RealityScan for PC: How to Download & Install on Windows

Introduction

If you want to turn a real object into a 3D model by photographing it from every angle, RealityScan is the free tool that does it at a professional level. It is a photogrammetry program from Epic Games, formerly called RealityCapture until it was rebranded in June 2025, that takes a set of overlapping photos and reconstructs a detailed, textured 3D model from them. It is free for individuals, educators, students and companies with less than 1 million US dollars in annual gross revenue. There is no payment for those users, but you do need a free Epic Games account, and you download it through the Epic Games Launcher. The download from the official RealityScan site is the complete program.

This guide explains what RealityScan is, what it can and cannot do, what your PC needs to run it, and how to download and install it from the official website only. You will also get a first-use walkthrough that takes you from installation to a working result in a few minutes. By the end, you should be able to install RealityScan on Windows and use it in a real project.

RealityScan is best for scanning real objects into 3D, game assets from photos, and cultural heritage digitisation. Because it is free and legitimate, you do not need a cracked copy or an unknown download site. The official website provides the installer, and the free version is a real, permanent tool, not a short trial.

What Is RealityScan?

RealityScan is a free photogrammetry program that you install on your PC for turning photos into 3D models. In simple terms, it is a program where you take many overlapping photos of an object or a place, load them into RealityScan, and it works out where each photo was taken from, builds a dense point cloud, then a mesh, then a textured model that you can export to a game engine or a 3D program. You can also feed it laser scan data, and it handles aerial photos for surveying and mapping work.

What makes RealityScan useful is its speed and its quality. It is one of the fastest photogrammetry tools available, it produces very detailed meshes with clean textures, and the free tier is the full version, not a resolution-limited edition, for everyone under the revenue threshold. The current version is RealityScan 2.1, released in November 2025. Two honest notes: it needs an NVIDIA graphics card with CUDA support and at least 8 GB of RAM, so older or integrated-graphics PCs will struggle, and it only runs on Windows, in English only. Companies above the 1 million dollar threshold pay 1,250 US dollars per seat per year.

Key Features

Photos to 3D models: Turns sets of overlapping photos into detailed, textured 3D models automatically.
Laser scan support: Accepts laser scan data alongside photos, for surveying and heritage work.
Very fast reconstruction: One of the fastest photogrammetry tools available, with GPU-accelerated processing.
High-detail meshes: Produces dense, detailed meshes with clean UVs and textures, ready for games and VFX.
Aerial photo support: Handles drone and aerial photos for mapping, surveying and large scenes.
FBX and OBJ export: Exports models in FBX, OBJ and other formats for Unity, Unreal, Blender and more.
Command-line automation: A command-line interface and SDK let you automate large capture jobs.
Free under 1 million dollars: Free for individuals, educators, students and companies under 1 million dollars in annual revenue.

System Requirements

Operating System: Windows 10 or Windows 11, 64-bit
Processor: A modern quad-core processor or better
RAM: At least 8 GB of RAM for basic use, 16 GB or more recommended for large photo sets
Storage: Around 4 GB of free disk space for the program, plus room for photos and models
Graphics: An NVIDIA graphics card with CUDA 3.0 support and at least 1 GB of VRAM
Other: A free Epic Games account, a camera or phone for photos, and a stable internet connection

These are practical, modern Windows guidelines, not a word-for-word copy of an official specification table. The most important point is simple: RealityScan is designed for normal Windows PCs, and a modest modern computer is enough to start.

How to Download RealityScan (Official Method)

The only safe place to download RealityScan is the official website. Do not download it from random file mirrors or "free download" portals, because those copies may be outdated or bundled with unwanted software. The official site is the source of truth for the current version.

Official download link: https://www.realityscan.com

On the official RealityScan website, download the Epic Games Launcher, then install RealityScan from inside the launcher. RealityScan is distributed through the Epic Games Launcher and the Epic Developer Portal, not as a standalone installer, so install the launcher first. You need a free Epic Games account to sign in. If a site asks you to pay for RealityScan itself, or offers a cracked version of it, leave that site and return to the official RealityScan page.

Step-by-Step Installation

Follow these steps in order. Take your time with the install location and component choices, because those are the steps that most often cause problems later.

Download the Epic Games Launcher — Open https://www.realityscan.com in your browser and download the Epic Games Launcher to your Downloads folder.
Install the launcher — Double-click the downloaded launcher installer and follow the on-screen prompts on your Windows PC.
Create a free Epic Games account — Create a free Epic Games account, or sign in if you already have one. The account itself is free.
Find RealityScan in the launcher — Open the Epic Games Launcher, search for RealityScan, and open its page.
Install RealityScan — Click Install and wait for the download to finish. The program is around 4 GB in total.
Sign in and confirm the licence — Sign in with your Epic Games account when RealityScan asks, and confirm the free licence for your use.
Confirm the first launch — RealityScan opens with its project workspace. Click through any welcome screens and confirm you can start a new project.

Tip: RealityScan only comes through the Epic Games Launcher, so install the launcher first and find RealityScan inside it. It needs an NVIDIA graphics card with CUDA support, so check your GPU before you start a big photo set. Take many overlapping photos of your object, because the quality of the model depends on the photos.

First-Use Walkthrough: Your First Photo Scan

This walkthrough is a simple first project. It is not a full course, but it will help you see RealityScan working on a real project and learn its main tools.

Open RealityScan and start a project — Open the program and create a new project for your first scan.
Photograph a small object — Take 30 to 50 overlapping photos of a small object, such as a shoe, from every angle.
Add the photos to the project — Import the photos into RealityScan and confirm it can read them all.
Align the photos — Run the alignment step and check that RealityScan found the camera positions for most of the photos.
Build the mesh — Run the reconstruction step and wait for RealityScan to build the 3D mesh from the photos.
Texture the model — Run the texturing step and look at the finished model with its real colours.
Export your model — Export the finished model as an FBX or OBJ file, ready for Blender, Unity or a game engine.

Is RealityScan Free?

RealityScan is free for individuals, educators, students and companies with less than 1 million US dollars in annual gross revenue. You create a free Epic Games account, install it through the Epic Games Launcher, and use the full version without paying and without a time limit, as long as you stay under that threshold. Be aware of two honest limits: companies above the threshold pay 1,250 US dollars per seat per year, and the program needs an NVIDIA graphics card with CUDA support and at least 8 GB of RAM, so older PCs will struggle.

That free status is important for this guide. All the steps here use the official download only, and they do not involve cracks, activators or licence keys. If you ever see a site offering a paid or cracked version of the free program, treat it as unsafe and return to the official site.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is RealityScan safe to download?
Yes, when you download it from the official website only. The official installer is the version made by the developer. Avoid third-party sites that bundle extra software or ask for payment for a free program.

Does RealityScan work on my Windows PC?
Yes, in most cases. RealityScan runs on Windows 10 and 11 (64-bit), but it needs an NVIDIA graphics card with CUDA 3.0 support and at least 8 GB of RAM. Check the official site for the exact current version if your PC is older.

Is RealityScan really free, or will it stop working?
The free version described in this guide is not a short trial. It stays usable as long as your revenue stays under 1 million US dollars a year. Above that limit you must move to a paid seat.

Do I need a powerful PC to run RealityScan?
No, not for basic use. A modern Windows 10 or 11 PC with 4 GB of RAM or more can run it for simple projects. Larger projects with many objects and effects will benefit from more RAM and a faster processor, but you can start and learn on a normal home PC.

Conclusion

RealityScan is a useful, free addition to a Windows setup because it is a free photogrammetry app that turns ordinary photos into detailed 3D models, and it can be downloaded safely from the official site. Start with a small first project, learn one tool at a time, and build from there.

To get started, download RealityScan from the official website here: https://www.realityscan.com Install it with the steps above, test it once, and then use it in your next project. With a little practice, it can become a regular part of your workflow.