Watching soccer in mixed reality: gimmick or real added value?
A free mixed reality app from sports streaming service DAZN aims to take the soccer experience to the next level. We tried it out on Quest 3.
View of the virtual sports broadcast including 3D simulation of the action.
(Image: DAZN)
How can mixed reality enrich soccer viewing? Meta and DAZN explored this question this summer by streaming the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 on the Meta Quest and enhancing the experience with immersive content and features.
Users can watch the matches on a large-format digital screen, view live stats for teams and individual players, and activate an interactive 3D pitch projection. Some final matches were also streamed live in 180 degrees for an immersive soccer experience.
Even though the tournament is now over, all 63 matches, including digital functions, are still available in the app with the unwieldy name “DAZN: FIFA Club World Cup XR Experience.”
One major restriction remains: The app is currently only available to Quest users in the USA, where the tournament took place. We tried it out with the help of a VPN to find out whether and what local soccer fans are missing out on.
From live stream to 3D match analysis
The soccer app uses passthrough to overlay the real environment. The sporting experience therefore always takes place within your own four walls. There are no virtual environments or stadium backdrops.
The digital screen with the classic center-pitch perspective floats freely in space and can be positioned as desired, but cannot be zoomed in or out. The picture quality of the stream is good and is estimated to be equivalent to a 1080p stream.
If desired, an additional screen can be activated to show either the Spotlight or Sky Cam view. Also optional are the side information windows, which display live statistics for both teams and individual players. Team statistics such as ball possession, shots on goal, offside, and fouls appear on the left. The line-up is displayed on the right, with player stats such as goals, assists, passes, and fouls.
(Image:Â DAZN / Meta)
The real highlight of the mixed reality app is the tabletop view. When you activate it, you see a miniature 3D representation of the pitch and players right in front of you in the room. The digital mini footballers mirror the movements of their real-life counterparts with astonishing accuracy and are precisely synchronized with the action on the screen. The simulation does not go so far as to visually distinguish individual players. All figures look the same, but the name of the player with the ball is automatically displayed, as are possible passing options to nearby teammates.
Immersive content in the usual poor quality
The tabletop view is only available afterwards and not during the live stream. It is therefore aimed at soccer enthusiasts interested in tactics who want to analyze matches retrospectively.
In this overview, you can follow the positional play of individual players, identify chains of errors, and see how high the defensive line is. Apart from that, it is simply fun to lean over the virtual pitch and watch the action on the pitch from a bird's-eye view. Significant game events such as shots on goal, fouls, and throw-ins are highlighted with markers so that you can jump directly to the relevant scenes.
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In contrast, the immersive content in 180- and 360-degree format is disappointing. The 360-degree recordings show, among other things, the arrival of the team buses, short scenes from the edge of the pitch, glimpses of the fan stands, and excerpts from the closing ceremony. However, there is no sense of immersion, as the image resolution is too low for this. The same applies to the 180-degree video feed of the final matches. The changing, uncontrollable perspectives, for example, from the goal area, are attractive in themselves, but the poor picture quality does not invite you to watch for longer. Both formats do without stereoscopy and therefore without the 3D effect that is crucial for immersion.
Conclusion: (still) more for technology enthusiasts
The app provides a glimpse into the future of immersive sports streaming. The central question is: does mixed reality offer enough added value to put on VR glasses, or are similar functions on smartphones and tablets enough? After our test, we tend to favor the latter. However, the app can still be worthwhile for tech-savvy soccer fans.
VR goggles are only likely to become a real game changer when they can transport sports fans virtually into the stadium in convincing quality and depth. And become more convenient. The partnership between DAZN and Meta is probably no coincidence: according to reports, Meta is working on ultra-compact MR glasses that are specially designed for sports broadcasts and media consumption and could be launched on the market in 2026.
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If you want to try out the mixed reality app, you have to overcome a few technical hurdles, which are described below.
First, you have to install a VPN service on the Meta Quest via sideloading. If this is set to a US location, the app can be downloaded from the Horizon Store. The first time you start the app, you will be asked to create a DAZN account. It is important to specify the USA as the location. Although the app then prompts you to set up a paid subscription, you can ignore this window. After confirming the account by email, access to all content in the app should be enabled. Important: The VPN service must remain active while using the app.
(mack)
