IMAX App and Certification Set for Meta VR Glasses

Meta VR Glasses will become the first VR device with IMAX Enhanced certification, while an updated IMAX app is planned for the glasses’ spring 2027 debut. IMAX Corporation and Meta announced the agreement on November 10, 2026.

The app will provide a virtual theatre environment for watching IMAX Enhanced content at home or on the go. Selected titles will use IMAX’s Expanded Aspect Ratios, alongside optimized picture and immersive sound. IMAX has not named films, confirmed participating services or announced an app price.

What IMAX Enhanced certification covers

IMAX Enhanced is a certification program for devices and content, not a separate film format. IMAX operates it with audio partner DTS. The company’s certified display and audio-device partners include Sony, Hisense, TCL and LG. Its content is hosted by services including Disney+ and Sony Pictures Core on Amazon Prime Video.

Meta VR Glasses will be the program’s first VR device. IMAX’s announcement describes the agreement as part of its expansion through new technologies and experiences, including live events, in-vehicle entertainment and VR. Rich Gelfond, IMAX chief executive, said Meta was taking a new step in immersive entertainment and that IMAX’s brand and technology could differentiate emerging devices.

Expanded aspect ratio and virtual viewing

The clearest published example comes from Disney+’s IMAX Enhanced launch on November 12, 2021. The service added 13 Marvel films, including Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings, Iron Man, Guardians of the Galaxy, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Captain America: Civil War, Doctor Strange, Thor: Ragnarok, Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, Ant-Man and The Wasp, Captain Marvel, Avengers: Endgame and Black Widow. Content availability varies by region.

Disney’s announcement defines the Expanded Aspect Ratio as 1.90:1, offering up to 26% more picture for selected sequences. The amount depends on how each film was shot. Disney’s announcement also describes future enhanced audio and visual technology for Disney+, including immersive IMAX signature sound by DTS.

On a television, the wider image can reduce black bars. A virtual screen has no fixed physical shape, so the practical effect on Meta VR Glasses remains unclear. Neither company has said how large the app’s virtual screen will be, how it will handle films that change ratio during a scene, or whether DTS audio features will carry over.

Content, pricing and device limits

IMAX’s IMAX Enhanced in VR information says to watch for titles coming through selected streaming and device partners. Disney+ is a possible candidate because it has offered IMAX Enhanced titles since 2021 and appeared in Meta’s launch material for the glasses, but neither company has confirmed support. No extra charge for IMAX Enhanced versions has been announced.

As announced, the agreement names no Meta device other than the glasses. Quest 3 and Quest 3S are not included. Meta’s separate film plans for those headsets involve a limited group of 3D films, mostly Disney-owned, appearing in its TV app for purchase without a Disney+ subscription. UploadVR reported that these titles arrived ahead of Meta’s promise of “hundreds” of rentals and purchases for US Quest owners this year. A leaked screen also suggested some films could move into a renamed Meta VR Plus subscription. Those plans do not involve IMAX.

Meta first described the glasses as IMAX Enhanced certified in its September 23, 2026 product announcement. VR.org News reported that the November agreement added confirmation from IMAX, the dedicated app and the spring 2027 timing.