ILM Unveils 2 Immersive Experiences for Meta VR Glasses at Connect 2026

Q: How exactly will spatial audio and peripheral effects trick your brain into stepping directly inside the Star Wars universe?

It works by exploiting the brain’s normal cues for “where” and “how close” a sound is, then syncing those cues with visual spillover at the edges of your view. ILM has not disclosed its exact technical pipeline, but its description of Disney Immersive Cinema points to a familiar VR formula: object-based spatial audio plus environmental effects layered around the film. Spatial audio makes a TIE fighter scream from behind your left shoulder, a lightsaber hum stay fixed near the character holding it, or a blast echo as if it is bouncing off a hangar wall. Your brain localizes those sounds by tiny differences in timing, loudness and tone between your ears, especially when head tracking updates the mix as you turn. That is what makes audio feel “pinned” to the Star Wars world rather than to your headphones. Peripheral effects do the visual half of the trick. ILM says selected scenes will extend into the viewer’s surroundings, which likely means lighting changes, particles, atmospheric effects or set extensions appearing around the main movie frame. Even subtle motion or flashes in the edges of vision can increase presence because peripheral vision is highly sensitive to movement and spatial context. The result is not that you literally enter the movie, but that your sensory system is given enough consistent cues to accept the illusion. That fits ILM’s stated goal: keep the film central, and use immersive tech to deepen engagement rather than replace the story.

3 articles · Updated · ilm.com · Sep 24

Industrial Light & Magic introduced Disney Immersive Cinema and National Geographic: Beyond, two projects in development for Meta VR Glasses and Meta Quest 3 and 3S.
Disney Immersive Cinema keeps the original films intact while extending key scenes into the viewer’s surroundings; its first titles are Star Wars: A New Hope and Avengers: Infinity War.
National Geographic: Beyond uses stereoscopic 180-degree footage shot in Africa to place viewers amid wildlife and landscapes, aiming to make familiar nature storytelling feel newly immediate.
Meta Connect 2026 framed both releases as ILM’s latest test of immersive storytelling, with the studio saying the technology should deepen presence without overtaking the story; release details are still pending.