We’re happy to share the second round of winners for Render the Metaverse, a three-month long 360º stereo-panoramic contest we kicked off in April in conjunction with OTOY. View and download the winning images for the month of May here.

The June winners include:

Mini Metaverse by Javier Leon



Link to low-resolution preview

Link to high-resolution stereo cubemaps

John Carmack: “Basically sticking your head inside a dollhouse is eye-stretching stereo, but there were so many charming touches everywhere you looked in this panorama; I didn’t even notice the NES hiding in the shadows until the third time I looked at it.”

Alex Ross: “This was a very charming concept. Having a close-up look at a miniature room environment feels fresh for where the VR realm can go. It took a special eye for miniature furniture detail to get this right.”

Jules Urbach: “Beautiful. This scene plays with the viewer’s sense of scale, while wonderfully preserving a sense of realism and presence. I was completely transported through the looking glass.”

Neon Buddha by Miksim Loginov



Link to low-resolution preview

Link to high-resolution stereo cubemaps

John Carmack: “Accurate glossy reflections is one of the areas that still comes up short in real time rendering today. This image runs with it as a primary theme, really taking advantage of the ray traced rendering.”

Alex Ross: “This is the Electric Light Orchestra album I’d love to see done. It’s absolutely a beautiful graphic design of room structure and bright vivid colors. This environment transports me through time to a ‘70s album cover paradise.”

Jules Urbach: “The colors and lighting are lush and vivid, yet balanced and attenuated in just the right way to deliver a sense of Zen in VR. It made this entry stand out uniquely to me.”

Two Sides by Stefan Haberkorn



Link to low-resolution preview

Link to high-resolution stereo cubemaps

John Carmack: “I’m not sure what is going on here, but it looks amazing!”

Alex Ross: “Rich in detail and concept, this design shows a transition between the grounded and the surreal. Sometimes the more time it takes you to study the details in a piece increases the appreciation of the imagination it took to create it.”

Jules Urbach: “I was impressed by the creativity and originality behind the composition of this scene. It came across as a truly novel and artful blending of the abstract and the real.”

You can view the winning submissions using your Gear VR by launching Oculus 360 Photos. Make sure to check out new entries in the gallery as the contest continues through July.

Along with the Render the Metaverse entries, we’re continuing to add new 360 panoramic images every week, so check back regularly for new content.

Congratulations to all the June winners!

— The Oculus team