SPZ File Viewer Online
Preview .spz compressed Gaussian Splatting scenes in your browser — Niantic SPZ format, full quality, no upload.
Last updated Mar 2026
Convert SPZ Gaussian Splatting
What You Should Know
What Is the SPZ Format?
SPZ is a compressed Gaussian Splatting format developed by Niantic and aligned with the Khronos Group's emerging 3DGS standard. SPZ preserves full spherical harmonics data while achieving up to 90% file size reduction compared to raw PLY, through a combination of quantization and gzip compression. A PLY file of 500 MB typically compresses to around 50 MB in SPZ. SPZ is designed to be the standard interchange format for 3DGS content — the ".glTF of Gaussian Splatting" — making it the right choice for archiving, web delivery, and cross-platform sharing.
Why SPZ Is the Recommended Web Format
SPZ strikes a balance that other 3DGS formats do not achieve simultaneously: it is small (10x smaller than PLY), it always preserves spherical harmonics, and it is based on an open, documented specification backed by Niantic and the Khronos ecosystem. If you are deciding which format to store or share your 3DGS captures in, SPZ is the practical answer. It is suitable for archiving (preserves SH), web embedding (compact size), and future compatibility (standardization trajectory). This viewer renders SPZ with full SH data, so view-dependent color effects appear correctly.
Opening SPZ Files Across Different Tools
SPZ support is growing rapidly but is not yet universal. Native desktop tools that support SPZ include Niantic's own Lightship platform tools and software adopting the Khronos 3DGS extension. For tools that do not yet support SPZ, you can convert SPZ back to PLY using our SPZ to PLY converter — the conversion is lossless in terms of Gaussian count, with minor precision differences from quantization. For web sharing where SPZ is not yet accepted, converting to SPLAT maintains broad compatibility.
SPZ From Scaniverse to Your Browser
The most common path to an SPZ file is through Niantic's Scaniverse app: scan a location with your phone, and Scaniverse exports the 3DGS scene directly as SPZ. This viewer is one of the fastest ways to open that file on your desktop without installing any software. Simply drag and drop the exported SPZ and you will see the full scene with view-dependent color effects intact. If you need to share the scene further or convert it for other tools, our SPZ converters handle SPZ to PLY (for desktop editing), SPZ to SPLAT (for broader viewer support), and SPZ to KSPLAT (for Three.js streaming).