spring 2027 for the glasses, and IMAX plans to release the app at the same time. The companies have not given an exact date, a launch catalogue, or details about app availability in Poland. The announcement names Meta VR Glasses; it does not confirm the same app for Quest headsets.

Photos: IMAX auditorium, Gamerscore Blog, CC BY-SA 2.0; IMAX projector, DiscoA340, CC0 1.0. The photos were resized and converted to WebP. The opening photograph shows a physical cinema.