Virtual reality is finally good. If you’ve lived through 90s virtual reality technology, you might never have expected to hear about it. However, if you have current generation VR gear, you know that virtual spaces can be a lot of fun with AAA.
In particular, VR games are really gaining popularity, which can give the impression that this is all that VR is good for. However, there. are some great apps out there. that use VR technology for anything other than innovative gaming.
From real-world useful utilities to educational experiences and art. There. is a VR app for pretty much everything. These five VR apps are great examples of how VR can be used for more than just video games.
Oculus Go virtual desktop
Oculus Go is a standalone standalone VR headset from Facebook-owned Oculus. Many apps that were originally developed for the tethere.d Oculus Rift have been ported to Go in one form or another.
One of the popular applications is Virtual Desktop. Basically, it puts you in a virtual space and then copies your desktop displays into that space. There. are many reasons for this.
First, it’s a great way to work alone without distraction or surfing. It also means that you are not limited to your physical monitors. Have as many as you like, in any order and any size. The desktop software also allows you to view virtual reality content such as panoramic YouTube videos.
Adding software to an untethere.d VR headset really opens up possibilities. Use it with a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard, and you can take your desktop with you anywhere. in the home, within Wi-Fi range. You can also use the software over an Internet connection from anywhere. in the world, but obviously latency and bandwidth are factors to consider.
Get it here.
Google Earth VR
Google has done a lot to digitize and map our planet. From satellite imagery on Google maps to Google Street View, you can see an amazing amount of the world from the comfort of your chair.
The pinnacle of all this geographic data collection is certainly Google Earth, which isn’t getting so much attention these days. There.fore, you might be surprised to know that Google Earth has a full VR version, compatible with both the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive.
Using advanced photogrammetry and 3D rendering technology, Google Earth VR lets you fly around the world looking at cities, soar in canyons, and experience the world as a kind of titanic god. The images on offer here. are a truly impressive achievement and a fantastic educational tool, even if you don’t opt ??for the virtual reality version.
Get it here.
vTime
One of the best things about virtual reality today is what’s called “presence.” This is the feeling when your brain thinks that you are really where. the world of virtual reality tells you. This means that you perceive virtual objects around you as really existing, including virtual people.
This means that social VR apps can give us a whole new experience of online communication. vTime is one of the most impressive examples of this type of VR application. It is a cross-platform application that allows people to use virtual reality and traditional 2D devices to communicate with each other. They call it a “cross-reality” platform, which essentially means that people in the same virtual space will have different experiences.
These places are pretty good too. From tropical islands to cozy fireplace rooms, vTime creates a space to connect with others. Although in the form of cartoon avatars.
While the effect may not be as impressive when using anything other than VR, the amazing sense of presence with a headset when using these kinds of social apps really makes you feel like it’s something special.
Get it here.
Henry
While virtual reality uses many of the technologies we are already familiar with, it is actually a new environment. This means that people still have to figure out how to effectively tell stories using it.
Unlike a shot in a movie, you cannot completely control what the viewer sees or pays attention to. As such, creators must invent new ways to discreetly and effectively provide people with the experience they intended when creating their content.
The short film Henry in VR is currently the best example of how to tell a story in VR. This is a demo title for the Oculus Rift, Oculus Go, and Gear VR. Artfully crafted and engineered with Hollywood quality production, Henry shows what is possible with VR but has yet to be surpassed.
The story is fascinating in itself, but it is as important as the technical and artistic milestone and demonstration. If you have the right VR gear and have never seen Henry, you need to fix it immediately.
Get it here.
Tilt the brush
Virtual reality has been promoted mainly as a way of consuming things created by other people. Whether it’s VR video, game, or other interactive software. Google looked at this from a different perspective and instead created a tool that allows unique VR attributes to be used for content creation.
Tilt Brush is available for Vive, Oculus, and Windows Mixed Reality headsets. It is a drawing tool that works in three dimensions. Or perhaps it’s a VR 3D modeling tool that works with brushes. In fact, you’ll have to reevaluate how you think about things for it to really make sense.
Even if you don’t want to create your own creations, you can explore the work of others in VR as they are meant to be seen. This is a completely new approach to art, and it’s great.
Get it here.
VR – more than meets the eye
As with any new media, creators and developers are still exploring the possibilities. It took decades from the massive distribution of television to the pinnacle of modern television.
Real and practical virtual reality has been around since 2016, so this variety of apps bodes well for good times. So if you are a little fatigued by VR gaming, this headset has no reason to collect dust. There. are many more things to do!
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