If you haven’t spent any time yet thinking about or experiencing virtual reality (VR), you need to start now. Chances are, if you’re not a gamer, you haven’t put the goggles on yet right? What’s in there? A visual experience that you can control – everything from simple 360 videos to immersive games and shopping experiences.
The critical mass of platforms, devices and a growing number of content producers is changing the way consumers will want to view product information, entertainment, and education – to name just the most important categories!
Pokémon GO has brought augmented reality (AR) into the mainstream over the past few weeks…I say mainstream because the active user are more than Tinder and Twitter according to some. AR and VR are leading in the same direction – new standards for content makers.
There are number of things on the market now and while none of them may win long run they are all interesting on different levels.
Things to Check Out
JUST STARTING?
Google Cardboard is for you. You slide your phone into a headset to watch content and yes it’s made from cardboard (are they trying to say something to Samsung and their fancier version?) Costs about USD15 and there are lots of different makers. Content for this platform isn’t huge but it’s an excellent taster for those who’ve never explored VR and want to start thinking about its possibilities. The Google VR Team is also coming out with a new mass platform called Daydream this Autumn so watch for more in this space.
FANCY MOBILE + HEADSET?
Samsungs Gear VR (powered by Oculus) is pretty cool in that it gives a great experience considering it’s on your phone screen with some nice apps being built for it including something for Netflix. But, and this is a big but, it only works with Samsung Galaxy phones.
GETTING SERIOUS?
HTC Vive Steam VR – This is all the bells and whistles and was voted CES 2016’s best new tech and gadgets. Lots of apps – particularly gaming but some retail specific designed environments coming on line now. I tried it the other night and the good news is no motion sickness:)
360 PHOTOS ON FACEBOOK
If you’re ready to start trying something, I’d suggest this as a first dip. It’s not really VR but it’s a way to allow users to experience your visual content with some level of control and will help you take the first step. From Facebook:
You can now easily share 360 photos on Facebook. Simply take a panorama with your phone or capture a 360-degree photo using a 360 photo app or 360 camera, and then post it on Facebook as you would a normal photo. From there, we’ll convert it to an immersive 360 photo that people can explore, similar to how people experience 360 videos on Facebook.
vr goggles by Nick Bluth from the Noun Project
