VR isn’t just for recreation right now, it is becoming massively popular thanks to sense of being immersed in time and space. No matter where you are, you can enter different world just by putting on headset.
Over the last year we’ve witnessed explosion of content for VR, luckily not only new games were created.
The genre is expanding to include also social VR, which is basically ‘connecting two or more real people in a virtual world’, as explained by Facebook on it’s F8 developer conference.
,
,
Why social VR will be huge in digital entertainment?
Immersive 3D environments offer much more than just more realistic video gaming.
Thanks to it’s nature, VR provide experience across all mediums. It’s a matter of time when leading content providers like Facebook, Oculus will decide to put more effort into this technology.
Once they decide they want to fulfill our need for social interactions, huge amount on people will realise that this thechnology is the future.
We firmly believe that in near future users will be able and, more importantly, want to interact with their friends and family in VR. They will be able to re-visit every memory, e.g. sister’s wedding, Eurotrip 2017 with Mike and Julie, etc., you name it.
All that with a real feeling of presence, as if user is really there on the scene. Co-experience is the next huge thing.
,
,
That’s why we’ve decided to create quick summary of social VR content available right now or in near future.
Facebook/Oculus Social
Although Facebook didn’t release anything publicly yet, it has two teams working on social VR.
On F8 developer conference two of their employees in separate locations put on Facebook’s Oculus Rift headsets and met in London. Their digital avatars were able to chat and experienced London. They even took a selfie and shared it directly to Facebook page.
,
,
One of challenges is to make avatars more real, right now they look like cartoons, not much like real person. One of possible solutions might be scanning your face and body with mobile device.
,
,
Moreover, you can customize your private space. Avatars can be customized as well or chosen from those created by other users.
vTime
Released for Samsung Gear VR, Oculus Rift and Google Cardboard this free app allows to interact with family and friends in still growing library of virtual environments.
It allows customization of avatar and chatting inside your 360 photo gallery.
cluster.
Idea behind cluster. is to offer meet ups for creators who don’t want to leave their home.
,
,
They can participate in various events just by using their headsets. Meetings vary from small and private to huge ones with thousand of participants.
,
,
This app created in Japan is right now available on Oculus Rift. Even if more than 1,000 connections are established simultaneously, users are unlikely to feel a heavy load on the system.
VRchive
Still in alpha phase, this social media platform encourages you to view and share 360 photos with global VR community.
It’s goal is to make spherical panoramas as accessible as YouTube.
Summary
With the rapid growth of VR technology that we witness right now, VR content is blooming too. Although there are some places where it’s possible to socialize, there still are huge uncharted areas.
It’s a matter of time when headsets will be more affordable and when it happens, users will want to hangout with friends, meet new people or cowork even more. It’s fascinating where this technology will lead us.
If you know some other social VR, leave a comment so that we can make this list more and more accurate!
Source: Medium