When you compare 3D virtual tours and Google Street View Virtual Tours, you might think they’re both 3D models. That’s one of the most common misconceptions I hear about. Most people don’t know the difference between 3D and 2D virtual tours.
2D vs 3D Virtual Tours
Just because you move around inside a virtual tour doesn’t mean it’s 3D. Yes, you can move around in a 3D virtual tour—and 3D tours do exist. Remember, though, the “D” stands for dimension. Unless a tour includes information about depth or distance (depth of field, in photography terms), it’s not a true 3D experience.
Almost all virtual tours use a single camera viewpoint. That single perspective makes them 2D. For a tour to be truly 3D, you’d need two camera lenses spaced apart like your eyes. This setup lets you judge distance and depth naturally.
Here’s the cool part: our brains are fantastic at judging how far apart objects are—even with just two dimensions. We don’t need 3D to feel immersed in a good virtual tour image.
If you’re interested in the technical side, 3D image creation is much more complex. The main difference is you have to account for an effect called parallax.
Defining Parallax
So what’s parallax? Try looking at something nearby, making sure you see something further away in the background. Cover one eye with your hand, then swap and cover the other eye. Do you see things in your view appear to shift? The background changes as you switch eyes. That’s parallax.
Imagine trying to recreate that effect with a camera. To do so, you’d use a 3D camera, basically two cameras spaced like your eyes. That’s what’s needed to capture true 3D. The next step? Publishing the content. You have to double all the content, which means more data to download and display. This effect only works properly if you use a VR headset.
Desktop vs Mobile Virtual Tours
Displaying these tours on a desktop gets tricky. If you’re on a mobile device, a slow or patchy internet connection can make the experience unpredictable.
I like 3D—it’s amazing and feels more immersive than 2D. But when you factor in the technical challenges, it just doesn’t make sense for most business uses, at least not yet. Maybe one day, when high-speed internet is universal, it’ll be more practical. Until then, keep in mind you’ll pay extra for the added work in capturing and publishing full 3D content.
Focus on Value and User Experience with Google Street View
For now, let’s keep things simple, affordable, and user-friendly. Google Street View is totally 2D. Most people don’t mind. You see what you need, and it helps you learn about new places.
You’ll notice I haven’t talked about video here—that’s another topic, and many people confuse video with virtual tours. That’s best left to another post about virtual tour hosting.
So, when people mention virtual tours, remember: most are not 3D. For nearly every purpose, 2D is still the better option.