SOUL RETREAT - 3D NATURE UPDATE - PRESS INFO

Real landscapes scanned in 3D with LiDAR, with water that flows and leaves that move. Nature on Quest has never felt this alive.

EMBARGOED UNTIL THURSDAY 8 OCTOBER 2026. Please don't post or describe the update before then.


WHAT'S NEW

Soul Retreat's biggest update yet arrives on 8 October: Enhanced 3D. Places are rebuilt from LiDAR scans of the real location, so every rock, cliff and slope has its true shape and scale, while the water runs and the leaves move just as they did when it was captured. Lean or take a step and the nearby rocks slide past the ones behind, as if you were really there, not looking at a 360 video wrapped around you. At launch, the depth was right for the ground, which works on a beach. Enhanced 3D gets waterfalls and mountains right too, all on a standalone Quest 3.

- Three new Enhanced 3D environments:
  - Soaso Falls, Spain: epic tiered waterfalls
  - Iffigalp, Switzerland: high alpine mountain peak
  - Escuain Gorge, Spain: densely wooded canyon
- Four existing environments rebuilt in Enhanced 3D: Acherito, Aneto, La Besurta and Portalet

"Scanned scenes usually look solid but frozen, and 360 video moves but is flat. We wanted both: the real shape of the place, and the water and leaves moving just as they did the day we were there. I think it's now the most lifelike nature you can see on Quest." - Ben Gillett, Founder


WHAT IS SOUL RETREAT

Soul Retreat is a nature relaxation app for Meta Quest 3 / 3S. Sit by white-sand beaches, mountain lakes, rivers and waterfalls in photoreal nature, captured on location in the Swiss Alps, the Scottish Highlands and the Pyrenees, and simply be there. Or let an AI mindfulness guide lead you through personalised stories and meditations, calming music and guided breathing to help you unwind, sleep better or focus. You can talk to your guide, who remembers what works for you, and sessions adapt to how you feel and where you are.


TRYING IT

- Press and creators: email support@soulretreat.app for a free lifetime key, and include your Meta account email so I can give you the update before 8 October
- The three new places, Soaso Falls, Iffigalp and Escuain Gorge, need downloading first: open the menu, choose Environments, then select each one. Each is about 1 GB
- Acherito, Aneto, La Besurta and Portalet are now Enhanced 3D too. Already downloaded? Point at it in Environments, hold for 2 seconds to delete, then download it again
- Talk to your guide. It's the best thing to show after the 3D: double tap your thumb on your index finger (or hold A on a controller) and ask for anything. Try "Tell me a story about a talking wildcat", "Make it sunset", "Take me to Soaso Falls" or "Create a meditation about easing shoulder tension"


SHOWING IT'S REALLY 3D

- Look straight ahead and step or lean left and right. Nearby rocks slide past the mountains behind them, as they would if you were really there. This is the clearest thing to film
- Crouch and reach for the ground near your feet. It is where it looks, at the right distance
- With controllers you can glide a couple of metres instead of stepping: Profile > Settings > Advanced > Controllers > Thumbstick Move: On, then push the left thumbstick left and right
- For comparison, switch to 360 Video and do the same side step: the whole scene moves with you, like a picture pinned to your head. Profile > Settings > Advanced > Visitor Setup, then select View until it shows 360 Video. The difference is obvious in the headset but harder to see in a recording unless you manage to keep looking in exactly the same direction


CONTROLS

- Menu. Hands: tap the button on the back of your wrist. Controllers: press B
- Choose. Hands: point and pinch. Controllers: pull the trigger
- Turn around. Hands: make a loose fist with your thumb up and swipe it left or right. Controllers: push the thumbstick
- Talk to your guide (Plus). Hands: double tap your thumb on your index finger. Controllers: hold A while you speak
- Time of day. Hands: slide your thumb forward or back along your index finger, then swipe again to confirm. Controllers: hold the grip and tilt


FACTS

Price:               Free to download. Free includes 3 environments: Carnish Beach, Glen Coe and a weekly featured one, always in Enhanced 3D. Unlimited use
Soul Retreat Plus:   All environments, an AI mindfulness guide you can speak to, more personalised stories and meditations. $6.99 a month, $34.99 a year, or $69.99 once for lifetime
Platform:            Meta Quest 3 / 3S
Environments:        16, including 7 in Enhanced 3D
Players:             Over 28,000 installs, 4.6-star average rating on the Meta Horizon Store (September 2026)
Released:            5 February 2026, in Early Access on the Meta Horizon Store
Comfort:             Sitting, standing or lying down. Hand tracking or controllers
Internet:            Not required once environments are downloaded. The AI guide and voice chat need a connection
Store:               https://www.meta.com/experiences/soul-retreat-relax-meditate-in-nature/28320567507558672/
Website:             https://soulretreat.app


IN THIS PRESS KIT

Everything here may be used in coverage of Soul Retreat.

Trailer: https://youtu.be/NI8X0Vkghh8 (from 0:09, as the camera moves across the stream in Escuain Gorge, the nearer parts of the rock slide past the parts behind, so you can see its real shape, which a 360 video can't do)
Screenshots: folder Screenshots, named by place. Soaso Falls, Iffigalp, Acherito and Aneto are Enhanced 3D; Glen Coe and Carnish Beach are free
Key art and logos: folders Key Art and Logos (PNG, plus SVG logos in black and white)


ABOUT

Soul Retreat Labs is an Edinburgh studio making Soul Retreat, a VR app for relaxing in nature. It is a wellbeing app, not a medical device.

Ben Gillett, Founder, is a product designer who sold his previous company to Apple and spent ten years there.
"When stress became hard to ignore, I looked for reliable ways to relax. I created Soul Retreat so that pause is easy to reach when you need it."

Ignacio Ferrando Margeli, Environment Capture Director, is an award-winning cinematographer whose 360° work includes projects for National Geographic. He and Ben trek into remote landscapes with the capture gear on their backs to film and scan each location.


CONTACT

Ben Gillett, support@soulretreat.app
Questions and interviews welcome.
Discord: https://discord.gg/zSJQfxaEdk
