Immersive 3D experiences what the word covers and how to check a claim

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The word immersive is used for very different things. This guide sets out what each one lets the visitor do, so you can compare quotes that use the same word.

Guide

An immersive 3D experience is one where the visitor feels they are inside the space. The word is used for four formats. In a 360° tour, the visitor stands at fixed spots. In a real-time walkthrough, the visitor walks freely and can change the room.

Both are sold as immersive, and the difference matters to the price and to what your buyer can do. This guide explains each format in plain terms, how to tell which one a studio is offering, and which one suits a project. We build all four at our studio in Mumbai, so the comparison is from people who make them, and it is meant to help you choose.

In short

01
Ask what the visitor can do
Look around, move between fixed spots, walk anywhere, or change the room. Each step up is a different format.
02
Ask where it runs
A phone browser, a PC or touchscreen, a VR headset, or a streamed link. The answer shows what was built.
03
Ask to try it
A real-time walkthrough can be demonstrated live. If the demo is a video, ask why.
04
Compare like with like
A quote for a 360° tour and a quote for a real-time build are for different things.

Seen in practice

The formats below, as we have built them: a configurable walkthrough, a VR garden and rendered interiors.

Dollhouse overview from the interactive real-time walkthrough

Interactive WalkthroughReal-time configurable architectural walkthrough

Garden entry from the outdoor VR walkthrough

Garden WalkthroughOutdoor architectural vr & seaside landscape

A lounge in an Aurum private home, 3D interior render

Private Homes — AurumInterior rendering & visualisation

All immersive work

The four formats sold as immersive

Each row lets the visitor do more than the one above it, and takes more work to build.

Format	What the visitor does	Runs on
Walkthrough film	Watches a fixed route through the space	Any screen
360° tour	Stands at fixed spots, looks around, clicks to the next spot	Phone or computer browser
VR walkthrough	Stands inside the space at real size in a headset	VR headset
Real-time interactive walkthrough	Walks anywhere and changes furniture, finishes, lighting or themes	PC, touchscreen, headset or a streamed link

Standing at a spot: the 360° tour

A 360° tour is a set of panoramic images joined together. At each spot, the visitor can turn and look in every direction. To move, they click the next spot. Between spots, there is a jump or a short fade, because there is nothing in between.

It is a useful tool. It opens on any phone, needs no app and is quick to share. It can be photographed in a finished space or rendered for one that is not built. But the visitor cannot walk to a spot that was not captured, and cannot change anything in the room. Our 360° virtual tours page explains it in full.

Walking freely: the real-time walkthrough

In a real-time walkthrough, the picture is drawn by the computer as the visitor moves, the way a video game works. The visitor can walk to any point, look from any height and stay as long as they like. Because the space is a live 3D model, it can also change: a different sofa, a different floor, evening light, or a different theme for an event hall.

We build these in Unreal Engine. They run on a PC or a touchscreen, in a VR headset, or are streamed to a browser. Our interactive walkthrough page has the detail.

How to check a claim

When a studio offers an immersive experience, these questions show which format it is:

Can the visitor walk to any point, or only to fixed spots?
Can the visitor change anything in the space? What, exactly?
What does it run on: a phone browser, a PC, a headset or a streamed link?
Is the picture drawn live, or is it made of images or a video?
Can I try a live demo of something you have built, on my own device?
Who will be able to change it after handover, and how?

Which one fits your project

If buyers will see it on a phone from a link, a 360° tour or a film is the right tool. If they will spend time in a sales office or experience centre, a real-time walkthrough gives them more to do. If they must choose between options, such as finishes in a flat or themes in a banquet hall, only a real-time build lets them see each one.

For event halls and weddings, see interactive 3D banquet halls. For homes, see the apartment configurator.

What moves the price

This page does not publish a rate card, because projects differ. A quote follows a brief. In general, a film is priced by length, a 360° tour by viewpoint, and a real-time walkthrough per project. The real-time build costs the most, because every room, item and option has to be modelled, made interactive and tested on the devices it will run on. Streaming it to a browser adds a running cost. The interactive walkthrough cost guide explains how to read the quote.

Questions

Is a 360° virtual tour immersive?

It is often called immersive. The visitor can look around in every direction, but only from fixed spots, and cannot walk freely or change anything. A real-time walkthrough lets the visitor do both.

What is the difference between a 360° tour and a 3D walkthrough?

A 360° tour is a set of panoramic images joined by clicks. A real-time 3D walkthrough is a live 3D model the visitor moves through freely and can change. A walkthrough film is a fixed route.

What is an immersive walkthrough in real estate?

It usually means a real-time or VR walkthrough of an unbuilt flat or villa, where the buyer moves through the rooms and may change finishes and furniture. Some studios use the term for 360° tours.

Do I need a VR headset for an immersive experience?

No. A real-time walkthrough runs on a PC, a touchscreen or a streamed browser link. A headset is an option for buyers who want to stand inside the space at real size.

How much does an immersive 3D experience cost in India?

It depends on the format. A 360° tour is quoted per viewpoint and a real-time walkthrough per project. The real-time build costs more because every item and option has to be modelled and tested.

Can an immersive experience be used for events and banquet halls?

Yes. A banquet hall can be built as a real-time model where the client switches themes and moves furniture, or shown as a 360° tour in each theme.