Gracia debuts volumetric video streaming for Apple Vision Pro via 4DGS

This launch addresses the strategic content vacuum on Apple Vision Pro by transitioning from limited-perspective spatial video to true volumetric streaming. For the broader industry, Gracia’s 4DGS compression validates that photorealistic 3D human performances can be delivered over consumer broadband without multi-gigabyte downloads. By linking WebXR, game engines, and native visionOS apps, the move marks a pivot toward interoperable spatial content delivery that bypasses traditional hardware silos. Watch for whether Apple moves to integrate similar volumetric streaming protocols natively into visionOS 3.0 to compete with third-party codecs.

The rollout of the Gracia 4DGS Viewer coincides with a broader industry push to standardize volumetric data compression. As of early 2026, organizations like MPEG have been refining Gaussian Splat Coding (GSC) standards, specifically within the ISO/IEC 23090-5 framework, to enable interoperability between diverse capture studios and playback devices. Per a June 2025 report from Research and Markets, the volumetric video sector is projected to reach $13.87 billion by 2030, with software-driven compression identified as the primary catalyst for commercial scalability. This growth is increasingly fueled by the 31.3% CAGR of the wider immersive media market.

Simultaneous developments in the hardware landscape are further driving this demand. According to IDC shipment data from February 2026, while early Apple Vision Pro sales faced headwinds due to the $3,499 price point, the ecosystem is bracing for a 33.5% surge in total XR device shipments this year. This expansion is supported by the June 2026 entry of Samsung’s Galaxy XR headset and rumors of a lower-cost Apple HMD targeted for late 2026. These devices rely on mature WebGPU and WebXR implementations, which Gracia utilized for its initial March 2026 browser-based streaming launch.

Furthermore, the competitive landscape for volumetric content has seen significant M&A activity. Per a February 2026 analysis from DataM Intelligence, several major cloud providers acquired 3D compression startups in late 2025 to integrate volumetric processing into edge computing nodes. This infrastructure shift aims to lower latencies for live sports and interactive broadcasting, mirroring the technical benchmarks set by Gracia’s 80 Mbps requirement. The convergence of these standards and lower-cost hardware suggests that 4DGS is moving from experimental R&D into a production-ready streaming tier.