This new iPhone VFX app is already blowing minds
These renders are so real and interactive that you could be fooled into thinking they're in the room with you.
Key takeaways
- Simulon, an iOS app currently in invite-only beta, aims to offer studio-quality VFX and AR capabilities to iPhone users, allowing digital objects to be placed in the real world live with no need for a complex set-up.
- Few details have been released, but Simulon's founder Divesh Naidoo has begun sharing initial tests online.
- In the second example Naidoo notes that some objects in the radiance field are not real.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2023) 'This new iPhone VFX app is already blowing minds', 311 Institute, 26 September. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/this-new-iphone-vfx-app-is-already-blowing-minds/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
It looks like CGI filmmaking is about to get a whole lot more accessible. Simulon, an iOS app currently in invite-only beta, aims to offer studio-quality VFX and AR capabilities to iPhone users, allowing digital objects to be placed in the real world live with no need for a complex set-up.
Few details have been released, but Simulon's founder Divesh Naidoo has begun sharing initial tests online. Many observers are stunned that the videos were created using one of the best camera phones rather than a studio setup or even a laptop.
Post on X
Dataset generated with @Simulon + 3D Gaussian Splatting = real-time interactive Radiance Field with digital objects placed in the real world, running at 250fps 🤯 pic.twitter.com/CErOP6iq2G
Divesh Naidoo (@diveshnaidoo) August 21, 2023
Naidoo says that he made the videos you can see featuring Unity's Adam robot "with a live in-camera preview and auto-exposure matching, no camera solve, no HDRI capture and no manual compositing setup.”
To create the dataset, he used the Simulon iPhone app to place digital objects in the real world and render them with accurate lighting, shadows and reflections.
In the second example Naidoo notes that some objects in the radiance field are not real. He says the robot is a 3D asset from the Mech Squad Collection, while the desk and rug are from Megascans and the chrome and glass balls were added in to "test the quality of view-dependent render effects."
Twitter has been knocked over by the initial results.
Post on X
Over the next days I will be posting a few experiments with @Simulon's new workflow for photorealistic VFX video production. The video below was made with a live in-camera preview and auto-exposure matching, no camera solve, no HDRI capture and no manual compositing setup. pic.twitter.com/Odp6hmC6Iz
Divesh Naidoo (@diveshnaidoo) August 22, 2023
"Hard to believe this isn't a hand-made render and compositing," one person responded, "You don't have any defects and you see perfectly what's behind."
"Man, isn't it wild how it actually casts a shadow when the camera swings behind it?" someone else wrote.
Simulon says it wants to "see the capabilities of a Hollywood production studio in the hands of an independent creator with access to consumer hardware," and you can apply to register for the beta at the Simulon website.
What this means for your organisation
Production costs collapse.
Effects that once needed a studio and compositing team can now be made live on a phone. That brings high-end visuals within reach of small teams. Marketing budgets can stretch much further.
Product content can be virtual.
Firms can place products in real settings without shipping them or building sets. Shoppable video and catalogues become faster to make. Test virtual product shots against real ones.
Trust in footage weakens.
If renders look real, viewers will find it harder to know what is genuine. Brands need clear rules on disclosing digital content. Plan how you will prove your footage is authentic.
Three questions for your next leadership meeting
- How much of our visual content could be made on a phone?
- Could virtual product shots replace costly photo shoots?
- How will we label digital objects in our content?
The trends and technologies behind this story
From the 311 Starburst, the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit’s map of the technologies and trends shaping the next 50 years.
Analysis by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit, from Matthew Griffin’s article and 311 data. First published on Fanatical Futurist.
FAQ
Why does this matter?
These renders are so real and interactive that you could be fooled into thinking they're in the room with you.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, President and Futurist, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
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Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 17-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder, President and Futurist of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity programme, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
What future do you need to see?
Choose one to get started on virtual worlds and the future of your organisation.
Sources and further reading
- View on X → twitter.com
- View on X → twitter.com
- Betatest simulon.typeform.com
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 26 September 2023. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2023). This new iPhone VFX app is already blowing minds. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/this-new-iphone-vfx-app-is-already-blowing-minds/
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