Oculus is hosting free World Cup viewing parties in VR
Facebook's Oculus Venues app is getting the games via Fox Sports in the US.
- Nearly 20 years writing about tech, and over a decade reviewing wearable tech, VR, and AR products and apps
An idea of what World Cup games will look like (this is International Champions Cup, but you get the idea).
The World Cup begins today and you can watch it in VR if you have a mobile Oculus Go or Samsung Gear VR headset.
Facebook's Oculus Venues app, a place for watching live events in VR, is adding free livestreams of selected World Cup games via Fox Sports for US viewers over the next couple of weeks. The Venues app projects these matches into a theater-like space where anyone can watch and chat with an audience of Oculus avatars.
This is the latest example of sports being streamed over VR. And it'll be the next big test of whether live sports are a good match for VR.
The schedule of live-streamed soccer games:
- June 17: Germany vs. Mexico – 8:00 a.m. PT
- June 20: Portugal vs. Morocco – 5:00 a.m. PT
- June 22: Brazil vs. Costa Rica – 5:00 a.m. PT
- June 24: England vs. Panama – 5:00 a.m. PT
If you have an Oculus Go or Samsung Gear VR handy, and you live in the US, it's worth a try.
British football fans can watch matches in VR with the BBC app, available now for Oculus Go, Android and iOS devices, Gear VR and PlayStation VR.
According to Oculus, other regions will be able to stream some of the games via other apps: DirecTV Sports VR in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela (Gear VR only); ERT VR in Greece (Gear VR only); MYTF1VR in France (Gear VR or Oculus Go) and Telemundo Deportes VR or Fox Sports VR in the US.
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