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Half-SBS vs Full-SBS: The Real Difference

Both are side-by-side 3D. The difference is resolution math — and it decides whether your 3D looks crisp or mushy.

Side-by-side 3D stores the left and right eye views next to each other in one frame. The question is always: how many pixels does each eye get?

Half-SBSFull-SBS
Frame (1080p source)1920×1080 total3840×1080 total
Per-eye resolution960×1080 (squeezed)1920×1080 (full)
Quality on headsetSofter, visible horizontal stretchNative sharp
File size / bandwidthSmall — good for streaming~2× bigger
Typical sourceTV broadcasts, streaming servicesConversions, local players, VR

Which should you use?

Converting photos or videos for a headset: always Full-SBS. Headsets have plenty of pixels (Quest 3 ≈ 2064×2208 per eye) — there's no reason to throw half of them away.

Replaying old broadcast recordings: they're Half-SBS at the source; players unsqueeze them automatically. Nothing to do.

💡 DepthSnap always exports Full-SBS at the original resolution — each eye keeps every pixel of your photo.
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